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Epic photos + Red List update
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From our CEO – Simon Espley
We know that governments the world over cannot fight their way out of a brown paper bag. They are usually run along ideological lines by con artists, zealots and egomaniacs.
Every now and then, a ruler and their government go against the grain and use their term for good, for the betterment of their people and environment. Not the Botswana government, which has just opened up the following 2026 trophy hunting quotas, amongst other species:
- 97 leopards and 9 lions (populations unknown)
- 430 large-tusked elephants
Don’t be fooled by talk of how minuscule this elephant quota is (0.3% of the regional elephant population). Trophy hunters are after mature bulls with large tusks, which make up a small proportion of the population. This quota could reduce bulls aged over 30 by almost 25%, and bulls over 50 by 50%. Mature bulls are biologically and socially significant, guiding younger males, maintaining social order and contributing the majority of successful breeding. We estimate only 84+ tuskers (elephants with 100-pound tusk/s) remain across the entire continent, of which 59+ are in Southern Africa. The elephant hunting season has been extended to cover most of the year, despite the ongoing violent deaths of local people caused by agitated elephants.
The above quotas were arrived at in the face of either zero or contrary scientific data, at the behest of a shady foreign pro-trophy-hunting organisation known as Conservation Force. Were palms greased along the way?
How do we stop this wanton slaughter of our free-roaming wildlife? No, the answer is not tourism boycotts (which bolster the hunting industry). We fight back by showing decision-makers that photo tourism is the only viable option. You know what to do.
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
Click below to listen to this editorial
From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
A lion with one eye and three legs is thriving, despite the odds. In Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, infirmities like these usually mark the end of a hunting career. After Jacob the lion lost a hind leg to a poacher’s snare, as well as an eye to a brawl, most experts expected him to scavenge or rely entirely on other lions for food. Yet this eleven-year-old male has endured.
We reported on Jacob months ago when he and his brother Tibu made a record swim across the crocodile-filled Kazinga Channel in search of lionesses. But that’s not where Jacob’s talents ended. New thermal drone footage now explains how Jacob has continued to hunt successfully: by acting like a leopard. Unable to chase prey over longer sprints, Jacob hunts from dense cover, ambushing at close range and targeting smaller prey lions are less likely to pursue – just like his distant spotted cousins might do. And aside from hunting for himself, he also helps his brother lay ambushes for giant forest hogs. Such adaptation is rare, but survival can demand reinvention, even for top predators.
This week, we unveil a powerful gallery by our Photographer of the Year 2025 winner, Christina Schwenck, in a striking celebration of Africa’s wildlife. We also unpack the regional Mammal Red List update, with 11 Southern African species uplisted and extinction risks rising. Read these stories below.
Yours in wild adventure,
Did you know? Your African safari choice makes a difference
We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level. YOUR African safari choice does make a difference – thank you!
Our stories this week
EPIC PHOTOS
Explore a gallery of incredible African wildlife photos from our Photographer of the Year 2025 winner, Christina Schwenck
MAMMALS AT RISK
11 Southern African mammals have been uplisted in the 2025 Mammal Red List regional update, signalling rising extinction risk
Travel Desk – 2 African safari ideas
Kenya cultural safari – 10 days
This journey blends Kenya’s wildlife, culture and hands-on experiences. Explore the Maasai Mara with Maasai guides, be immersed in Samburu life and blacksmithing, visit Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, and experience Laikipia ranches where people and wildlife coexist. Scenic flights connect remote landscapes, creating a relaxed, authentic safari rooted in respect and tradition.
Ultimate Mana Pools safari – 9 days
Experience Mana Pools on an old-school safari, from the Zambezi floodplains to Rukomechi cliffs, with walking, canoeing and slow game drives. Stay in two superb camps, enjoying encounters with elephants, hippos, crocodiles and predators, guided to slow down, look closer, and truly become part of this revered wilderness.
Still dreaming of the ultimate African safari escape? Browse our safaris ideas here. Or click here to plan your safari.
Leopards on the line…
Since mid-2024, eight leopards have been killed on the roads of Hoedspruit, Limpopo, in South Africa. These losses are a devastating blow to the local leopard population’s genetic health. To stop this tragic trend, the Ingwe Research Program launched the Road Ecology Project, to identify roadkill hotspots and safe wildlife crossings – vital data for lasting solutions.
Africa Geographic recently joined the Ingwe Research Program, together with SANRAL (South African National Roads Agency), to install predator-crossing signs at roadkill hotspots on the R40. These signs aim to encourage drivers to pay more attention when travelling on roads that pass through wildlife havens.
You can support Ingwe’s work through our Spots on the Line campaign to fund fieldwork, camera traps, and data analysis that could save leopards. No matter how modest, your donation will drive leopard conservation forward. Together, we can keep South Africa’s leopards roaming free.
WATCH
From the Great Migration to the iconic tuskers of Amboseli, Kenya stirs the soul. Witness lions and hyenas on the hunt, Grevy’s zebras in the wild north, and coastal magic in Watamu. Find inspiration for your Kenya safari here. (0:49) Click here to watch
Cover image: Maasai Jumping Dance. Kenya.
© Rodney Bursiel. Photographer of the Year 2021 Top 101 entry.
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