Rafiki Safari Lodge, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

The Boshoff family started the project in 1999 in hopes of using tourism to build a wildlife refuge and Tapir re-introduction program. The first stage of the project, the lodge and cabins, was completed in December of 2002.

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Currently the lodge sees travelers from all over the world. Their contributions have helped us developed the necessary contacts and cultural understanding to undertake the second stage of Rafiki. Stage 2 of Rafiki is to build a fence around about 60 acres of forest, construct a Veterinary facility, and begin the process of attaining and transporting tapirs.

The animals will come from captive environments, but will hopefully one day roam free through the Savegre Valley. Currently there is a corridor designated for tapir, El Paso de la Danta, which passes through Rafiki's property.

This means that Rafiki is not an ecological island, making our released animals very important to the genetic diversity of the tapirs of Costa Rica.

The philosophy of Rafiki's project is South African in origin. Essentially, through the use of tourism as a means to generate capital, animals can be given a second chance where local hunting pressures and loss of habitat have decimated their populations.

The tourism that enters the area generates employment opportunity in both the project itself, and also in expanding local economy. Rafiki is highly involved in the local community and will be providing scholarships to aspiring student who choose to pursue careers in eco-tourism, biology, veterinary sciences, or any such related fields. With the help of the travelers that visit Rafiki, we are setting an example to other projects in Costa Rica and around the world, showing that sustainable tourism is a viable means to protect and restore the ecology of a given location.