So is the rest of Swaziland's wild kingdom. Park land now covers about 4 percent of the territory - a good start for a country with no green space on its map just 30 years ago, says Keith Cooper, director of conservation for the Wildlife Society of South Africa. And Reilly has been the stalwart of conservation in Swaziland. He's an exceptional person. It is due to his perseverance and tenacity that Swaziland has any preserved areas at all.
Plans are to continue expanding protected areas.
A recent survey identified 34 prospective nature reserves. The country is now negotiating with South Africa and Mozambique to establish a tri-national conservation area that would link up parks in the three countries and allow the free migration of animals and tourists among the areas. While the Swaziland parks are mere backyard garden plots when compared to some of Africa's famous, sprawling reserves, they are nonetheless a worthy venture, says Werner Myburgh, project manager for the Peace Parks Foundation in South Africa. But probably gone forever is the richness of Swaziland's past animal kingdom. A century ago, wildlife was so abundant here that teams of entrepreneurial hunters traveled from hundreds of miles away for a few days in Swaziland's mountains and valleys.