Tourism is a major contributor to South Africa’s economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it accounted for about 8.6% of national GDP. Nature reserves play an essential role in this sector, as South Africa is a global leader in wildlife tourism. Large, privately managed parks (e.g., Kruger National Park and Pilanesberg National Park) have performed well over the years. However, smaller reserves—primarily those managed by provincial and local governments (e.g., Manyeleti Nature Reserve, Mariepskop Nature Reserve, and Bushbuckridge Nature Reserve)—have struggled to remain financially viable while also addressing the needs of surrounding communities. The Bushbuckridge Nature Reserve, located in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, has recently set the objective of becoming a world-class nature reserve that maintains biodiversity integrity through conservation while permitting sustainable use of natural resources by neighbouring communities. In this work, we present an optimization model to help management explore and analyze options for ecosystem and wildlife restoration. The model can also serve as a tool to facilitate negotiations between reserve management and local communities and to incorporate their interests in the revitalization process. Specifically, we propose a facility location model to reshape the reserve’s ecosystem and wildlife to maximize animal welfare and tourist appeal, while supporting optimal and sustainable use of natural resources by local communities. Computational experiments are presented to illustrate the model’s potential for supporting decision-making.