Africa’s baobabs are tougher than we think. Despite climate change concerns, these iconic trees show resilience against the odds
Category Archives: Natural history
Has Zito the cross-border super tusker been trophy hunted in Tanzania?
Africa Geographic is seeking more information on the possible trophy hunting of another cross-border super tusker in Tanzania
Chimpanzee speak: New research reveals human-like conversations
Discover how new research reveals striking similarities between chimpanzee and human communication, deepening our understanding of primates
Flamingos in peril: East Africa’s flamingos threatened by rising lakes
Rising lake levels caused by climate change are threatening East Africa’s flamingos, pushing their iconic habitats to the brink
Necks for feeding or fighting? Giraffe evolution’s tallest debate
Is the giraffe’s long neck for feeding or sexual selection? The necks for sex or food dispute continues, with new findings re-kindling debate
Changing tastes: Why Zakouma’s lions are eating better
Improved management in Zakouma, Chad, has led to healthier prey populations. Lions now favour larger species & prides are getting bigger
Counting pink dots – a tale of machines, flamingos and rivers
Over 500,000 flamingos counted in Botswana’s Sua Pan using AI reveal vital conservation needs and the impact of climate change
Is an obsession with trees harming our grasslands?
Grasslands sequester carbon faster than trees, & are crucial in combatting climate change. Is an obsession with trees harming our grasslands?
Saving Mozambique’s last dugongs
How do we save the last dugong population on Africa’s east coast? African Parks and the government of Mozambique are building local understanding of the elusive dugongs of the Bazaruto Archipelago seascape. Lorena Matos reports
Conservationists condemn Namibia’s plan to cull 723 wildlife amidst drought – MEFT responds
Namibia’s plan to cull 723 wild animals amid drought has sparked global outrage. Conservationists say the cull is politically motivated & unnecessary. MEFT responds
Queleas added to hyena menu
Queleas have become an unexpected addition to the diet of spotted hyenas, showing hyenas’ adaptability and opportunism
Rhino Rewild: Is this the most critical wildlife conservation undertaking of our time?
Simon Espley attended the pioneer stage of a visionary project to translocate 2,000 farmed rhinos into the wild. Here’s how it went down
Africa by night – 12 nocturnal animals and where to find them
Experiencing nocturnal animals is a highlight of any African safari. Here are the top 12 nocturnal animals to seek, and where to find them.
Necks for sex or food? The driving force behind giraffe-neck evolution
Why do giraffes have such long necks? A new study questions whether feeding or mating played the bigger role in giraffe neck evolution
Are fenced lions happy?
Does lion pride behaviour change between fenced & open systems? Researchers monitoring lions in Kruger, Pilanesberg & more aim to find out
Saving European rollers – flyway conservation – how you can help
A decline in European rollers has ignited conservation of these birds & their flyways, boosting protection of rollers & other species
Why did the 3-legged lion swim the 1.5km croc-infested channel?
Watch: Researchers capture lions’ 1.5km swim through crocodile-infested waters, as lions search for new mates & territory
Can rhinos survive climate change?
Unable to cope well with prolonged periods of extreme temperatures, rhinos are particularly vulnerable to the increasing heat associated with climate change
Op-ed – Saving Namibia’s desert lions: workable alternatives to culling of problem animals
Op-ed: Izak Smit explores solutions to human-wildlife conflict in Kunene, Namibia, focusing on ethical conservation of desert-adapted lions
The hidden ivory trade: hippos under threat amidst rising demand
As elephant ivory bans push traffickers to alternate sources, hippos fall victim to the ivory trade. Paul Hilton explores the impacts, from Uganda to Hong Kong
World’s largest overland mammal migration confirmed in South Sudan
New survey confirms South Sudan hosts the world’s largest overland mammal migration: the 6-million-strong Great Nile Migration
Africa’s new ecoregion: Islands in the sky
A new ecoregion has been proposed for Southern Africa’s threatened ‘sky islands’, consisting of 30 isolated rainforest-covered mountains
120 rhinos rewilded to Greater Kruger in historic move
African Parks has translocated 120 white rhinos to Greater Kruger in an initiative to rewild 2,000 rhinos into secure, protected areas
Africa’s Parrots
Africa’s parrots are colourful characters that live in complex social groups. But they are among the most threatened of all bird families
More Angolan giraffes return to Iona NP
More Angolan giraffes have returned to Iona NP, Angola, as part of a conservation initiative to restore and enrich the park’s biodiversity
Africa’s migratory animals under threat
UN report: Africa’s migratory animals – from wildebeest & birds, to dugongs & whales – are under threat due to habitat loss and climate change
KAZA elephants – new analysis adds vital details
An analysis of elephant population trends in KAZA shows a worrying increase in poaching, slowed population growth, negative population trends outside of protected areas, and the need for more accurate information to combat threats
How a wobbly earth and green Sahara led to the spread of humans
How did wobbles in the Earth’s rotation lead to the greening of the Sahara Desert, and the wider distribution of humans and other species?
Amboseli super tuskers down to 10 as trophy hunters operate in stealth mode
Amboseli’s super tuskers are down to about 10, as trophy hunters operate in stealth mode. And with a 3rd elephant hunted in Enduimet, Tanzania, the integrity of the Amboseli elephant population is in jeopardy
The changing face of wattled crane conservation
Wattled cranes rely on wetlands and grasslands for survival – linking them to the human populations that depend on these ecosystems
Open letter to Michel Mantheakis – chairman of the Tanzanian Hunting Operators Association (TAHOA)
Two super tuskers hunted in Tanzania: Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley responds to TAHOA chairperson Michel Mantheakis
Africa’s raptors on the brink: urgent conservation measures needed
Researchers have uncovered a looming extinction crisis for Africa’s birds of prey, painting a grim picture for the continent’s raptors
A hiatus in the hyena literature
A review of scientific literature on Hyaenidae reveals trends and gaps in the research on hyenas and other Hyaenidae species
Calling an elephant by its name
Do elephant rumblings contain names? Research shows elephants may have individual names, and they may use these names in their communication
Spotting spotted hyena
New research using camera traps has measured spotted hyena population density in southern Tanzania – the first study of its kind for Tanzania
Trophy hunted: 2 super tuskers in Tanzania
Two 100-pounder elephants have been hunted in Tanzania (NOT THOSE PICTURED HERE) – raising questions about the targeting of Amboseli’s last super tuskers
How giraffes choose their besties
Do giraffes choose their social groups based on appearance? A recent study investigates if giraffes form bonds based on spot shape
Parenting, Wahlberg’s eagle style: making financial brokers proud
Why does the Wahlberg’s eagle lay only one egg? The parenting style of these eagles is a story that your financial broker would enjoy
Is elephant poaching on the rise in Botswana?
A spate of arrests points to an elephant poaching increase in Botswana, shining a light on the efficacy of anti-poaching systems
Unveiling the mysteries of the riverine rabbit
Discovering additional riverine rabbit populations and gathering information about this elusive species has been a challenge. Here’s why
Who’s been sleeping in my bed? New study identifies the bird species that use hamerkop nests for breeding
Hamerkops create one of the largest nests of any individual bird in the world. But other bird species use these nests for breeding
The fragile kingdoms of the African lion
Lions are under threat. A new study examines the fragility of lion populations in Africa, probing socio-political & ecological factors
Net win – saving Africa’s trees from elephants
New research shows that wire-netting can be used to significantly increase tree survival by reducing elephant impact on large trees
The wild pigs of Africa
There are six species of wild pigs in Africa: common and desert warthogs, bushpigs, red river hog, giant forest hogs and North African boars
Trophy hunted: Namibian desert-adapted lion – here are the facts
Trophy hunt: a male desert-adapted lion has been hunted amidst suspicious circumstances – we ask questions of MEFT
Archaeological magic in Makgadikgadi
Archaeological sites in the Makgadikgadi salt pans reveal how ancient humans used black silcrete formed from lake mud to make tools
Kruger rhino population update – the losses continue
Rhino populations in Kruger National Park continue to decline despite innovative strategies implemented to prevent rhino poaching
“Shock” value – the animal toll of electric fences
What is the animal toll of electric fences? Safeguarding protected and wild areas comes at the expense of countless wildlife, says research
The cheetahs of southern Tanzania
A new study, aimed at aiding the conservation of Tanzania’s cheetahs, reveals the secrets of the cheetahs of the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem
The hybrid elephants of Kibale – new research on how to distinguish types of African elephant
A new study from Kibale has laid the groundwork to distinguish between forest/savannah elephant hybrids and different elephant species
