Nudibranchs (the naked gills) are molluscs, the flamboyant snails of the ocean. Their colours and shapes are stunning, and their multiple forms elegant and striking.
Category Archives: Natural history
Hippo teeth: Hong Kong trade threatens species in Africa
Hong Kong has always been regarded as the epicentre of the global wildlife trade. It appears however that this trade is not adequately controlled by authorities and may lead many species to the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, many news headlines announce illegal elephant ivory and rhino horn trade being processed through Hong Kong’s borders. Many …
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Best places to see wild lions in Africa
For the best chance of seeing lions in the wild, it would be advisable to head to one of Africa’s ‘lion hotspots’
Online rhino horn auction met with “disappointing” results
John Hume’s first three-day online rhino horn auction was met with “disappointing” results as there were fewer bidders than expected.
Dragon-like sungazer lizard in danger
Sungazer – it sounds like a cool name for a dragon, and even though these rare lizards look like the mighty dragons from “Game of Thrones”, the fire of their soul may be burned out permanently.
Killing crop-raiding elephants won’t solve problem, say scientists
One of African conservation’s most pressing issues is ensuring that elephants and humans can coexist peacefully in the same area
The rhino in the room: South Africa’s domestic trade in rhino horn
On the surface, the upcoming legal auction of rhino horn set to begin on August 21 might appear to be a harmless propaganda exercise, but it may in fact signal a deepening of the rhino crisis.
The BIG LIE about lion trophy hunting
The trophy hunting of Africa’s wild, free-roaming lions is not sustainable and has to stop – opinion piece by Simon Espley
Is Madikwe the best malaria-free Big 5 safari experience?
After a few days in Madikwe we had already seen cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, spotted & brown hyenas, rhinos & elephants. By Marc de Chalain
R.I.P Giraneza, the silverback gorilla
Giraneza the famous silverback gorilla is dead. We share images and a tribute from one of our Photographer of the Year entrants
Cycads need protection from poaching
Cycads are one of the most endangered species on this planet, it’s time we educate ourselves on how to save them from extinction.
Tsavo ‘Super Tusker’, Ndawe, dies after multiple spear wounds
Ndawe was the missing link, the proof that we were looking for. We were sure that elephants made the long journey between Tsavo and Amboseli, and he was the confirmation.
Kruger elephants: Giants of the Future
This is a citizen science project to assist Kruger National Park scientists to monitor populations of large-tusked elephants in the park
Trophy hunters lied about Xanda, son of Cecil, says Oxford researcher
The Zimbabwean trophy hunter who shot Cecil the Lion’s son, Xanda, was lying about the circumstances of the hunt, says the Oxford University researcher Andrew Loveridge from WildCru.
Cecil the Lion’s son Xanda killed by trophy hunter
Xanda, the 6-year-old son of Cecil the Lion, has been shot and killed by a client of Zimbabwean professional hunter Richard Cooke, a Victoria Falls resident. Xanda, in his prime years and the father of several young cubs, was killed just outside Hwange National Park, as was his famous father. Although the hunt was reportedly …
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‘Shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, say Botswana academics
South Africa should implement a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, suggest Botswana academics Goemeone EJ Mogomotsi and Patricia Kelilwe Madigele in a report titled ‘Live by the gun, die by the gun’.
Materials for your art safari
Disasters involving art materials are nothing new to me after years of travelling and sketching in southern Africa.
Lion farmers in South Africa threaten big cats worldwide
South African lion farmers are supplying large volumes of lion bone, teeth and claws as ‘tiger parts’ to an insatiable Asian market – says a report recently published by the Environmental Investigation Agency. South Africa is the world’s largest exporter of lion body parts.
Undercover operation reveals rhino trafficking secrets
A recently completed 11-month undercover investigation by Elephant Action League (EAL) called Grinding Rhino has exposed the networks, the players and the means by which rhino horn is trafficked into China.
Why Namibia’s desert-adapted lions are being killed
Namibia’s desert-adapted lions in the Tomakas region of Namibia are being killed off in a sad whirlpool of human politics, with the recent killing of the last of the famous ‘5 Musketeers’ being one such example.
Watch: Cape leopards caught on camera
The Cape Leopard Trust has caught many wondering Cape leopards in their camera traps across the remote Cape mountains and farmlands
Trekking the beautiful Bale Mountains in Ethiopia
This was an amazing opportunity to visit Ethiopia’s most important biodiversity hotspot and see some of the rarest creatures in the world.
Hyena cub births: the good, the bad & the gory
Imagine the excitement when guests at Nsefu camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, were able to watch a spotted hyena giving birth.
Let’s boycott African tourism. Not
Some keyboard warriors regularly call for the boycott of an entire country’s tourism industry in reaction to the death of animals that could conceivably have been prevented.
R.I.P Tullamore – the last lion of the 5 Musketeers
Tullamore, the last of the famous ‘5 musketeers’ desert-adapted lions of northern Namibia, has been killed in the Okongue area, along with a lioness and two cubs, in the ongoing battle between rural cattle farmers and free-roaming lions. The lions were poisoned. Tullamore was the last surviving member of a group of 5 desert-adapted lions …
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ET the aardvark goes home
ET was found and brought to me at ZURI Orphanage in Namibia in August 2015. Small and alien-like in appearance, ET settled in quickly with life on the farm. We have a house full of cats and dogs but settling in an aardvark was a completely different experience. There is very little written about aardvark so we had to learn as we went along.
Titanic battle between squirrel and parrot
On the morning of the 30th May, I witnessed a tussle between one of the current occupants of the nest, a brown-headed parrot pair, and a tree squirrel which dared to venture too close to the nest.
Rhino horn trade: A considered justification
Rhinos throughout South Africa are being brutally killed for their horns. In this article I would like to focus on some of the positive contributions by the private sector and the trials and tribulations that they face in trying to keep rhinos safe.
Hunting body president resigns over canned lion dispute
The president of the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa [Phasa], Stan Burger, unexpectedly announced his resignation on Tuesday with immediate effect.
Private game reserves are vital for conservation
Without detracting from the wonderful and critical role that our national parks play in conservation we would like to take an opportunity to focus on the positive achievements of the private sector in this regard.
Mabamba Swamp: A bird-lovers paradise!
Mabamba Swamp is a bird-lovers dream destination. It is home to 260 bird species, including the massive shoebill – Uganda’s most sought-after bird!
Rhinos to Australia: is this conservation?
There are plans afoot to move rhinos from Africa to Australia as an ‘insurance policy’ and for ‘safekeeping’ in large grass paddocks amongst the gum trees. Is this a valid conservation project (as claimed) or a misdirection of energy and resources by a well-meaning Western society intent on privatising African conservation into their own backyard?
The link between hunting & tourism in Namibia
I am not a hunter. Nor have I ever been. I am a vegetarian (since the age of about 11), I am part of the environmental NGO sector and I have interests in the tourism industry in Namibia. So, it might surprise you that I am a strong supporter of the hunting industry in Namibia, and indeed, throughout Africa.
6 Tips to sketch a cheetah hunt
Wildlife artist and art safari host Alison Nicholls shares tips for sketching a hunting cheetah hunt – including field sketches and photos
Human-wildlife conflict in East Africa
Human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest causes of reduction in wildlife populations across Africa – we unpack various solutions
South Luangwa: dog detection unit hounds poaching
In eastern Zambia, Conservation South Luangwa, in partnership with Working Dogs for Conservation and Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife has launched a fantastic initiative: Zambia’s first ever canine wildlife detection unit.
Opinion: Rhino horn trade = extinction in the wild
It is now legal in South Africa to trade domestically in rhino horn, after this country’s Constitutional Court recently overturned an eight-year ban on domestic trade, based on a technicality.
No Timbavati ‘100 Pounder’ elephant hunt
The last few weeks have witnessed some pretty vicious social media attacks on lodges within Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park
R.I.P SATAO 2
SATAO 2 has died, at the hands of ivory poachers. We pay tribute to this giant elephant by quoting several people who met him
Satao 2 poached in Tsavo – 6 super tuskers left
SATAO 2 is dead, and another of the last super tuskers left in Africa has been poached, leaving only 6 of these giants in the Tsavo Conservation Area in southern Kenya.
Trophy hunting: leopard update
Earlier this year, South African Environmental Affairs minister Edna Molewa announced a ZERO quota for leopard hunts in 2017, a continuation of the 2016 ruling.
Of leatherbacks and loggerheads
As our guide brought the open game vehicle coasting to a halt, the only sound was of waves breaking gently on the sand. That morning, Sodwana Bay had been clamorous with tractors and trailers, speedboats and scuba divers. But now, late at night, the beach was utterly empty. And out there, somewhere, an ancient and …
Rhino orphans released into iSimangaliso
On Monday, three white rhino orphans were peacefully released into their new home within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar
Scientists have discovered a new species of dwarf lemur In the forests of northern Madagascar – weighing in just 100 grams
Rhino Bombshell: SA Minister plans to permit trade in horn
South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has declared that she plans to permit the trade in rhino horn domestically and, in what looks like a loophole big enough to drive a tractor through, the export internationally of horn for ‘personal purposes’.
Why conservation is failing
There is a war going on in African conservation, and the other side is winning hands down – why is that? Op-ed by Simon Espley
Finding Africa’s rarest parrot – Cape Parrots in Magoebaskloof
A birding trip into the Magoesbaskloof in Limpopo, South Africa to find the Cape parrot – Africa’s rarest parrot
Hunting: the colour game is over
The breeding of wildlife to produce unusually coloured animals, in the hope that hunters would pay a lot more to shoot them, has fallen flat in a spectacular manner — with the practice being widely condemned.
Lion bones: SA public has no time to contest sale
South Africa is about to permit the export of lion bones to produce fake tiger wine but has given the public almost no time to object. The permit will allow an annual export of 800 skeletons to Asia.
Chinese traders going after Africa’s donkeys
According to several sources, there is a growing demand in Chinese markets for donkey pelts, and some rural areas in Africa are reportedly being stripped of free-roaming donkeys to feed the demand.
Lion skeletons – 800 to be exported annually
SANBI’s recommendation to the Department of Environmental Affairs to allow export of 800 captive-bred lion skeletons from South Africa is coming under fire from Humane Society International and the producer of the film Blood Lions.
A closer look at pangolins and the pangolin men
Imagine the possibility of walking with pangolins. Adrian Steirn’s recent photographic series The Pangolin Men captures a unique and exceptional scenario of beasts and men.
The Askari Project: a Tsavo tusker conservation initiative
As part of their fundraising initiatives to help protect the giant (tusker) elephants of Tsavo, The Askari Project offers two adventure tours
Trophy Hunting: unethical Namibian hunters to blame for poor image
Unethical hunters cause poor international image of trophy hunting – says past president of the Namibian Professional Hunting Association
iSimangaliso: the moving release of two rehabilitated turtles
On 28 November 2016, two rehabilitated green turtles nicknamed ‘Mel’ and ‘Grotto’ were released here at Mabibi by park CEO Andrew Zaloumis and senior aquarist Robert Kyle from SAAMBR.
Trophy hunting: sustainability problems in Zimbabwe exposed
Trophy hunting in Zimbabwe’s Matetsi Safari Area is not sustainable at current levels as trophy sizes are declining, there is little scientific data supporting quota sizes and hunting management is seriously incapacitated.
Anti-poaching pooches
Kruger National Park’s anti-poaching dogs work hard all day to keep our rhinos and other wildlife safe. Learn more about them here
PHASA to defend captive-bred lion resolution
The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) is to defend its position on captive-bred lion hunting and breeding in the Pretoria High Court on 22 November.
Zambian poaching crisis fuelled by Chinese military
Zambia’s elephant population has declined by about 90% due to poaching. Its black rhino population, estimated at 13,000 in 1981, is now extinct.
Taking a safari to new levels
Safari report-back: My trip to Savute (Botswana) and Zimbabwe’s Hwange and Victoria Falls with Africa Geographic. By Justin Mason
USA bans trophy imports of captive South African lions
The USA government has tightened regulations about the importation of lion trophies – focusing on South African captive lion trophies
We bet you didn’t know these weird wildlife collective nouns
Some truly weird and wonderfully fitting collective nouns for Africa’s favourite wild animals.
CITES: observations from a young Honorary Wildlife Warden
A honorary wildlife warden bears witness to the verdict at CoP17 that denies Africa’s elephants any hope.
Video: Johannesburg market sells illegal wildlife products
Footage emerges of body parts of endangered species being sold in a South African muthi market, highlighting “how little is actually being done on the ground” in spite of CITES’ intellectual discussions.
Palm oil trade to develop in Congo Basin
Gorillas, forest elephants and bonobos threatened by plans to make the world’s second largest rainforest the next frontier in the global palm oil trade.
Countries fail to agree on complete ban to protect African lions from global trade
The 182 countries at the Johannesburg summit did reach a compromise, banning only the trade in bones, teeth and claws from wild lions.
Do or die – deciding the pangolin’s fate at CoP17
To date the pangolin has remained under the radar of mainstream conservation campaigns, but the pangolin’s plight is indeed a global one.
Demand for rhino horn outstrips global supply
A new study highlights that even the global rhino population of just under 30,000 individuals is not nearly enough to meet demand if rhino horn trade is legalised.
Video: Shocking evidence emerges of Japan’s dirty ivory trade
The dirty secrets of Japan’s illegal ivory trade revealed in undercover video with Japanese ivory traders.
The legal racketeering of ivory
Are discussions costing more than actions when it comes to saving the elephant from extinction?
SANParks responds to Kruger off-takes
In line with its approved management plan, Kruger National Park is planning to sustainably harvest some of its wildlife in order to combat the effects of drought and distribute meat to disadvantaged communities.
Leopards: The Cats of the Shadows
Leopards inhabit many habitat types – but they also inhabit a blind spot in conservation. Tough to count, we can only guess their numbers
A Savuti fishing leopard in action
Watch this fishing leopard catch a catfish (barbel) in a muddy waterhole in the Savuti Channel of Botswana’s Chobe National Park
A prehistoric giant of the oceans – the leatherback turtle
Learn all about the giant leatherback turtle – the largest of all living turtles.
More dogs for Kruger’s canine unit
Kruger’s K9 Centre welcomes the addition of four new dogs at handover ceremony.
Rhino horn?
Removing the rhino’s horn to prevent poaching is a controversial and emotional matter – as is the related debate about trading in rhino horn
Sustainable utilisation of wildlife not so sustainable
Overexploitation of wild species that cannot be compensated for by reproduction or regrowth has been identified as a threat to biodiversity
Poaching along the Okavango River
A look into the poaching of elephants, hippos and crocodiles along the Okavango River on the border of Angola and Namibia.
Why you should vote to stop trade in African grey parrots
Sign this petition and help to save thousands of wild African grey parrots!
Meet 3 elephant angels
Three of the world’s leading African elephant conservationists offer hope and inspiration for saving elephants from extinction.
Supporting the canines of Kruger
Learn more about the anti-poaching canines of Kruger and how you can help support these dogs making a difference.
Birds, great apes, and so much more in Uganda
Safari report-back: A trip of a lifetime to Uganda – spectacular sightings of birds, great apes, and so much more. By Malcolm and Trish Lund
Bushmeat hunting alarmingly high in South Africa
A recent study shows levels of bushmeat hunting in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa are alarmingly high.
Hope: a rhino’s story of survival
The rhino poaching documentary STROOP is to be released this year, this is the story of one character, the rhino called Hope.
Africa Geographic team finds new location for previously ‘extinct’ frog species
The rare Bururi long-fingered frog, previously thought to have gone extinct in 1952, has been rediscovered in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda.
Watch: A baby snow-white baboon
An adorable leucistic baboon is spotted playing in South Luangwa as his mother keeps watch.
Famous big tusker Tim speared
Tim the well-known super tusker elephant from Kenya’s Amboseli has been speared in a human-wildlife conflict incident
Missing the Mark: African trophy hunting fails to show consistent conservation benefits
African trophy hunting fails to show consistent conservation benefits – according to the US House Committee on Natural Resources
Saving elephants
A look at how The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are working to protect pachyderms.
SANParks concerned about the use of mobile apps for wildlife sightings
The introduction of mobile applications designed to share information on interesting animal sightings in national parks has become a major cause for concern for South African National Parks (SANParks).
Walking with the Maasai
Maasai life and the impact of the 21st-century trends, conservation, political pressures and tourism on these people
Diving with potato bass
While scuba diving on reefs on the east coast of South Africa and Mozambique your are almost guaranteed a close encounter with a potato bass, one of the largest predatory fish on the reef.
Video: 60 hyenas take on a lion
Watch this epic video and images of a stand-off and brawl between hyenas and lions over a buffalo in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
Wounded elephant limps to a local lodge for help
A victim of a failed poaching attempt, this elephant limps to Bumi Hills Safari Lodge in search of help.
Trophy hunting – a compromise?
Trophy hunting – the debates rage on. This analysis of the arguments put forward to justify trophy hunting makes for interesting reading
Build your own owl box!
Attracting owls to your garden is a wonderful way to marvel at these incredibly hunters of the dark. Learn how to build an owl box
The truth about volunteering with lions
Volunteering with lions – a volunteer exposes the behind-the-scenes reality of working in one of South Africa’s lion parks
Rhino rangers
The heroes who are working on the ground to save the rhino.
Antelope hybrid in the wilds of northern Botswana
A wild hybrid between a red lechwe and a waterbuck antelop confounds an experienced game ranger in Selinda, northern Botswana
