The first known person to provide protection to wildlife in the region was Zulu King Shaka, who prevented excessive hunting of game animals in the Umfolozi River valley in the early 19th century.

The Voortrekker leader Piet Retief had rules excluding the unnecessary shooting of game, and veld burning was strictly controlled.

Today Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is involved with saving a subspecies of the south-central black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor), of which virtually all of the animals now living in South Africa are descended from the remnant population of Umfolozi.

In 2023, Karpowership bought and gifted a game farm to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in exchange for not objecting to mooring a 450 MW ship-mounted power plant at Richards Bay Harbour.

[3]: 106 In the 2022/23 annual report, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife received a qualified opinion due to irregular expenditure and misstating property, plant and equipment values, in addition to not having recorded various assets.

[3]: 86  The auditor-general stated that "a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the KZN Nature Conservation Board's ability to continue as a going concern.