Page 12 – Africa Geographic

How the Kilimanjaro glaciers left truth in the cold

“Within the decade, there will be no more snows of Kilimanjaro.” Al Gore (2006), An Inconvenient Truth.

It is now 15 years since Al Gore’s startling pronouncement, and, for now, Africa’s tallest mountain still has its iconic white icecap. In the intervening years, Mount Kilimanjaro has become a poster-child for the grim effects of climate change. Yet buried beneath the avalanche of panicked headlines and shock-inducing before-and-after pictures, the voices of scientists have largely been lost. Glaciologists who have studied the ancient volcano for decades argued that the link between climate change and Kilimanjaro’s disappearing glaciers is tenuous at best. Which, bizarrely, has turned out to be a far less convenient (and less emotive) truth.

Kilimanjaro’s glaciers are disappearing – rapidly. Over the last century, the ice coverage has shrunk by over 90% and, if things continue at the same rate, conservative estimates suggest that most of the ice will be gone by 2040. At the same time, global average temperatures have been steadily rising, and, throughout the world, wide-spread glacial retreat at mid and low altitudes can be directly attributed to this increase. It is not hard to see how the connection was made between Kilimanjaro and global warming. But Kilimanjaro, say the experts, is different.

What sets Kilimanjaro apart?

The relative size of any glacier is determined by a combination of energy and mass exchanges between the glacier and the surrounding air. Depending on where this balance falls, the glacier can either grow or shrink. Precipitation (rain or snow) replaces what is lost to melting or sublimation (when a solid moves directly to the gaseous phase without melting to liquid). It will also affect the reflectiveness of the glacier’s surface: rain makes the surface darker and light absorbent, while snow lightens the surface and makes it more reflective.

Most glaciers are sensitive to immediate air temperature changes because they lie close to the mean 0˚C level (the mean freezing level). However, Mount Kilimanjaro’s glaciers occur about 1000m above where this freezing level exists. In other words, they lie at altitudes too high to be affected by small local air temperature changes. Research indicates that the temperatures at the glacial point on the ancient volcanoes that make up Kilimanjaro have remained well below freezing.

So why then is the glacier disappearing if not melting due to air temperatures? The answer lies in absorbed solar radiation, much of which results in the sublimation of the ice, which then causes a loss of glacier mass. Precipitation should replace this loss, but where Kilimanjaro is concerned, there has been a dramatic reduction of precipitation over the last century. The effects of solar radiation on glaciers are complex and variable depending on cloud cover, shade, and the reflective surface. The shape of glaciers also impacts how falling snow gathers and whether it will become part of the glacier. The vertical cliff faces of the plateau glaciers on Kilimanjaro make it particularly difficult for snow to settle, freeze and become part of the ice sheet.

Why is there less precipitation?

Analysis of historical observations and measurements, climate modelling, sea sediments and corals all indicate that at some point in the late 19^th century, the dynamics of the Indian Ocean shifted (specifically the major currents and atmospheric flow above the ocean). As a result, less moist air flows into East Africa from the Indian Ocean. The increase in the frequency of dry air masses complicated cloud formation over the volcanoes, resulting in less precipitation. Snowfall over Kilimanjaro decreased, and the glaciers began to shrink.

This shift in ocean dynamics was natural in origin but, in recent years, has likely been maintained by global warming. However, research suggests that climate change would have accounted for only a fraction of the decline in glacier size.

Scientists have also disproved the idea that deforestation has caused a decline in precipitation over the summit. (Though there is evidence that this has reduced rainfall in the forest belt of the mountain.)

In summary

Glaciology is complex and the physical processes that impact the size of a glacier are multi-faceted. The glaciers on Kilimanjaro have shrunk because there is less snow falling over them. Changes in Indian Ocean dynamics are the culprits for decreased precipitation, and global warming has played a small role in maintaining this state of affairs.

The scientists investigating Mount Kilimanjaro do not suggest that climate change due to global greenhouse gas emissions is not of tremendous concern, and there is no question that it has significantly impacted some glaciers. The end of Mount Kilimanjaro’s glaciers is a devastating prospect and will mean the loss of vital equatorial glacier biodiversity. However, using Kilimanjaro’s glaciers as an example of the drastic effects of climate change is misleading.

The effects of climate change will be far-reaching and unpredictable. Determining the parameters of causality will be a fundamental challenge to be faced by conservationists, policymakers, and the public. Awareness around the meticulous research of scientists is vital in sorting fact from fiction. Kilimanjaro was a powerful symbol of climate change – it just wasn’t an accurate one.

Sources and further reading:

Cullen, N J., Sirguey, P., Ölg, T., Kaser, G., Winkler M., and Fitzsimons S. J., (2013) A century of ice retreat on Kilimanjaro: the mapping reloaded (PDF). The Cryosphere. Vol 7: 419–31.

Kaser G., Hardy D.R., Mölg T., Bradley R.S., Hyera T.M. (2004): Modern glacier retreat on Kilimanjaro as evidence of climate change: Observations and facts. International Journal of Climatology, vol. 24: 329-339.

Kaser, G., Mölg, T., Cullen, N. J., Hardy, D. R., Winkler, M., Prinz, R., Lindsey, N., (2013): “East African glacier loss and climate change: Corrections to the UNEP article Africa without ice and snow“

Mike Hulme (2010): Claiming and Adjudicating on Mt Kilimanjaro’s Shrinking Glaciers: Guy Callendar, Al Gore and Extended Peer Communities, Science as Culture, Vol. 19:3: 303-326

Mote, P. W., and Kaser, G. (2007): The shrinking glaciers of Kiliman-jaro: can global warming be blamed? American Scientist, vol. 95: 318–325.

Mölg, T., Cullen, N. J., Hardy, D. R., Winkler, M., and Kaser, G. (2009): Quantifying climate change in the tropical mid tropo-sphere over East Africa from glacier shrinkage on Kilimanjaro. Journal of Climate, Vol. 22: 4162–4181.

Mölg, T., Hardy, D. R., and Kaser, G., 2003. Solar-radiation-maintained glacier recession on Kilimanjaro drawn from combined ice-radiation geometry modeling. Journal of Geo-physical Research-Atmospheres, Vol. 108: 4731.

Zawierucha, K, Shain, DH. (2019): Disappearing Kilimanjaro snow—Are we the last generation to explore equatorial glacier biodiversity? Ecol Evol. Vol 9: 8911– 8918.

Fact Sheet: The climatological causes of glacier shrinkage on Kilimanjaro since ~1880 – A summary from a decade of research by Innsbruck/Massachusetts/Otago universities

Otters of Africa – four adorable mustelids

There is something unaccountably beguiling about otters. Perhaps, as Ted Hughes wrote, it is their duality: a creature equally at home on land or in the rivers and oceans of the world. Or maybe it is the coiled tension in their sinuous bodies, which melt, sleek and powerful, into the water. Like their cousins worldwide, the otters of Africa have lively eyes, expressive features and utterly adorable squeaks, which have gone a long way to securing literary and internet fame.

Otters are intelligent and fascinating predators with an irresistible propensity for play. In Africa, this appeal is complemented by a sense of the mysterious – otter sightings are brief, infrequent and treasured by those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of these extraordinary, amphibious mammals.

The musky mustelids

There are 13 recognised otter species, four of which are found in Africa. They belong to the mustelid family – the largest family within the order Carnivora and one of the oldest and most diverse. Other mustelids include weasels, badgers, wolverines and honey badgers. Almost all mustelids share a similar morphological design, with long slender bodies, short legs, and thick fur. Most are fierce, little predators. Another characteristic held in common is that almost all mustelids possess anal glands which produce a pungent (and to the human nose, obscenely malodorous) secretion used in olfactory communication.

The otters of Africa are sometimes referred to as “fisi maji” in Swahili, which translates as “water hyena”. Though the initial similarities may seem somewhat obscure, this is a surprisingly apt description. Like hyenas, otters are fast-paced and efficient hunters, but they are also opportunistic carnivores with mighty jaws capable of cracking open even the hardest crustacean shells. Otters are also expert problem-solvers.

The largest of the 13 otter species is the sea otter, which is also the heaviest member of the mustelid family and an exception to most otter “rules”. Sea otters are the only entirely marine species and, as a result, do not return to land or occupy burrows. Survival on the open sea has also necessitated a more flexible social structure than most freshwater otter species. Those plying their trade in fresh water spend much of the time on land and use holts/couches (the official names for otter dens) underground or in dense vegetation. All the otters of Africa otters are freshwater dwelling, though most will happily venture into the sea.

African clawless otter/Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis)

The African clawless otter is Africa’s most well-known and is widely distributed throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa (though they are most common in Southern Africa). As the second-largest freshwater otter species in the world, African clawless otters can reach over 1.5m in length and weigh up to 36kg (though the average is between 12 and 21kg). While not entirely clawless as their name suggests, their claws are significantly reduced, and their toes are only partially webbed, allowing for much greater dexterity.

Adaptable and resilient, African clawless otters can be found in various habitats, from dense forests to semi-arid savannas (provided there is a permanent body of water surrounded by sufficient vegetation). Though most are found in freshwater rivers and dams, African clawless otters will also readily enter the shallow ocean surf to hunt. They will also scavenge along beaches in search of crustaceans. Clawless otters are not picky eaters, and everything from fish and shellfish to amphibians and invertebrates are on the menu. Unlike the spotted-necked otter (discussed below), their thick whiskers allow them to hunt in murky water.

African clawless otters are primarily solitary but live within relatively tolerant family groups. Each individual occupies its range in a communal territory, marked by anal gland secretions, urine, and droppings (referred to as “spraints”). The females usually have between two and five pups, and the male plays no parental role.

Clawless otters are preyed upon by pythons, crocodiles and fish eagles in the wild, but habitat loss and water pollution are far greater threats. These factors have contributed to significant population declines over the last century. The IUCN currently lists African clawless otters as near-threatened.

Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus)

Fractionally smaller and slenderer than the African clawless otter, the Congo clawless otter was once believed to be a subspecies of the former (a matter that some zoologists still contest). As its species status is still relatively new (and their habitat comparatively tricky to traverse), this is probably the least researched or understood of the African otters.

They inhabit the swampy areas of the Congo Basin, and researchers believe that they are likely to be more terrestrial than other otter species. The agile fingers on the front feet are used to dig through the mud in search of molluscs and worms. Though little is known about their populations, the IUCN lists the Congo clawless otter as near-threatened.

Spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis)

This tiny otter is considerably smaller than the two clawless species, though its distribution overlaps with both. Even the heaviest individuals seldom weigh more than 6kg. With their keen eyesight and webbed feet, spotted-necked otters are expert fish hunters, though they have been recorded eating crustaceans and amphibians as well. They are sight hunters and prefer deep, clear, flowing water.

The little white markings and spots on their chests are unique to each otter and can be used to identify individuals. They are also more sociable than the larger African otter species, though solitary when hunting. Spotted-necked otters manage their busy social lives through a wide range of vocal squeaks, and they are known to chatter merrily away during social encounters. The IUCN lists the spotted-necked otter as near-threatened

Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)

The Eurasian otter, while highly elusive, has one of the widest distributions of any Palearctic mammal. These are probably the most well-known of all otters, yet few people realise that they occur in northern Africa (as well as across most of Europe and Asia).

Eurasian otters are strongly territorial and solitary, apart from mothers with young pups. Hunting and water pollution (particularly by pesticides) decimated otter numbers over the latter half of the 20^th century. Increased restrictions have seen numbers recover in parts of their range, particularly in the United Kingdom. Their current population numbers in Africa are unknown and in urgent need of further research, according to the IUCN’s Otter Specialist Group. Overall, the species is listed as near threatened.

Pet pebbles and other otter oddities

Though tricky in itself to define, tool-use in the animal kingdom is often used to measure cognitive ability and subject to considerable research. Many animals use tools to varying degrees – including primates, elephants, cetaceans, birds, and, of course, otters. Sea otters are the most famous example – they use rocks to break open abalone shells and show a distinct preference for a specific rock suited to this purpose. These favoured rocks and pebbles are stored beneath a flap of skin in the otter’s armpit and are often kept for life.

Other otter species have been observed ‘juggling’ favourite rocks, displaying a considerable degree of dexterity and skill in the process (have a look here). The reasons behind this entertaining behaviour are a matter of considerable debate. It has been described as displacement behaviour (often observed in captive otters) or possibly as an indication of hunger-frustration. Whatever the biological reasons, this unusual behaviour comes across as playful and charming to the casual observer.

Pet otters

Unfortunately, there is an inevitable aspect to the charisma and charms of otters. “Celebrity” pet otters have seen a meteoric rise to fame on social media in recent years, and, inevitably, this has precipitated a demand in the pet trade (both legal and illegal). Worse still, “otter-petting cafés” have sprung up in parts of Asia, with the predictable associated welfare concerns. Though this trend has yet to affect African otters, the ever-increasing demand for exotic pets may well add the illegal pet trade to the list of threats facing otters in Africa.

Though exacerbated by social media in recent years, this is not a new phenomenon. Perhaps most famously, otters captured the heart and mind of Scottish naturalist Gavin Maxwell. However, the loving, playful character of Mij, the pet otter, described by the novel (and film) Ring of Brightwater, eclipsed a much darker tale. Edal, Maxwell’s female African clawless otter, was as famously misanthropic as the author himself and regularly attacked visitors. Edal once removed two fingers from one of her caretakers with one swift bite in a fit of understandable pique born of her captive frustration.

It should go without saying that otters do not make good pets. They are territorial and fierce, driven by wild instincts and possess strong jaws full of sharp teeth capable of biting through bone. These powerful and fascinating carnivores are designed to spend their days gliding through the waterways of the world, and it is in the wild that the otters of Africa are best appreciated.

CEO note: And the winners are …

CEO NOTE: 25 June 2021

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What an incredible array of Photographer of the Year images we feasted our eyes on this year! James adds more detail in the gallery below, but know this from me: Each year, I feel so honoured and humbled that so many passionate people share their images with us that my head feels like it will explode. And I marvel at the dazzling variety and the brief glimpses into this majestic, mysterious continent that is my birthplace and home. PROUD African!

After you scroll down to our 2021 Photographer of the Year gallery (the last for this year), please take the time to read our other stories. The first story is an unfolding tragedy that has a CALL TO ACTION – this is where YOU can help. Please share this appeal to anyone that cares.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

I am one of those people who thinks summer is around the corner as soon as the winter solstice passes. This is bat-guano illogical of course. In the rarified atmosphere of Johannesburg, we are still a good two months from any warmth – on the odd occasion this mad city has received snow, it has normally been in September. Yet while it is skin-scaling dry, frosty and despite the fact that no South African architect has worked out how to insulate a home (for hot or cold), nature still finds a way to provide a little wonder. Yesterday, I was banging away at my computer when the call of a grey hornbill interrupted my thoughts. I assumed my wife was editing a video of the birds but then, lo and behold, two of them landed in the magnolia tree outside my window. I dived for a camera and, rather like a first-time safari-goer, took 400 mostly unusable pictures in my feverish excitement.

Our first story below is rather devastating. Some shady dealings, bizarre legal decisions and a lot of weapons-grade dim-wittery have seen the last barriers to an open cast copper mine in Lower Zambezi National Park finally removed. We are still hopeful for an 11th-hour political or legal intervention but this may be a pipedream.

Many are the naturalist photographers who bemoan the presence of collars on wild animals. A collar definitely detracts from a feeling of wilderness but, as our second story below shows, they are integral to our understanding of the wild species we aim to conserve and they appear to have a little adverse effect on the animals concerned.

With that all out of the way, it is time to celebrate photographs of beautiful Africa. In our third story below, we share the experiences of last years winners as they travelled into the Greater Kruger recently (Covid-delayed) to share stories and take great pics.

And finally, with a great drum roll, trumpet fanfare and ululation, we reveal the winner, runners-up and highly commended images of this year’s Photographer of Year. Well done to EVERYONE who submitted their art, your gracious willingness to share your creativity with us is hugely appreciated. I shall look forward to next year’s competition in eager anticipation.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/copper-mine-in-lower-zambezi-np-given-the-go-ahead/
CALL TO ACTION
Tragedy: there WILL be a large-scale, open-cast copper mine in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia – the latest development

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/decoding-science-do-tracking-collars-impact-the-animals-they-are-fitted-on/
GOOD QUESTION
Do tracking collars, that have revolutionised data available to wildlife researchers, harm the animal’s welfare? Read the research

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/sabi-sands-sojourn/
SAFARI PRIZE
Our 2020 Photographer of the Year winners enjoy their Covid-delayed safari prize in the Big 5 Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Greater Kruger

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-winners/
WINNERS!
And the winners of our 2021 Photographer of the Year are …

DID YOU KNOW: A new mRNA vaccine confers full protection against malaria in mice – exciting times in the fight against the scourge of malaria

WATCH: In celebration of World Giraffe Day on 21 June, this video captures the first release of endangered west African giraffe in Niger (1:42)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Winners

Our 2021 Photographer of the Year has come to a glorious finale as we present the best submissions. The winner and two runners-up will share the princely sum of USD 10 000 and join their partners and our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana, where they’ll take more wonderful snaps of our wildlife, landscapes and fascinating, resilient people.

MESSAGE FROM OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

It has been a great joy and privilege to receive your entries each week, to see the vastly different perspectives of Africa. Over the desert sands, across the savannas, through the forests, under the ocean and from the mountain fastnesses, you have sent us images that inspired awe, wanderlust and a connection to wild places we so desperately need.

We have managed to pick a winner from 25,023 photographs of our magnificent continent (well, 99.9% celebrated Africa; a few entries celebrated motorcycles, house pets and body parts – but they do not feature here).

It is fashionable in competitions to lament how hard the judging process is. We must repeat the cliche because it was genuinely challenging to pick the winners.

We judge images on their ability to tell a story, evoke emotion and capture the essence of Africa. We also look at technical aspects of the photos – both in the capture and edit stages of creating an image. We are but human, and therefore the judging cannot be entirely objective – many entries may well succeed in other competitions.

To all who had the courage to enter, thank you from Africa Geographic and all our tribe who have enjoyed their vicarious connection to African wilderness through your efforts. We hope you’ll take part again next year. Entries open on 1 January 2022.

Finally, a massive thank you to our sponsors Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection – this epic annual celebration would be so much the poorer without you.

Winner – Photographer of the Year 2021

Fly in the eye. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Hannes Lochner

A lion cub tries to nudge dad, but the male is grumpy. At the click of the shutter, a fly passes through the focus point and the pupil of the eye. The blunt teeth indicate an old male – but clearly, one still to be feared. Cubs always tread lightly around the males, weary of a swipe.

Judges’ comment

With one snap of the shutter, this image succeeds with so many of the criteria that make an excellent photograph. It is technically brilliant from the perspective of timing, anticipation and setting the camera perfectly for the predicted behaviour. The edit is also captivating – the colour and contrast create a mood that complement the lion’s palpable anger. Then, as with so many great wildlife shots, luck played a huge part as the fly just happened into frame at the right time.

About the photographer Hannes Lochner – Read more

Hannes Lochner is a renowned, award-winning wildlife photographer and has been taking pictures professionally since 2007. He has long been fascinated by the arid zones of Southern Africa, which of course, include the Kalahari. His name is now synonymous with the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the park’s leopards in particular.

Hannes was born in South Africa and knows the countries of Southern Africa exceptionally well. Since childhood, he has travelled to Namibia at least once a year and has a profound knowledge of that country and its photo spots.

He has published several, amazing books, two of which were entirely dedicated to the Kalahari. To realise these projects, he lived for six years in the Kalahari and invested hundreds of hours in photographing the magical landscape and fascinating wildlife. His new coffee table book, Planet Okavango, was published recently. Hannes spent two years completing it in Botswana.

Hannes is extraordinarily talented at image composition and the interplay of various light conditions. His pictures show the essence of the landscape and its animals while telling their stories. His passion for art ensures that his pictures stand out from the work of conventional wildlife photographers. His skills enable him to produce work that attracts great attention continuously. Hannes is also passionate about passing on his knowledge.

He has been awarded various international awards over the past few years.

Instagram: hannes_lochner
Website: www.hanneslochner.com

RUNNERS-UP

(in no specific order)

A mother’s duty. Ethiopia. © Bob Chiu

This photo was taken in a Mursi village in southern Ethiopia. Many people believe that photography in Africa is all about animals and landscapes. However, the people of this part of the world are actually more fascinating to me. Whether it is Ethiopia or Morocco, there is a great depth of culture and history.

On my way out of the village, I saw this woman holding an AK47, nursing her child. As I walked closer, it was the baby’s eyes that attracted my attention. He stared straight at me. I used body language to ask the mother if I could take a photo of her and her baby. She granted permission, and I started to use my wide-angle lens to focus solely on the baby boy. It felt like he was talking to me through the lens – I believe this is what photography is meant to do. I asked my guide for the reason the mother was holding the weapon and he answered that she was simply trying to show off that she has a husband who is a good warrior.

Judges’ comment

This is an exceptionally powerful image that is as incongruous as it is moving. It captures the hardship experienced by so many women in Africa while managing to express their strength and resiliance at the same time. Add the myriad gorgeous textures – warthog tusk, rifle stock, rope, bell, hair – and you have a cracking shot.

About the photographer Bob Chiu – Read more

Bob Chiu was born in Hong Kong and lives in Los Angeles, USA. He is a visual storyteller whose images from travel to street photography convey the beauty of various human cultures, emphasising human interactions. He aims to capture precious moments of unique human interaction in a rapidly changing world. He hopes his work can help make the world a smaller place by allowing people from different parts of the globe to know each other better.

Besides the United States and Canada, Bob has travelled to China, India, Ethiopia, Cuba, Iran, Morocco, Israel, Russia, Ecuador (Amazon Rainforest), the Balkans and other parts of Asia and Europe. In 2018 and 2019, he held exhibitions and talks at Leica India where he showcased his work on Ethiopia. His work was also part of the Leica Club International of Moscow’s exhibition in 2019.

His work, “The Land of Buddha”, was a finalist at the 2020 “Art of Building” annual competition of the Chartered Institute of Building in the UK.

Bob holds the following photography distinctions:

Grand Master (GMPSA), Gold (GPSA) – Photographic Society of America PSA
Associate (ARPS) & Licentiate (LRPS) – Royal Photographic Society RPS
Excellent (EFIAP) – Federation Internationale de I’Art Photographique FIAP
Certified Master (CMP) & Certified Excellence (CEP) – Professional Photographers International PPI
Follow (FAPAS) – Association of Photographic Artists Singapore
Follow (FPVS) – PhotoVivo Singapore

Instagram: bobchiu95

Forged in the fires of creation. Botswana. © James Gifford

I found this white rhino mother and calf resting in the heat of the day and returned to a nearby waterhole just before sunset, hoping they might visit to drink. I realised that the dusty ground would create a dramatic effect if I shot into the sun and underexposed as the rhinos were walking past. So, having snatched a couple of shots of them drinking, I relocated to get a view of the route I expected them to take when they left. With lots of trees in the area, the rhinos would only be in the open for a few seconds, and if they left in a different direction, I wouldn’t get a single shot. Fortunately, the gamble paid off.

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of rhino poaching, I wanted my picture to convey a sense of hope – a new beginning almost – as if these were the first rhinos being forged in the fires of creation. The effect of the backlit dust, creating a blurred shadow image, added to the ethereal effect. Botswana’s battle against poaching has been well-documented. Sadly, the health of the rhino reintroduction programme has been hit hard, particularly in the last year when the lack of tourists has left conservation areas unguarded. For me, the decreasing rhino numbers give this image even more resonance. It is now vital that the remaining rhinos in Botswana are conserved for future generations.

Judges’ comment

This is the sort of image in which you see something new every time you look at it. It’s a clever capture that shows the photographer has a great appreciation of light and how his camera interacts with it. It conjures a feeling of awe and positivity with regard to rhinos.

About the photographer James Gifford – Read more

Based in Botswana for the last 15 years, James Gifford is a multi-award-winning photographer, writer and videographer, with two published books and numerous magazine credits to his name. In between guiding specialist photographic safaris and creating marketing content for safari companies, he takes every opportunity to get into the bush to create images that can influence how we think about the world and conserve the bounty of wildlife that is still left on our planet.

Instagram: jamesgiff
Website: https://www.jamesgifford.co.uk/Safaris

HIGHLY-COMMENDED

(in no specific order)

‘The Murderous Pharaoh’ – a member of the famous cheetah coalition of five, Tano Bora, in the middle of a zebra meal. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Aditya Nair

I titled this image ‘The Murderous Pharaoh’ because of the nature of the cheetah’s pose and the blood dripping down the chin, very much resembling a pharaoh’s beard. The brutality of a cheetah kill often goes unnoticed. The violence involved and the fierceness displayed left me at a loss for words.

Judges’ comment

This image manages to be both brutal and somehow darkly amusing at the same time. The viscera dripping from the cheetah’s face evokes the savagery of a hunt on the plains but his expression indicates a slight dissatisfaction with the mess he’s made.

About the photographer Aditya Nair – Read more

My name is Aditya Nair, and I specialise in wildlife photography with an added touch of surrealism. I grew up in Kenya snd couldn’t help but feel connected to the wildlife around me. Every time I saw a different species for the first time, I felt responsible for telling stories about us and them.

Several media platforms helped form my strategy of digitally capturing the true essence of nature and translating it into a format that creates a bond with anyone who views it.

Photography, videography, and editing allow me to document my relationship with these beautiful creatures. It’s an emotion rather than a conversation. The wilderness is the only place in the world I can happily wake up before sunrise and still be able to describe why!

Instagram: aditya.wildlife
Website: https://adityawildlife.com/

A Maasai giraffe tenderly cleans her minute calf. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Ana Zinger

On a calm afternoon, I spotted a mother giraffe and her newborn calf on the plains of the Maasai Mara. As I approached them, I noticed that the calf had discomfort in its right eye, maybe due to the fall at birth. It was uplifting to see how caring the mother was. She attended incessantly, tenderly cleaning her minute son.

Judges’ comment

This lovely image reflects so beautifully the mammalian bond between mother and offspring – it evokes the mother’s affection and the calf’s (reluctant?) acceptance. The black and white with added contrast pulls the animals from the distracting wonder of the Mara backdrop.

About the photographer Ana Zinger – Read more

From Brazilian jazz clubs to Africa’s national parks, Ana Zinger sings and photographs. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she majored in music and vocal performance in 2003. She developed an interest in photography at an early age, only to find her inspiration reached a peak when she visited Africa for the first time in 2000. Mesmerised by the beauty of the African wilderness, she started travelling back to Africa to photograph its wildlife. It has been 20 years now… Her work has featured in several expositions, magazines, Brazilian newspapers and Africa Geographic. Ana’s mission has been to connect people to Earth’s wild inhabitants through her lenses, throwing light on the importance of a respectful human-wildlife coexistence in a changing world.

“I found myself and rediscovered photography on this continent to which I have been travelling for twenty years. In Africa, I heard my own voice whisper: ‘I am home.’ The wild places of Africa and its creatures are part of my identity, and without them, I would suffer from a profound loneliness of spirit. Photographing and being in the wild gives me a deep sense of belonging and gratitude.”

Instagram: anazinger

Yellow-crowned bishop in full voice. Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

I almost did not go out this day; it was cold and overcast, but the need for some “phototherapy” at one of my happy places, Rietvlei Nature Reserve, overrode the urge to stay in my warm bed. I am so glad it did as I managed to capture this beautiful male yellow-crowned bishop (*Euplectes afer*) in full breeding plumage. He was trying his best to attract a female to his nest with his beautiful song, flaring his yellow feathers, putting on quite a show in a field of pompom weeds. While I know the pompom weeds are rapidly becoming a serious threat to the conservation of grasslands in South Africa, they do make for a colourful backdrop complimenting the stunning yellow plumage of the bishop. The moral of the story, get out of bed and explore our stunning Africa to see the beauty in even the simple things like this little bird on a stick.

Judges’ comment

It is the lovely combination of colour in this image that grabs the attention first. Then, possibly, the detail in the animated bishop’s feathers and expression. Overall the photo gives a sense of excitement at the breeding season.

About the photographer Eleanor Hattingh – Read more

I am an amateur hobby photographer raised in South Africa. I have a deep-seated love for wildlife, photography and the African bush.

I bought my Nikon camera in 2013 (I still use it today) and so began my journey in wildlife photography. Being a full time working, single mom of two amazing boys, I do not get to the bush to photograph as much as I would like, so I make the most of every opportunity. Even a day trip to the local botanical gardens or nature reserve offers great opportunities for bird photography which, in turn, has ignited a new passion for birding.

My photography has taught me to see the beauty in the simple and ordinary things that most tend to overlook in the busy lives we lead. This beauty is what I hope to share with the world through my lens.

Instagram: ella_h_333

Quench. Yzerfontein, West Coast, South Africa. © Geo Cloete

**Quench** – I think it would be safe to say that 2020 turned out completely different from the way we expected it to. For a waterman and somebody whose energy is rejuvenated by spending time in the ocean, the hard lockdown in South Africa left me feeling like a fish out of water for many months.

Fortunately, I had access to a backyard facing open space. And so I started to focus my attention on the wildlife which could visit me. I set up various hides and started to observe and photograph the birds in the area.

One morning, a Cape weaver (*Ploceus capensis*) came to quench its thirst by catching water dripping from above. I was elated when I managed to capture, in those few fleeting moments, a perfectly shaped drop a split second before the weaver caught it, despite the slow frame rate of my camera. This moment quenched the “drought” I was feeling as much as it quenched the weaver’s thirst.

Judges’ comment

This remarkable capture radiates a sense of joy and relief of the kind that comes with harvesting Africa’s most precious resource, a resource that, as this photo demonstrates, is precious to the last drop. It’s a very tricky shot that took a great deal of patience, skill and luck.

About the photographer Geo Cloete – Read more

Geo Cloete is a multi-talented artist with an architectural degree from Nelson Mandela Bay University (South Africa) in 1999. The fruits of his labour have seen him complete award-winning works in architecture, jewellery, sculpture and photography. Sharing the beauty and splendour of the natural world, especially the underwater world, is a primary focus of his photographic projects. In recognition of his contribution to spreading awareness of ocean conservation, Geo was invited to become a Mission Blue partner in 2015.

His photographic work has been awarded multiple times in many of the most prestigious national and international competitions.

Instagram: geo_cloete

Attack – a pride sets upon a giraffe cow and her helpless calf. Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya. © James Nampaso

The event took place in the Maasai Mara ( Olare Motorogi Conservancy) in Kenya. During a morning game drive, I saw two lionesses watching a giraffe and her calf from the cover of a croton bush. Soon the lions started stalking the giraffes and I told my guests to get their cameras ready. The lions managed to jump onto the calf, but the mother giraffe chased them away. Once the rest of the pride arrived, they surrounded the giraffes, and after about half an hour, a lioness managed to jump onto the mother’s back and distract her. During the brief separation, the lions killed the calf. The mother eventually escaped.

Judges’ comment

This is an unadulterated image that conveys the vicious side of the African wild. Although the giraffes are unable to express their emotions facially, the photo manages to display the mother’s terror and calf’s hopeless predicament. It begs the question ‘what happened next?’

About the photographer James Nampaso – Read more

I grew up in a small nomadic Maasai community in the southern part of Kenya. I now work as a professional safari guide showing international guests the beauty of nature in Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

I developed my photography skills by guiding many photographers from around the world and learning from them.

Instagram: jamesknampaso

A female chinspot batis feeds its demanding chicks in their perfect little nest. Kolwezi Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Kirkamon Cabello

On this fine morning in Kolwezi, DRC, as I gazed at a chinspot batis that was hawking insects. I noticed she wasn’t consuming her prey. Then to my surprise, she landed on a nearby nest with two chicks in it. The nest was situated on a fallen branch, allowing me to observe the birds at eye level. I visited the area during weekends, and on the 3rd week, I was lucky enough to witness the two chicks fly to a nearby branch. This image reminded me that I am one with them and one with nature.

Judges’ comment

This image just radiates warmth. The colours, the perfecton and comfort of the tastefully decorated nest, and the dedication of the mother all combine to give a sense of peace and wonder.

About the photographer Kirkamon Cabello – Read more

Kirkamon Alarin Cabello was born in the Philippines. Nature hikes led him to a love for photography at an early age. He worked as a signage layout artist in a mining company based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During this time, he became even more enamoured with nature photography and birding. Through this art, Kirkamon eased his loneliness away from family and loved ones. It was therapy to keep him sane and happy. He has successfully entered several local competitions in the Philippines for birding photography.

“For me, bird photography is about having a sense of connection to the environment and the audience. It is having a thousand words printed in the pixels. Photography is a never-ending passion – a desire to translate an image into a wonderful, pictorial representation – which I find both enjoyable and rewarding.”

Instagram: kirkamon
Facebook: Kirkamon Avian Photography

A precious fennec fox in the heart of the Tunisian desert. © Marcello Galleano

The ears, large and wide, manage to save this fennec fox from the sweltering weather. This is the smallest fox in the world, here immortalised while walking in the perfect dunes of the Tunisian desert. It is comfortably camouflaged despite the hostile climate of this region.

I have always been fascinated by deserts and their colours. I have long looked for an ideal location to photograph the mythical fennec fox. After much research, I decided to go to the heart of the Tunisian desert with expert guides. After several days of searching at temperatures above 45 degrees, I finally managed to immortalise my fox in its natural environment in the midst of splendid dunes.

Judges’ comment

This is an astonishing shot of a very rare and elusive animal about which little is known. That it was captured in beautiful light, with such clarity is a testament to the photographer’s determination and skill in tricky conditions.

About the photographer Marcello Galleano – Read more

Marcello Galleano, an entrepreneur in the field of nutraceuticals and herbal medicine, has always been a lover of nature and adventure trips. He has visited more than 86 countries worldwide and collaborates with non-profit associations in Africa and South America. Passionate about wildlife photography, he loves to capture the most incredible moments that the various environments offer and share the world’s beauty.

Instagram: marcellogalleano

A small amphibian sits on a rain tree leaf. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

I visited the northern section of the Kruger National Park in April, a couple of months after the area had received an exceptional amount of rain accompanying cyclone Eloise. As a result, the vegetation in the area had flourished to unprecedented densities, making game viewing (and photography in particular) a real challenge. After another unsuccessful drive, we retired to our camp for the evening when a light shower provided some relief from the heat. The bush came alive when the rain subsided, and insects congregated around the camp’s lights. Among the ranks of creatures hunting them was an eruption of small amphibians brought out by the rain. I found this individual on a low hanging rain tree leaf. Backlighting by the camp’s lights and my headlamp provided the effect I was looking for. Having nothing but an ancient kit lens in my arsenal for this focal length, I was well pleased with the result. It just goes to show that there is always something to see in nature and many ways of getting interesting compositions if you just look a little closer (you also don’t always need the most expensive kit).

Judges’ comment

This image makes great use of available opportunities and imagination. The detail in the leaf is stunning, all the more so because of the lack of colour, while the frog, despite being a tiny part of the frame is the obvious star of the show.

About the photographer Mattheuns Pretorius – Read more

I am a conservation scientist, drone pilot and an avid wildlife photographer based in Gauteng, South Africa. I completed my formal training in 2007 as a nature conservation student in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, whereafter I conducted a postgraduate study on the vulnerable African Grass Owl on the Highveld of South Africa. I am currently employed by a non-profit conservation organisation. My primary role is to study novel ways to protect wildlife from power line electrocutions and collisions. I also pilot unmanned aerial vehicles for various conservation missions. My love for wildlife photography blossomed in the Kgalagadi and has since been nurtured by a passion for birding, scuba diving and various other outdoor hobbies I share with my wife.

Facebook: MVP Nature Images

A hippopotamus enjoys sleeping in a natural jacuzzi. Sabie River, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

I took this photograph from the low water bridge over the Sabie River near Lower Sabie Camp in the Kruger National Park. It was January and extremely hot; most of the animals had retreated to the shade of tall trees in the riparian zone. This hippopotamus found relief in the cool rapids below the bridge and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying itself. Completely unperturbed by the human onlookers, it even fell into a brief midday snooze. I wanted to capture the scene in a way that brought across the peaceful expression on its face and opted for a slow shutter speed to enhance the feel of flowing water around the hippo in its ‘natural jacuzzi’.

Judges’ comment

This is such a cleverly designed and considered, artistic shot. The sharpness of the hippo contrasting with a blur of the water and the expression of apparent relaxation of the hippo’s face are utterly captivating.

About the photographer Mattheuns Pretorius – Read more

I am a conservation scientist, drone pilot and an avid wildlife photographer based in Gauteng, South Africa. I completed my formal training in 2007 as a nature conservation student in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, whereafter I conducted a postgraduate study on the vulnerable African Grass Owl on the Highveld of South Africa. I am currently employed by a non-profit conservation organization. My primary role is to study novel ways to protect wildlife from power line electrocutions and collisions. I also pilot unmanned aerial vehicles for various conservation missions. My love for wildlife photography blossomed in the Kgalagadi and has since been nurtured by a passion for birding, scuba diving and various other outdoor hobbies I share with my wife.

Facebook: MVP Nature Images

Hartlaub’s gull, Kommetjie, Cape Town. © Philip Jackson

I captured this image of a Hartlaub’s Gull at ‘The Kom’, in the seaside village of Kommetjie situated in the South Peninsula of Cape Town.

The morning the image was taken, ‘The Kom’ was calm and glassy. The gulls were jumping and diving, a perfect scenario to capture the Hartlaub’s Gull in action with a partial reflection in the still water.

‘The Kom’ is a small sheltered bay almost entirely enclosed by a ridge of boulders which was once a Stone Age fish trap. When conditions are right, it is one of the best sites on land from which to see seabirds.

Judges’ comment

This is a perfectly timed image from a wonderful angle that probably took a good deal of patience and experimentation to achieve. The edit really makes the bird and the water pop out of the background.

About the photographer Philip Jackson – Read more

Philip Jackson was born in the United Kingdom. In 1992, at the age of 28, in need of adventure and tired of grey skies, he embarked on a bicycle ride to South Africa to start a new life. He fell in love with the country and has lived there ever since.

Being a nature lover his whole life, it was finally the lure of birds that encouraged him to pick up a camera and start photographing all things feathered. Seven years later, his passion for bird photography is still on an upward trajectory. He is often spotted wading into swamps, oceans, rivers or bushes in an attempt to capture the perfect bird shot. Philip now resides in Imhoff’s Gift, on the edge of Wildevoelvlei in the Western Cape. He is fortunate enough to have fish eagles, swamp hens, pied kingfishers, flamingos and many other bird species on his doorstep.

Instagram: featheredpics

Mozambican long-fingered bat (*Miniopterus mossambicus*) emerging from the Codzo Cave. Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. © Piotr Naskrecki

The graceful Mozambican long-fingered bat (*Miniopterus mossambicus*) is a fast-flying predator of insects, targeting them with echolocation signals emitted through the open mouth (many bats echolocate through the nose). A large colony of this species lives in the limestone caves of the Cheringoma Plateau in Gorongosa National Park. They emerge at dusk to hunt moths and beetles before returning to the safety of their cave shortly before sunrise. I took this photo using an infrared beam that triggered the camera as soon as the bat broke it with its body.

Judges’ comment

Photographing bats on the wing, especially the nocturnal ones, is very tricky. This image is a great example of the skillful use of technology combined with an artistic eye and a great understanding of the subject’s behaviour.

About the photographer Piotr Naskrecki – Read more

Piotr Naskrecki is an entomologist, conservation biologist, and photographer with over 20 years of experience in biodiversity research in academic environments and non-profit conservation organisations. He received his PhD in entomology from the University of Connecticut, USA. His interests concentrate on sound communication in insects and other animals, new species discovery, biodiversity conservation, and popularisation of scientific knowledge.

Piotr has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, several books, and numerous popular articles. He has discovered and described over 150 species new to science, including new katydids, crabs, bats, and lizards. He has conducted biodiversity research and led expeditions in tropical areas across the globe. Currently, he directs the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, where he designed and helped create a unique research and education facility that includes a molecular laboratory, biological synoptic collections, and a comprehensive bioinformatics infrastructure. He has also initiated and helped develop an extensive biodiversity education program for Mozambican students, including Mozambique’s first graduate program leading to the M.Sc. degree in conservation biology, all in the remote wilderness of Gorongosa.

He is actively involved in the work of the IUCN Red List and serves as the first Chair of the Half-Earth Project of the E.O. Wilson Foundation, leading the Half-Earth Scholars initiative in Mozambique. In addition to conservation and education work in Mozambique, he has an active research program in systematics and insect behaviour, including a comparative study of acoustic and other behavioural responses of katydids to bat echolocation in the Old World (Mozambique) and the New World (Costa Rica).

Piotr is also an accomplished photographer whose images have been among the winners of major competitions, such as the Big Picture and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He has authored several books illustrated with his photos (“The Smaller Majority”, “Relics”, “Hidden Kingdom”).

Instagram: piotr_naskrecki
Website: https://thesmallermajority.com/about/

Inseparable. Wild is Life Sanctuary, Zimbabwe. © Sam Turley

Marimba is a Ground Pangolin. Like many others of her species, her mother was poached for her scales to be used in traditional Chinese medicine. Marimba was thought to have been just a year old when she was orphaned – too young to fend for herself. The decision was therefore made to take her to the Wild is Life sanctuary in Harare, Zimbabwe, where she met her full-time carer, Mateo.

Pangolins are notoriously difficult to look after in captivity and require particular and personal care. Mateo’s gentle nature seemed like a perfect fit, and a remarkable relationship was born.

Pangolins are naturally nocturnal. However, for their safety, Marimba and Mateo go out in the day so she can satisfy her insatiable appetite for specific species of ants and termites. Marimba and Mateo have spent ten hours a day together for the past thirteen years, and it shows – they are inseparable. Many attempts have been made to rewild Marimba, but she always finds a way back to Mateo. She is simply too attached to him, and being so young when her mother died, she never learnt the essential skills required to survive in the wild.

As Marimba cannot be released, she will live the rest of her life at the sanctuary as an ambassador for her species. Her story has already touched the lives of so many, highlighting the importance of protecting these wonderfully unique creatures so that others do not succumb to the same fate as her mother.

Do not be fooled by their reptilian appearance. Pangolins are affectionate, gentle, sentient beings that are rapidly disappearing from our planet. They are the most trafficked group of animals in the world, and unfortunately, most human-pangolin interactions end in another pile of lifeless scales.

In a perfect world, the close connection between Marimba and Mateo would have never existed. However, I hope that this image portrays the relationship that we as a species should strive to have with pangolin to save them from extinction—one of trust, love, and compassion.

Judges’ comment

The story told by this powerful image is both sad and encouraging – speaking of humanity’s destruction of nature and of the selfless commitment many have made to save our most vulnerable species.

About the photographer Sam Turley – Read more

Sam Turley was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1992. Growing up in the countryside, Sam’s fascination with the natural world started at a very young age and has never left him. He has since dedicated his life to wildlife conservation, and after studying zoology in the UK, he went on to qualify as a field guide in South Africa, where he worked for three years. During a trip to Namibia in 2016, Sam’s passion for wildlife photography ignited, and he has been obsessed ever since. He was the overall winner of the 2020 Wilderness Safaris People’s Choice Award and was a three-time finalist in the highly prestigious 2020 Natural History Museum’s Photographer of the Year competition. His work has also been featured in many magazines, including The Telegraph, Getaway and Travel Africa. He now lives and works in Zimbabwe on a rhino conservancy where he plans to run photographic workshops and tours.

“My unique background in zoology and my experiences working as a guide help me to understand complex conservation issues. Through my photography, I aim to highlight and celebrate successful conservation initiatives whilst connecting audiences to the natural world on an emotional level. I believe that our relationship with the natural world has never been more important than it is today. I hope that my images help people to fall in love with wildlife and to ultimately understand the importance of protecting it. For, in the end, we will only conserve what we love.”

Instagram: samturleyphoto

A Natal tree frog hiding in a Ligularia leaf. Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal Natal, South Africa. © Shirley Gillitt

It was a particularly rainy December in Hillcrest, the garden shrubs and trees green and growing. The insects, including flies and mosquitoes, were also thriving.

On this morning, I happened to see a little tree frog hiding in a Ligularia leaf which is a bushy plant that attracts lots of flies and insects when in flower. Of course, not to miss a wonderful opportunity, I ran to grab my camera, which happened to have a flash attached to it. I managed to take several shots before the frog disappeared into the leafy trees above. My settings were Manual Mode, F16, shutter speed 100, ISO 800, Macro lens, handheld.

Judges’ comment

This image is beautifully presented. The way the frog is looking at the camera, his right foot draped leisurely over the edge of his leafy refuge, gives a sense of fairy tale curiosity and joy. The gentler side of nature.

About the photographer Shirley Gillitt – Read more

I was born and educated in Zimbabwe, moved to KwaZulu Natal, South Africa to complete a midwifery diploma as a young woman and married a South African farmer who is passionate about wildlife. So it was that my interest in wildlife and photography slowly began.

I am an amateur photographer who takes photography seriously, exploring most genres. However, my passion is wildlife, a genre that requires patience, perseverance and observance. To watch and understand animal behaviour is hugely rewarding for me. The abundance of game reserves available to us is an absolute privilege, and we try to visit most as much as possible. On many trips to game reserves, I spend time admiring the small creatures, birds and flora while trying to bypass the other 80% of people chasing the big five.

I live in Hillcrest, KwaZulu Natal, a subtropical temperate climate where the tree frogs hang out.

Instagram: shirleygillitt

Hands. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. © Valentino Morgante

I have been lucky and privileged to have visited the mountain gorillas of Bwindi in Uganda a few times and what surprises me the most each time I encounter them is how similar they are to us. I was attracted to this silverback who was very relaxed and lying down, observing my movements and keeping a close eye on the rest of us.

His hands caught my attention; I was amazed at how similar they are to our human hands. Perhaps they are not like modern-life hands, but rather hands that have worked and harvested – like a farmer without modern machinery.

Judges’ comment

This image somehow manages to convey contemplation, power and vulnerability all at once. The hands’ likeness to our own also demonstrates humanity’s connection to nature and wilderness

About the photographer Valentino Morgante – Read more

From Italian origins, Valentino Morgante was born in Malawi, in the heart of Africa, where he spent his first 18 years living in close contact with African nature and culture. He completed his last years of study in Johannesburg and then moved to Italy. There, he began his working life, where he developed, among other things, a passion for nature and sports photography.

In the 90s, the call of Africa brought him back to his native land, this time to Namibia, where he started as a specialised tour guide and then a tour operator. Valentino is still living his dream and leads small groups of photographers to iconic African parks. His unconditional love for Africa is clearly recognisable in his passion for nature photography, which represents an artistic expression capable of enhancing the beauty of African nature and wildlife.

Instagram: valentino_morgante

Morning chores in a Maasai village. Kajiado County, Kenya. © Ying Shi

I visited Kenya for photography in 2019. The trip aimed to capture Kenya’s natural scenery, wild animals, and local people. On this day, before dawn, we drove from the Lentorre Lodge, where we stayed to a nearby village of Maasai people. When we arrived, the village was just coming alive. The children began to play, and the adults drove the cattle and sheep. Animals are important assets to the Maasai people, and animal husbandry is their main source of livelihood. This was an unforgettable day in my photography career.

Judge’s comment

This image has so many layers to it. The glorious colours of the dawn and the Maasai shukas, the movement of the goats and sheep, the children playing to the left and the dust. It also manages to convey a sense of peace and daily rhythm.

About the photographer Ying Shi – Read more

Ying Shi is a Chinese photographer who has lived in Canada for nearly 20 years. He is a member of the Canadian Association For Photographic Art, a council member of the Jiahua Elite Photography Association, and a member of the Photographic Society of America. He was awarded The Distinguished Canadian Photographer by the 126th Toronto International Salon of Photography in 2019. His photographs in Kenya have won many awards in international photography competitions.

Lower Zambezi copper mine given the go-ahead

The plan to develop a large-scale, open-cast copper mine in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park seems set to go ahead.

Updates May 2023:

Bulldozers clear way for mine through pristine Lower Zambezi National Park

Zambia orders halt to work on copper mine in Lower Zambezi park

Nestled on the northern banks of the mighty Zambezi River, opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, lies the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. It is one of Africa’s most pristine wilderness areas – remote, unspoilt, and spectacular. For years dedicated individuals and organisations have been fighting against the proposed Kangaluwi mine, but the final appeal was dismissed in February 2021.

Lower Zambezi copper mine — Map of the proposed mining site in Zambia © Zambezi Resources Limited

Mwembeshi Resources Ltd holds the licence for the mine, and the proposed mine site would cover 12km² (1,200 hectares), situated between two seasonal rivers that discharge directly into the Zambezi River.

After close to a decade of delays and obfuscations, the High Court dismissed the case on a legal technicality in favour of Mwembeshi in 2018. The final appeal to the Court of Appeal of Zambia was dismissed in a judgement delivered by Justice Ngulube in February 2021, possibly marking the end of any legal challenges open to those looking to stop the mining operations.

The final barrier was the validity of the Decision Letter (and thus the Environmental Impact Statement) granting mining rights. After the ruling in their favour, Mwembeshi Resources immediately applied for an extension of validity. David Ngwenyama, an expert ecologist and one of the parties fighting against the mine, confirmed that the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA) had granted the extension in June 2021.

The argument that the previous judge had failed to consider the public interest of the matter was summarily rejected.

The timeline

Early 2000s – Australian company Zambezi Resources Ltd applied for and was granted an exploration licence for an area of 240km2 in the Lower Zambezi Game Park. They registered a subsidiary called Mwembeshi Resources Ltd.
2010 – 17 local chieftains in the region signed an agreement to oppose all mining. An application was made to open Kangaluwi Copper Mine.
2011 – Zambezi Resources and the local subsidiary, Mwembeshi Resources, were granted a 25-year mining licence by the Zambian government and began prospecting for copper. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was submitted to ZEMA for the Kangaluwi Copper Project shortly afterwards.
2012 – ZEMA rejected the EIS and released the following statement: “The proposed site is not suitable for the nature of the project because it is located in the middle of a national park and thus intends to compromise the ecological value of the park as well as the ecosystem.”
January 2014 – The minister of lands, natural resources and environmental protection, Harry Kalaba, overturned the ZEMA decision, and the project was given full permission.
February 2014 – David Ngwenyama, acting in his personal capacity, and five different NGOs began legal proceedings to appeal the decision to allow mining in Lower Zambezi National Park. The court granted an injunction to halt mining during the proceedings.
November 2014 – Dr K Leigh prepared a damning independent analysis of the EIS and proposed mine site for the Lower Zambezi Tourism Association.
April 2015 – the Appeal was adjourned by the High Court, pending judgement by Justice Chali.
April 2015 – 2019 – The court process stagnated. Upon the death of the presiding judge, a new judge was assigned under a mandate to clear the backlogged cases.
October 2019 – High Court of Zambia upheld the decision to grant mining rights in Lower Zambezi National Park on a legal technicality (a failure to file a Record of Appeal in the early stages of the proceedings).
January 2020 – Tourism and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela announced that the project would not go ahead because the EIS was no longer valid. Experts and insiders warned that this did not necessarily confirm that the project would be cancelled.
February 2021 – The Court of Appeal of Zambia dismissed the final appeal brought by David Ngwenyama. For various reasons, many of them financial, David Ngwenyama was unable to take this matter to the Supreme Court after the appeal was dismissed.
June 2021 – Mwembeshi was granted an extension of validity for the Decision Letter (and, therefore, the EIS).

The company and legal loopholes

Bermuda-registered Mwembeshi Resources Ltd is a subsidiary of Australian-owned Zambezi Resources Ltd (subsequently renamed Trek Metals). The parent company was then sold to Dubai-based Grand Resources Limited – a company that has proved to be impossible to contact.

The Zambian Mines and Mineral Development Act of 2008 does not contain any substantial provisions relating to mining in protected areas. The Environmental Management Act of 2011 does not require a developer to carry out a fresh EIS following the expiry of the period of validity of the Decision Letter (usually three years). All that is required is a request for extension – an administrative arrangement that does not require a public hearing nor any other form of consultation with stakeholders.

For foreign investors who face more robust legislation in their own countries, Zambia is an easy target. Political games and murmurs of corruption have conferred a relentless momentum to a project that may not even be economically viable. Hamstrung by procedural regulations and an insubstantial legal framework, the courts have done little to stand in Mwembeshi’s way. Ultimately, the final judgement did not even delve into the case’s merits.

Collective objection

It goes without saying that an open-cast copper mine in the centre of Lower Zambezi National Park would do tremendous damage to the environment and biodiversity of the park. The devastating effects would extend to polluting the Zambezi River itself and affect neighbouring Mana Pools, the surrounding ecosystem in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

The mine saga galvanized a diverse community of people in Zambia to rise up against the mine – NGOs, private individuals, community organisations, conservationists and ecotourism operators. The potential mine has also given rise to a new generation of environmental activists that didn’t have a voice before. Zambian youth formed a group called IMPI and organised marches to deliver petitions, held press conferences, and created a lot of noise when the appeal was dismissed in 2019.

One of the people involved is ecologist David Ngwenyama. He joined the original court battle in 2014 in his personal capacity, believing that it represented a collective fight to protect his country’s heritage. When the High Court dismissed the case, he filed the appeal at a personal legal cost of some $50,000. For seven years, he has fought for the future of Lower Zambezi National Park.

Mr Ngwenyama has now reached out to ZEMA to allow the setting up of a tripartite meeting with the developer and ZEMA to set strict biodiversity offset and associated conditions including a program of environmental social monitoring if the mine is allowed to proceed as is. ZEMA seems agreeable to this.

The future

There is also some disagreement over whether or not Mwembeshi is legally obliged to re-do the EIS given that nine years have passed since the original EIS but Mr Ngwenyama is of the opinion that Mwembeshi is now free to break ground. Various stakeholders are looking into possible legal alternatives to stop the mine, and there are glimmers of hope in this regard.

The approval process seems to be irregular and the stakeholders above are trying to inform the public. The fact that two extremely contentious projects (farming in the Kasanka National Park buffer zone and the Lower Zambezi mining) which will both impact significantly on the environment were signed off with Parliament dissolved in the run-up to the elections, is worth consideration.

The WWF, CI, CLZ and a number of other stakeholders have developed a social media campaign to educate the local public on what the approval of the mine could mean (see below).

TAKE ACTION:

If you would like to support the cause to stop this mine going ahead. Sign the petition https://www.change.org/SaveZambeziSafeZambezi and join the movement https://www.facebook.com/savezambezi. Use the #SaveZambezi for any social media posts.

For further reading, see Crunch time as Zambia’s Lower Zambezi NP comes under mining threat

Do tracking collars impact animals negatively?

Tracking collars have revolutionised the amount of information available to wildlife researchers since their introduction in the 1960s. The benefits are enormous, but naturally, researchers need to ensure minimal cost to the animal’s welfare.

Researchers from the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute set out to examine the short-term, welfare effects of collaring captive scimitar-horned oryx.

The scimitar-horned oryx is an antelope that was once widespread from Senegal to Sudan but eventually went extinct in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss. All remaining individuals were captive in institutions around the world. In 2016, a massive joint project reintroduced 194 scimitar-horned oryx into the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Wildlife Reserve in Chad. Each individual has been or will be fitted with a GPS collar. Naturally, the information gathered will be critical to monitoring the reintroduction process.

The data collected from GPS readings can be used in myriad ways for wildlife studies including resource selection, behaviour, migration, home range, demographics and understanding human-wildlife conflict. Animals from elephants to birds and fish are fitted with tracking devices and, as technology develops, some of these animals may wear the devices for extended periods, possibly even for life. Naturally, scientists have recognised the need to ensure animal welfare during the process and biologists wanting to collar animals usually need to undergo a thorough review from professional committees before permission is granted. There are several restrictions, including that the device itself should weigh less than 5% of the animal’s body weight.

During this study, researchers assessed the impact of the collars in three different ways: through behavioural observation, measurement of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (indications of an animal’s stress levels) and through tri-axial accelerometers in the collars (able to detect head shaking which might indicate physical discomfort). As these animals were captive and habituated to humans, no anaesthetic or chemical sedatives were administered; instead, the oryx were physically restrained to fit the collars.

The study concluded that while there was an indication of increased stress levels after the fitting of the collar (that could also be attributed to being restrained), the animals quickly reverted to normal. There was no indication of long-term, adverse effects of using tracking collars. However, headshaking did increase dramatically initially and then dropped below the normal amount witnessed before the collaring. This may be an attempt to avoid discomfort and irritation from the collar. The feeding and movement patterns of the oryx remained the same. This was one of the main concerns that the study hoped to allay.

While there is no evidence for the long-term, negative effects of tracking collars, they can cause temporary discomfort

While the researchers are clear that there is no evidence to preclude the use of tracking collars, they encourage further studies to examine the long-term effects of collaring. There are potential concerns regarding the extra weight, regardless of how small, as previous studies have suggested this could harm an animal. There is also some concern regarding the chafing effect of the collars, which can also place the animal at higher risk of infection and increase the growth of harmful microorganisms, hence the need to ensure a good fit for the collar. They acknowledge that in many wild situations, researchers are unable to study the effects of a collar once it has been fitted, for both financial and logistic reasons. This is why they encourage researchers and manufacturers of tracking devices to work with zoos, which offer the opportunity to address at least some of these questions in a controlled environment.

There is no doubt that tracking collars have contributed tremendously to our ecological understanding of many different species and the authors of this study describe these tracking devices as “essential elements to an ecologist’s toolbox, vital for assessing conservation action, and one of the only cost-effective means for evaluating the fate of every individual in reintroduction efforts, especially across large remote areas.”

Full report: “Short-term effects of GPS collars on the activity, behaviour, and adrenal response of the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)” Stabach, J. et al. (2020) PLOS One

Sabi Sands sojourn

Imagine four exceptional and diversely talented photographers together on safari in the world-renowned Sabi Sands Game Reserve …

After an extended covid-delay, our 2020 Photographer of the Year winners joined me and my wife Lizz to enjoy their prize-winning safari in South Africa’s Lowveld – a great way to soak up some of Africa’s magic.

It was March 2021, and the bushveld was still dense after an excellent rain season – and yet the Sabi Sands was thrumming with wildlife and delivered on its reputation as predator-central.

We each brought our significant others – which meant that thankfully fireside discussions went beyond f/stop and the latest gear – although one winner brought a photographer friend. Our first game drive was a mere few minutes old when painted wolves ruthlessly dispatched an unfortunate impala a few meters from us. That emotional rollercoaster of excitement, sorrow and quiet contemplation was an apt introduction to what was an epic safari.

We were hosted by Djuma Private Game Reserve (no longer open to the public) in the northern Sabi Sands – we stayed at what was then the self-catering Tumbeta House. My significant other – Lizz – ran the kitchen for our party of eight – and we dined like royalty. Hats off to her and the Djuma staff – mere words cannot describe the behind-the-scenes action behind running an operation like this.

I won’t go into detail about our time in paradise – that would be cruel in the current covid-restricted dimension that we all are enduring. This brief selection of images pays testament to the combined talents of the diverse group but barely hints at the exhilarating time had by all.

Of course there were elephants everywhere, and on one occasion, we were surrounded by a large breeding herd as they went about their morning. Most of the time, we put the cameras down and absorbed the close encounter into our souls – savouring every head toss, every protective mom shepherding her tiny calf away from the tussling young bulls ©David Rouge

Nikon D850 | lens 600 mm f/4.0 | aperture f4 | exposure 1/2000 | focal length 600mm | iso 320

It was a gloomy early morning, and we were listening for contact calls from a pack of painted wolves that had ghosted past us and disappeared into a densely vegetated drainage line. During our silent scanning, we noticed this pair of bateleurs observing us from their lofty perch. At one stage, the male launched and flew over us. Voila! ©Marcus Westberg

Sony ILCE-1| 600mm f4 GM OSS + 1.4X teleconverter| aperture f6 | exposure 1/1000 | focal length 840mm | iso 1250

AND THEN
After five enriching and relaxing days in the Sabi Sand, we spent the last day of our adventure hosted by one of the most respected ladies in African conservation – a personal friend of long-standing. CEO of GKEPF, Sharon Haussmann is at the frontline of anti-poaching efforts and forging the way to cement strategic alliance partnerships between private and state landowners in this region – including a private Mozambique game reserve bordering the Kruger National Park. Sharon and colleague Marion Bourn gave us an interesting briefing of the issues and how GKEPF is tackling them. This behind-the-scenes reveal was followed by an afternoon with Timbavati warden Edwin Pierce and his rangers at a remote outpost and a helicopter flip with renowned veteran flyboy Gerry McDonald. The rangers are my heroes in the battle to protect our wildlife from the evil ones – they live in remote areas away from friends and family and put their lives on the line. I can never find the words to thank them for what they do.

Our last night in paradise, again hosted by Sharon, was at the ultra-luxurious Africa House – an exclusive-use and villa of Royal Malewane in Thornybush Game Reserve, Greater Kruger. Our late-night discussions under the twinkling stars about the last few days were a fitting end to an exceptionally uplifting sojourn.

Want to go on a safari to Sabi Sands? To find lodges, search for our ready-made packages or get in touch with our travel team to arrange your safari, scroll down to after this story.

**Clockwise from top left: 1)** A white rhino and calf. Note that both have been dehorned – part of a concerted and well-publicized strategy to reduce poaching risk. ©Julien Regamey; 2) GKEPF CEO Sharon Haussmann with Timbavati ranger Danisile Annetjie Mkansi – the first female ranger to qualify as a Timbavati K9 handler (she is also Operations Room Operator). During discussions with our group, she impressed with her passion and determination to make a real difference for rhinos and other wildlife. ©Julien Regamey; 3) GKEPF administrative support crew member Marion Bourn at her desk – monitoring security issues in the GKEPF regional footprint. ©Marcus Westberg; 4) A remote ranger outpost somewhere in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. ©Marcus Westberg; 5) Gerry McDonald displays his skills as he takes our party skimming across the bushveld in search of poachers, rangers and rhinos. ©Marcus Westberg

Africa’s final gift was an enchanting time spent with a lioness who brought her five cubs into the open for the first time while we were on game drive in Thornybush. Prepare to be smitten by the cuteness of the following video:

WATCH: Lioness and her five cubs – Thornybush Game Reserve, Greater Kruger (1:10)

CEO note: Finalists!

CEO NOTE: 18 June 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

We have an epic newsletter for you this week – so please budget for EXTRA TIME because each of the five stories below is an excellent read.

After our Botswana rhino poaching story of last week, my inbox has been flooded with further information and helpful input – thanks to all. Several people mentioned how many of Africa’s protected areas are under threat from organised crime – poaching or shady elements in extractive foresty, mining and trophy hunting. Many lamented our governments’ INABILITY to deliver on their biodiversity protection mandates. Several of our stories below bear testament to these concerns. We live in challenging times indeed.

BUT we will eventually prevail in our drive to keep Africa’s ecosystems and biodiversity safe from the evil ones. Lots has to change. Be the change.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

The world’s most famous lion died last week. Scarface, famed king of the Maasai Mara, breathed his last while resting comfortably in the waving red oat grass. He wasn’t shredded by hyenas or mauled by young pretenders. This is not a death that many wild animals can look forward to. To some, Scarface was a controversial figure. He was given the benefit of at least ten veterinary interventions that probably extended his ‘natural life’. Far more than that, however, he was an ambassador for his species and for wilderness in general. Who knows how many tourist dollars came to the Mara, contributing to the preservation of wild places because of this grizzled legend of the plains. His image, which hangs in homes all over the world, will continue to inspire nature travel and a passion for Panthera leo.

When I started guiding in the dim mists of prehistory, we were given strict instructions never to give wild animals names. ‘They are not pets and we don’t want guests to think our cats are tame.’ As a wet behind the ears biologist, I thought this was excellent. Most guides heartily agreed, despite some rather obvious contradictions. We’d refer to the Clara Dam female as ‘Clara’ or the Pink-nose Mxabene Young Male as ‘Pinky’.

Cecil and Scarface changed my mind. Their fame built awareness for the plight of their species and the wilderness in general. In our first two stories below, we consider the nameless thousands of lions living in captivity in South Africa. What will happen to them in the wake of our government’s proposed ban on the national disgrace that is captive lion breeding and trade?

Our third story below is also quite heavy going and frustrating. Kasanka National Park in Zambia, home to the world’s largest mammal migration, is under threat from commercial agriculture. Allegations of skulduggery abound.

Our fourth story below is an encouraging tale of nature’s resilience in the face of human idiocy. Wars have ravaged South Sudan for the best part of four decades now, yet one of nature’s greatest mammal migrations appears to be almost intact.

Finally, we bring you the finalists in this year’s Photographer of the Year. It’s been such a privilege to enjoy the contributions each week. Our choices are inevitably born of human biases and subjectivity and we make them in humility, full in the knowledge that not all will agree. A huge vote of thanks to all who had the courage to enter – we hope that you will do so again next year.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/lion-farming-and-zoonotic-diseases/
LION-HUMAN DISEASES
The zoonotic diseases that lions carry and why lion farming is potentially harmful to human beings – new research

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/the-end-of-sas-shameful-lion-breeding-industry-what-now-happens-to-the-lions/
WHAT NOW?
What happens to the thousands of caged lions now that captive lion breeding is to be banned in South Africa?

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/under-immediate-threat-zambias-kasanka-np-and-worlds-largest-mammal-migration/
KASANKA THREAT
Under immediate threat: Zambia’s Kasanka NP and world’s largest mammal migration. You can help – see the call to action at the end of the article.

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/kob-tiang-migration-south-sudan/
GREAT NEWS
The massive white-eared kob and tiang migration in South Sudan continues, despite decades-long civil wars – Space For Giants

Story 5
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-finalists/
FINALISTS!
These epic images are the finalists for our 2021 Photographer of the Year – in line to win US$10,000 + a Botswana safari. And your winner would be?

DID YOU KNOW: Many wasps around the world lay their eggs on a host spider so that their larvae can feed on fresh, paralysed spider. Fifteen species in the Amazon have taken things a step further – they somehow manipulate the spiders into spinning a safe web for the parasitic wasp larvae to pupate in

WATCH: The relationship between humanity and nature has never been more important (2:17)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Finalists

Here, at long last, are the Finalists in our 2021 Photographer of the Year! We will announce the overall winner and two runners-up next week. They will share US$10 000 in prize money and join their partners and our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.

Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Fly in the eye. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Hannes Lochner

Nestward-bound after a hard day at work. Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Kirkamon Cabello

A Maasai giraffe tenderly cleans her minute calf. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Ana Zinger

Safety at sunset. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

Nature’s greatest spectacle. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Artur Stankiewicz

A Verreaux’s eagle carries a reluctant passenger before dropping it to be dashed on the rocks below. Langebaan Quarry, Cape Town. © Braeme Holland

Thick hide and razor claws. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Charl Stols

A silverback mountain gorilla known as Rugendo glances curiously at a group of tourists as he walks by. Near Rumangabo and Mt. Mikeno, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Dale Davis

A yellow-billed oxpecker – star of the show. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Quinn Kloppers

The Namib Desert flowing into the Atlantic. Namibia. © David Rouge

Yellow-crowned bishop in full voice. Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

Is there something in my nose? Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

Flight over Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park with its meandering rivers and animal tracks. © Gabriela Staebler

Cape gannets hunting a sardine bait ball, black tip sharks circling below. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, South Africa. © Geo Cloete

Morning chores in a Maasai village. Kajiado County, Kenya. © Ying Shi

Dust to dust. A pack of African wild dogs attacking a warthog. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Golaotse Speedy Senase

‘Would you pass me a napkin please?’ – a member of the famous cheetah coalition of five, Tano Bora, in the middle of a zebra meal. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Aditya Nair

Shaking off the dust at dusk. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Hannes Lochner

A territorial fight breaks out between rival male ground agamas. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. ©Hesté de Beer

Forged in the fires of creation. Botswana. © James Gifford

Mozambican long-fingered bat (*Miniopterus mossambicus*) emerging from the Codzo Cave. Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. © Piotr Naskrecki

Dwarf adder waiting in ambush. Iona National Park, Angola. © Javier Lobon Rovira

A southern masked weaver cools down at a birdbath at Lower Sabie rest camp. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Karolina Norée

A small amphibian sits on a rain tree leaf. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

‘What did you say to me?’ Tawny eagle eye-balling a wasp. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Lars Roes

‘Enough is enough’ – a clan male indicates he’s done playing. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Manoj Shah

A precious fennec fox in the heart of the Tunisian desert. © Marcello Galleano

A green night adder finishing the remnants of his frog meal. Kogatende, northern Serengeti. © Marc Mol

A five-week-old lion cub learning about the world. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Marcus Westberg

Wood stevedore. Niger River, Ségou, Mali. © Marios Forsos

Attack – a pride sets upon a giraffe cow and her helpless calf. Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya. © James Nampaso

Marimba the ground pangolin has developed a bond of trust, love, and compassion with her guardian Mateus Mambe Masangunge over the course of their thirteen years together. Wild is Life Sanctuary, Zimbabwe. © Sam Turley

Hands. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. © Valentino Morgante

Showdown – 38 minutes of adrenaline-pumping action The painted dogs eventually left the lioness and her cub to tell the tale. Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. © Melonie Eva

Young Mundari man playing his Tung (a wind instrument made from a cow’s horn) at a celebration. Central Equatoria, South Sudan. © Mojgan Arashvand

A leopardess, undisturbed by the rain, scans the plains. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Paolo Torchio

A hippopotamus enjoys sleeping in a natural jacuzzi. Sabie River, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

Hartlaub’s gull. Kommetjie, Cape Town. © Philip Jackson

An ultraviolet-illuminated rock scorpion living in a cave that was home, a few thousand years ago, to a group of San people. Chikukwa Cave, Chimanimani Mountains, Mozambique. © Piotr Naskrecki

A fascinating armoured lily weevil (*Brachycerus sp.*) photographed in Ruira, Kenya. © Robin James Backhouse

Bana stilt-walking boys. Omo Valley, Ethiopia. © Rodney Bursiel

A male leopard watches as thieving hyenas eat his kudu kill. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Rudi Hulshof

A Natal tree frog hiding in a Ligularia leaf. Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal Natal, South Africa. © Shirley Gillitt

Cape weaver taking an air drink. Yzerfontein, West Coast, South Africa. © Geo Cloete

A water lily frog sits against a windowpane in the early hours of the morning. Photographed from inside the house using a low aperture creates a blacked-out background and shuts out any excessive light. St Lucia, KZN, South Africa. © Tyrone Ping

White-eared kob and tiang migration South Sudan

A recent survey by Space for Giants in South Sudan shows that one of the largest mammal migrations on earth, the white-eared kob and tiang migration, continues, apparently oblivious to the decades-long civil conflict. Numbers are sketchy for obvious reasons, but white-eared kob, tiang (a close relative of the topi) and a smattering of Mongalla gazelles (possibly a subspecies of the Thomson’s gazelle) continue their annual migrations.

South Sudan is a large country – one and a half times the size of South Africa. It is also a country that has seen horrific, long-standing conflicts. The First Sudanese Civil War dragged from 1955 until 1972. The Second (essentially a continuation of the first) went from 1985 to 2005 and resulted in independence for South Sudan (previously controlled by Khartoum in the north). A multi-sided South Sudanese Civil War then kicked off in 2013 and only really ended in February 2020.

Migration overview

Between January and June, the kob, tiang and gazelle move north and east from the wetlands on the eastern bank of the White Nile towards Boma National Park and Gambella National Park just across the border in Ethiopia. They return to Boma National Park and the vast inland delta known as the Sudd between November and January. The delta is the biggest in Africa and, in the wet season, may extend to 130,000 square km. It is home to 400 bird species and, in addition to the kob, tiang and gazelle is a refuge for the endangered Nile lechwe. Fifty years ago, there were 80,000 elephants in the region; now, there are probably fewer than 2,000.

With all the civil war, conservationists have been unable to monitor the extent of the herds or the effects of the conflict. Soldiers killed masses of bushmeat to supply the war effort while ivory was exported from the region via Juba. The war for independence saw the local extinction of zebras and rhinos, once abundant in the southern areas.

Hope

In March 2021, Dr Max Graham, founder and CEO of the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, led a rapid conservation reconnaissance survey of a selection of South Sudan’s protected areas. The goal was to understand the country’s wildlife better and explore options to support the government with its conservation work and, eventually, attract conservation tourism investors. The five-person team logged 33 hours of aerial surveys from a low-flying helicopter, travelling across Rumbek, Tonj, Yirol. Shambe National Park, Shambe Port and The Sudd, Jonglei, Bor and Boma National Park.

A key area of their focus was the status, following South Sudan’s most recent civil war, of the world’s second-greatest large mammal migration of tiang and white-eared kob.

Dr Graham talked to Africa Geographic about the survey mission and its findings.

Can you give us some broad findings from the recce?

There was a paucity of large wild animals in the areas we visited in and around Shambe National Park, west of the Nile, except for aquatic or semi-aquatic species, including sitatunga, Nile lechwe, hippos, and Nile crocodiles. Reedbuck, bushbuck, and duikers were seen but were uncommon. We saw indirect evidence of elephants and buffalo from old spoor around watering holes and came across a significant population of roan antelope west and north of Shambe.

Clearly, the elephant population here is under extreme hunting pressure given their local scarcity and the ubiquitous presence of ivory bangles among local herders. I think it could also be said with some confidence that the possibility of the Shambe area holding any remnant population of northern white rhino is extremely low given the large number of armed individuals, including specialist local hunters, and the territorial ecology of rhinos.

The area to the immediate east of the massive, abandoned, German-built machine designed to dig the Jonglei Canal was abundant in wildlife at the time of our recce with large populations of tiang, lechwe, white-eared kob and Bohor reedbuck. (The abandoned Jonglei canal project aimed to divert water from the Sudd to deliver more water downstream for agriculture in Sudan and Egypt). There was very little evidence of people in this area, east of the Nile, and it is clearly a stronghold for wildlife. Subsequent discussions with key informants suggest this area may be a no man’s land between conflicting ethnic groups, creating a haven for wildlife. As we travelled south towards Bor, wildlife began to disappear in the face of human presence, charcoal burning and deforestation.

Boma National Park and its immediate vicinity held the bulk of white-eared kob seen on this reconnaissance survey. We observed them in their tens of thousands, with smaller but significant populations of tiang. A small group of just four giraffes and around twelve eland were also observed. Both groups were highly nervous and it is clear they were under intense hunting pressure. We observed armed people throughout the park.

How have the numbers of migrating animals changed with the civil war?

After the wildebeest migration of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, these herds of white-eared kob, tiang, and associated other species, are the largest concentrations of large mammals left on the planet. That this is one of the wonders of the world is indisputable. That it has survived the long, persistent, armed conflict within South Sudan is testament to how little development there is in the country and the inaccessibility of the seasonally water-logged flood plains east of the Nile and into Ethiopia.

Research led by South Sudanese wildlife ecologist Dr Malik Morjan and supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society found that white-eared kob numbers were not dramatically affected by the 1985-2005 South Sudanese Liberation War. However, tiang were affected, with numbers estimated to have dropped from 500,000 to 160,000, mainly due to hunting by the armed forces at the time. This may be because the tiang dry season range is closer to the conflict. It isn’t clear what has happened to Mongalla gazelles which were counted at around 66,000 in the 1980s but could actually number many more today.

It also isn’t clear how the recent civil war, from 2013 to 2020, has affected overall numbers of all of these species, as we could not undertake a complete aerial survey during our recce. What surprised us was the numbers of tiang we came across to the north of their dry season range, near the Jonglei canal. Given the absence of human settlement here, possibly due to insecurity created by the civil war, we wonder if the tiang might have recovered from the negative impacts of the Jonglei canal construction, which began in 1978 but stopped at the opening of the 1985 war and never restarted.

We were also struck by the number of hunters and scattered settlements in and around Boma and Bandingilo National Parks and the clear evidence of hunting evidenced by the many animal carcasses. When we did come across kob in large numbers in parts of Boma National Park, there were always people in relatively close proximity, suggesting they may be under pressure, despite their large numbers.

I would tentatively suggest that white-eared kob may have been worse affected by hunting in and around the national parks in the Boma-Jonglei ecosystem than tiang, which used a different part of the range, towards the Sudd swamp, during the recent civil war. This would need to be verified through a complete aerial survey.

How much pressure is there in the Boma and Bandingilo corridor?

What is important to note is that most of the kob and tiang migration actually falls outside of the two protected areas so it is not so much a ‘corridor’ as an entire 200,000 square km ecosystem, stretching from the Sudd and White Nile in the north-west, to Boma National Park and the Ethiopian border in the south and east. The animals move across this whole landscape seasonally. Currently, the only pressure on the corridor is hunting by local people and armed forces. This may have been amplified during the recent civil war because of the lack of alternative food sources.

The medium-term pressure is, however, far more significant. According to research led by Dr Morjan before the recent civil war, 72% of the known kob migration, and more than 99% of the tiang migration, fall within leased oil concessions. With the country desperate to exploit the benefits of oil revenue, the associated infrastructure development that might emerge could be devastating for the migration. For example, three of the ten priority roads planned by the government cut through the migration. Furthermore, South Sudan has a high population growth rate, and settlements within the ecosystems could soon become urban centres.

Has the migration route changed with human encroachment and settlement?

It appears from our recce survey that the distribution of ungulates was similar to that found in previous dry seasons, if not a little more extensive in the north than described previously. It is important to note just how big this migration is. Kob have been recorded moving across 68,805 square km and tiang across 35,992 square km, both sparsely populated by people. However, there appears to be growing pressure on the kob in the southern part of their range due to increasing human settlement and possibly an increase in hunting.

How secure are Boma and Bandingilo from human encroachment?

Both have significant, growing human settlements within and outside the parks, accommodating traditional villages that existed before the parks’ establishment. What isn’t clear is the extent to which people here are engaged in commercial bushmeat poaching due to a lack of alternative food sources given the effects of the civil war.

What is the condition of the rangelands in the national parks and corridor areas?

The habitat, currently, is intact across the 200,000 sq km Boma-Jonglei ecosystem. However, there is extensive burning of habitat nearly everywhere we travelled. This is associated with the cultural tradition of using fire as a rangeland management tool to improve pasture for livestock. It isn’t clear what role the extensive burning plays on the ecology of the ecosystem. It is possible that, on the one hand, this burning could be a factor in driving migration patterns of wild ungulates by providing them with highly palatable grasses, whilst it could also be threatening overall species diversity.

How much pressure is there from local livestock?

There is a large scale pastoralist movement into parts of the ecosystem during the dry season. There is clear pressure around watering points in Boma and Bandingilo, which we presume could accentuate conflict and hunting during the dry season.

What are the barriers to setting up a viable safari circuit that might support conservation in the area?

There is no tourism infrastructure in the parks, and indeed very little accommodation in South Sudan as a whole. Access to these wild places is very challenging, given the absence of road infrastructure. Furthermore, sporadic and unpredictable conflicts, together with the proliferation of arms, mean that travel needs careful planning and local knowledge. All of that said, there is very little evidence to suggest that visitors to South Sudan have been targeted during all the years of conflict. I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the welcome we received from local people. Any tourism initiative would have to begin with an air-based travel solution which could be possible and very rewarding for intrepid travellers. Putting in place a simple and effective tourism visa system would also help.

What’s needed next?

Space for Giants recommends that the government works with conservation partners to undertake an immediate aerial survey of South Sudan’s national parks to establish the distribution and density of wildlife populations and identify key conservation priorities. That should include provisions for specialist survey methodologies for rhinos if credible intelligence networks can identify suitable survey areas. It should also include identifying the full extent of the area required by the white-eared kob and associated species for their annual migration and prioritise their protection through an expanded protected area system. South Sudan could submit to the United Nations for designation as a World Heritage Site and “wonder of the world”.

Through the Ministry of Conservation and Tourism, the Sudanese Government could also convene a summit of conservation NGOs and associated partners in Juba to agree on a road map for national park protection, expansion, ongoing management, and development. Based on our expertise advising national governments elsewhere, primarily in Uganda, Gabon, Kenya and now Mozambique, Space for Giants would suggest South Sudan put in place co-management agreements with reputable conservation NGOs to resource wildlife security, park infrastructure and management. In partnership with regional mobile tourism operators, South Sudan could then launch expeditionary tourism to visit its unique offerings to global tourism, including birding, sports fishing, cultural heritage, and the kob migration, to build the country’s brand as a wilderness destination.

The end of SA’s shameful lion breeding industry – what now happens to the lions?

by: Melissa Reitz

Last month, South Africa’s government took a significant step forward for animal welfare and lion conservation when the Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Barbara Creecy, announced plans for a complete ban on the controversial captive lion breeding industry. But as we stare into the face of the horror created over two decades, one question remains: what will happen to the thousands of captive-bred, genetically impaired and diseased lions and cubs?

Conservationists and welfare experts have pushed to shut down the captive lion breeding industry for years, saying it is cruel, has no conservation value, and is damaging to South Africa’s international image. The industry has been exposed for the unethical ‘canned’ or captive lion hunting, the questionable tourist cub petting industry and, more recently, the lion bone trade to Asia.

Now, as processes to close the industry are unfolding, welfare activists ask: “What will become of all the lions?”

The answer is not only shocking but also sobering. With so many welfare and genetic defects, more than half, if not all, of the approximately 12 000 captive-bred lions will need to be euthanised.

The unregulated captive industry has led to the inbreeding of lions, resulting in physical defects, inferior genetics, and a breeding zone for pathogens that threatens other lion populations and humans.

“We must not ignore the catastrophic consequences created by this horrific industry. Let’s hope South Africa and the rest of the world does not easily forget the shameful outcome of such animal exploitation,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International.

Conservationists say rewilding captive-bred lions is no solution due to their diseases, compromised genes and human habitation. And there is simply not enough wild habitat available to accommodate so many lions.

Furthermore, despite many facilities promoting themselves as wildlife sanctuaries, only a handful of true sanctuaries exist in South Africa. None have the capacity or financial ability to home hundreds of big cats.

Yet the industry must be stopped. Left unchecked, the captive predator breeding industry is a self-perpetuating animal welfare disaster. During the mid-nineties, when the Cook Report first exposed the horrific cruelty of the industry and Director of Blood Lions, Ian Michler, began his intensive investigations, there were fewer than 1000 lions held in captive facilities.

“When I started investigating, there may have been about 800 predators living in captive facilities. In 2005, I submitted a report to the government at the time, estimating that there were roughly 3500, and when we researched Blood Lions, the number was in excess of 6 000. Today it’s estimated that there are over 10 000 lions in about 300 captive breeding facilities,” says Michler.

If the captive breeding of lions were left to continue, the number could explode to tens of thousands of genetically inferior lions living in captive squalor and destined for trophies or slaughtered for their bones.

“Captive lion breeding does not contribute to the conservation of wild lions and… legal trade in lion body parts risks stimulating demand and illegal trade, posing major risks to wild lion populations in South Africa and among vulnerable wild lion populations in other countries where poaching is on the rise,” says Dr Paul Funston, director at the international wild cat organisation, Panthera.

In addition, a recent study found that captive lion facilities create a dangerous breeding ground for zoonotic diseases, highlighting the potential health risk to thousands of tourists and staff working at the facilities.

According to Blood Lions, the first plan of action needs to be an immediate ban on captive breeding through sterilisation. Following that, there needs to be an audit to ascertain exact population numbers, the welfare of individual lions and the state of the facilities.

The audit will also reveal true sanctuaries from commercial breeding facilities. A true sanctuary provides a permanent home for animals and does not buy, sell, breed or trade-in animals or their parts, nor do they allow any human interaction.

“Strict guidelines on breeding, keeping, animal husbandry and welfare need to be imposed on such facilities, and a definition of a true sanctuary must be addressed in existing legislation.”

Environmental and animal welfare NGOs are now eagerly awaiting the DFFE’s Policy Paper to begin the process of shutting down the captive predator breeding industry.

But lion breeders and canned hunting outfitters are frantically lobbying Creecy to reconsider her decision and many fear this an attempt to bully the minister into watering down the policy report, which would be a devasting blow to such a bold move by government.

In addition, there is a concern that lion breeders may begin illegally killing their lions and pushing the illicit lion bone trade before new legislation comes into effect and clamps down.

“It’s a matter of urgency that the process is swift as we would hope that the industry is not allowed to flourish while details are being sorted,” says Michler.

Banning the captive predator breeding industry is a significant shift in South Africa’s attitude towards utilising its wild animals. Hopefully, we will not easily forget the shame of being forced to dispose of nearly 12 000 lions humanely.

(Melissa Reitz is an investigative wildlife and environmental journalist. As the full-time staff writer for Animal Survival International, she aims to continue raising awareness to the issues impacting on wildlife and animals across the globe. Animal Survival International is a non-profit organization that acts as a voice for animals around the world to raise awareness and take action against the threats that endanger their survival. )

Supplied by: Animal Survival International

Lion farming and zoonotic diseases

In the recent report provided by the High-Level Panel on the management of iconic wildlife species in South Africa, the majority of the panel recommended that the government of South Africa ban captive lion breeding. One of their reasons was the risk associated with zoonotic diseases. It is a risk that has been highlighted by several lobbying groups and individuals but is often lost beneath the layers of moral debate that tend to dominate. So what diseases are associated with lions, and how acute is the risk? A recent study analyses 148 different research papers to start providing answers to these questions.

A zoonotic disease is a disease caused by any pathogen – bacteria, viruses, prions, fungi and parasites – capable of transmitting from vertebrate mammals to humans. Outbreaks of zoonotic diseases such as ebola, foot-and-mouth, psittacosis, or tuberculosis are often associated with severe human illness and death, as well as heavy livestock losses. Any farming and commercial use of animals is associated with an increased risk of zoonotic transmission, which is why biosecurity is so stringently regulated in most countries.

Wild animals can also act as reservoirs of infectious disease, some of which may, as yet, be unknown to the scientific community. Commercial wildlife operations are typically conducted with high concentrations of animals, poor hygiene conditions, and close contact between animals. In wild animals without domesticated instincts, high stress levels caused by captive situations might lower immune response and increase the risk of disease spread. Even though there are now thousands of lions and other predators housed in captive situations throughout South Africa, this was the first attempt at compiling a list of pathogenic organisms associated with lions from recent scientific research.

The authors analysed 148 different scientific papers from the last ten years to collate a list of diseases that have been identified in lions. Sixty-three different pathogens were reported, most of which were parasites but also included viruses and fungi. The authors also list 83 clinical symptoms and diseases associated with the identified pathogens. Several were singled out as potential threats to human health:

Echinococcosis – a disease caused by tapeworms that may often be present without symptoms for many years but may result in the formation of cysts in the brain, lungs and liver.
Human African trypanosomiasis – lions are a potential carrier of African sleeping sickness, though the disease is not typically present in South Africa.
Bovine tuberculosis – tuberculosis transmission at the wildlife-livestock-human interface is a growing concern and can have severe health and economic implications.
A pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli – these bacteria are present in the intestines of most mammals, including humans, but pathogenic strains cause diarrhoea and digestive distress.
Toxoplasma gondii – a protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis (generally symptomless in healthy adults but can cause serious conditions in those with weakened immune systems). Some Toxoplasma species can cause severe inflammation to pulmonary, cardiac and nervous systems and have been linked to foetal death and abortion.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum – one of the tick-borne Rickettsia bacteria, causing tick bite fever.
Microsporum gypseum – a fungus that causes dermatomycosis (ringworm).
Toxascaris leonina – a parasitic roundworm that has been known to invade human hosts.
Mange – a contagious skin disease caused by parasitic mites and resulting in scabies in humans.

Of significant concern is the mutation and spread of viruses. Coronaviruses are one of the most common virus types in the world, and almost every human is infected with one or more during their lifetime. It is the more lethal strains of the virus (such as COVID-19) that are of concern. The feline coronavirus has not yet been known to spread from cats (lions or domestic cats) to people. However, the unsanitary conditions and proximity in lion farms increase the risk of these viruses mutating and making the species leap to humans. There are documented cases of COVID-19 in captive big cats, and farmers in the Netherlands contracted COVID-19 through close contact with infected mink. Pathogens could also transmit from farms to the surrounding wildlife.

In many instances, managing disease within captive lion populations is especially difficult because the lions appear asymptomatic for years or may act as carriers of disease. With little to no legal regulation, most captive lion farms have no biosecurity measures in place. This, in turn, will have implications for what happens to the lions currently in captivity.

The authors indicate that the list of identified pathogens is far from exhaustive but was intended as a baseline inventory of key pathogens associated with diseases in lions. They conclude that regardless of the moral debate surrounding the commercial breeding of lions, the industry poses a potential risk to other wildlife and public health.

The full text can be accessed here: African Lions and Zoonotic Disease: Implications for Commercial Lion Farms in South Africa, Green, J., et al., (2020), Animals

Under immediate threat: Zambia’s Kasanka NP and world’s largest mammal migration

The Kasanka National Park in Zambia – home to the world’s largest mammal migration – is under immediate threat from agricultural development. Update.

Up to ten million fruit bats migrate to the wetlands in Kasanka for a few months every year. It is a globally significant biological spectacle that draws in tourists and helps to underpin the fastest growing economic sector in Zambia. This is the world’s largest mammal migration.

Kasanka National Park receives the highest level of protection in Zambia – because of the unique flora and fauna that it supports. Critical to the whole ecosystem is the habitat immediately surrounding the park. This land is currently being illegally deforested by the Tanzanian based Lake Group and its subsidiary Lake Agro Industries. They apparently aim to grow wheat, maize and soya amongst other crops.

The habitat around the park is designated the Kafinda Game Management Area (GMA) and also receives protection but this is being ignored. Lake Agro Industries have cleared over 560ha of natural woodland in the zone. The future of the whole area now hangs in the balance.

The current situation

The Zambian government has temporally halted the destruction but Lake Agro Industries is persevering. They have submitted a formal Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for consideration, requesting permission from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to develop commercial agriculture and associated infrastructure over a 7,000ha footprint inside the GMA, less than three km from the national park where the bats roost. The result of the ESIA will be given on 18 June 2021 but the actual ESIA still does not appear on the ZEMA website and public comment is thus almost impossible.

The clearing began in 2019, well ahead of obtaining any formal permissions. The Kafinda GMA is officially classed as part of Zambia’s Protected Area Network. In practice, this is supposed to be implemented by the General Management Plan (GMP), which was signed by the Ministry Of Tourism and Arts and the Zambian Wildlife Authority. This splits the area into zones and sets out what type of land use is permitted in each. The Lake Agro footprint sits across the ‘Wilderness Zone’ and the ‘Development Zone’.

The wilderness zone is supposed “to be used for tourism and preservation of habitat”. “The purpose of the zone is to provide low volume tourism. It allows for minimum development with non-permanent structures. Visitor activities focused on are game walks, game viewing and photographic safaris”. Roads, settlements, hunting, and farming are not permitted.

The development zone: “covers 56 % (2,162 km²) and is the largest of all the zones. It generally surrounds the buffer and the special use zones. It allows for developments such as settlements and basic amenities such as education and health”. Small scale community farming is permitted within the Kafinda GMA, but not commercial farming. All development proposals within the GMA require an EIA or an Environmental Project Brief.

Lake Agro Industries claim they have permission to occupy the land because they made a payment to the local traditional authority, Chief Chitambo; however, the chief doesn’t have the authorisation to give away that amount of land or override the legal restrictions set out in the GMP, and he did not consult DNPW.

Local ecologist and conservation biologist Helen Taylor-Boyd says: “The value that the Park and GMA buffer provides through ecosystem services such as water catchment and carbon sequestration, as well as tourism livelihoods, cannot be underestimated. Kasanka National Park is also host to the world-famous fruit bat migration and impacts here will have a knock-on effect for seed dispersal locally, nationally and beyond borders”.

Kasanka National Park

Kasanka National Park hosts a number of exceptional natural features, including:

The largest mammal migration in the world. A seasonal colony of up to ten million straw-coloured fruit bats, a significant part of the subequatorial population of this IUCN Red List Near-Threatened species and a major tourist attraction.
The second-longest bird list of all Zambian national parks and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. It is home to a highly diverse avifauna that includes many threatened species.
Important populations of the scarce sitatunga, offering the best viewing in Zambia and beyond; the IUCN Red List Near-Threatened puku; and the little known Kinda baboon.
A healthy and diverse complex of rivers. The park is of great importance to the ecological and socio-economic functioning of these watercourses.
A unique small-scale diversity of intact habitats, including threatened habitats such as the mushitu and mateshe evergreen forests, hosting enormous biodiversity.

The area under threat, the GMA, is crucial to the integrity of the park, providing a buffer and transition into other sustainable land uses. When the world’s largest mammal migration occurs in October each year, the straw-coloured fruit bats take up residence in a small area of evergreen forest in the very heart of Kasanka National Park. Every evening they leave the roost to forage well beyond the artificial boundary of the park, venturing deep into the Kafinda GMA.

Research has shown that these bats migrate huge distances from countries including DRC, South Sudan and Tanzania. Along the way, they deliver invaluable ecosystem services, such as seed dispersal and the promotion of reforestation. Effects in Kasanka will have repercussions felt across Central Africa.

Concerns with the ESIA

Despite the legal status of the GMA, its protection is not being enforced. The landscape is being deforested and degraded at an alarming rate, posing a direct threat to the integrity of the park’s ecosystems and the animals it supports. In 2019, Lake Agro Industries cleared over 560ha of pristine woodland in Kafinda GMA without the appropriate permission. Government departments issued three-stop orders before closing the farm in March 2020.

Proposals in the ESIA include drawing water directly from the Luwombwa River, which feeds the wetland habitats of Kasanka National Park. It is estimated that abstraction at peak demand in September would be greater than 90% of the remaining flow of the Luwombwa River.

The ESIA report from Lake Agro Industries concludes that “the identified environmental impacts have been fully mitigated against”, with proposed mitigation to compensate for deforestation being “avoid clearing or damaging intact habitats” – despite the 7,000ha scheme being situated entirely within the intact habitats of the GMA.

Potential impacts on the Protected Area network (Kasanka National Park and Kafinda GMA) are not given any consideration in the ESIA and, in 245 pages, there is not a single mention of a bat.

Conclusion

Kasanka Trust maintains that it would be negligent of ZEMA to grant approval for the proposals. The site selection and occupancy of the GMA would result in devastating impacts to biodiversity conservation on an international scale.

It should also be noted that elsewhere inside the Kafinda GMA, another subsidiary of the Lake Group, Gulf Adventures, has occupied approximately 5,000ha of pristine forest and constructed a game farm. The introduction of species not native to the local area such as ostrich and impala is a further breach of the GMP that is designed to support the protection of the GMA.

In theory, there should be no way that the project will be granted approval. It’s situated entirely in a protected area and would have very serious consequences for a national park of international importance for biodiversity conservation. On paper, it has the highest level of protection available. The company has already demonstrated their lack of regard for the environment and the law and there are also serious concerns about the validity of the EISA.

Note that AG attempted to contact the Lake Group for comment but to no avail.

TAKE ACTION:

If you would like to support the Kasanka Trust in stopping this development, please contact James Mwanza of the Kasanka Trust – gm@kasanka.com. To support the objection against the Lake Agro ESIA, the Kasanka Trust needs to hear from you by 16th June 2021.

CEO note: Top 101 pics + Botswana rhino poaching

CEO NOTE: 11 June 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

Rant warning!

Do we expect too much of our elected leaders in governments around the world? Should I ratchet down my expectations that they treat our natural heritage with respect and not as expendable political tools? And what about enquiries from responsible media brands like Africa Geographic – why are the relevant government departments ignoring our respectful and patient requests for clarity about the poaching crisis that bedevils their wild areas?

The Botswana government has a deserved reputation for stellar wildlife conservation. How quickly that will change if the current leaders continue to duck and dive in the midst of a massive increase in poaching of rhinos and elephants. While old scores are settled and egos assuaged, the crime syndicates are making a fortune out of the slaughter.

Our first story below refers.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

As a child I detested winter. I grew up in Johannesburg so this is reasonable – it’s skin-scalingly dry, frosty and the air is clogged with asphyxiating horrors. There also isn’t a builder in South Africa who’s worked out how to construct a vaguely insulated home. While I could put this down to some sort of national incompetence, (of which there is an ample supply) I actually think it’s national amnesia. Come the first of September, we forget entirely that we’ve been freezing to death, looking forward instead to the long summer.

When my parents sent me forth to make a living (i.e. ejected me from the nest), I moved to the Lowveld where the winters are surprisingly pleasant – as they are in most of southern Africa’s safari hotspots. Yes, it is frigid on early morning game drives, with many of our international travellers utterly astonished that Africa could be cold at all, but the chilly dawns are followed by balmy days with lots of animals frequenting the dwindling waterholes. The colours of the winter – bronze, copper, orange and gold – also offer a gorgeous backdrop for photography. In my opinion, a leopard’s pelage is much better complimented by the palate of winter than the verdancy of summer.

So, once you have immersed yourself in the 101 finalist photos for the 2021 Photographer of the Year competition (two exquisite galleries below), why not book yourself a winter safari? You can take your own happy snaps for next years competition, and, if you are a town-dwelling southern hemispherite, you can escape the smoggy air and respiratory distress that accompanies the city’s winter. Our travel desk is open for enquiries by emailing travel@africageographic.com or navigating to the website links at the end of each of our stories below.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/rhino-poaching-in-botswana-why-the-smoke-and-mirrors/
SMOKE & MIRRORS
How many of Botswana’s rhinos have been poached, and why the recent secrecy? Our CEO asks the question and provides a touch of clarity

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-top-101-gallery-1/
BEST PHOTOS
These are the best 101 entries for our 2021 Photographer of the Year – gallery one

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-top-101-gallery-2/
BEST PHOTOS
These are the best 101 entries for our 2021 Photographer of the Year – gallery two

DID YOU KNOW: Octopuses can regrow missing limbs – a bit like some lizards and their tails

WATCH: Wild dogs, bred in captivity, reintroduced to Gabon in a world first (3:01)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Top 101 – Gallery 2

Here, at long last, are the Top 101 entries in our 2021 Photographer of the Year! We will announce the overall winner and two runners-up in late June. They will share US$10 000 in prize money and join their partners and our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.

Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

This week the judging process reduces the line-up to the Top 101, which we present via two galleries. To see the other gallery click here: Gallery 1

A grey-crowned crane peers at the sunset. Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. © Sushil Chauhan

Dancing at sunset. Namibia. © Aimin Chen

The Great Sphinx of Giza dwarfs a horse and carriage. Egypt. © Astrid Diana Fernandes

The Milky Way blankets Serian’s Serengeti South Camp. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Bill Klipp

An African dusky flycatcher guards her nest. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. © Braeme Holland

Ivory. Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Singita Pamushana, Zimbabwe. © Chris Renshaw

An African rock python rests before swallowing a black-backed jackal, while a painted lady butterfly observes. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Dani Abrahams

Angry and intimidating. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Danielle Carstens

Old Craig standing strong at 49 years old. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © David Dhaen

Band-eyed drone fly (*Eristalinus taeniops*). Frankfort, Free State, South Africa. © Dawie Broekman

Rain rejuvenates the woodland after a devastating fire. It’s difficult to say what the steenbok ram feels about the rain. Lower Sabie area, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Dean Polley

Sandy anemones (*Bunodactis reynaudi*) with a fogbow in the background. West Coast, South Africa. © Geo Cloete

A leopardess tries to decide if some nearby impala are worth disturbing her rest for. Thornybush Private Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Henrico Muller

Learning from mistakes. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Inger Vandyke

Local Beninese women use the beach to spread lake grasses into fan-like shapes, drying them out for mat weaving. Here, guide Assou Cosme Segla lies on the mats as a size reference. Grand-Popo, Benin. © Inger Vandyke

The beautiful Fitzsimon’s thick-toed gecko (*Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi*) emerging after rain in search of insects. Iona National Park, Angola. © Javier Lobon Rovira

A portrait of a young boy from the Turkana tribe in Kenya. © Joe Buergi

Black-backed barbet focused on a little bee. Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Kirkamon Cabello

A desert-adapted elephant cooling off in a spray of dust. Hoanib Skeleton Coast region, Namibia. © Lauren Cohen

The marsh owl has light orange ‘windows’ in its primary feathers that, when shot in the right light, show up very brightly. Bapsfontein, South Africa. © Mattheuns Pretorius

Observation Gelada. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Patrice Quillard

Mozambican student, Rosa Félix Tivane, releasing a paradise flycatcher after recording its biometric data. Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. © Piotr Naskrecki

An unusual daytime encounter with a four-toed hedgehog (*Atelerix albiventris*). Ruiru, Kenya. © Robin James Backhouse

Look into the Light – a rare golden monkey shifts its gaze to the sky just as a shaft of light penetrates the forest. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. © Sam Wallace

Posing in a sea of driedoring (*Rhigozum trichotomum*). Nossob River, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Sharlene Cathro

A memory of celebration – the discarded wings of hundreds of termite alates the morning after their nuptial flight. Khwai Community Concession, Botswana. © Shaun Malan

Bob Marley (famed lion of the Maasai Mara) catches a warthog as it escapes an inundated burrow. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Suhaib Alvi

Members of the Kara Tribe, the smallest ethnic group of the Omo Valley. The Warsa festival is a celebration of daily life. Initially, men jump in groups in front of the women; later women respond with their own leaps and moves. Omo Valley, Ethiopia. © Zay Yar Lin

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Top 101 – Gallery 1

Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

This week the judging process reduces the line-up to the Top 101, which we present via two galleries. To see the other gallery click here: Gallery 2

An evocative Eastern Cape winter. Kariega Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Andrew Aveley

Swamp raft. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Asif Chaudhry

A diademed sifaka posing with a somewhat amusing expression. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar. © Callum Lootsma

Nightmare for some, magic for others – a wolf spider carrying her tiny spiderlings. Olivedale, Randburg. © Stephen Mintram

‘Mum, there’s something on the end of my face!’ Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Corlette Wessels

An uncomfortably hot and agitated white rhino bull interrupts his mud wallow to assert his dominance as a rhino cow and her calf approach. South Africa. © Darren Donovan

A dwarf crocodile breaks the surface. Toumoula, Mali. © David Rouge

Puku calf sheltering in an elephant track. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Dawie Maree

A clever black-backed jackal who has mastered the art of catching not-so-clever, thirsty sandgrouse. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Gonnie Myburgh

An Ethiopian Orthodox priest sits in front of Abuna Yemeta Guh, a church hewn from the caves some 800-1000 years ago. It’s a perilous climb of 2580 metres to the church – one section requires ropes to scale a vertical rock face. Hawzen woreda, Tigray region, Ethiopia. © Greg Metro

This hole was probably caused by an infection. Thornybush Private Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Henrico Muller

An Afar man clings to his camel loaded with a cargo of salt in a blistering desert wind. Danakil, Ethiopia. © Hesté de Beer

An aerial shot of a chaotic fish market in Ganvie, Benin. © Inger Vandyke

Salt and micro-organisms create the perfect canvas for a flock of flamingos. Lake Magadi, Kenya. © Jie Fischer

A portrait of a Mundari cattle herder standing guard amongst his cattle in South Sudan. © Joe Buergi

Male violet-backed starling having upside-down breakfast. Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Kirkamon Cabello

The thick of the madding crowd. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Laurent Nilles

It takes a village to raise a child. Ethiopia. © Lu Minqiang

A chimpanzee judging. Budongo Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. © Patrice Quillard

Giant emperor moth (*Pseudoimrasia deyrollei*). Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. © Piotr Naskrecki

Pillars through pillars. Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana. © Sabine Stols

Fossa. This endangered creature is the largest mammal predator in Madagascar. Menabe Antimena Protected Area, Madagascar. © Sergey Savvi

Crocodile foot. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Sharlene Cathro

A lion licks her chops mid-meal. Khwai, Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Shaun Malan

A Natal tree frog hiding in a Ligularia leaf. Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. © Shirley Gillitt

A cheetah and her cub take stock. Mara North Conservancy, Kenya. © Yaron Schmid

Rhino poaching in Botswana – why the smoke and mirrors?

That we are seeing increased rhino poaching in Botswana’s Okavango Delta region is no secret, as your news feeds will bear witness to.

During the last few months, I have received several phone calls from respected members of the African conservation and tourism industries. The clear and urgent message has been that rhino poaching in Botswana is rampant and that Africa Geographic should investigate and let the world know what is going on. But, unfortunately, my requests for specific facts and evidence were initially rebuffed for fear of persecution by the Botswana authorities.

Eventually, bits and pieces of information and documents from various sources started dripping in. We also received a batch of photos taken off the mobile phone of a poacher – a unique behind-the-scenes look into this sordid industry.

What follows is our attempt to make sense of the toxic mix of official silence and considered input from members of our networks. We do not present this summary as hard facts – we suspect that even the Botswana authorities do not know precisely the scale of the rhino poaching problem. Instead, this is as close as we can come to at the moment to understanding the scale of the problem regarding the poaching of Botswana’s rhinos.

At the outset, I must emphasise that my team and I attempted to contact individuals within the relevant Botswana government departments over the last two weeks. In the spirit of a request by Dr Kabelo Senyatso, Director of the DWNP, on 2 March 2021 that we all “…verify any anti-poaching data with DWNP before making irresponsible and misleading statements that may have a negative implication on Botswana.” we did just that. Initially, there was no response from any Botswana government official – no returned phone calls, emails or social media messages. Finally, last week we managed to make telephonic contact and were provided with two email addresses to forward our queries to, which we did. To date, there has been no response, despite several reminders.

Extinction and the come-back

Botswana’s free-roaming rhinos were poached to extinction during the mid and late 1990s – with the last black rhino going down to poachers in 1992. The decision was then made to re-introduce rhinos, and several private and government projects have focussed on just that – bringing rhinos back to northern Botswana’s wild areas. The project was by most accounts a success, with a 2017 IUCN report estimating that Botswana had 452 white and 50 black rhino– 502 rhinos in total – at the time.

Poaching volumes – estimates

Between 2010 and 2018, only one rhino was poached – by a fisherman poacher in what appeared to be a random, opportunistic killing. The poacher was arrested. In mid to late 2018, poaching escalated rapidly – initially in private game reserves and then in the vast Okavango Delta area.

These are the estimates we have gathered about the number of Botswana rhino that have been poached:

Our sources estimate that the number of rhinos poached in the last 2 1/2 years amounts to a minimum of 100-140 (ave 4 per month). Some sources suggest that a further 60-odd rhino are unaccounted for and almost certainly poached – resulting in a higher estimate by some of up to 200 rhinos poached (ave 6,7 per month).
Former Botswana President Ian Khama estimated the number at 120 in the 18 months to March 2021 (ave 6,7 per month).
Various government officials announced figures related to specific periods – as follows:
- 46 over ten months (April 2019 to February 2020) (ave 4,6 per month) – Moemi Batshabang, a deputy director DWNP
- 56 over two years (to August 2020) (2,3 per month) – Dr Cyril Taolo, Acting Director DWNP
- 36 over 21 months (April 2018 to December 2019) (ave 1,7 per month) – Philda Kereng, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation & Tourism.

Whether you are inclined towards the higher or lower estimates, these figures are significant. Even a conservative estimate based on the above of 120 rhinos poached over 2 ½ years (ave 4 per month) amounts to 24% of the estimated population before the poaching commenced. By comparison, South Africa lost 32% of its rhinos to poaching in the two years to 2019 and 67% over the nine years to 2019. South Africa has 8-10 times more rhinos than Botswana and the number of rhino being poached is therefore significantly higher.

Relocations and dehornings

Some black rhinos were successfully captured and moved to a safe area, and it is believed that there are now few, if any, free-roaming black rhino in the Okavango Delta – the others having been poached. Some white rhinos were dehorned, but dehorned rhinos were amongst those poached – as has been the case in South Africa.

The poachers and networks

Our sources tell us that up to six poaching gangs now operate in the Okavango Delta area, and we have viewed evidence that alleges at least one Botswana Defence Force helicopter pilot was/is involved (more about that later).

Evidence suggests that the poaching gangs have branched out from elephants to now include rhinos. Many of the poachers are from Zambia and Namibia and are assisted by locals. Minister Kerenge explained in parliament: ‘Let me explain that it is a network and syndicate of both Batswana and foreigners’.

Rhino horns captured in seizures as far afield as the Democratic Republic of Congo have been DNA-traced to Botswana. Similar testing of ivory indicates that the elephants were poached in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). According to our sources, ivory and rhino horn poached in Botswana are trafficked to Congolese buyers in Lusaka (Zambia) and Chinese buyers in Windhoek (Namibia).

Inside job?

According to evidence that we have studied, at least one Botswana Defence Force helicopter pilot was being investigated in 2019 for allegedly working with known poachers – providing real-time rhino locations and security updates. Furthermore, it is alleged that the pilot is related by marriage to one of the known poachers.

Threats & oppression, smoke and mirrors

Several in our networks expressed fear about being blacklisted by the Botswana authorities if they were to be associated with this article. One suggested that this is often a subtle process – with permissions/licenses/permits etc., to operate in Botswana being withdrawn and economic opportunities being denied.

When former President Khama publicly stated that this failure to manage rhino poaching would negatively impact the tourism industry, DWNP director Dr Kabelo Senyatso responded with “…security sensitivities of the subject matter … potential negative implication on tourism … economic sabotage.”. And yet, various ministers have made equally concerning statements relating to rhino poaching (read the links provided in this article).

Senyatso goes on to claim that “…DWNP has a long-standing policy of not discussing operational and security-sensitive anti-poaching information in the media, as that only serves to increase the safety risks that our on-the-ground operatives face.” And yet, the links in this article prove that government ministers do not respect this secrecy policy.

One bizarre (in the circumstances) statement by Minister Kereng during a parliamentary discussion in August 2020 seems to make a mockery of this supposed strategy of keeping poaching-sensitive information out of the public eye: “After de-horning, the horn grows back, same as a nail. When the tourism sector reopens, tourists are going to find our rhinos with horns.”

Where to from here?

My observation is that rhinos and elephants are now such highly leveraged political collateral in the battle to influence people and win votes, there is unlikely to be much common sense in the public rantings of politicians and others who have spotted the same opportunity.

This tunnel-vision strategy is surely preventing meaningful discourse, sharing and collaboration – and wreaking havoc at ground level. That information vacuum is being filled with conspiracy theories and guesswork. And the dominance of political manoeuvring over best-practise is creating an opportunity for well-organised crime syndicates. The same crisis exists in South Africa – for similar reasons.

Who knows what is going on behind the scenes, which valuable experience is being ignored and even suppressed because it originates on the other side of some ideological fence? The Botswana government has a deserved reputation for stellar wildlife conservation. How quickly that will change if the current leaders continue to duck and dive in the midst of a massive increase in poaching of rhinos and elephants. While old scores are settled and egos assuaged, the crime syndicates are making a fortune out of the slaughter.

Accurate rhino poaching statistics will, one day, rise to the surface. And by then, we will know how effective the Botswana government is at curtailing what appears to be rampant poaching. My sincere hope is that someone in the Botswana government rises above the noise soon and starts making good decisions. Am I hoping for too much? Time will tell.

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

Africa Geographic has a policy of not disclosing specific locations of rhino and other target species. Locational terms such as ‘Northern Botswana’ and ‘Okavango’, as used in this story, do not provide new or useful information to criminal syndicates, who rely on real-time and granular locational information provided primarily by insiders and local people.

CEO note: Entries closed + behind the conservation scenes

CEO NOTE: 04 June 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

I am buried deep in research for a future story. My location is currently about midway between bureaucratic bungling and misinformation juiced by algorithms. Or thereabouts. Over to my raconteur colleague James to regale you with his dry wit and immense charm. See you next week.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

A few months ago I was going through a trunk of memorabilia when I happened upon a large packet of photographs – yes, printed snaps. All of them were wildlife shots sent by various kind guests in the early 2000s. I don’t want to be unkind here so I’ll just say that none have ever decorated a wall, desk, mantelpiece or even privy in any of the hovels I’ve occupied.

Our 2021 Photographer of the Year competition is now closed and we now face the intimidating task of picking a winner and two runners up (to be announced in July). Here are a few thoughts on how we assess the images.

In the days of manual, film cameras, taking a good shot required patience, exceptional knowledge of the camera, the conditions, the animals and a great dose of luck. Now, cameras and editing software are so clever, that just about anyone can take a decent wildlife shot. The result is that what may have been forgiven in the past (slight blur, exposure issues etc), can’t be forgiven now.

Yet, still, most of the principles that defined great shots of the past, define them today: An exceptional prediction of animal behaviour, patience (time), large doses of luck and the ability to tell a story with a picture.

You can see the final gallery of Africa’s wonders below – it’s a long and lovely one so best enjoyed with some good music and drink. A huge thank you to all who entered this year’s competition.

Tourism operations are increasingly offering guests the chance to participate in conservation. In our second story below, two AG tribe contributors share their fascinating experiences of hands-on conservation in the field.

In our final story below, genetic research indicates that there are four species of giraffe and seven subspecies. The research has mighty important conservation ramifications.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-21/
BEST PHOTOS
Week twenty-one of our 2021 Photographer of the Year – entries are now closed!

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/conservation-in-action-as-a-tourism-experience/
BEHIND THE SCENES
Experience conservation in action as a hands-on tourist – trip reports from two members of our tribe

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/four-giraffe-species-seven-subspecies-new-research/
CLARITY ON GIRAFFES
There are 4 species and 7 subspecies of giraffe, says new research facilitated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation

DID YOU KNOW: The largest molecule in nature lives in your body and its name is Chromosome 1 – it is made up of around 10 billion atoms

WATCH: From the United Nations, a story of Kenyan conservation in the face of the pandemic (3:24)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 21

Our Photographer of the Year 2021 is now closed for submissions, it’s been a wonderful 21 weeks. We will announce the overall winner and two runners-up in late June. They will share US$10 000 in prize money and join their partners and our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.

Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for the final week

A bearded vulture flies into the light. Giant’s Castle, Drakensberg, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

The Cauldron on a winter morning. Arniston, South Africa. © Lucy Gemmill

Sustainable games. Madagascar. © Aimin Chen

Cherry spot moth with its (hopefully) next generation. Ruiru, Kenya. © Robin Backhouse

‘How many times must I tell you?!’ Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Ana Zinger

Desert adder in a rush. Namib Desert, Namibia. © Andrea Friedrich

Taking a load off – white-backed vulture. Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Andries Janse van Rensberg

Female pririt batis foraging for insect snacks amongst the pink blossoms of *Senegalia erubescens*. Erongo Mountains, Damaraland, Namibia © Annabelle Venter

Horned adder waiting for the mist to lift. Dorob National Park, Namibia © Chantelle Bosch

Flap-necked chameleon hiding in the garden. Kasane, Botswana. © Charl Stols

An old alpha male chimpanzee contemplates how to remain dominant. Kibale National Park, Uganda. © Chris Renshaw

A juvenile African harrier hawk giving a sociable weaver chick its final ride. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Ernest Porter

A five-week-old lion cub examining the world. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Marcus Westberg

An unusual angle of a painted lady butterfly. Freestate, South Africa. © Haig Fourie

Sibling rivalry. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Patrice Quillard

The king sneaks past the emperor. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Hannes Lochner

Eastern black rhino testing the air for a mate (photobombed by a yellow-billed oxpecker). Kenya. © Ian Mears

Dwarf adder waiting in ambush. Iona National Park, Angola © Javier Lonon Rovira

Climbing for coconuts. Madagascar. © Jinyan Yang

Black-collared barbet having a risky meal. Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Kirkamon Cabello

‘Can I take this home mum?’ Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana. © Charl Stols

A bull elephant, named Vronsky, examining the camera. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © William Fortescue

The cliffs of Arniston just after a storm. Arniston, South Africa. © Lucy Gemmill

Lion guardian, Kamunu Saitoti, comes face to face with a bull elephant while patrolling in the Amboseli ecosystem. A former killer of lions himself, Kamunu now works to reduce conflict between the apex predators and his fellow Maasai. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Marcus Westberg

A young cheetah cub inspects the photographer. Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya. © Olli Teirilä

‘Dad, you need to brush your teeth.’ Savute, Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Charl Stols

Last ivory. Tarangire National Park. © Tuomas Kirjavainen

Fighting titans. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Patrice Quillard

Rescued chimpanzee on the way to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Freetown, Sierra Leone. © Renato Granieri

Crossing a dry lake in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © William Fortescue

Jackson’s chameleon. Limuru, Kenya. © Robin Backhouse

A guiding paw. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Rudi Hulshof

Disrespecting one’s elders. Savute, Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Sabine Stols

A silverback striking a pensive pose. Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Shane McLean

Hunting red-eyed amphipods. False Bay, South Africa. © Geo Cloete

Red landscape. Deadvlei, Namibia. © Shaun Malan

Sunrise over the Mara from a balloon. Maasai Mara, Kenya. © Sridaran Karthik

Lunch dispute. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Andrew Macdonald

In the shadows of Mount Kilimanjaro. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Sushil Chauhan

‘This tastes odd.’. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Sylvie Failletaz

A fly resting on a Wahlberg’s Kalahari gecko. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa. © Thilo Beck

Plunging across the murderous Mara River. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Tomasz Szpila

A male African jacana and his chicks – he normally carries them under his wings for protection. Chobe River, Botswana. © Charl Stols

A huge herd of wildebeest crosses a dusty gulley. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © William Fortescue

A very special pair of African painted wolves – one with partial albinism. Chinko area, Central African Republic. © Yannick Exalto

A juvenile bearded vulture attacking an adult. Giant’s Castle, Drakensberg, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

Conservation in action – as a tourism experience

A number of ecotourism operations are beginning to offer conservation activities to their guests – opportunities to see hands-on conservation in action. Lodges and parks are formalising guest safety protocols for taking their guests on rhino dehorning, elephant collaring, game capture and other veterinary interventions.

Here, two of our AG tribe share their accounts of firsthand conservation experiences.

Game capture in Mokala National Park, South Africa
By Sharlene Cathro

During a recent visit to Mokala National Park – one of the newest SANParks Reserves, my husband and I discovered the building of a large boma in the middle of the reserve. This could only mean one thing – ‘game capture’. We spoke to the rangers and they agreed that we could experience the event.

As retired, hobbyist photographers, we spend an average of three to four months of the year in various SANParks reserves; this was the first time we’d had the opportunity to witness something like this. It turned out, I had no idea what actually transpired during a game capture.

Conservation activities — Clockwise from top left: Just prior to closing the first division; two divisions closed with the animals in the truck; SANParks officials monitoring the animals in the truck; tranquilising a herd of captured zebra.

Preparation

First, the boma area was built bearing in mind factors such as animal pathways, wind direction, trees and space for the massive transport trucks. Then, the helicopter took off to locate a herd of the desired species (not, as I had envisaged, with different herbivores herded together). Meanwhile, the ground crew entered the boma area and positioned themselves out of sight, behind trees and the tarpaulin curtains. The first target for our capture team was a herd of zebra.

After just 15 minutes, we heard the siren from the helicopter warning the crew that the herd was close. Then a different siren sounded as the animals were about to enter the boma. This told the ground crew to pull the first tarpaulin curtains closed behind the advancing herd. All this happened in seconds.

Then the hard work began.

Execution

We watched the ground crew guide the herd towards the holding pen, still with the assistance of the helicopter. This is far easier said than done as zebras have an excellent sense of smell – if they scent human, they can panic and dart off in the opposite direction. It took a while, but finally after three different curtain closures, each one smaller than the last, the herd was in the holding pen.

All the captured animals were then counted, sexed and finally tranquillised for the onward journey. This was done by a professional team of SANParks veterinarians. The procedure was performed methodically by marking each animal with a green stripe after the first tranquilliser, followed by a yellow stripe after the second. Once completed the zebras were loaded into the trucks. Depending on the species, some are loaded and only then tranquillised through the roof of the vehicles.

I was fortunate enough to photograph the eland capture from the top of one of the trucks. The eland were quite happy to run from the holding pen straight up the ramp into the truck where the tranquillising was done through the roof.

The three large trucks interlinked in a U formation – the animals walked through the first and second trucks and into the last. This meant there was no moving, reversing or changing trucks after each capture – therefore less stress on the animals.

The entire day’s experience was one of the most exhilarating and educational of my life. I can only admire the dedication and hard work of the SANParks team. They worked tirelessly for the entire day, hiding up trees and wrapped in tarpaulin curtains; all to ensure the animals were captured and transported to their new homes in the safest, most humane way possible.

To quote Ben, a long time SANParks employee, ‘You must come and help so that you can tell your children and grandchildren you were involved in relocating wild animals; this is not something many people get to do in their life.’

Conclusion

Mokala National Park is known as the breeding park for our unusual and endangered animals. It has no natural predators and the herds grow to numbers greater than the park can sustain. It is, therefore, necessary to control the numbers – hence the game capture and redistribution programme.

All the animals from this day’s capture went to various rigorously screened game farms in the Northern Cape as part of an effort to create a greater spread of species across the country. The farms were pre-approved after undergoing a rigorous screening process by the SANParks.

Thank you to Rudi and Lawrence for giving us the opportunity to be a part of the team and photograph the day’s proceedings.

Hands-on conservation: elephant collaring in Zimbabwe
By: Ben Sheil

Have you ever seen a collared wild animal and wondered why it is so? Tracking wildlife with remote radio collars stretches back to the 1960s and since its inception, it has seen widespread use by those studying and conserving wildlife. Collars are the most widely used tracking devices for mammals because they are relatively easy to fit and have minimal impact on an animal’s wellbeing. Powered by batteries, they are designed to run for a set period (usually influenced by the frequency of data transmission) before being manually removed.

Most collars are equipped with a VHF radio transmitter and/ or a GPS transmitter, allowing the animal to be tracked directly in the field, and online. By observing an animal’s long-term movements, researchers can develop a better understanding of their behaviour, habitat selection, home range size, and potential for human encounters. Collars provide researchers with detailed pictures of species’ ecology – information critical for conservation.

Joining the mission

I was fortunate to have the chance to join an elephant collaring mission in Zambezi National Park, situated just outside Victoria Falls in northern Zimbabwe. The mission was orchestrated by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks). The project was part of an effort to understand the elephant population in the little-studied park which is part of the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier conservation area.

As you might imagine, collaring an animal the size of an elephant is a complex operation, with many precautions in place to minimise the risk to both human and elephant. With a relatively large team consisting of researchers, rangers, vets, hunters and a small group of university students from Australia, there was no margin for error.

We assembled at the gates of the park in the early afternoon, and after a safety briefing, we headed off. Our convoy bumped along the dirt tracks that navigate through the thick bush, before opening up to the Chamabondo Vlei, a strip of open grassland that runs through the otherwise densely forested southern half of the park. Elephants are frequently sighted here, and sure enough, we encountered a herd at a watering hole.

The experts in the team quickly identified a suitable individual – an adult cow. Although only one individual would be collared, the information collected from the collar was expected to represent the entire herd. Adult cows are selected as they are the most likely to remain with the group and will not outgrow the collar.

The perfect shot

We waited at a distance as the herd slowly abandoned the watering hole and headed for the thick bush that flanks the grassland. One truck, with the vet on the back holding the loaded dart gun, approached the herd. As soon as the opportunity presented, the shot rang out. Through my telephoto lens, I saw the dart impact the elephant’s right thigh. A perfect shot.

The herd quickly ran into the forest and the rest of us on the ground scrambled in chase. We parked up next to the boundary of the forest and set off on foot, following the tracks of the retreating herd. A couple of hundred metres in, we found her lying on the ground, completely knocked out.

The collaring had to be swift, and this is where the importance of having a hugely skilled team is crucial. Some pairs of hands were dedicated to attaching the collar, some took measurements and tissue samples while others fanned her ears and sprayed them with water – regulating her temperature. A great deal of attention was also focused on the surrounding bush, making sure the rest of the herd wasn’t about to charge to the aid of the downed female.

Within a few minutes, the collar was attached and measurements recorded. The team packed up and left hastily. As we walked back through the bush, we began to hear the bellows of the waking cow. We returned to the vehicles and took a deep breath to fully absorb the experience.

This particular elephant was one of three collared in Zambezi National Park over the course of a few months and researchers gained the ability to track the movements of the herds online. The information received remotely is valuable alone, but it also allows the researchers to better locate the herds in the field. Twice a week the team ventures into the park to gather data from the ground.

After the collaring

Locating these specific herds in the field is still no easy task even with the aid of the radio collars. Before heading out in the mornings, the researchers check the last-known GPS location online. They then drive as close as possible to the coordinates before using radio telemetry to zero in on the elephant. This involves holding an antenna in the air and listening for beeps that come through the receiver, roughly indicating the distance and direction of the collar. Often, the elephants are situated in areas of thick bush inaccessible to the team, but the job has become even harder after two of the collared individuals joined other herds – an example of how socially dynamic elephants can be.

When the elephants are spotted, the team take recordings on the herd size, demography, health and behaviours, and this, coupled with the long-term movements of the herd, provided by the GPS, gives the researchers an enhanced understanding of the status of elephants in the park. The purpose of this information is used to advise conservation initiatives such as mitigating human-elephant conflict in the region.

It is true that seeing a collar wrapped around the neck of a wild animal isn’t pretty, but the value of these instruments shouldn’t be understated. The efforts of conservation organisations have a big part to play in the fight to save threatened animals – and with issues such as climate change, habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict all adding to the uncertainty of what lies ahead, these efforts are needed now more than ever.

CEO note: Failure + spring-loaded cat + best pics

CEO NOTE: 28 May 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

It’s no surprise that a WHISTLEBLOWER has fingered the high-profile oil drilling operation in the Okavango basin in a complaint registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This dubious project, previously described by me here as a ‘pump-and-dump investor SCAM’, will likely burn many naive (greedy?) investors before it sinks beneath the Kalahari sands. What these thugs will inevitably leave behind is environmental damage and yet another abused and discarded African community. Read all about the SEC complaint here.

And, along similar lines, the plot thickens regarding attempts to strip-mine the bushveld paradise that is Selati Game Reserve, a conservation success story near the Kruger National Park. The man behind this particular GET-RICH scheme has a history of fraud and corruption. Read all about it in this sterling bit of investigative journalism. Thanks to Ritchie Morris for sending us this link.

Lastly, we have received many nudges about our exciting new development that I have hinted at in the last few months. Soon YOU will be invited to get involved in AG’s mission to up our game.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

Many things in the world baffle me. For example, I cannot comprehend why, despite the regular passing of the seasons over humanity’s entire history, we still comment, with great surprise, when it’s cold in winter or hot in summer. Another thing beyond the realm of my intellect is banking – I suspect it is so to many bankers too. Because of its inscrutable nature to the layman, bankers are excellent at hiding behind jargon. Many enjoy delivering treatises on market variables with an intimidating array of obfuscating vocab – usually with a supercilious air that indicates they really don’t expect a bottom-feeding biologist to understand. What has any of this to do with conservation? Well, money must flow for people to be paid for things and suitcases stuffed full of greenbacks are difficult to haul about these days. In our first story below, we look at some new research that points a finger at banks and calls on them to flag money flowing in the illegal wildlife trade – about time too!

As a guide, driving back at night after a long game drive, guests in a satisfied gin funk, my mind used to wander. One evening, the spotlight was flicking from side to side, and I was trying to convert 4.4 light-years to kilometres, the distance from the earth to Alpha Centauri. Suddenly, Elvis shook the spotlight violently and there, in its beam, was a cat I’d been hoping to see for years. Utterly oblivious to my stupified guests, I slammed on the brakes. Knees clattered into seat frames, binoculars flew, cameras hit the floor. ‘Serval!’ I yelled. The cat disappeared long before any guest could recover sufficiently to see it. Our second story below is a deep dive into the life of this magical, miniature cheetah/leopard/moggy type cat.

Then it is time for your weekly chill session with some gentle tunes. We’re into the very final stages of our Photographer of the Year and this week’s selection holds some rare and stunning delights from all over Africa. You can still enter your best African snap here.

Probably best to watch our video of the week after your Friday afternoon cake. You will need this to fuel your soon-to-start trail running regime.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/banks-must-help-fight-illegal-wildlife-trade/
FAILURE
Failure by banks to identify the financial footprints of poaching syndicates results in lost opportunities to disrupt illegal wildlife trade – says research

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/serval/
SPRING-LOADED CAT
Species focus: With its long limbs, spotted coat, and characteristic spring-loaded pounce, the serval is one of Africa’s most striking cat species

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-20/
BEST PHOTOS
Week twenty of our 2021 Photographer of the Year – entries close soon

DID YOU KNOW: Magicians of the Nigerian Hausa revere the Aardvark’s ability to disappear into the soil – they make charms from its skin and nails

WATCH: Grant Murphy is going to run 45km for conservation in the Big 5 Timbavati Private Nature Reserve on the 27th July. Watch his story and consider supporting a great cause (3:38)

Four giraffe species, seven subspecies: new research

The classification of giraffe species and subspecies has proved unexpectedly contentious. Various scientists have suggested that giraffe be divided into anything from two to nine different species. New research facilitated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) confirms that a division into four giraffe species division is the correct approach. This, in turn, could have an important impact on giraffe conservation throughout Africa.

The four species identified by the study are:

Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis – ~5,919 remaining)
Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa ~48,016 remaining)
Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi ~45,402 remaining)
Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata ~15,985 remaining)

(All population estimates courtesy of the GCF).

The northern giraffe is divided into three subspecies: the west African giraffe (G. c. peralta ~600 remaining), the Nubian giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis ~3,022 remaining) and the Kordofan giraffe (G. c. antiquorum ~2,297 remaining). The southern giraffe has two subspecies: the South African giraffe (G. g. giraffa ~20,675 remaining) and the Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis ~20,192 remaining). The study also suggests that the Luangwa giraffe (G. t. thornicrofti) should be recognised as a distinct subspecies of the Masai giraffe. The distinctions are important because some species/subspecies are of more conservation concern than others. The southern giraffe is the most common, while two subspecies of the northern giraffe are critically endangered.

At present, the IUCN only recognises one giraffe species classified on the Red List as ‘Vulnerable’. However, the IUCN also recognises nine different subspecies, each with a separate conservation status (although the South African giraffe has yet to be assessed). As in the case of the forest elephant, acknowledging new species takes time, especially when science does not provide an unequivocal answer and there is disagreement over what criteria to use when distinguishing species. For giraffe, some contention arose due to a degree of hybridisation in captivity.

The four-species division was initially suggested in 2016, based on collaborative research conducted by the GCF, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and partners. “We were extremely surprised to find such large genetic differences in giraffe in our initial study as their morphological and coat pattern differences appear limited,” says Dr Axel Janke, a geneticist at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Goethe University in Germany. “However, to put our results into perspective, the genetic differences between the distinct giraffe species are similar to those between polar and brown bears.”

Nevertheless, the 2016 study was met with some controversy, and debate ensued about the correct classification. However, the new research published this month was analysed with additional experts from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences and ITMO University to produce the most inclusive genomic level analysis of giraffe relationships. The researchers conclude that the four distinct giraffe lineages diverged between 230,000 and 370,000 years ago.

Why is this important? “We estimate that there are fewer than 6,000 northern giraffe remaining in the wild. Their numbers have declined by more than 90% in the last 35 years. As a species, they are one of the most threatened large mammals in the world, and we need to urgently increase our protection efforts of this species before it is too late. The conservation implications of this genetic research are immense, and it would be ignorant to ignore these new findings. It’s time to act now!” says Dr Julian Fennessy of GCF.

Genomics is vitally important to our understanding of species and subspecies divisions, and, most importantly, it is enhancing our perception of biodiversity. Not only does it highlight how vital it is to act on this research to conserve what remains, but it also serves as a sobering warning about how much we may have lost already without knowing. In the case of the giraffe, there is still time to appreciate the significant differences between the various species and protect those that remain.

For further reading, see: Giraffes – the Silent Extinction

The complete study can be accessed here: “Whole-genome analysis of giraffe supports four distinct species”, Coimbra, R. T. F., et al., (2021) Current Biology

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 20

Our Photographer of the Year 2021 is open for submissions, with cash prizes of US$10,000 for the overall winner and the two runners-up who will be announced in late June. They and their partners will also join our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

Mama’s love. Kibale National Park, Uganda. © Goncalo Ferreira

Hartlaub’s duck, a rare, forest-dwelling duck that is very tricky to photograph. Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of the Congo. © Antoine Marchal

Pied kingfisher cleaning its feathers. Intaka Island, Cape Town. © Charmaine Venter

Relief. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Rob Tarr

Grey-crowned crane in perfect flight. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. © Chiara Melone

Lynx spiders are jumping, chasing predators and use their long spikes to ambush prey on sticky plants. Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town. © Christian Brockes

Time with a silverback. Mgahinga National Park, Uganda. © David Dhaen

Morning look. Erindi Private Game Reserve, Namibia. © Naude Heunis

A Fischer’s lovebird heading home for the night. Tumaini Gardens, Kitengela, Kenya. © Ebrahim Mansoor

A juvenile Verreaux’s eagle flying straight at me. Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

A pangolin rescued from the illegal wildlife trade undergoing its rehabilitation at Johannesburg Wildlife Vet in South Africa. © Gareth Thomas

Human cousin. Kibale National Park, Uganda. © Goncalo Ferreira

‘Well waddaya know?’. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Jaco Beukman

African paradise flycatcher singing the merits of his nest. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Jarosław Klej

A grey-headed bush shrike with a displeased longhorn beetle. Manyeleti Game Reserve, Greater Kruger, South Africa. © Johan Malan

A sub-adult hippo caught on the run for the water’s safety. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Lalith Ekanayake

Curious mocking cliff chat. © Liv Stubbington

Tiny spotted hyena cub moving house. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Lorne Sulcas

Attempted camouflage? Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Ernest Porter

Afternoon hunt before the storm. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Mark Kaptein

African painted wolf puppy standing proud. Erindi Private Game Reserve, Namibia. © Naude Heunis

Ivory. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Patrice Quillard

Feather trail – a lanner falcon takes a dove. Nossob, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Paul Nash

Pups at play. Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Prelena Soma Owen

Can I help you with something? Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Reto Bühler

Lilac breasted roller beating the life out of a spotted bush snake. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Rob Tarr

Mount Meru through the clouds behind what remains of the Rebmann Glacier on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. © Ryan Wilkes

‘Pfffffff – go away!’. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Valentino Morgante

You won’t see me, I am part of the tree. A western barn owl hiding in a tree. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

An inquisitive blue shark. Simon’s Town, South Africa. © Vanessa Mignon

‘Weeeeee!’ Brown-headed parrot. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Athol Marchant

Playing in the last light of day. Suri Village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia. © Zay Yar Lin

Quintessential Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. © Naude Heunis (Image taken with a drone. Photographer given special permission to fly by the director of Gonarezhou Conservation Trust.)

Banks must help fight illegal wildlife trade

According to the Financial Action Taskforce’s 2020 report, illegal wildlife trade (IWT) generates between seven and 23 billion USD annually for international, organised crime syndicates. Investigations by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) show that cartels are using formal banking systems to launder the proceeds, largely undetected. The authors of the new EIA briefing call on major financial institutions to play their part in helping authorities identify transactions linked to IWT. The failures of banks to scrutinise the financial footprints left by syndicates have resulted in the loss of vital opportunities to disrupt trade.

According to the report, while IWT is a global concern, the main markets for the bulk of the trade are in east Asia. This is particularly true for elephant, rhino and pangolin parts, which the UN Office on Drugs and Crime recently identified as the three species accounting for some 56% of all illegal wildlife seizures.

Using case studies broken down into different species and routes, the EIA report analyses the financial flow linked to specific forms of illegal wildlife trade and major seizure incidents. In many cases, syndicate members received payment directly from buyers into their personal bank accounts (or those of family members) without any apparent concern for detection.

One case study documents how, in late 2013, some 4.8 tonnes of ivory valued at 5.9 million USD was seized in Tanzania. (Tanzania has lost more elephants to poaching than any other African country in recent decades – its population plummeted by 60% between 2009 and 2014). Upon investigation, it turned out that the smugglers were using a network of front companies ostensibly involved in the trade of agricultural products, food, and marine products. On one particular day, half a million dollars moved through a Tanzanian bank account linked to a front company, but the bank failed to identify or flag the suspicious transaction. The formal banking system was used for transfers in both dollars and Tanzanian shillings, but large cash deposits failed to attract any attention.

According to the EIA, the apprehension and prosecution of wildlife traffickers for money laundering offences are extremely rare, even though this line of investigation can pinpoint high-level people within a syndicate and strengthen criminal cases. Fortunately, there are signs that this is gradually improving, and financial intelligence units are putting more emphasis on wildlife crime cases. This, in turn, should see financial institutions following suit.

The briefing emphasises that it is critical for these financial institutions to recognise the potential risk that wildlife trafficking brings to their organisations. Naturally, the larger, local institutions in emerging markets carry the most significant risk. While global banks have shown limited progress, regional and local banks are not involved to the necessary level. According to the authors, this can largely be explained by a lack of conformity across jurisdictions in terms of the treatment of wildlife trafficking, with disparate classification, laws and policies acting at cross-purposes. Given the lack of legal frameworks to establish potential liability, it is perhaps unsurprising that wildlife crimes are not a risk priority for many financial institutions.

Even once the gaps in the law are filled, the resources directed towards the financial aspects of wildlife crimes are also minimal, left to a small number of law enforcement agencies with powers relating to money laundering and banking and a handful of NGOs. Notably, financial crimes are often viewed through the lens of fighting organised crime and are often very transaction-specific. However, the EIA points out that many of the banking services provided (such as loans or credit facilities) may be having a far greater impact on IWT than once-off transaction dealings.

As such, the report argues, IWT in the financial sphere should be viewed as part of a broader effort to conserve the environment, not just as a pursuit of organised crime. Disrupting wildlife trafficking will require complex strategies at a deep structural level as the current piecemeal approach is not effective. Financial institutions need to coordinate and play their part in the fight against wildlife crime.

As Julian Newman, EIA’s Campaigns Director explains, added: “Private sector banks have a vital role to play in ensuring that wildlife criminals cannot hide their ill-gotten gains in the financial system… They can start by assisting governments to follow the money and reduce the profit incentive behind illegal wildlife trade, helping the authorities to build anti-money laundering cases and to seize assets.”

The full briefing can be accessed here: “Tackling Financial Flows from Illegal Wildlife Trade in East Asia”, Environmental Investigation Agency, March 2021

For further reading, see “Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade”, Financial Action Task Force, June 2020

Serval

Across the runways of Paris, New York and Milan, supermodels parade the latest fashions draped across their slender frames. With steely looks and pronounced cheekbones, these young and glamorous walking clothes horses are, in theory at least, the pinnacle of human attractiveness. Yet for all the effort that goes into achieving this particular look, there is an African cat that effortlessly achieves the same effect: the serval.

The striking servals that stalk the savannahs, plains, wetlands, and forests of Africa bear a certain similarity to these leggy models, sporting a matching kind of composed elegance. These servals are, in essence, the ultimate masters of the catwalk (and stalk and leap and pounce).

Introduction

The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a medium-sized cat that looks somewhat like a cross between a small cheetah and a large house cat. In reality, they belong to the “caracal lineage” of the Felidae family, along with caracals and African golden cats, though their peculiar shapes, spotted colouration and missing ear tufts set them apart from the other two species. Servals have the longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any of the cat species (hence the model comparison) and a tawny-gold coat dotted with a mixture of spots and stripes. Like caracals, their tails are relatively short in comparison to other cat species. There are rare sightings of melanistic servals, particularly in East Africa, and leucistic individuals have been born in captivity.

Though the serval is the only member of its genus, there are currently three proposed subspecies recognized by the IUCN’s Cat Specialist Group: L.s. serval of Southern Africa, L. s. lipostictus of East Africa and L. s. constantina of Central and West Africa. These distinctions, however, are based mostly on the trend observed within other African cats, rather than genetic analysis, and may change as further research comes to light.

Solitary and silent, servals are seldom seen but surprisingly widely distributed across a range of habitats in most of sub-Saharan Africa. There are also some small and isolated populations scattered in North Africa – specifically in Morocco and Tunisia. As a general rule, servals are not fond of arid areas. They prefer wetter habitats where rodents tend to be densely populated, with the exception being the central tropical rainforests of Africa, where they are notably absent.

Quick facts

Height:	54-62cm at the shoulder
Mass:	8-18kg (the males are usually larger than the females)
Length (not including the tail):	67-100cm
Social structure:	solitary
Gestation:	around 73 days
Life expectancy:	10 years in wild, over 20 years in captivity

The pounce

The lanky limbs of the serval are not only useful in navigating long grass and dense wetland vegetation, but they confer the serval’s most well-known ability – a gravity-defying leap. The extended metatarsal bones and elongated and unusually mobile toes provide the perfect attachment points for a complex arrangement of tendons and muscles that store and release elastic energy. The result is that servals have been recorded leaping close to 3m straight up and 4m forwards, occasionally snatching hapless birds out of the air at the same time.

Aided by this penchant for pouncing, servals are exceedingly proficient hunters. While current research indicates that the diminutive black-footed cat holds the highest hunting success rate of any member of the cat family, the serval vies closely for the top spot. Studies conducted in Tanzania indicate that some servals have a hunting success rate of over 60%, with the possibility that this number is closer to 80% when only rodents are considered.

The hunt

The secret to this success lies in the serval’s hunting strategy. They are consummate ambush predators that use their massive, radar-like ears to detect the smallest movements of anything from rodents, insects and reptiles to birds and antelope lambs. Prey detected; the serval stealthily moves into a spring-loaded crouch, frozen until the time is right to launch an attack with legs drawn up to their chests and descending upon unsuspecting victims from above. Anything that manages to dodge this aerial assault is rapidly chased down in long strides. Snakes require a more combative approach, with lightning-fast blows from the forepaws dispatching them from a comfortable distance.

This particular strategy is most effective at night, and servals are described as primarily nocturnal. However, they are equally comfortable utilizing the daylight hours, particularly in the early mornings and at dusk. When large kills are made, servals have been observed caching the carcasses, hiding them beneath leaves and grasses.

A hunting serval uses it’s large ears and exceptional hearing to pinpoint its prey.

The kittens

Efficient hunting is vital for mothers of young kittens. As is the case with all solitary cats, the females with dependent kittens expend approximately twice the energy and time hunting to keep their litters well-fed. The altricial kittens are born blind and weighing just 250g, covered in soft grey fur and entirely dependent on their mothers. The litters of between one and four kittens are hidden beneath dense vegetation or in abandoned burrows, and the mother starts to bring food back to the den when they are around a month old.

The transformation from vulnerable fluffballs to fierce little predators is a rapid one, and the kittens start hunting at around six months old as they acquire their permanent teeth. They will accompany their mother on hunts for the next six or so months before reaching full independence at around a year old. Overly attached youngsters who exhibit a reluctance to leave their mother’s side are eventually met with aggression as she chases them out of her territory.

Like all cats, servals are lithe and agile.

The sexes

The serval social structure and territory layout is not dissimilar to that of leopards, albeit over smaller home ranges of 10-32km². Both males and females mark and defend territorial boundaries against members of the same sex, though physical confrontations seem to be quite rare. The territories of the males are larger than those of the females, and one male’s range may overlap the ranges of several females. Territory size and serval density are dependent on the resources available to them. When the habitat is suitable, and prey is abundant, the territories will be smaller in size and the population density will be higher.

The males and females generally only associate when the female is in oestrus, a state that she advertises through increased urination and repeated vocalizations.

The threats

Naturally, the main anthropogenic threat to servals is the constant degradation and loss of suitable habitats, particularly wetlands and grasslands. Fortunately, however, servals have proved to be highly adaptable and appear to be more tolerant of disturbed landscapes than many other mammal species. Recent research seems to indicate that the highest density of servals anywhere in Africa is in Secunda, South Africa, in the buffer zones surrounding a coal liquefication plant where they prey on the abundant rodent population.

To a lesser extent, trade in serval skins poses a particular threat to the servals of North and Central Africa. At the same time, in West Africa, their parts are used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Rural pastoralists may also target servals as a potential threat to livestock.

For now, however, the serval is listed on the IUCN Red List as “Least Concern”, though the populations north of the Sahara are considered to be “Critically Endangered”. These northern populations are primarily isolated to Morocco, though servals were reintroduced to Feijda National Park in Tunisia. While servals were once recorded in Algeria, fears are that they are now extinct there.

Servals are highly adaptable and are found in most sub-Saharan habitats, preying on a variety of species.

The pets

Over recent decades, the serval has seen a surge in popularity as an exotic pet, and the first savanna cat (an occasionally fertile hybrid between a serval and domestic cat) was bred in 1986. Most countries have strict regulations around keeping wild animals as pets, but in areas where such restrictions are more relaxed, exotic breeders have flourished.

While fortunately, the breeders supply most of the pet trade without significant impact on wild populations, there are practical and ethical realities to keeping a serval as a pet. Slender they may be, but a serval is an immensely powerful animal that can weigh close to 20kg and live for 22 years. Most importantly, their wild instincts are imprinted from birth. While pet sites are full of testimonials about how servals make wonderful, almost dog-like pets, the various rescue centres now home to abandoned, “troublesome” adult servals tell a vastly different story. It is unaccountably cruel to breed an animal genetically programmed to stalk the wilds of Africa and put it in a harness or cage as a status symbol and ego-boost.

Conclusion

For those looking to see an elusive serval where it truly belongs – in the wild – there is good news. Over recent years, particularly in East Africa, serval sightings are becoming increasingly common as more time and effort has been put into understanding their movements. For a fortunate few, this has resulted in astoundingly intimate glimpses into the lives of one of Africa’s most graceful cats.

And, the more time we spend with them, the more we will learn about these mysterious little cats with their model-like limbs, handsome faces, and sense of absolute self-possession.

CEO note: Free at last + land of grey giants + best pics

CEO NOTE: 21 May 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

How I miss the restless herds of the Maasai / Serengeti, the cool crystal waters of the Okavango Delta & the walking paradise of Luangwa Valley – the list of where I would rather be right now is long. I MISS THOSE SAFARIS so much that my entire life seems out of kilter at the moment.

That said, I am comparably fortunate because I live on the border of the Greater Kruger, with regular forays into the nearby bushveld and wildlife encounters in my garden (including aardvark a few nights ago). I cannot even begin to imagine how deep YOUR LONGING to again come on safari must be. Most of our tribe are not from Africa – you mostly hail from the United States and Europe. Every newsletter we craft is our attempt to keep you involved with Africa, to keep that passion burning until you can join us again. Hang in there. Africa needs you.

Speaking of safari, it’s of paramount importance for the industry that we all get vaccinated against Covid-19. Please don’t be put off by the anti-vaxxers – JUST DO IT! Charlie Paxton from Namibia emailed me in response to last week’s newsletter with her candid thoughts on the Covid situation. She made the excellent observation, among many, that getting the jabs will “… calm the governments of the world down and get them to reopen normal travel and the economy.”

I forgot to thank Dr Michael D. Kock last week for sending us the article that formed the background to my observations. My sincere apologies for the oversight Michael. Thanks to you all for sending me your thoughts and links to some interesting reading!

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

‘Can you ride a motorbike?’ she asked.
‘Well, I can sort of make one go forward and change gears,’ I said, recalling the combined total of five minutes spent falling off a bike in my 38 years.
‘Oh you’ll be fine then!’ she said with a shake of her hand.
I was on Mashatu, part of the Tuli Block, about to film a cycle tour. My transport was an angry, spitting, offroad motorcycle (which may have been built for a child). Anyway, I hardly noticed the myriad cuts, bruises and burns. The elephants, scenery, baobabs, smells and endless skies of the Tuli Block helped me forget my potential departure from life courtesy of an inability to control the bike in front of an irritated elephant. Our first story below will manifest just such an escape from whatever traumas you currently face.

In January, my good wife and I spent a week working with Wildlife Act at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. We woke at ungodly times, spent hours beep beeping with telemetry. We boiled in the sun and showered in the summer rain. It was wonderful. Our second story below is a tribute to the hard, poorly paid, long-houred, and, in this case, tremendously rewarding work done by conservationists dedicated to saving African painted wolves.

Our third story below is a little more nuanced – so read it before you have your first snifter. It delves into the complicated process of moving animals between the different CITES appendices. Mostly, it provides a strong reminder that every decision must be informed by data on the ground and not assumptions from ivory towers.

Ok, now you can take your first sip of the weekend and enjoy the 19th selection of Africa’s wonders. There is little time left to enter our Photographer of the Year and win 10 000 USD and a trip to Botswana. I’m sure there are thousands of award-winning snaps on hard drives and in attics yearning for their time to shine.

Finally, our video of the week is a tribute to Bob Scholes, world-renowned climate scientist and systems ecologist. He was taken from the earth he loved aged just 63, but his legacy lives in his academic work and the thousands he mentored in his quest to save our planet.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/tuli/
LAND OF GREY GIANTS
Botswana’s Tuli is a place where the wind carries stories of the past, whispering over rocks, around baobabs and across the vast wilderness

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/new-pack-of-endangered-african-painted-dogs-released/
FREE AT LAST!
A new pack of African painted wolves (wild dogs) has been released into the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Reserve in South Africa

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/changes-to-cites-listing-process-recommended/
VEXING CITIES ISSUES
Experts caution against changing a species’ CITES listing without considering the complicated conservation implications

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-19/
BEST PHOTOS
Week nineteen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year – entries close soon

DID YOU KNOW: Some mammals can breathe through the anus in emergencies…

WATCH: A tribute to Bob Scholes, a phenomenal South African scientist and systems ecologist. Wise lessons to conservationists everywhere (3:11)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 19

Our Photographer of the Year 2021 is open for submissions, with cash prizes of US$10,000 for the overall winner and the two runners-up. They and their partners will also join our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

An African skimmer provides a massive meal for a tiny chick. Zambezi River, Zambezi Region, Namibia. © Andrew Aveley

Easter scrubhare treat. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Annemarie du Plessis

Elegant battle – an adult male takes exception to two younger males. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana. © Juan Venter

Immature bark stink bug (*Coenomorpha*). Frankfort, Free State, South Africa. © Dawie Broekman

Busy little honey bee pollinating a sunflower. Free State, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

‘I will kick you in the face!’ – Tawny eagle and white-backed vulture have a set to. Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Elizma Fourie

Playing in puddles. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Gabriela Staebler

Thoughtful young Sykes’ monkey with grass lollipop. Nairobi, Kenya. © John Spencer

A boomslang looking for its next meal in a sociable weaver nest. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa. © Ieuan Rose

Two oestrus females sharing an exhausted male. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Annemarie du Plessis

Flower bee (*Halictidae*) about to depart with her pollen prize. Frankfort, Free State, South Africa. © Dawie Broekman

Oryx deep in the heart of the Namib Desert, Namibia. © Nicolas Genoud

Orthodox priest outside Biete Gabriel-Rufael, Lalibela, Ethiopia. © Marios Forsos

A perfectly groomed Cape white-eye. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. © Braeme Holland

A family tiff over supper. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Wolf Avni

Flying red lechwe. Jao Reserve, Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Marzanne Louw

‘I’m watching you’. Savuti, Chobe, Botswana. © Nicolas Genoud

Crowned cranes in their room with a view. Nairobi National Park, Kenya. © Pranav Chadha

Puff adder (mottled) having a dreadful day with a Cape cobra. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. © Reto Bühler

Raucous toad (*Sclerophrys capensis*) emerging with the first rains of Spring 2020. Frankfort, Free State, South Africa. © Dawie Broekman

Poot poot! Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Annemarie du Plessis

Wet hair day. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Reto Bühler

A massive Southern African python attempting to swallow a blue wildebeest calf. Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa. © Rudi Hulshof

Banded-antennae mantidfly (*Afromantispa*). Van Stadens Wild Flower Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. © Sam Surdut

An epauletted fruit bat (*Epomophorus*) gazing from his daylight haunt. Mopani Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Siegfried Schroeder

An inquisitive young male sperm whale. Mauritius. © Vanessa Mignon

It’s not every day you see an ant running up and down a boomslang. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Wilmari Porter

‘I’m tired.’ Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Patrice Quillard

A tower of giraffes. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Yaron Schmid

A male olive woodpecker excavating his nest in a red saffron tree. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. © Braeme Holland

Climbing at sunset. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Patrick Delomez

Tuli

There is a special quality to the silence of Tuli. Indeed, it may be disturbed by the whisper of the wind, the rumbles of elephants or the distant echo of a lion’s roar, but beneath those sounds lies a blanket of silence so profound it stills the soul.

In this almost mystical atmosphere, there are strange ephemeral moments where past and present seem intertwined, and the existence of those gone before seems to flit over the red rocks and beneath the towering baobabs. It is a rough and rugged land where bloody history has taken its toll, but concerted effort has restored wilderness to a thriving landscape.

The Tuli Block is a narrow stretch of land in the southeastern corner of Botswana, sandwiched between South Africa to the south and Zimbabwe to the north and east. This strip of land has a colourful history, and the Limpopo River, which forms its southern boundary, has witnessed it all.

The Tuli Block extends 350km along the Limpopo River, southwest of its confluence with the Shashe River. It comprises mixed-use, fenced and unfenced private properties of varying sizes. Some are farmed, some hunted, and many offer photographic safaris. Rustic bush camps are set beneath ancient fever, Ana, nyala and baobab trees, offering budget escapes for intrepid travellers searching for unspoilt wilderness.

In Tuli, the wind carries stories of the past, whispering over rocks and across the vast wilderness.

The Northern Tuli Game Reserve

The most well-known and best-protected portion of Tuli is the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (Notugre) – a collection of 36 private properties to the east of the Tuli Block, including Mashatu Game Reserve, that are jointly managed for conservation and ecotourism. It extends across some 720km2 (72,000 hectares), making Notugre one of the largest private game reserves in Southern Africa.

The reserve is also a cornerstone of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, which covers nearly 6,000 km² (600,000 hectares) and centres on the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe. South Africa’s Mapungubwe National Park is south of Tuli, across the Limpopo River international border, once home to the Iron Age kingdom of Mapungubwe. To the north and east, Northern Tuli is contiguous with the Tuli Circle Safari Area in Zimbabwe.

The History

As might be expected for a region bordering three countries, Tuli is littered with reminders of a turbulent past – from ancient stone tools and San rock paintings to corroded ammunition casings, left over from wars and the passage of hunters.

During the late 19th century, Botswana was part of the Bechuanaland Protectorate under the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At the same time, Cecil John Rhodes was looking for a suitable route for his envisioned “Cape to Cairo” railroad and petitioned to have the Bechuanaland Protectorate transferred to his company: The British South Africa Company. Alarmed by the potential consequences of the transfer, Chief Khama III of the Bangwato Tribe travelled to England to petition the Queen. He managed to win her sympathy but agreed to cede what is now the Tuli block to the company so that Rhodes could continue his railway plans. It is quite probable that Chief Khama III also hoped the company’s presence would keep out the advancing ‘Boers’ (a slang term often used for Afrikaans people, but which means ‘farmers’ when translated literally).

Rhodes quickly concluded that building a railway through Tuli would be a logistical nightmare, and his focus shifted to more forgiving landscapes further west. Some of the northernmost battles of the South African War (Anglo-Boer War) played out in the Tuli Block – including the fight at Bryce’s store, the ruins of which lie on Mashatu Game Reserve.

As the dust settled in the aftermath of the war, the British South Africa Company sold off most of the property to commercial farmers. However, the rugged and inhospitable landscape proved to be largely unsuitable for cattle farming and, eventually, landowners began to turn to game farming and ecotourism. Cooperative efforts of conservation-minded owners saw the gradual return and reintroduction of wildlife, though buffalo remain absent due to strict foot-and-mouth veterinary protocols.

The Scenery

The trees along the riverine areas are an attraction in their own right. Massive, ancient leadwood and gangly apple-leaf trees contrast against the lush dark greens of the majestic nyala and weeping Boer-beans and dense stands of vivid, yellow-green fever trees. Away from the rivers, the landscape becomes less hospitable and more arid, though equally breathtaking. It is dominated by jagged rocks and bulbous baobabs. Famously, Cecil John Rhodes scratched his name into the bark of one of these giants which stands like a sentinel on the Mmamagwa rock formation and is now known as the Rhodes Baobab.

Solomon’s Wall, close to confluences of Motloutse River and the Limpopo, is another of the main geographical attractions – a 30m basalt wall jutting through the landscape on both sides of the riverbed. This wall once formed a natural dam that held back a massive lake, as evidenced by the deposits of several kinds of semi-precious stones.

Cycle, walk, drive, ride, experience

As mentioned, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve consists of an amalgamation of private properties, which means that entry is only through arrangement with one of the multiple lodges. However, the fact that the land is privately owned means that almost anything goes in terms of exploring (provided, of course, that it does not damage the ecosystem). Aside from the traditional game drives led by expert guides, adventurous visitors to Tuli can explore the surrounds on foot or horseback – galloping alongside herds of giraffe or zebra. For the even more physically active, Tuli’s rocky outcrops and networks of dried riverbeds make for exciting and challenging mountain biking opportunities, with the added adrenaline of encountering some of the reserve’s many elephants.

For those looking for a more sedate experience, underground hides present amateur and professional photographers with a unique perspective of the reserve’s waterholes. From the quick dips of the birds on a hot day to extreme close-ups of elephants’ muddy toenails, the low-level photographic hides offer something entirely different to the safari experience.

There are various accommodation options to suit most budgets, some intimate and rustic and others geared to more luxurious tastes.

Find your Tuli safari here, or ask us to build one just for you.

The wildlife

The wildlife viewing in Tuli is spectacular, not just in terms of the variety of animals but because the extraordinary scenery creates the perfect backdrop against which to view them. Elephant viewing is best between January and March when large herds of 100-300 individuals gather. The dry season between April and November offers the best nocturnal viewing of less common species like brown hyenas, honey badgers, African wild cat, aardvark and even aardwolf. This period also offers the best predator viewing because water resources are limited to the deep pools and waterholes.

The reserve is open to surrounding areas, so the elephant population has sufficient space to thrive. and Tuli is said to have some of the highest densities of elephants anywhere in Southern Africa. While the reserve is not home to buffalo or rhino, it supports healthy populations of the three big cat species, and deep pools in the rivers are home to pods of hippos and large numbers of crocodiles. Recently introduced painted wolves (African wild dogs) are a rare sighting.

As a transition zone between the Kalahari Desert and Lowveld bushveld, Tuli offers varied and exciting birding opportunities, with over 350 recorded species. The large riverine trees hide Pel’s fishing owls, and the kori bustards (Botswana’s national bird) pick their way through the grasslands while lanner falcons swoop through rocky valleys.

The Land of Giants

The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is often affectionately referred to as the Land of Giants, a name which it lives up to in so many different ways. It is home to the largest antelope species (the eland), and large herds of elephants crisscross its dusty paths. Ancient baobabs, ecosystems in their own right, dominate the extraordinary vistas and the landscape, with its outcrops of red rocks, resembles a giant’s playground.

Listen closely beyond the silence in Tuli. You may just hear the echoes of the history that played out in a rugged, somewhat inhospitable, but infinitely wild and beautiful land.

New pack of African painted dogs released

Author: Mike Staegemann – Wildlife ACT

A new pack of endangered African painted dogs has been released into the iconic Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), managed by Ezemvelo KZNWildlife, with support from Wildlife ACT and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. This is an important milestone in the conservation of the most endangered carnivore in Southern Africa. There are an estimated 3,000-5,000 individuals left in the wild, of which only around 550 live in South Africa.

Painted dog conservation in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi

Established in 1895, HiP is the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa. It is most famously known for helping to save the white rhino from extinction. However, a lesser-known accomplishment is the integral role the park has played in saving the African painted dog.

During the Population and Habitat Viability Assessment Workshop held in 1997, the plight of the painted dog was laid bare. At the time, the only functional packs were thought to be in the Kruger National Park. The workshop’s main objective was to boost painted dog numbers through the ‘Managed Metapopulation and Range Expansion Project’ and, in so doing, create a second viable population outside Kruger.

The project continues to capture and transfer individuals between reserves to mimic natural dispersal and colonisation events. These transfers are fundamental to ensuring good genetic flow in the metapopulation, reducing inbreeding and safeguarding individuals from disease outbreaks and persecution while searching for new mates.

Due to its large size (90 000 hectares at the time) and conservation record, HiP was chosen as the first reserve to receive painted dogs back into KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The first pack of nine arrived in 1980. Since then, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has had great success in boosting painted dog numbers. The park’s population grew to 85 individuals by 2017.

This success has allowed HiP to be a primary contributor to the South African Wild Dog Metapopulation Strategy, with several single-sex cohorts being moved off the reserve to supplement and build new founder populations around South Africa. These relocation operations (50%), coupled with a number of natural dispersals (15%), natural deaths (30%) and human-wildlife conflict (5%) have led to a recent decline in the local population.

Through these natural and anthropogenic events and in line with the HiP’s management approach, the parks’s wild dog population is currently in a phase of rebuild, consisting of 19 animals. These individuals will now form the foundations of a new and genetically resilient population.

The Mbhulunga Pack

The new pack, aptly named the ‘Mbhulunga Pack’ after the area where they were held in a boma, was composed of five males brought in from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and four females which naturally dispersed from the Maphumulo Pack in the Hluhluwe section of the park. The Tswalu males brought a much-needed injection of new genetics to the area.

Initially, the males and females lived in two adjacent compartments of a predator holding facility (or boma) in the iMfolozi section of the park. This passive bonding method allowed the dogs to get to know each other through the separating fence. Over time they began to sleep on the central fence line and greet one another through the wire when they woke up.

Once the monitoring team were comfortable with the interactions, they opened the interleading gate and the males and females formed a cohesive pack. They spent another few weeks in the boma before being released into the park. While the pack was in the boma, the Wildlife Act iMfolozi monitoring team completed daily checks, maintenance of the fence and feeding.

All nine pack members are fitted with tracking collars to enable daily monitoring of their movements, behavioural dynamics, ecological influences, disease, snaring incidents and any other human-wildlife conflict issues. The information gathered allows for informed decision making – both at the reserve and the species level.

Following their release, the Mbhulunga Pack has moved north into the Hluhluwe Section of the park, into the natal range of the pack’s females. Wildlife ACT’s monitoring teams based in the Hluhluwe and iMfolozi sections will continue to work closely with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Management to monitor the progress of the fledgeling Mbhulunga Pack.

The future

‘HiP remains an ideal setting for ecological research and information gathering on these endangered species, and so contributes to their effective management and overall conservation strategy,’ says Dave Druce, park ecologist – Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

The survival of painted dogs depends on how they overcome competition for resources from lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and crocodiles. Other potential threats include injuries from pursuing prey, disease outbreaks (rabies and canine distemper) and human-wildlife conflict. Hopefully, the Mbulungas will mitigate these challenges, establish a territory and raise pups of their own to boost HiP’s painted dog numbers and strengthen the genetics of the species countrywide.

This project is a partnership between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Wildlife ACT and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. It is supported by generous contributions from the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, the Gabrielle Faickney Charitable Trust and a group of passionate individuals, the Jocks of the Bushveld.

WATCH: Short video clip about the exciting event (4:46) – by Sven Musica / Love Africa Marketing

Changes to CITES listing process recommended

The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is one of the largest and oldest conservation and sustainable use agreements in the world. The treaty was ratified almost half a century ago, designed to control the trade in plant and animal species to avoid over utilisation. Naturally, times have changed since the treaty was initially conceived, and there are many instances where antiquated systems have failed any kind of conservation agenda. A recently published article by experts in sustainable use delves into these weaknesses and cautions against changing a species’ CITES listing without carefully considering the complicated set of conservation implications.

CITES listings determine where a species fits into one of three appendices of increasing regulation and restriction. The trade in species on Appendix I is all but banned except under exceptional circumstances, and more stringent restrictions apply to species in Appendix II than Appendix III. (For a more detailed explanation, see What exactly is CITES and how does it work?) However, under the treaty, the decision to list is based on a simplistic set of biological and trade criteria that relate little to the potential impact of such a decision.

The one-dimensional assumption of the treaty is that more stringent trade regulations automatically result in conservation benefits. However, the authors argue that this is not always supported by evidence or experience.

So, when should a species be considered for an Appendix I listing? The article argues that this is relatively uncomplicated where international trade is a significant threat to an endangered species; the species is threatened across its range; international trade plays no positive role; and where a realistic, achievable strategy for conservation is established.

However, there are other scenarios where a listing on Appendix I may fail to improve or even hinder conservation efforts, such as:

When a species is threatened by drivers other than international trade – for example, by climate change. The restriction of trade income to local communities could reduce cooperation in conservation efforts and see increased human-wildlife conflict.
The conservation status of an animal varies considerably across its range. Though split-listings are possible under CITES (where a species receives different listings in different countries), this has been discouraged.
Unsustainable trade will persist despite its illegality. According to the authors, where a thriving illegal trade exists, an Appendix I listing will only be effective if accompanied by well-funded and robust management interventions. The trade in rhino horn is an example of how a powerful and established illegal trade, facilitated by corrupt governments may make an Appendix I listing more of a token gesture.

Here, the authors’ argument is not against the listing of a species on Appendix I but rather that the consequences are often unpredictable. Real-world complexities are seldom considered when making a decision. An untested assumption forms the listing basis, but the outcome is often continued illegal and unsustainable trade devoid of any monitoring or management tools.

The article also suggests that Appendix II, which allows for regulated trade, is not utilised to its full potential, given the flexibility to tailor management options to local contexts. As in the case of Appendix I, increased trade restrictions may help conservation, but they may also come at no advantage and high cost. The example used by the authors is the recent listing of the giraffe in Appendix II. Legal international trade does not pose a significant threat to the species, but habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal bushmeat hunting are key drivers in population declines. The authors question how CITES trade controls will benefit the conservation status of giraffe, even though the public widely hailed this as a conservation success.

Thus, the article proposes three critical changes to the CITES listing decision process:

The development of a formal mechanism for consideration by parties of the likely consequences of the decision. This would entail careful consideration of the practical effects of the decision, rather than reliance on the baseline assumption. The listing criteria and process would need to be overhauled but would mean that listing decisions are not made as futile gestures of conservation concern.
Broadening the range of criteria used to make listing decisions and basing these on the best available information. This would include the use of conservation-based, scientific information and socio-economic sciences.
The implication of the input of local communities living alongside wildlife. Given that local people disproportionately bear the socio-economic costs of trade decisions, they need to be included in the decision-making process. This is a moral issue, but it is also a pragmatic one – effective decision-making requires insight and information from every stakeholder, particularly those with a field-level perspective.

Wildlife trade is not a one-dimensional process taking place in a vacuum – it involves a complex overlap of social, economic, cultural, and ecological elements. No doubt CITES has failed to evolve as needed in the past 50 years, but, equally, the State Parties have failed to drive the necessary change for CITES listing. Instead, they have fallen back on oversimplified assumptions that do not accurately reflect realities on the ground.

The article concludes that a failure to reform the treaty “risks CITES being stuck in a 1970s conception of conservation that ignores complexity, fails to achieve its objectives, and satisfies only a set of constituencies with little responsibility or impact on field-level conservation. The question is not if these modernisations will happen, but when and how. This is a matter of strategic vision that needs to be addressed with urgency and commitment if CITES is to avoid senescence, and mature into a potent and effective conservation regime, well-equipped to address contemporary conservation challenges.”

The full article can be read here: “Think Before You Act: Improving the Conservation Outcomes of CITES Listing Decisions”, Cooney, R., et al., (2021), Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

CEO note: Success | trophy hunting data | Amboseli

CEO NOTE: 14 May 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

I find myself confused and at odds with what I understood about the possible origins of Covid-19 after reading this well-constructed article. I am no scientist and cannot fully grasp the many layers of technical analysis, but I can follow an argument, and I do have a good bullsh1t radar. I never bought the conspiracy theories about the intentional release of a human-made virus, and I do/did favour the theory that this horrible pandemic originated in the wildlife markets of Wuhan, China via a natural zoonotic process. But now I realise that there is at least another potential causal theory on the table.

Was Covid-19 unleashed on us by human error – a mistake by scientists who have been mandated to engineer a virus that could potentially wipe out humanity (to protect us from that exact risk)? The ramifications of this option are chilling, to say the least. The author Nicholas Wade is a gifted science writer, but he is not an expert virologist, and what he is saying is being refuted in parts by expert virologists. But then the theory of a natural zoonotic virus from the Wuhan wildlife markets has also been refuted by certain scientists. At the very least it’s good to consider all possible explanations until we find the answers.

Whatever the truth, it’s unlikely that Africa’s wildlife industries (including tourism) will recover fully for several years – if not longer. What are the chances, do you think, that the powers that be will deflect some of the enormous financial resources that they spend daily on weapons, natural resource extraction and space travel into healing our home planet?

Your thoughts? Please read the link before commenting below (if you are reading this on our website) or in a private discussion with me on ceo@africageographic.com.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

African safari….the idea conjures all sorts of images: Denys and Karen flying over the Mara in a Gypsy Moth; a lion roaring atop a rock as he surveys his singing, dancing prey at dawn; a gargantuan tusker framed by the snow-topped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is to the last of these iconic imaginings that we turn our attention this week. In our first story below, you can stimulate your post-Covid wanderlust with the wonders of Amboseli National Park (and the greater Amboseli region).

Our second story below is good news. Amboseli, like most conservation areas in the world, is not safe. Some pillock decided that growing avocados there would be a fantastic idea. Yes…avocados. In a semi-arid region that attracts thousands of tourists intent on seeing the wilderness and supports thousands of local pastoralists. Well, the local Maasai herders (who live in relative peace with the Amboseli wildlife) and some conservationists decided that this avo farming malarky wouldn’t fly. They banded together, and, for now, the avo people must go and ply their trade elsewhere.

Our third story below is important. So many people on both sides of the trophy hunting debate spend their days yelling moth-eaten arguments at each other across an ideological chasm. While numerous human beings are allergic to actual science, those who seek real data will have a hard time finding it. Many of the arguments by both sides of the hunting war are usually not supported by hard data, often because the relevant research has not been completed.

Now you can relax and enjoy the start of your weekend with a delightful view of Africa at her most spectacular in this week’s Photographer of the Year selection (enter here) there are only two weeks to go. I would suggest you enjoy it with a calming piece of music, a late lunch and the rest of the afternoon off.

While you are wondering what to do with the afternoon I’ve granted you, check out our video of the week. It’s a Google Earth timelapse from 1984 until now of anywhere on earth you care to look – see how we are changing our home.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/amboseli-national-park/
AMBOSELI MAGIC
Amboseli National Park, nestled in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, is a land of exquisite contrasts, iconic scenery and extraordinary biodiversity

Story 2
Community stops avocado farm in the Amboseli region – Africa Geographic
https://africageographic.com/stories/community-stops-avocado-farm-in-the-amboseli-region/
SUCCESS!
Avocado farm in Kenya’s Amboseli region loses license after local Maasai people and conservationists protest

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/recreational-hunting-50-years-of-scientific-research/
TROPHY HUNTING DATA
Massive meta-analysis on recreational hunting fails to find answers to the crucial questions of the polarising hunting debate

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-18/
BEST PHOTOS
Week eighteen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year – Two weeks to go before entries close!

DID YOU KNOW: Bats have an innate sense or understanding of the speed of sound

WATCH: Google has enabled a timelapse function on Google Earth which allows you to see how the earth’s landscapes have changed since 1984 – watch the video and then use Google Earth to check out anywhere on the globe that interests you (2:25)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 18

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

A massive bushpig foraging on a cool winter afternoon. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Rudi Hulshof

A photographer’s dream. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Aaron Mwale

Desert theft. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Margie Botha

The Crown – grey-crowned crane. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Alessandro Lugari

Early morning. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Andrew Aveley

Feasting on a zebra skull. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Andrew Liu

‘This is MY piece!’. Jejane Private Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Ryan Thomson

Uneasy sharing. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Björn Persson

A black heron forming a shady canopy to attract fish. Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

Playing in the rain. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

Winter sunset aardvark. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa. © Gary Cusins

A young Mundari boy proud of his giant Ankole cow. South Sudan. © Inger Vandyke

A leopard mum moving house with a patient cub. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Margie Botha

Backpack trail bliss. Olifants River, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Marius Swart

A windy morning at Singita Sabi Sands, South Africa. © Peter Caley

Dawn filters through the trees. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Andrew Liu

Master of disguise – crocodilefish in Bazaruto National Park, Mozambique. © Ricardo Ferreira

Meet Loijipu. Loijipu is the first rhino rescue at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (R.E.S.C.U.E.) in Northern Kenya. Abandoned by his mother at just 2 days old, Loijipu formed a strong bond with his keepers. © Rozanna Bozabalian

Woodland kingfisher having a preen. Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

Flamingos over Lake Magadi where the mineral deposits and floating brine produce colorful and constantly changing patterns in the sunlight. © Zhugang Zheng

Amboseli National Park – Kenya

There is ineffable magic about spending time in the company of elephants. Nothing else in the world compares to the ethereal emotions felt in their presence – a complex awareness of ancient wisdom and profound intelligence. Of all creatures, elephants perhaps best epitomise a wild sense of the divine. Nevermore is this the case than in Amboseli National Park, where these imposing animals stand against the backdrop of ice-capped Mount Kilimanjaro – one of the most iconic images of Africa.

The Park and the broader ecosystem

Formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, Amboseli National Park covers just 392 square km (39,206 hectares) in Kajiado County, Kenya. However, the park is a core part of the much larger Greater Amboseli ecosystem (also termed the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem or various iterations thereof). This massive area of some 8000 square km encompasses Amboseli, Chyulu Hills, Tsavo East and West, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, and everything in between. Africa’s tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, is just 50 km to the southeast in neighbouring Tanzania and its looming form dominates the Amboseli skyline on clear mornings.

Apart from its contribution to the scenery, Mount Kilimanjaro has shaped Amboseli’s habitat and wildlife in more fundamental ways. The constant supply of melting water from the mountain’s glaciers flows off the slopes and sinks below ground before rising through the porous soils in Amboseli to create freshwater springs. The result is that while Amboseli itself is relatively arid with low rainfall averages, some of the park is dominated by species-rich marshes, with Enkongo Narok, Ol Tukai, and Olokeya the three largest.

The western section of the park also encompasses part of a dry, Pleistocene lake basin. Within this basin, Lake Amboseli is typically dry except during heavy rainy seasons, when it fills with shallow, alkaline water accompanied by a pink flush of opportunistic flamingos. Away from the lakes and marshes, the park is characterised by sparse vegetation and dusty volcanic soils. The name Amboseli is a corruption of the Maa word ‘Empusel’, which translates roughly as “salty, dusty place”.

On the outskirts of Amboseli, there are several conservancies dedicated to conservation and tourism. These increase the available protected land considerably while offering the discerning traveller a more exclusive experience. The conservancies are supported by the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust, which was established to maintain the larger ecosystem and reduce human-wildlife conflict as wild animals move along ancient migratory paths between the various formally protected parks.

Elephants everywhere

Thanks to the combination of sparse, arid vegetation and the readily available water in the swamps, Amboseli offers spectacular wildlife viewing despite its relatively small size. However, the park’s most celebrated residents are the elephants, present in high densities and sporting some of the largest body and tusk sizes in Africa. Elephants are everywhere in Amboseli, revelling in the waters of the marshes, treading dusty pathways led by a trusted matriarch or, occasionally, posing against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro for awe-struck, camera-wielding tourists.

This alone is sufficient to send visitors home elated, having garnered a new appreciation for Africa’s largest land animal, but the elephants of Amboseli have a further claim to fame. Many of these herds and bulls have been the subjects of the longest-running study of elephant behaviour in the wild. The Amboseli Elephant Research Project, initiated by Cynthia Moss and Harvey Croze and operated by the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, has centred around researching and monitoring the elephants of Amboseli for five decades. The life histories of individual herds have been painstakingly documented across generations, contributing immeasurably to our understanding of elephant behaviour and the bonds within and between herds.

The story of Echo, the matriarch who led her family for over forty years before her death in 2008, captivated people worldwide and changed perceptions around elephants’ complex emotional lives. Her family are still the subjects of ongoing research and remain permanent fixtures around the park’s centre. Tim, a bull elephant who died last year of natural causes, had a penchant for trouble. He also gained considerable fame as a ‘super tusker’ – as has Craig, another gentle giant. Amboseli and Tsavo’s elephant populations are some of the last genetic repositories of Africa’s great tuskers.

More than elephants

While elephants may well be the main event, the park’s other creatures never fail to provide a stirring, supporting performance. Lumbering hippos wallow in the shallows of the marshes and lakes during the day, emerging to mow their way through the park as the heat dissipates. Herds of zebras and wildebeest dominate the plains, while shy gerenuks nibble their way around the legs of towering giraffes.

In the past, Amboseli’s predator populations, particularly lions, have born the brunt of human-wildlife conflict and resentment born of the park’s complex history. Fortunately, comprehensive conservation programmes and work with local communities are showing results. While throughout Africa, lion populations have plummeted, the lion numbers in Amboseli have grown consistently over the past decade. Visitors are now regularly treated to sightings of Africa’s largest cat.

Amboseli’s unique blend of semi-arid savanna and marshlands attracts various birds, and over 420 different species (including, miraculously, once, a shoebill) have been recorded in the region. Time spent around the marshes could well reward a keen-eyed birder with the pale flash of the endangered Malagasy pond heron in between the leggy egrets, herons, and grey-crowned cranes. Away from the water, the grasslands obscure the vocal Pangani longclaws, and the vachellia woodlands hide dry country species like the steel-blue whydahs and Von der Decken’s hornbills.

The Amboseli experience

Want to go on a safari to Amboseli? To find lodges, search for our ready-made packages or get in touch with our travel team to arrange your safari, scroll down to after this story.

Given the extraordinary wildlife sightings on offer and the best views of Kilimanjaro in Kenya, it is unsurprising that Amboseli is Kenya’s most popular safari destination after the Maasai Mara. The high tourist time coincides with the dry season and arguably the best wildlife viewing as the animals congregate around available water. However, this does mean contending with higher costs and visitor densities. The two rainy seasons – the short rains from November to December and the long rains from March to May – can make traversing the park and spotting wildlife tricky. That said, the scenery is arguably at its most spectacular with the dampening of the dust.

Weather-wise, Amboseli is typically hot and dry, and the park’s proximity to the Equator ensures relatively consistent temperatures. Naturally, sun protection is a must, as are malaria preventative measures.

Amboseli National Park — Lots of wild safari activities and accommodation for most budgets in Amboseli

As a national park, Amboseli is subject to certain restrictions necessary to safeguard its ecological integrity. Normatior (also known as Observation Hill) is one of the few places where tourists can exit their vehicles and soak in the park’s atmosphere. Rough-hewn stairs lead to the top of Amboseli’s highest point, which offers astonishing views of the surrounding marshes and lakes, and, on clear days, Kilimanjaro. However, for more intrepid travellers, neighbouring conservancies are not subject to the same constraints (due largely to their more exclusive nature). Here visitors can explore through guided night drives, on foot or even on horseback. Naturally, this comes at a cost. A stay in one of the private conservancies is typically more expensive (and luxurious) than the national park’s more budget options.

Recreational hunting: 50 years of scientific research

The polarised debate between anti- and pro-trophy hunting advocates is almost invariably incendiary and centred around far-reaching claims and emotional responses, from whether or not recreational hunting benefits specific species to its impact on local economies. The debate is seldom informed by available research, at least in the public sphere. Now a new study analyses half a century’s worth of scientific literature on recreational hunting. It concludes that little is directed at answering the most critical questions in the hunting debate despite the extensive existing research.

Historical research

The authors of the new study set about analysing over 1000 peer-reviewed papers focused primarily on the recreational and trophy-hunting of large mammals between 1953 and 2020. The majority of historical research had been conducted in North America, Europe, and Africa. [Editorial note: the research includes trophy hunting as a category of recreational hunting]. The study identifies seven dominant topics commonly discussed in recreational hunting literature, including:

Ecological, evolutionary, and population consequences of selective harvesting;
Population dynamics in response to hunting, including assessments of survival rates, reproductive rates, and population trends;
Hunting as a source of and management tool for invasive alien or conflict species;
Health and toxicological dimensions of hunting;
Social dimensions of hunting, including hunter attitudes, identities, and preferences;
Economic, social, cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of hunting

The authors show that there is a significant bias towards mammal species over birds in previous research, and eleven of the twelve most commonly studied species are large mammals. In an African context, the lion was the fifth most popular subject of such research, while the leopard claimed the eighth spot.

The impact on species populations in Africa

For around a third of the species studied, the conclusions on the impact of trophy hunting on the population numbers of specific species were highly variable. This was likely due to the diversity of studied locations and times. Trophy hunting was linked to population declines of lions in certain regions (such as Zambia, before the trophy hunting ban) and shown not to have caused population declines in others (in Mozambique’s Niassa, for example). The same disparities applied to leopards and elephants.

However, there was no evidence of any negative impacts of recreational hunting on population abundance for the remaining species. The authors warn that due to the limited amount of available research and the fact that so many studies returned inconclusive results, this should not be interpreted as evidence of sustainability. According to the authors, while many studies focussed on the impact of hunting on the ecology and evolution of target species, fewer assessed the effects on animal population numbers.

The impact on ecosystems, local economies, and livelihoods

One of the most common arguments in support of recreational hunting is that it protects wild ecosystems over alternative, less eco-friendly land uses such as agriculture or mining. In addition, the revenue can theoretically aid conservation initiatives, support human livelihoods, and be fed back into local communities. This is a matter of considerable debate.

Historical research seems to indicate that in much of Southern Africa, in particular, the loss of recreational hunting would negatively affect both conservation initiatives and local livelihoods. However, hunting operations in West and Central Africa have been less successful in this regard, and the cost of establishing, maintaining, and protecting hunting areas seems to be prohibitively high.

Notably, the authors emphasise that even though these are some of the most pressing academic and societal questions, there is surprisingly little research or evidence to inform the argument either way. While there is a considerable body of research quantifying the revenue drawn from hunting, few studies followed through by documenting the benefits (or lack thereof) to conservation and local communities.

For the future

The new study provides important insight into how previous research on the impact of recreational hunting has been conducted and directed. Naturally, given that it was drawn from over 1,000 different studies conducted across the globe, the conclusions are extensive. However, the essence of the study boils down to the fact that we urgently need further research to understand the effects of hunting and address the unknowns that define the current debate.

To this end, the authors put forward several suggestions for future research, including:

Assessments of the impact on species’ populations in diverse contexts;
The interactions between recreational hunting and other anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss;
Investigation of the impact on less charismatic species, including non-targeted species (for example, the effects of hunting large carnivores on prey dynamics);
Empirical evidence on whether or not hunting increases the quantity and quality of ecosystem conservation;
Investigating the links between hunting revenue and conservation initiatives/support of local communities;
Assessment of the moral complexity of recreational hunting and its impact/benefits for people living alongside wildlife. In particular, whether hunting creates sufficient benefits to incentivise conservation in local communities.

A dearth of empirical evidence will only perpetuate the circular arguments prevalent in public discussions on recreational hunting. The urgent need for focussed research to address the current unknowns is patently clear, especially in the face of increasing opposition to the practice on ethical grounds. Whatever the future holds for recreational hunting, it needs to be based on a solid understanding of the ‘influence of local social-ecological dynamics on hunting outcomes, and the voices of the people co-existing with wildlife’.

The complete study can be accessed here: “Consequences of recreational hunting for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods”, Di Minin, E., et al., (2021) One Earth

An authors’ summary was published in The Conversation.

CEO note: Lions | lions | lions

CEO NOTE: 07 May 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

My heartful thanks to Minister Creecy for issuing a firm commitment to rid this wonderful country of the SCOURGE of the captive lion breeding industry (our second story below refers). The insidious tentacles of this rotten crime against lions permeate deep into our wildlife industry, and this will be no easy process – but at least she has now got the ball rolling.

THAT SAID, I have the following observations:
1. Expect the evil ones to find LOOPHOLES that will allow them to continue after cosmetic changes;
2. Others will simply operate illegally and increase the MAFIA-style methods to avoid jail time (rhino horn and lion bone combo?);
3. Some will MOVE their operations to other countries;
4. The existing caged lion populations in South Africa will likely be DESTROYED – although the most likely process will be agonising deaths as they are abandoned by an industry that operates on zero compassion. Or maybe many will be moved to accredited sanctuaries – time for the animal rights movement to DIG DEEP to fund this lengthy process?;
5. This government strategy of cleaning up this obviously rancid aspect of the wildlife industry is most likely building blocks for plans to expand the HUNTING industry as a contributor to a sustainable conservation future. This quote from the report refers: “‘The development of a national approach for increasing the opportunity, quantity and quality of hunting the five iconic species in wild areas of South Africa…”. Watch that space.

Lastly, a SHOUT-OUT from team AG to Craig Foster and the crew of ‘My Octopus Teacher’ for winning the Oscar!

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

‘…the vuvuzela has been used to mitigate lion conflict…’ When I read that for the first time, the coffee I was drinking emerged from my nose. I imagined the King of Beasts’ horrified, incredulous visage as an enraged rural villager charged, blasting on the world’s most tuneless instrument. On the Chobe River, the human-lion conflict continues. However, there is hope, and, as our first story below explains, some good people are coming up with innovative solutions (including plastic trumpets) to help humans and lions live in peace.

This week is a lot about lions – which is good, after all, we need more lions. Believe it or not, Panthera leo used to be the most widely distributed mammal on the planet. In our second story below, the South African government has taken the first steps to ending the national disgrace that is captive lion breeding. Once you’ve read the AG story, perhaps peruse the full report (600 pages). If your life is too short to wade through the whole thing, I can recommend the goals and recommendations that start on page 278.

And that’s a neat segue into our third story below – a remarkable, horrifying and, if you’re a South African, embarrassing expose of the lion bone trade. The story and accompanying trailer will show you, sometimes in ghastly detail, just how imperative it is that our government does something to end captive lion farming and the bone trade. Kudos to the brave filmmakers for the risks they took to expose the cruelty in South Africa and the markets in Southeast Asia.

After all that heaviness, it’s time to take a deep sigh, relax with a tipple and peruse this week’s selection for our Photographer of the Year. It’s a beautiful tribute to our magnificent continent. Not much time left to enter if you’d like a chance to win 10 000USD and a glorious safari to Botswana.

For your second Friday aperitif, our video of the week showcases the Kalahari Desert in the rainy season – a thousand shades of incongruous green with gobsmacking wildlife to match.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/chobe-river-lions/
CHOBE LION THREATS
Lions in the Chobe River area face an uncertain future – pressured by human farmers to the north and a lack of new blood from the south

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/no-to-captive-lions/
GREAT NEWS
SA government announces their intention to bring an end to the commercial captive lion industry in South Africa

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/lions-bones-bullets/
CASE IN POINT
An upcoming documentary uncovers how industrial-scale lion farming in South Africa has fueled the passing off of lion bones as tiger bones in Asia

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-17/
BEST PHOTOS
Week seventeen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year – May is the last month for entries!

DID YOU KNOW: In 1822, German ornithologists used the finding of a 76cm spear protruding from a white stork’s neck to deduce that certain birds’ absence during winter meant they were migrating to Africa. Some theories of the time held that disappearing birds turned into other kinds of avians, mice, or hibernated underwater during the winter. These storks were given the term “Pfeilstorch” (“arrow stork”)

WATCH: An utterly stunning view of the Kalahari and its wild residents in the wet season (18:45)

Community stops avocado farm in the Amboseli region

by Mike Pflanz with photographs by Kathy Karn

An agribusiness planning to operate an avocado farm in the Amboseli region – a water-stressed landscape of southern Kenya famous for its elephants – has lost its license after local Maasai and conservationists joined forces to protest the plans.

Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) revoked the license it gave to KiliAvo Fresh Ltd after questions about how the developer assessed the environmental impact its farm would have on the local ecosystem.

NEMA said concerns included: the proposed farm was in a wildlife corridor; that it violated official plans that zone the area for livestock and wildlife, not cultivation; and that the developers failed to consult widely enough on their plans.

avocado farm in the Amboseli region — Right: the start of the KiliAvo’s avocado farm; left: The farm fenceline (red) and the movements of a collared elephant (blue) in January 2021

Conservationists and communities stand together

Conservationists, including Big Life Foundation and Dr Paula Kahumbu, CEO of Wildlife Direct, worked alongside the Amboseli Land Owners Conservancies Association (ALOCA) to campaign against the farm.

“Big Life commends NEMA for following to the letter the relevant processes drawn up to balance development with environmental protection in circumstances such as these,” said Benson Leiyan, Chief Operating Officer for Big Life.

“The decision to reject KiliAvo’s insistence that it be allowed to continue operations sends a very clear message to anyone considering commercial farming in this area of Amboseli: only sustainable enterprises that fit with local land use plans and that conserve the environment for people and wildlife are welcome.”

The farm sits in a buffer zone of wildlife habitat and Maasai grazing land just east of Amboseli National Park, a magnet for Kenya’s wildlife tourism famed for its herds of elephants grazing with the backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Tourism threatened

In 2019 close to 200,000 people visited the national park, generating millions of dollars for the Kenya Wildlife Service. KWS does not release exact figures.

But the park itself is small – at less than 400 square kilometres. To thrive, the multiple endangered animal species and the population of 2,000 elephants that live there need to be able to disperse and migrate through neighbouring, locally-owned rangelands.

Significant threats pressure this pocket of remaining wilderness in East Africa – habitat loss, agriculture and climate change are the principal ones.

Privatisation of communal land

After this previously communal land was subdivided into a patchwork of private titles, conservationists worked with the majority of the new landowners to group their plots into a series of community-owned conservancies.

Members pledged not to fence or farm their land, and in return, gain access to open rangeland to graze their cattle. Conservation and tourism operators pay regular fees for the protection of this crucial wildlife habitat.

However, there are a number of locals who chose not to group their land into the conservancies. Some have sold their land to people from outside the landscape, including speculators and brokers who, in turn, sold plots on to investors.

KiliAvo Fresh Ltd acquired their three plots of 60 acres each in this way, buying from a third party who bought them from the original Maasai landowners. There are no restrictions on buying or selling such plots.

There are, however, restrictions on land use plans agreed by the Maasai landowners’ association, ALOCA, for the immediate area and in the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan, for the wider landscape.

The ultimate land planning authority, the local county council, is overhauling its Spatial Plan but currently designates the area for “agriculture”. Initially, this was understood to mean cultivation but the chief lands officer from the council later clarified it was for “livestock grazing”.

This confusion, in part, led to NEMA issuing KiliAvo Fresh Ltd a license in August 2020 to develop 180 acres for growing avocados and other fruits and vegetables. This followed an earlier rejection of the same proposal, prompting critics led by ALOCA and the Kenya Wildlife Service immediately to cry foul when the new application was approved.

Samuel Ole Kaanki, chairman of ALOCA, said: “The majority of us are united against this farm because it could threaten water supply in this semi-arid place, block where we can graze our livestock, and deter tourism investors who pay us to bring visitors to see wildlife. These concerns were not addressed in the EIA, and we were very surprised to learn KiliAvo had been given a license.”

They complained that the license was issued without enough consultation with local people and environmental experts who would have objected, they said, because the farm stands squarely in an area zoned only for livestock and wildlife tourism.

Setting a precedent

Farm operations that encroach on wildlife land disrupt the natural balance of the ecosystem. Boreholes need to be dug for water-thirsty crops like avocados. These wells impact the water table, robbing surface water sources for wildlife and putting severe pressure on the groundwater resources and springs that support tens of thousands of people.

Faced with what it termed “new information and issues” that had come to its attention, NEMA ordered the farm to stop and threatened to revoke its license. The farm appealed that order at Kenya’s National Environment Tribunal (NET). After seven months of hearings, on April 26 the Tribunal dismissed KiliAvo’s appeal citing a lack of evidence or witnesses. The next day NEMA finally revoked the license.

The farm’s owners said their 180 acres would have a negligible impact on the 38,000 acres of habitat in the Kimana Wildlife Corridor. Even if that were true – and it is unlikely – the key issue was that this case would have set a precedent and many other farms could follow, fragmenting the landscape and devouring essential resources like water needed by wildlife, farmers and livestock downstream.

Revoking KiliAvo’s license has been seen as a positive sign that Kenya is listening and seriously considering the health of an ecosystem and the concerns of local communities when dealing with the negative consequences of corporate-led agribusiness.

However, KiliAvo is expected to appeal these rulings. Conservation organisations including Big Life, KWS, the Conservation Alliance of Kenya, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Wildlife Direct, ALOCA, and tourism investors will remain vigilant in opposing KiliAvo’s plans for the farm and any other farming development that encroaches on wildlife corridors and pastoralist land use.

“This is not yet the end, we will continue until this farm has gone, and we are sure no others can follow it,” said ALOCA’s Ole Kaanki.

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 17

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

Battle of the spears. Kij-Kij waterhole, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Paul Nash

Concentration – African wild cat. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Juan Venter

An Ethiopian wolf, Africa’s most endangered carnivore, surveys his mountain fastness. Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Christopher Walti

A topi atop a termite mound displays himself at dawn. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Alexandre Bés

Drinks time. Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa. © Darren Donovan

Time to leave – posthaste. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © David Rouge

Shoebill. Mabamba Swamp, Uganda. © Dirk Johnen

Red-knobbed coot chick waiting for a meal. Zibulo bird hide, Mpumalanga, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

Young male white lion severely wounded from inter-pride battles. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Hans Wagemaker

‘Do you think they’ve seen us?’ ‘Yes, quite probably.’ Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

Patient spotted hyena cub waiting for its mum. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Sonja Metzger

Green pigeons aggregate in spectacular groups on the muddy grounds around the bai. Lango Baï, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of the Congo. © Gaël R. Vande weghe

African jacana chick learning to use its outlandish toes. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Gonnie Myburgh

Drinking on the move. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Tiffany Franks

The world’s smallest known reptile – nano-chameleon or *Brookesia nana*. Park V.O.I.M.M.A. Community Park, Andasibe, Madagascar. © Andreas Just

Unimpressed with the desert rain. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Juan Venter

A male gelada demonstrates annoyance. Debre Libanos, Ethiopia. © Vittorio Ricci

A chimpanzee calmly observes his human relatives. Budongo Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. © Patrice Quillard

Eastern golden weaver…weaving. Watamu, Kenya. © Peter Derry

A male boomslang ruins the day for an African bullfrog. Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa. © Ernest Porter

A lion cub waits patiently for its mother, perched about nine feet above the Serengeti plains. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © JaNet Hennie

A curious young vervet monkey fascinated by his photographer. Pafuri region, Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Siegfried Schroeder

Red-billed firefinch comes for a drink in suburbia. Nairobi, Kenya. © Sourish Trivedy

Hunting buffalo is so exhausting. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Gabriela Staebler

Dew-soaked, morning pose. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Riaan Wolhuter

Baobab Alley. Madagascar. © Andreas Just

Camouflage. Khwai Community Concession, Botswana. © Shaun Malan

Chobe River lions face an uncertain future

By: Johannes van Jaarsveld, biologist and Chobe resident

Introduction

The Chobe River lions face an uncertain future with various barriers hampering recruitment, dispersal and immigration. To the north, hostile farmers in the Zambezi region of Namibia are intolerant of apex predators on their farms. In every other direction, fragmented protected areas and human settlements impede lion movement.

Background to the Chobe Riverfront

The Chobe River stretches from Lake Liambezi (Namibia) in the west to Kazangula in the east, where it flows into the Zambezi. The western section of the river is populated by cattle, goat and small-scale crop farmers. The Botswana-Namibia border, which is the Chobe River, cuts the floodplain, with the majority falling on the Namibian side (Zambezi Region).

The Chobe National Park protects the lions on the Botswana side where they tend to hunt along the river or on the floodplains. They seldom stray too far into the sandveld teak forests south of the river because of the limited prey.

Pride history

In 2017, there were approximately 20 lions on the riverfront: ten cubs, two old males (at least ten years old), a subadult female, and six adult lionesses. In early 2018, the pride swam across the Chobe River to the Namibian side. It was a fatal day. Five of the six lionesses were shot by Namibian farmers. A Chobe guide with his guests watched in horror as a Namibian farmer cut off the lions’ paws and waved them at the tourists. Over the next month, all the cubs died from starvation.

The subadults survived and the remaining adult lioness (called Broken Tail) settled in a small territory of her own around the Serondela picnic site. In October 2020, she birthed three cubs. The two subadults, possibly siblings, were gradually joined by four lionesses from the south. The young male disappeared and was not seen after July 2018. Possibly not coincidentally, about that time, two new males arrived – Caller and Tom-Tom. Scarface, one of the older males, had his leg broken in a skirmish with the new males and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks euthanised him when he took refuge at Chobe Game Lodge. The other old male died in the territory not long after.

The current pride

Two of the lionesses soon fell pregnant. One, Snips, had five cubs in December 2019, and the other, Teddy Bear, had two cubs in February 2020. One cub, called Lost and Found, wandered into the village of Kasane and was rescued by some tourists, who put him at the edge of the park away from people and traffic. His mother found him eventually, and he was safely back with the pride as of November 2020. Another lioness, Small Girl, mated with one of the new males in early 2021.

The two males roam from west to east all along the river, seldom staying with the pride for long. They are very attached and every greeting after separation is marked with joyous, cub-like playing. They have enjoyed an unchallenged three-year run.

Lone lioness – Broken Tail

Broken Tail, the lioness which returned from Namibia after the massacre, remains alone and produced three cubs (most likely sired by Tom-Tom) in November 2020. She occupies a territory opposite Serondela Lodge on the Botswana side of the river. During the green season from late November to mid-April, the vegetation is very thick and she hunts smaller game. In the dry months, she targets buffalo calves when the herds come onto the floodplains.

The northern Chobe Lions are not troubled by hyenas, of which there are very few. Other predators such as wild dog are sporadically distributed but seem to avoid any area that the lions occupy.

Threats

The lack of new males indicates a dearth of immigration. Researchers have noted lions at Ngotsaa in Chobe National Park, about 50 km south of the Chobe River. This is the next pride to the south. There are lions in the Kachikau area, 76 km west as the crow flies, but this is a village region. It is apparently not a big pride and is likely struggling to survive given the farming activities and villages.

The Chobe west of Kabulabula sometimes dries up and lions can easily cross to Namibia. North of the border, the Namibian farmers allow their cattle to graze right up to the border and sometimes over it at Ngoma. It is an irresistible temptation to lions and they quickly learn what soft targets the cattle are. The discovery probably encourages hunting forays north over the border in search of cattle.

Once the lions are in Namibia, the laws become murky – Botswana cannot protect them. The Namibian farmers can legally kill lions if their livestock is threatened. The lions, therefore, depend on the goodwill of the farmers – difficult to muster if they have just lost cattle to border-hopping predators.

Conflict mitigation

Chobe is part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) which aims to secure the sustainable use of natural resources for both wildlife and local people in a cooperative effort by Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe.

In Chobe and the Enclave (comprising the villages of Mabele, Kavimba and Kachicau), WildCRU (a conservation research unit) has been running several human-predator conflict mitigation programmes. Communities are encouraged to kraal their cattle at night in predator-resistant kraals. These kraals are funded and built mostly by WildCRU. Owners must make a small contribution to the total costs and help to erect the structures. WildCRU also employs community guardians from each village who investigate any reports of lion conflict. To date, WildCRU has built 26 predator-resistant kraals in the Enclave. They hope to build a further 20 during 2021.

WildCRU, through Dr Jess Isden, has also introduced a lion chasing programme. By using vuvuzelas and running towards lions, the lions disperse. Astounding and insane as this sounds, the vuvuzela has been used to mitigate lion conflict with some success in parts of Zimbabwe.

Some of the lodges in the area, such as Chobe Game Lodge and Serondela Lodge, have established a compensation scheme for farmers who have lost cattle to lions. Farmers are also rewarded if they can prove they have chased lions back into the park.

In the Zambezi Region of Namibia, east of Ihaha, where the pride spends most of its time, farmers don’t have the same tolerance. There seems to be an unsustainable number of cattle feeding on the floodplain, many of which do not belong to the herders but to owners who send their animals to the area for grazing. There are more than 300 000 cattle feeding on the floodplain between Sedudu and Ngoma. Game is naturally scarce due to human and livestock pressure. Recently, another NGO in Namibia, the Kwando Carnivore Project, has started conflict mitigation work in the area and this will hopefully help protect the lions and other predators.

Conclusion

Lions are a major attraction for tourists and their absence will drastically, negatively affect tourism along the Chobe River.

All the tourism enterprises on both the Namibian and the Botswana sides would like to see better protection for wildlife and cooperation between Namibia and Botswana. Tourism could have long-term benefits for the area. Not only does it create jobs, but it trains people who can form their own tourism-related businesses. Rural communities need to see the potential in tourism without necessarily giving up their farming practices.

Negotiations with various stakeholders in Namibia continue and seem to be bearing fruit. A lion group has been created with several Namibian officials and a few cross-border meetings have seen some commitment from both sides. There are already several lodges on the Namibian side, thanks to the vaunted community conservancy model. The future for the Chobe River lions is uncertain but hopeful.

Lions bones and bullets – bones for sale

What is the link between trophy hunting, deadly infectious diseases and traditional Chinese medicine? The not so obvious answer is lions. Paradoxically, these apex predators are now farmed on an increasingly industrial scale in South Africa (note that a recent announcement by the SA government may change this). The estimated number of farmed lions in the country is already four to five times larger than that of wild lions. And there is another paradox – in 2019, the South African government amended legislation to reclassify lions and 32 other wild species as farm animals. Lions, Bones & Bullets (see video link below) tells the astonishing story of how the lion farming industry adapted to survive losing two-thirds of their trophy hunting clients following Cecil the lion’s shooting and the US boycott that followed.

Lions bones and bullets — Lions bred in captivity on an industrial scale in South Africa

If trophy hunting was dying out, then what was stimulating the boom in lion farming? Penguin Random House author Richard Peirce and the Jagged Peak Films team went in search of the answer. They discovered that while canned hunting had decreased, a parallel increase in demand for lion bones from Southeast Asia was fuelling demand, leading the South African government to establish an annual quota for lion skeleton exports. Richard followed the lion bone trail from farms in South Africa to street dealers in Vietnam and Laos.

Following the wildlife trafficking trail led to dangerous situations, but the team persisted in their quest for the truth. An undercover informant in Southeast Asia confirmed that lion bones were being imported and passed off as tiger to be used in tiger cake, tiger wine, and various other ‘tiger’ products consumed in traditional Chinese medicine. The filmmakers exposed how easy it is to buy ‘tiger’ or ‘lion’ products, which are supposed to be illegal by international trade laws. Between the South African skeleton sale value and the end consumer price, they discovered a 60-fold increase. These huge profit margins and the fact that it’s cheaper to import a farmed lion skeleton and pretend it’s a tiger than to rear an actual tiger, drive the South African lion bone trade.

This timely and groundbreaking film is much more than a straightforward exposé. The threats lion farming and the lion bone trade pose to conservation are tremendous. Richard, the author of several books on wildlife, explains: ‘Lion farming and the increasing sale of lion bones to Asia involve exploitation, cruelty, injustice, misconception, fraud and corruption. They are a threat to wild lion populations. It is mind-blowing in terms of the huge negativity involved and has no redeeming aspects. Lions are a flagship species; what happens to lion populations will be a major factor in determining the future of wild animals in Africa.’

The threats to global public health are even more significant. The world is paralysed by a pandemic that came to humans via wild animals. Lions, Bones & Bullets reveals how shockingly easy it is to legally develop an expanding wildlife farming industry and then transport products that could be infected with tuberculosis, the ‘world’s deadliest infectious disease’. The disease is still South Africa’s leading cause of death.

The world festival premiere of Lions, Bones & Bullets is being hosted by the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, competition partners to the festival, is dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development globally. Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO, notes: ‘Lions, Bones & Bullets sends a clear and vital wake-up call to the world, inviting us to open our eyes and rethink our relationship with nature and wildlife.’

The team behind Lions, Bones & Bullets includes Kiwi director and executive producer Anton Leach, who has filmed in more than 20 countries, including war zones in Iraq, Syria and Gaza. Also from New Zealand is the film’s producer, writer and editor, Jasmine Duthie. Her work focuses on character-driven wildlife stories. Lions, Bones & Bullets is narrated by leading British actor and campaigner Peter Egan (Harry Potter, Downtown Abbey, Chariots of Fire).

WATCH: Watch the Lions, Bones and Bullets trailer (1:12)

Captive lions: NO – says South Africa’s minister

Minister Creecy of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) today announced that the Government of South Africa will act on the High-Level Panel’s recommendations to bring an end to the commercial captive lion industry in South Africa.

Her announcement accompanied the release of the 600-page High-Level Panel Report, which identified that South Africa’s captive lion industry:

Poses risks to the sustainability of wild lion conservation resulting from the negative impact on ecotourism which funds lion conservation and conservation more broadly;
Does not contribute to the conservation of wild lions;
Carries significant zoonotic risks associated with intensive breeding and keeping of lions;
Does not represent ecologically sustainable use;
Threatens South Africa’s reputation as a leader in the conservation of wildlife;
Provides very little economic activity benefiting relatively few;
Negatively impacts the authentic wild hunting industry;
Risks stimulating poaching and illegal trade.

The majority of the Panel Members recommended that the Minister put in place a process to halt and reverse the domestication of lions due to captive lion keeping, breeding, and commercial use. They also recommended that policy decisions should be made for an immediate halt of the sale of captive lion derivatives, the hunting of captive lions and tourist interactions with captive lions.

“I have requested the department to action this accordingly and ensure that the necessary consultation in implementation is conducted”, said Minister Creecy. “In adopting the recommendations, it is important to indicate that the key outcomes for the country will include… the ending of certain inhumane and irresponsible practices that greatly harm the reputation of South Africa and the position of South Africa as a leader in conservation”.

She did not, however, address the Report’s recommendation that the DFFE establish an independent committee to formulate a process for the ethical and humane euthanasia of the lions currently in captivity, in consultation with captive lion breeders and keepers, and other stakeholders.

The Minister’s announcement also references the Panel’s recommendations regarding the safeguarding of rhinos in South Africa in the future. Her announcement acknowledges that South Africa protects the largest component of the global rhino population. As such, the country should play a global leadership role in their conservation. As such, the Government will make no further proposals to CITES for trade in rhino horn until certain conditions are met, including developing a global consensus on the legal international trade in rhino horn.

The High-Level Panel was established on the 10^th of October 2019 after the then Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs requested the DFFE to initiate a policy and legislative review to put an end to captive lion breeding. The Panel comprised 25 individual members, including experienced conservationists, ecologists, hunting industry representatives, wildlife ranching experts, animal welfare scientists, traditional leaders, and a representative of the captive predator industry. They were tasked to “review policies, legislation and practices on matters related to the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros”.

The Panel’s goals and recommendations are based on a vision of “secured, restored and rewilded natural landscapes with thriving populations of elephant, lion, rhino, and leopard, as indicators for a vibrant, responsible, inclusive, transformed and sustainable wildlife sector”.

The Report also expresses concerns over the listing of wildlife under the Animal Improvement Act. It warns that the potential intensification of management practices poses significant welfare risks that will exacerbate the current challenges being experienced. While the Minister makes no reference to this in her announcement, she states that South Africa will be adopting a One Welfare approach to wildlife welfare. (The ‘One Welfare’ approach highlights the interconnections between animal welfare, human well-being, and the environment.)

In a joint media statement, Blood Lions and World Animal Protection, two organisations at the front of the fight against the captive lion industry, “congratulate the Minister on these bold steps and offer their full support in developing and implementing a responsible phase-out plan in order to ensure that the commercial predator breeding industry is successfully closed down in South Africa, once and for all.”

The comprehensive 600-page report, including the minority opinions on captive lion breeding and rhino management, can be accessed here. The relevant recommendations regarding the captive lion industry can be found on page 328.

CEO note: Hope 4 elephants | Mundari | safari tips

On safari with Africa Geographic in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. © Simon Espley

CEO NOTE: 30 April 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

Last week we published an incredible gallery by Kenyan guide and Photographer of the Year entrant James Nampaso – of lions targeting a mom giraffe and her tiny calf. Like many of you, I suspect, images like this toy with my emotions – although of course I respect the necessity of this brutal process playing itself out in countless ways in the natural world. After seeing the above gallery, Barbara Westbrook from Australia sent us an enthralling video clip of a similar encounter of a few years back – in the same area. Again, such a brave giraffe mom and calf. This time though, the outcome was different – watch the video featured after our stories below.

Speaking of 2021 Photographer of the Year, May is the final month of entries, before we start the judging process in June. Some epic images already submitted are competing for the title, which comes with US$10,000 in prize money and a Botswana safari for the winner and two runners-up + their partners. Please get your entries in now to avoid the usual last-minute rush.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

‘When is the best time to go to Africa?’ The safari guide’s eyes roll heavenward. He forces a smile and answers with something like, ‘You do realise that Africa straddles the equator, covers six time zones, is a vast area more than three times the size of the US of profoundly different vegetation, climate, topography, wildlife and home to over a billion souls of unimaginably diverse looks, languages and cultures. Which bit of Africa were you referring to exactly?’. Luckily for our jaded safari guide, we at AG have come to the rescue with a series of four stories about the best times to visit the many fascinating parts of Africa. In our first story below, we cover the most popular safari season of June to August.

A few years ago, I was shooting a short documentary on the Maasai people who graze their livestock (legally) in the Mara Triangle during the quiet season. Even a blind moron with a faulty pinhole camera could have captured gorgeous images of the scene: backdrop of the Mara at sunrise, the Maasai’s colourful clothing and the odd elephant wandering past the cattle. What struck me most, however, was the fact that the herders, contrary to their cliched portrayal in popular media, are not relics of a bygone era. They were chatting on their smartphones and doing banking transactions dressed in shukas and car-tire sandals while whistling at their cattle. These were modern, 21st-century Maasai. In our second story below, Benoît Feron and Anne-Françoise Tasnier travelled to South Sudan to spend some time with the Mundari people; to learn about their cattle culture and photograph their interaction with the 21st century.

Our third story below is exciting. New research by the big hitters of African elephant conservation lead by Jake Wall with support from doyen Iain Douglas-Hamilton and many others, asserts that elephants occupy just 17% of their potential range. Whether we, as a species, can learn to share this land with them is another matter – but there is hope, and there is more space than we thought.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/safari-season-jun-jul-aug
SAFARI TIPS
When is the best safari season in Africa? Learn the best places to visit in June, July & August for weather, wildlife and experiences

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/the-mundari-of-south-sudan/
MUNDARI CULTURE
The Mundari people of South Sudan are a fascinating, traditional people forging into the 21st century with a cattle-based culture

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/elephant-range-is-just-a-fraction-of-its-potential/
HOPE FOR ELEPHANTS
New research shows that Africa’s elephant range is just 17% of its potential. Despite the odds, there is potential for expansion.

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-16/
BEST PHOTOS
Week sixteen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year

DID YOU KNOW: Vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) live in complex multilevel societies – a social structure previously believed to be unique to large-brained mammals

WATCH: An amazing encounter between a lion pride and a desperate giraffe cow trying to protect her calf. In this case, the inexperienced lions lost interest, leaving the traumatised family to fight another day (1:26)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 16

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

Maasai warriors competing to jump over a stream that flows into Lake Natron, Tanzania. © Hesté de Beer

A pair of angry Cape teals chase an intruder from their waterhole. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Andrew Schoeman

A female crab spider ruins the day for a honey bee. If you look carefully, you can see her husband clinging onto her abdomen. Olivedale, Johannesburg. © Stephen Mintram

A ground squirrel pays (unwillingly) for a caracal’s patience. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Charlene Bacchioni

A baby mountain gorilla honing his climbing skills. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda. © Daniel Walther

The Shawnee shipwreck just south of Sandwich Harbour. The ship ran aground under mysterious circumstances in 1976. Skeleton Coast, Namibia. © Lizet Grobbelaar

Twilight snack: a melanistic serval enjoys a mouse at the end of an eventful day. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Malini Pittet

Attack is the best form of defence. A mole snake wraps its tail around the neck of a tawny eagle which underestimated its supper’s will to live. The eagle managed to escape after a long struggle. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Willie van Schalkwyk

The Nile crocodile’s fearsome, if slightly unhygienic, teeth. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Nikki Humphrey

A python confusing an old weaver’s nest for a hammock. Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa. © Pierre van der Berg

A black-backed jackal with the last bit of a double-banded courser snack. Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Anja Denker

Tuareg. Sahara Desert, Mauritania. © David Rouge

Mother Egyptian goose with goslings having a break on hippo island. Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. © Prelena Soma Owen

A wild, male white lion enjoying breakfast. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Rudi Hulshof

Ground-based scavenger taking exception to his avian competitors. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Srikanth Santhinathan

A cruel fate: a clan of hyenas were dancing around a lion with a kill when one of the hyenas stumbled on a young Grant’s gazelle hiding in the grass. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Malini Pittet

The Mundari people of South Sudan

Introduction

The Mundari tribe is a small ethnic group from the Republic of South Sudan, numbering between 70,000 and 100,000 people. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence from the Republic of the Sudan in 2011 after a 21-year civil war. During the war, Mundari militias organised themselves into commando units under the leadership of the present governor of the Central Equatoria State. They fought in Eastern Equatoria, Eastern Sudan, and Darfur.

The Mundari are one of the ethnic groups indigenous to the Nile valley (Nilotic). Their main homeland is approximately 75 kilometres north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Their lands are bounded on the east by the White Nile, an important source of water for livestock.

The Mundari follow a mixture of Christian and animistic beliefs, with symbols playing an important role. As for many people in the area, the Mundari culture is transmitted orally in songs, dance, poems and other body expressions that reflect good, generosity, and other core values. Ritual scarification is an important part of cultural identity. Men must undergo initiation rites where initiates live together in nature and spend three months with a village elder, away from the community. The rite of passage to adulthood is completed with V scars cut into the forehead.

Friendly and peaceful by nature, the Mundari are nevertheless armed, like most tribes in South Sudan. Decades of war have made guns ubiquitous and easy to obtain. That said, the Mudari seem to have no interest in warfare – weapons are used to protect their herds from cattle rustlers. Mundari men take up wrestling as a serious hobby from a very young age. They regularly organise wrestling competitions, and the best proponents keep going until they are too old to compete.

Cattle Culture

The Mundari are agro-pastoralists with an economy centred on agriculture and herding livestock. Their famous, massive-horned Ankole-Watusi cattle are considered the ‘kings of the cattle’. They are part of the Sanga family of African cattle breeds which originated over 2,000 years ago from a combination of the Egyptian longhorn cattle of Africa and Zebu longhorns originally from India. Sanga cattle spread throughout eastern Africa, and many different breeds developed. Some studies suggest that the big horns of the Ankole-Watusi are an adaptation to hot climates, facilitating the dispersal of excess body heat.

While elders (from 38 years old) and maternal relatives settle villages with beautiful huts, the youngest (young men and women, teens and children) go to cattle camps to tend livestock, moving according to the rhythm of rainy seasons. This part of South Sudan is extremely vulnerable to drought with low rainfall and high temperatures. Sometimes the herds can number as many as 850 animals, and finding enough forage for such large herds in arid areas necessitates constant movement. At the end of the dry season, camps are pitched around the Nile, the only place still sufficiently green to accommodate the appetite of their livestock.

In Mundari culture, like for many tribes of the region, cattle play an important role in religion, birth and marriage. They are symbols of wealth and power. Every life event includes a reference to cows, the lives of which can be sometimes deemed more important than those of humans. A person’s position in society is established through the ownership of cattle – the size and shape of the horns being the most important features. Traditionally, Ankole-Watusi cows are considered sacred, with an owner’s wealth counted in live animals. Unfortunately, cattle are also the main source of conflict. Clashes seldom arise over common resources such as land but rather over animals and their ownership.

Before the civil war, each Ankole-Watusi was worth as much as $500. This was the reference value used to calculate the bride price paid to a woman’s family. Following the end of the war, the number of middle-aged men in search of wives dramatically increased. This had a direct impact as it doubled the bride price from an average of 20 cows per bride to 40. This inflation has made cattle even more precious and has also increased the frequency of lethal cattle raids.

Cattle camps

In a cattle camp, everyone plays their role. The men lead the cows into the fields during the day and regroup them in the camp before sunset. The women clean and prepare food for everyone. The children clean the ground of the camp every morning by collecting the dung and burning it at sunset. The smoke drives away mosquitoes and also creates a unique atmosphere for photographers.

Ashes are then used as a natural antiseptic to protect the skin of the people and cows from insects and the sun. The Mundari also use ash as talcum to massage their cattle twice a day and as toothpaste for themselves.

Cattle urine is used to wash hands, faces, teeth and bleach hair. The Mundari also drink it in the belief that cow urine infuses purity. They also combine urine with ashes to polish the magnificent horns of the cattle.

At night, music played on horns floats through the camp. The people sing close to the heat of fires until they fall asleep under the stars with the cattle just a few feet away. Sleep is not always easy, and the herders must often protect their livestock from jackals, hyenas and even painted wolves (African wild dogs). The main threat to livestock, however, is from raiders. Indeed, cattle rustling is a common cultural practice among many pastoral communities in East Africa – the Nuer, Dinka and Murle often participate in cyclical raiding.

The future

The Mundari’s apparently sustainable way of life is no doubt changing. Today, young Mundari dream of another life, and it is somewhat incongruous to observe young people looking at the outside world on Chinese smartphones while looking after the cattle. The modern world is on its way, and China is financing and building a highway that will link Juba to Terekeka, the county where Mundari live. This highway is part of the Chinese oil exploitation program in South Sudan, which started even before its independence in 2011. This war-ravaged region boasts 3.5 billion barrels’ worth of crude oil in proven reserves, and petroleum geologists will likely find more in the two-thirds of South Sudan they have yet to explore. Despite the challenges of working in a war zone, China dominates what analysts have assessed to be the third-largest oil reserve in Africa.

The Mundari way of life faces an uncertain future. We believe, however, it will still take years for the traditions we’ve described to change. They remain the basis for the whole social structure of the tribe – despite cell phones and a few other modern conveniences. Cattle and not cash remains the foundation of society in two main ways.

Firstly, cattle is a financial asset – a kind of “mobile bank account”. Most Mundari people keep cattle and sell them to pay for their essential needs, like food or school fees and – possibly most importantly – the bride price. Secondly, cows produce food. Although very seldom killed for meat, their milk and blood are hugely important parts of the Mundari diet.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, world aid for development in South Sudan has slowed. The majority of humanitarian workers are stuck at home. As in other African countries, South Sudan has immense tourism potential, but it will take years to develop the necessary infrastructure. The official political mentality is still much influenced by long years of war.

We believe that traditional Mundari’ society will remain relatively unchanged for many years to come. Perhaps we might ask whether their relatively sustainable way of life has lessons more widely applicable – lessons we need to absorb before the tide of modernisation changes the Mundari way of life forever.

Elephant range is just a fraction of its potential

It goes without saying that humans have significantly reduced the habitat available to elephants across Africa (as is the case for almost every wild species). Though greatly accelerated over the last century, this has been an incremental process and unpicking the strands of our influence to quantify historical and potential animal ranges is a tricky process. Newly published research from leading elephant conservation organisations clarifies the extent of human impact on elephants: Africa’s giants now occupy just 17% of their possible range.

The new paper details how multiple elephant research and conservation organisations pooled over 15 years’ worth of data on the ranges of 229 individual elephants across the continent. The work was coordinated by Save the Elephants and included researchers from the Mara Elephant Project, the University of British Columbia, Oxford University, Colorado State University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Stirling, and Elephants Alive. It goes to the heart of why long-term research and in-depth understanding of elephant movements are pivotal to elephants’ conservation. “Consistent data recorded over a number of years plays a vital role in our understanding of how elephants adapt to shrinking ranges and variable climatic effects” explains Dr Michelle Henley, CEO of Elephants Alive.

The data were collected at 19 sites across the four major biomes of Africa: Sahel (the border region of the Sahara Desert in the western section of the continent), forest (central), savannah (east), and bushveld (south). When analysing the data, the new study lays out three questions:

How do elephant home ranges vary in size across sexes, species, and biome?
How influential are the following factors on range size?
a. Individual (sex and species)
b. Biotic (vegetation and tree cover)
c. Abiotic (temperature, rainfall, water, slope/gradient)
d. Anthropogenic (human influence and protected area use) factors
How much suitable elephant habitat remains across Africa, and how much of this suitable habitat is currently occupied?

The study demonstrates that elephant range size is affected by multiple factors, including species (forest elephants utilised smaller home ranges than savannah elephants), sex (bulls occupied more extensive ranges than cows in the long term), and resource availability. The elephants were also influenced by tree cover, temperature, rainfall, and the slope/gradient of the area. Most importantly, elephant movements and range usage were impacted by human factors. From the tracking data, elephants in protected areas occupied smaller ranges. The researchers believe that this is part of a human avoidance strategy – the elephants do not feel safe roaming into areas of human habitation. However, some 57% of the current elephant range falls outside these protected areas (as per the IUCN).

The researchers then used this data to inform an elephant habitat suitability model (HSM) across the entire continent. The HSM predicts that elephants could occupy a range of over 18 million square kilometres – 62% of the whole continent. “We looked at every square kilometre of the continent,” says lead author Jake Wall of the Mara Elephant Project in Kenya. “We found that 62% of those 29.2 million square kilometres is suitable habitat.” As adaptable and generalist megaherbivores, elephants would only be precluded from occupying extreme habitats in the Sahara, Danakil, and Kalahari deserts, as well as high mountain tops and, of course, urban centres.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, explains that through the model, “we used the movements of living elephants to tell us where the dead once roamed. This gave us a new line of evidence to suggest how much range has been lost in the last 2000 years”.

In essence, the study confirms that elephants would once have roamed almost the entire African continent – a conclusion supported by both historical, anecdotal evidence and recent genetic studies. The researchers detail how accounts from navigators and explorers from over 500 years ago record the presence of elephants on the Atlantic coast of North Africa and the mountainous and thickly wooded parts of present-day Tunisia. The HSM indicates that the same stretch of North Africa where elephants once roamed remains suitable habitat to this day. An analysis of ivory recovered from a Namibian shipwreck recently showed a massive reduction of elephant genetic diversity in the last five centuries.

The vast amount of data and extensive analysis demonstrates that elephants could spread back to parts of their former range if given a chance. Their habitats have been severely fragmented by fences, agriculture, infrastructure and human habitation and conflict. However, since their potential range is enormous, there is likely still room within parts of this range for peaceful coexistence between people and elephants. In particular, the authors identify swathes of land within the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose forests once held hundreds of thousands of elephants, now reduced to fewer than 10,000 remaining individuals. Naturally, the researchers also acknowledge that there are also parts of this identified range where conflict with people would make the return of elephants unrealistic.

Unfortunately, while the elephant range could expand, current trends are moving in the opposite direction. With the human population expected to grow over 25% from 2019 to 2050 (along with the associated increase in human footprint), there is an urgent need for development scenarios that take wildlife (and human) needs into account to secure the long-term survival of elephants. The researchers hope to refine the current model to aid in quantifying human densities and human-elephant coexistence and exploring the connectivity of potential habitats. The study concludes with the following sentiments:

“In the face of increasing human pressures, proactive landscape planning at the local, national, and continental scales are critical, as well as fostering an ethic of human-elephant coexistence if the future of elephants is to be secured. Is that too much to ask, to protect and conserve this signature animal even in a world where human well-being is paramount?”

WATCH: An animated summary of the findings can be viewed here: African elephants only occupy a fraction of their potential range. (1:22)

The full paper can be accessed here: “Human footprint and protected areas shape elephant range across Africa“, Wall, K., et al., (2021), Current Biology

CEO note: Lions vs giraffes | parrot voodoo | Gorongosa

CEO NOTE: 23 April 2021

This is a copy of our weekly email newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter.

Last week was ugly. We published a story where scientists estimate the Namibian elephant population to be several times higher than the go-to estimate by several loud keyboard experts. The data and results were peer-reviewed by the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group. The story unleashed some pretty unfortunate backlash from those whose narrative demands far lower numbers. The backstory is that the Namibian government, like many African governments, supports trophy hunting as a wildlife conservation tool. Now you know that I am no fan of trophy hunting, and I have the scars to prove it. BUT I also believe, as do my team, that science is the framework for effective conservation and that our layman opinions, while being essential tools for dialogue and problem-solving, are ultimately subject to scientific reality.

One hysterical Namibian activist took to social media to drum up echo chamber support from his adoring fans with hurtful fabrications about the veteran conservation journalist. He also laid into AG – and demanded that he be given the raw elephant population data to come up with his own statistics. He of zero relevant qualifications, experience or training. His premise is that observations from his occasional journeying through elephant territory are a more reliable yardstick for Namibian elephant numbers than what peer-reviewed science estimates, and that we (scientists, AG and those who support science) are in cahoots with the Namibian government to kill more elephants.

It is what it is.

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

When I started guiding, too many years ago than I care to admit, showing my guests a kill was the ultimate goal. I’m not sure why – perhaps it was because so many nature documentaries climaxed with a takedown. The first time I saw the light leaving the eyes of a terrified impala ram with a leopardess’s jaws clamped around his trachea, I wasn’t sure I wished to see it again. In our first story below, Kenyan guide James Nampaso, treats us to a terrific photo gallery of nature’s sometimes heartrending reality.

In our second story below, we look at new research investigating the use of African grey parrots in traditional west African medicine. The Marché des Fétiches in Lomé, Togo has an astonishing array of wild animal parts for sale, including primate heads, antelope and predator skins, crocodile skulls, dried snakes, domestic dog heads and, of course, birds. A brief google image search will net you a gallery of horrors. Next step is to engage with the sellers and users to come up with sustainable alternatives.

Our third story below is more cheerful. When I was at university, I remember walking past kilometres of shelving full of masters and PhD dissertations thinking, ‘what a waste, no one is ever going to read this stuff.’ While most theses can look forward to long centuries of gathering dust unobserved, one, by an Australian ecologist called Ken Tinley, completed in 1977, resurfaced in the early 2000s. It became the blueprint for the restoration of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique – it’s a wonderfully unlikely story.

Our Photographer of the Year gallery for this week is another marvel of African nature and human creativity. We are nearing the end of the competition, so either head into the wild and take some snaps or trawl your archives – you might like to win 10 000USD and a luxury safari to Botswana. You can enter here.

Finally, have a look at our video of the week. The Last Horns of Africa is a scary look at what it means to be on the frontline of defending rhino in South Africa – when rangers have to find the courage to become soldiers.

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/giraffes-vs-lions/
LIONS VS GIRAFFES
This exceptional photo gallery by Kenyan guide and Photographer of the Year entrant James Nampaso showcases wild Africa at her most brutal

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/african-grey-parrots-in-traditional-medicine/
PARROT VOODOO
African grey parrots are targeted for medicinal and spiritual practices in West Africa. The trade is a significant threat to wild grey parrots

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/the-restoration-of-gorongosa-national-park/
GORONGOSA
A long-lost doctoral thesis by an ecologist far ahead of his time helps unleash the massive potential of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-15/
BEST PHOTOS
Week fifteen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year

DID YOU KNOW: There are an estimated 2000 languages spoken in Africa

WATCH: The Last Horns of Africa – trailer about the savage war to save rhino (2:36)

Photographer of the Year 2021 Weekly Selection: Week 15

The competition runs from January to June 2021. Get your entries in now and join us in celebrating Africa! Proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Natural Selection.

Here are the best submissions for this week

Nostrils of a hippopotamus break the surface of the Sand River. Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa. © Joe Welman

Solitude and serenity beneath a spectacular baobab and the Milky Way. Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana. © Anja Denker

A male kori bustard attempting to look like cotton candy to impress a female. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. © Annamaria Gremmo

Kaboso the leopardess glowing in the dew. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Artur Stankiewicz

Elephant in need of an umbrella. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Paul McDougall

Meyer’s parrot diving for an early morning bath. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Cornel Eksteen

The hunter on a chilly morning – secretary bird. Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Eleanor Hattingh

Meroe, city of ancient Kush on the east bank of the Nile about 6.4 km north of Kabūshīyah, is the most extensive archaeological site in the Republic of Sudan. The ruins of pyramids, palaces and official buildings stand silent where once a city thrived. © Joanna Piasny

The mighty herds. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Annamaria Gremmo

Cloud inversions seen from the Bell Cave. Northern Drakensberg, South Africa. © Joe Welman

Whiskered terns waiting for food. Tali Pan, Maun, Botswana. © Ken Oake

The forest clearing is a haven for animals attracted by mineral-rich soils. Mud bathing produces magical, golden elephants. Dzanga Bai, Dzanga-Sangha National Park, Central African Republic. © Matt Todd

A humpback whale breaches at sunset. Mayotte, Mozambique Channel. © Nicolas Fraisse

Barred fly in glorious (terrifying?) detail. Underberg, South Africa. © Wolf Avni

Red-collared widowbird in full display. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Paul McDougall

A curious male cub contemplating his massive meal. Djuma Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Rian Boshoff

Wizard of the woods – bark spider from the genus Caerostris. Van Staden’s Wildflower Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. © Sam Surdut

Evening play. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Sankhesh Dedhia

Rare desert flood. Sossusvlei, Namibia. © Valentino Morgante

Quiver tree forest. Keetmanshoop, Namibia. © Laurent Nilles

Wounded warrior – after a fight with another bull. South Africa. © Werner Hoetzel

The restoration of Gorongosa National Park

The following is the foreword by Greg Carr to a recently re-published thesis by Dr Ken Tinley who developed an ecological model for Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. The magnificent thesis was completed in 1977 and remains relevant to this day.

Introduction

I saw Gorongosa National Park for the first time from a helicopter on March 30, 2004. It looked magnificent from above. There were multiple forest and woodland types, grasslands, rivers, a lake, and fascinating geological formations. When we landed, however, it was clear we had trouble. The historic Chitengo Camp lay in ruins—former buildings were rubble. Where tourists once wandered, burned-out vehicles lay amongst grass that was higher than my head. That year, the Mozambican government asked me to help restore Gorongosa, once one of the most popular wildlife parks in all of Africa.

Process and response

In the 1960s, scientists said that Gorongosa had the densest abundance of wildlife of any natural area on the continent. This was no longer true. On our visit in 2004, we could drive an entire day and see perhaps one warthog or one baboon. Whatever other wildlife there was hidden in dense forests and had every reason to fear vehicles. Approximately 95% of the large animals were killed during and in the aftermath of one generation of war. How could we possibly restore a landscape of 400,000 hectares (one million acres)?

If we were going to help the Government of Mozambique re-wild this ecosystem, we needed to understand it. We needed to create a Park Management Plan.

My very small team and I searched the literature. We found popular accounts of Gorongosa in newspapers and even in the prestigious National Geographic Magazine, dating back to the early 1960s. However, we also needed scientific data. A Harvard University friend found a reference to a doctoral thesis called Framework of the Gorongosa Ecosystem published in 1977 by a Kenneth Lochner Tinley, but not the actual thesis. At the time, Google was a ‘child’, just six years old, and one did not find nearly every imaginable piece of information online. We learned that a physical copy of the thesis existed at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. We used ‘interlibrary loan’ to get that actual document (not a facsimile) sent by the postal service to Harvard and then to us. Helping me was Sydney Kwiram—a brilliant young woman and recent Harvard graduate.

The manuscript’s abstract included this paragraph: “The chapter titled ‘Process and Response’ is the central pivot of the thesis containing the kinetic aspects of geomorphological landscape changes with coevolutionary sequences of biotic communities which change (expand, contract and recombine) kaleidoscopically in space and time, in appearance and content.”

Wow. I am not a biologist. I wondered if I should return to the friendly, popular newspaper articles about Gorongosa! However, the Tinley masterpiece is written by an incredible hand. It is the kind of literature that a layperson can follow if one reads carefully, even as an expert will gather much more from the same page. Sydney and I devoured this tome. The thesis had chapters on landscape setting, geology, soils, hydrology, climate, wildlife—covering an area in central Mozambique larger than the Park boundaries themselves—under the labels of “Gorongosa Mountain Summit”, “Gorongosa Mountain Slopes”, “Midlands”, “Rift Valley”, “Coast Plateau”, and “Land-sea Junction”. There were graphs of data and hand-drawn maps by Dr Tinley. He did all of this prior to the existence of the personal computer, GPS, digital photography, drones and the Internet. He with his spouse, Lynne Tinley, and their two small children lived in Chitengo (the place where I had landed in March 2004) from 1968 to 1973.

Where on earth is Dr Tinley?

We had the document, but what about Ken Tinley? Was he still alive? Did he live in South Africa? We would not find those answers in 2004.
Meanwhile, our team of scientists used insights from the Tinley thesis as we wrote a proposal to the Government of Mozambique to co-manage and restore Gorongosa. Among many critical observations, Ken Tinley—speaking through his thesis—told us that, in order to save the ecosystem over the long term, Mount Gorongosa needed to be added to the Park. Mount Gorongosa holds one of only two true rainforests in Central Mozambique, full of endemic and near-endemic species. The mountain is the critical source of most of the Park’s surface water during the dry season. At this time, it did not have protected status.

We continued our studies, our visits to Gorongosa, and our talks with the Government of Mozambique. I expanded our team. In 2005, on one of the luckiest days of my life, I met Vasco Galante. Vasco became the Director of Communications for the non-profit ‘Gorongosa Restoration Project’. He is a human connector: he makes friends, then he becomes friends with their friends. He remembers everyone, every encounter, every event. We call him ‘Vascopedia’. Vasco’s records tell me that we found Ken Tinley in 2005. I sent him an email (which, of course, Vasco saved) on November 28, 2005, that says: “We are in communication with Dr Tinley (who now lives in Australia), and we have his thesis, which you will enjoy. I’ll ask Bridget to send you a copy.”

“In communication with Dr Tinley” actually meant that we had found an email address for his spouse Lynne (from someone who knew someone) and contacted her. Lynne is equally brilliant and is Ken’s lifelong teammate. She is an artist of Nature. She wrote Drawn from the Plains, a book about living in Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa Park’s headquarters, for five years. The book includes her original artwork. We located a copy.

I remember reading my first email reply from Lynne. I now felt that the legendary Gorongosa of the 1960s was no longer just a storybook place to read about in articles. I was talking to someone who had lived there, seen it, smelled it, heard it, and breathed it. Soon, I started receiving messages on Lynne’s email account written by Ken. I was finally talking to the person who had written Framework of the Gorongosa Ecosystem when I was still in middle school.

We corresponded with Ken steadily from 2005 on, sharing ideas and receiving welcome advice. Ecologist Dr Marc Stalmans was a consultant to us and later became Director of Science for Gorongosa National Park. He helped us plan the restoration. “Ken was truly ahead of his time,” Dr Stalmans explains, “applying a landscape ecological perspective well before this approach gained popularity in the 1980s-1990s. Ken manually applied GIS principles before the electronic tool was available. Whereas many studies conventionally only provide a snapshot in time, Ken’s work takes a long term, geomorphic and geo-ecological view of the Park in terms of the formation, evolution and long-term outcome of its ecosystems and constituting components. That’s why the work is still hugely relevant one half-century later. Even more astonishing is that this magnum opus resulted from Ken spending only five years in the Gorongosa ecosystem.”

On top of that, Dr Tinley still found time to sketch landscape perspectives of Banhine National Park in Mozambique and an area next to the Kruger National Park in South Africa that would later become part of the Limpopo National Park. Thirty years later, in the early 2000s, these perspectives became the foundation for the first landscape maps for both parks, which now form part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

In 1990, well after his five years living in Gorongosa Park, Ken worked with landscape architects in Pretoria. They agreed that the existence of a large number of national parks and nature reserves along the frontier between Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland opened the possibility for multi-national transfrontier resource areas (referenced by Dr Stalmans above).

It was exciting to think that existing protected areas could be linked by some of the little populated areas in between—to create one of the largest conservation zones in the world. Rural communities living within the resource areas, as well as the governments of the various countries, would benefit. Ken was one of the originators of the idea that became known as ‘Peace Parks’. President Nelson Mandela, a founder of the Peace Parks Foundation, believed national parks could link nations or regions that had previously seen conflict. His theory: The connected ecosystems would be good not only for wildlife but deliver benefits and peaceful relations to people as well.

We completed the first draft of our Park Management Plan and finalised our co-management contract with the Government of Mozambique. In January of 2008, I signed a 20-year agreement with the Government to co-manage and restore the Gorongosa ecosystem and to bring human development services to the communities that live adjacent to the Park. (That agreement has now been extended to 35 years, until 2043.)

In 2008 we revitalised the ranger team. The team began removing wildlife traps and snares from the Park; some left over from the war. We started a health care programme in nearby communities. We began our first attempts at tourism.

Meeting Ken Tinley

Yet, I had still not met Ken Tinley. I invited him to come and see what we were doing. In October 2010, Ken spent five days with us in Gorongosa.

On the last day of his visit, Ken shared a poignant story with us. This trip was not the first time he had been to Gorongosa since 1973. In 1994, after the war ended, Ken and a man named Paul Dutton, along with José Tello (ex-warden of Gorongosa), were contracted by the IUCN to survey the condition of the National Park. Like Ken, Paul had begun his career as a Game Ranger in the Zululand Provincial Game Reserves and later continued his education to earn a graduate degree in Ecology. They became lifelong friends. In his own small Piper Cub airplane, Paul helped Ken and José perform the first aerial surveys of the vast herds of large ungulates during the first year of Ken’s research in Gorongosa. In 1994, they found what I saw a decade later: no wildlife and destroyed infrastructure.

The Future

The Gorongosa Restoration Team has made great progress from 2010 to 2019. Our rangers removed over 27,000 traps and snares. We reintroduced some species that we obtained from other national parks, such as buffalo and wildebeest from Kruger. But mostly, in a safer environment, the remaining small populations of wildlife were able to increase on their own. In 2018 we conducted an aerial wildlife survey and counted more than 100,000 large animals. (This represented just the fifteen largest species we could count from the air, not the innumerable smaller species that are also thriving.) The press has been kind to us. National Geographic refers to us as perhaps Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story.

We also made headway on our human development programme in the traditional communities that share the greater ecosystem with the Park. Our after-school Girls’ Clubs keep teenage girls in school and out of child marriage. We help small farmers get better yields on their land. We’re restoring the rainforest on Mount Gorongosa by planting shade-grown coffee. We provide healthcare to more than 100,000 people per year.

This idea that national parks should benefit the local people was one of Ken Tinley’s early insights and it forms the core of our philosophy at Gorongosa Park. But not only that, we also believe that local people should lead the management of these protected areas. They have knowledge and expertise about the healthy functioning of these ecosystems that they have inhabited since time immemorial. and they can combine that wisdom with 21^st Century ecological science.

During the Colonial era, most Mozambicans were not allowed to go to school beyond the fourth grade. It is a painful and unpleasant fact, but one we should remember. At the Gorongosa Project, our goal is to empower the next generation of Mozambican scientists who will lead this ecosystem to the 22^nd Century. They face of a new set of challenges, perhaps even greater than the wars of the 20^th Century – climate change, pollution, invasive species, habitat loss and over-harvesting. Thus, we created a Master’s in Conservation Biology, a two-year program located in the park. It is the only master’s programme in the world taught entirely within a national park. We’ve already graduated our first cadre of twelve Mozambican women and men. The second group will finish at the end of 2021.

We also help Mozambicans continue their education to earn PhDs. Dominique Goncalves, a Mozambican woman who grew up near Gorongosa, is completing her PhD in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Kent in the UK. She also is the Manager of Elephant Ecology at Gorongosa Park. In October of 2018, I travelled with Dominique to Perth, Australia, to meet Ken and Lynne Tinley in their home. The walls of their apartment were covered with Lynne’s original artwork, some paintings of Gorongosa. Ken and Dominique talked for two days. He gave her unpublished notes from his research as the two of them exchanged ideas, passing the torch of Gorongosa science to the next generation.

Greg Carr
April 14^th, 2021.

Ken Tinley’s thesis is available for purchase at 150 USD plus shipping. If interested, please email Megan Carolla at megancarolla@gmail.com.

See more of magnificent Gorongosa here: Gorongosa in Images.

African grey parrots in traditional medicine

The African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is one of the most heavily-traded bird species globally, prized for its attractive looks, intelligence and propensity for mimicry. While most trade supplies the exotic pet trade, a new study confirms that grey parrots are also being sold in traditional medicine markets and consumed for belief-based use in some West African countries. Feathers, whole parrot remains, and parrot heads are traded for various medicinal and spiritual uses.

According to the study and previous research, over 1.2 million wild-sourced African grey parrots have been traded internationally since the 1970s. The unsustainable trapping and trading of wild parrots, along with habitat loss, has resulted in dramatic population declines across the ranges of both African grey parrots and Timneh parrots (P. timneh). In some countries, populations have declined by as much as 90% over the past 25 years. Though there has been little research into the use of grey parrots in traditional medicine, researchers have now made inroads into understanding the dimensions of this established trade.

Researchers interviewed five vendors at the ‘fetish’ market – Marché des Fétiches – in Togo, West Africa to investigate the purpose and socio-economic drivers of belief-based use. The market is the largest of its kind for belief-based medicine in West Africa, and here wildlife trade is conducted openly, even when certain species are protected by national legislation. The vendors were selected on the basis that they had been previously observed trading parrot parts. The questions asked of the vendors focused on the body parts sold, the purpose and price, the source country, and the species availability.

Their findings suggest that approximately 900 grey parrots were traded over the past ten years in the marketplace. The majority of parrot heads were sold for improving memory and spiritual ‘protection from witchcraft’ and ‘good luck’. Feathers are purchased for spiritual use, ‘attracting clients’, ‘love’, and ‘help with divorce’. According to the vendors, parrot heads were the most valuable parts, fetching several times the value of parrot feathers. Concerningly, the majority of the vendors reported a decrease in the availability of grey parrot parts.

This use of African grey parrots for belief-based practices is not a new phenomenon, and the vendors reported that all purchases over the past decade had involved regular customers. This, in turn, indicates a local demand for the trade in parrot parts beyond the international trade in live parrots. However, the researchers emphasise that further research is needed to understand the relationship between the two different trades, as evidence suggests a degree of connectivity. It is likely that some of the parrot remains in the markets were sourced from parrots that died during the trapping/transport process for the pet trade. (The trapping and trading of wild parrots raise serious welfare concerns and is estimated to have a 40-60% mortality rate.)

Related to the relationship between the two types of trade is whether the increase in scarcity of parrots reflects the collapse of local wild populations or the recent reduction in international trade (precipitated by increased international legal restrictions). The vendors all stated that Benin and Togo were the main source countries for parrot derivatives. Yet, experts believe that wild populations of grey parrots in these countries are negligible or even extinct. The grey parrots in neighbouring countries such as Ghana have also shown a precipitous population decline. If there are small remaining populations, even low exploitation levels would be disastrous and could result in further local extinctions.

As is the case with any wildlife species, it is challenging to assess the impact of belief-based use. As the study acknowledges, aspects of the trade (such as the trade in feathers) may prove sustainable. The authors also emphasise that the study’s intention was not to determine the extent of the trade – the information provided by the vendors may have been either exaggerated or underestimated. Instead, the interviews were conducted to inform further research and direct future conservation efforts. Immediate intervention initiatives could include education initiatives and the provision of herbal alternatives.

The conservation efforts directed at saving the surviving African grey parrot populations are intricate and multi-faceted, involving everything from international trade policy to dangerous anti-poaching and sting operations. While the study identifies the need for further in-depth research into this threat to grey parrots, it is only through understanding the patterns and drivers of the trade that effective strategies can be developed to mitigate its effects.

The full study can be accessed here: ‘Trade in African grey Parrots for Belief-Based Use: Insights From West Africa’s Largest Traditional Medicine Market‘, Assou, D. et al., (2021), Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

Read more about grey parrots: Shades of Grey

CEO note: Elephants – good & bad news

CEO NOTE: 16 April 2021

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I watched this trailer for an African-themed movie and was not sure whether to laugh out loud or vomit in the back of my mouth. If you can get past the horrendous type-casting of African people and gobsmackingly misinformed portrayals of predators waiting around every corner to eat you alive – then you are a better person than I. Apparently, there are rhinos in Amboseli (which attack and flip vehicles), and the hyenas there whoop like gibbons when hunting humans. Breathe deeply Simon, move on …

Back to reality, and after a really good wet summer here in the Greater Kruger region, the seasons have turned, and our autumnal grass and woodlands are rapidly turning golden brown as we prepare for a long dry winter. We are heading into the best wildlife-viewing time, and intrepid travellers are taking advantage of Covid-impacted low prices and few tourists. Need I say more?

Keep the passion

Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic

From our Editor-in-Chief

This week is much about the elephants – one a good news, if rather technical, story and the other, another blight on humanity’s appalling environmental report card. In the first one below, veteran Namibian conservationist Gail Thomson describes exactly how the Namibian government arrived at their population figure of 24 000 elephants. Despite what naysayers might argue, it would seem that Namibia’s elephant population is thriving and increasing. Long may that last.

Our second story below leaves me bemused. Quite how it has taken the IUCN so long to recognise the species status of the forest elephant despite science having known about it for almost 20 years, is beyond me. What on earth have they been doing? With the speed of frozen treacle oozing uphill, the politicians, lawyers and scientists have finally made it official and the news is not good – the forest elephant is critically endangered.

After all that, our third story below should be much more fun and encouraging. Mix yourself a pina colada (yes, I know you’re at work but that might make it taste even better). I’ve always had a fascination with remote ocean islands. This story of Mauritian conservation – pristine beaches, coral reefs, tropical fishes, lush forests, endemic animals and cascading waterfalls – had me yearning to feel the sand between my toes, hearing the drum of the ocean and the primordial sound of the island jungle.

Finally, our Photographer of the Year is heading into the final stages. Please send this link to anyone you know who takes good shots of Africa – they might like to win 10 000USD and a luxury safari to Botswana. Mix another pina colada and enjoy the 14th celebration of our magical continent!

Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/its-not-too-good-to-be-true-elephants-are-thriving-in-namibia/
LET THE FACTS SPEAK
Namibia’s refusal to participate in the Great Elephant Census caused doubt about their claimed elephant numbers. See their peer-reviewed stats here

Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/forest-elephants/
HERE TODAY …
Critically endangered: Forest elephants have finally been granted species status (something scientists have known for decades)

Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/protecting-paradise-mauritius/
PROTECTING PARADISE
Mauritius – an island beach paradise that also offers volcanic mountains, ancient forest & incredible biodiversity – the perfect green safari

Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2021-weekly-selection-week-14/
BEST PHOTOS
Week fourteen of our 2021 Photographer of the Year

DID YOU KNOW: Of the estimated 9 million species in the world today, more than two-thirds are insects and, of these, 40% are beetles. JBS Haldane reportedly quipped that if there is a creator, he is inordinately fond of beetles

WATCH: A fascinating graphic representation of human-carnivore conflict based on a scientific paper (3:19)

Giraffes vs lions

Kenyan guide James Nampaso entered a few startling images of giraffes and lions for our 2021 Photographer of the Year. See his submitted images in this weekly selection. We were interested to know more about what happened, and James submitted the following images and story:

“The event took place in the Maasai Mara ( Olare Motorogi Conservancy) in Kenya. During a morning game drive I saw two female lionesses watching a female giraffe and her calf from the cover of a croton bush. Soon the lions started stalking the giraffes and I told my guests to get their cameras ready. The lions managed to jump onto the calf, but the mother giraffe chased them away. Once the rest of the pride arrived they surrounded the giraffes, and after about half an hour, a lioness managed to jump onto the mother giraffe’s back and so distract her. During that separation, the lions killed the baby while the mother giraffe managed to escape.” James Nampaso