SKÅL International Land and Marine Biodiversity Award
As an Affiliated Member of UN Tourism , whose mission is to promote reliable, sustainable, and universally accessible Tourism, Skål International created the Sustainable Tourism Awards following the United Nations declaration of 2002, to spotlight best practices globally. Skål International has adopted the UN Tourism Global Code of Ethics in Tourism and supports the ST-EP initiative Sustainable Tourism-Eliminating Poverty). Skål International is also affiliated with other important international organizations including PATA , IIPT , The Code , ECPAT and WTTC among others.
Monkeyland's Bold Leap Toward a Future Where Wildlife Owns the Land They Call Home
On October 17th, 2024, the South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance (SAASA) received one of the highest recognitions in the global travel and tourism industry – the prestigious SKÅL International Land and Marine Biodiversity Award in Izmir, Turkey. This award is a beacon of hope, innovation, and validation for Monkeyland, SAASA’s flagship sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. It celebrates an unprecedented initiative that could redefine conservation: enabling animals to own the land they inhabit.
A World-First Conservation Milestone
The award honours Monkeyland’s groundbreaking “Buy a Square Meter of Forest for the Monkeys” campaign. This project represents the first true real estate initiative for animals, granting primates – and the ecosystems they sustain – autonomy over their habitat. The campaign exemplifies visionary conservation by addressing one of the most fundamental vulnerabilities of wildlife sanctuaries worldwide: land ownership.
Situated in the lush Garden Route, a coveted region known for its biodiversity and scenic beauty, Monkeyland’s 22-hectare forest faces long-term uncertainties. Despite ethical stewardship today, the land and its inhabitants could become vulnerable to urbanization or human exploitation in decades to come. This campaign directly counters that risk by transferring ownership to the primates themselves, ensuring the land is managed in perpetuity for the benefit of its rightful inhabitants. For more information you can contact Lara Mostert lara@saasa.org.za or WhatsApp +27 (0)82 9795683
Securing Land, Safeguarding Futures
At its heart, this campaign is not a clever idea — it is a lifeline.
Every square meter you buy becomes real, physical forest that will never be taken from the animals who depend on it.
Through this groundbreaking model, supporters around the world purchase individual square meters of Monkeyland’s forest, each marked on detailed maps that fill up one by one. Map after map has sold out, and together, supporters have already secured a massive portion of the forest — real land, permanently protected for its rightful owners: the animals.
But this campaign is not only about funding.
It is a revolution in how we protect wildlife.
By placing legal land ownership in the hands of the monkeys, SAASA is doing something bold, just, and long overdue: shielding wildlife from the number one threat to their survival — habitat loss.
This forest is home not only to primates, but to frogs, shrews, birds, insects, and an entire web of life that collapses the moment the land disappears. When you buy a square meter, you’re not making a symbolic gesture.
You are physically defending a living, breathing ecosystem that cannot defend itself.
This is your moment to stand on the right side of history — to push back against destruction and give the animals something no developer, no owner, and no human whim can ever take away:
security, dignity, and a future.
Don’t wait.
Don’t look away.
Buy land for the animals. Protect their home. Make your square meter count.
Why the SKÅL Award Matters
The SKÅL International Sustainability Awards are a prestigious recognition of exceptional efforts in tourism to balance environmental responsibility with economic viability and social equity. Winning the Land and Marine Biodiversity Award is a testament to Monkeyland’s unique approach to conservation – a seamless integration of animal welfare, ecosystem preservation, and innovative financing mechanisms.
For SAASA, the accolade affirms its belief in long-term solutions that transcend reliance on human goodwill.
As SAASA co-founder and trustee Lara Mostert puts it: “This achievement isn’t just a win for us – it’s a win for a global conservation movement that prioritizes the rights of animals and the ecosystems they depend on.”
Legacy of Land. A Future for Wildlife.
The implications of this project extend far beyond Monkeyland. SAASA envisions the campaign as a global pilot project, setting a precedent for sanctuaries worldwide. Imagine a future where wildlife reserves across continents replicate this model, ensuring that ecosystems remain untouched by deforestation, urban encroachment, or agricultural expansion.
By tying conservation directly to land ownership, the initiative challenges the traditional framework where human needs and commercial interests dictate the fate of wildlife. It asks a profound question: What if animals could hold the title deeds to their homes?
Leave a Legacy That Outlives You
They Can’t Fight for Their Forest. But You Can.
At its core, this campaign is about something profoundly simple:
wild animals cannot protect their own homes — but we can.
Through this groundbreaking crowdfunding model, people from all over the world are buying single square meters of forest that directly secure the future of the primates at Monkeyland. Each square is real, mapped, numbered, and recorded. More than 200,000 square meters have already been added to the monkeys’ safety — and nearly 20 full maps are complete.
But what makes this campaign extraordinary is this:
For the first time, animals are becoming the legal beneficiaries of the land they depend on for survival.
This isn’t symbolic. It’s not theoretical.
It’s protection that lasts forever.
By giving the monkeys ownership of their forest, SAASA is eliminating the biggest threat wildlife faces today: habitat loss. Every square meter purchased shields not only the primates, but the entire hidden world around them — tiny shrews, ancient trees, rare insects, birds, amphibians, and countless unseen creatures whose survival depends on this land remaining untouched.
This is more than conservation.
It’s justice.
It’s dignity.
It’s giving wild beings the one thing they’ve never had: security.
And it starts with you.
Buy a square meter of forest. Give them a future that cannot be taken away.
While the campaign has gained powerful momentum, SAASA is realistic about the road ahead. Securing all 22 hectares — and ultimately expanding the protected forest — will take determined, consistent global support. This is a marathon of compassion, not a sprint.
But as the Afrikaans saying reminds us, “Die aanhouer wen” — the one who keeps going, wins.
And we will keep going.
SAASA’s leadership remains unwavering in its vision: this campaign is not only about purchasing land. It is about reshaping how the world thinks about wildlife, ownership, and responsibility.
It is about proving that humans and animals can be equal stakeholders in the future of this planet.
It is about creating a living example of what ethical coexistence truly looks like.
And it is about setting a precedent so powerful that future generations will ask, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”
Every square meter purchased strengthens this movement.
Every donor becomes part of a global turning point.
Together, we are not just protecting land — we are changing mindsets, changing systems, and changing the future of wildlife forever.
Care is a feeling. Action is a legacy.
Turn your compassion into something that lasts forever.
Buy now — and leave a mark that truly matters.
An Invitation to Join the Movement
As SAASA celebrates its SKÅL Award, one truth rings louder than ever:
Animals are running out of time — and we are their only line of defense.
Every day without securing their forest is a day their future hangs in the balance.
This isn’t a concept.
This isn’t “one day.”
This is happening right now, and it’s happening fast.
Together, we take a stand.
We refuse to accept a world where wildlife can lose their only home at the whim of human ownership, greed, or indifference.
We choose action, protection, and permanent security for animals who cannot defend themselves.
The “Buy a Square Meter” campaign isn’t conservation —
it’s activism.
It is a global movement declaring that animals deserve safety, land, rights, and a future humans cannot take away.
Individuals, families, schools, and businesses worldwide are stepping forward —
because doing nothing is no longer acceptable.
✅ WATCH THIS NOW — AND FEEL WHY WE NEED YOU:
➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYswuK_a7mA
✅ YOUR MOMENT TO ACT IS NOW
This forest can only be saved one way:
one square meter at a time — and one person deciding “YES, I care enough to act.”
Buy your square meters now.
Do it because you care.
Do it because they can’t.
Do it before it’s too late.
✅ WATCH THIS — FEEL THE URGENCY
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYswuK_a7mA
✅ VIDEO SUMMARY — RAW. HONEST. UNCOMFORTABLE. NECESSARY.
The video is not marketing.
It’s a plea — a direct cry from the front lines of real animal protection.
It shows the monkeys, the forest, the land under threat, the maps, the numbers —
and the brutal truth:
Without help, their home is at risk.
Without ownership, nothing is secure.
Without action, the animals lose everything.
✅ YOUR MOMENT TO ACT IS NOW
This forest can only be secured in one way:
one square meter at a time — and one person deciding “YES, I will not let them lose their home.”
Buy your square meter now.
Buy it because you truly care.
Buy it because they can’t.
Buy it before time runs out.
