Page 35 – Africa Geographic

A petrified forest in Sibiloi National Park

Sibiloi National Park in northern Kenya is vast, arid, remote and miles from the capital Nairobi and wildlife areas that the country is famed for.

“Next on our itinerary is the petrified forest,” said our guide as he came by our hotel to pick us up. “That’s interesting,” I thought to myself, curious to find out what a petrified forest looked like. We were on a week-long tour to Northern Kenya’s Sibiloi National Park. The drive from our hotel to Karsa Gate (the main entrance to the Sibiloi National Park) was about an hour or so. It took another half an hour from the entrance to reach the site of the petrified forest.

Discovered by researchers in the early ’70s, this site of numerous fossilised sections of trees, dates back to prehistoric times. According to our guide, this scrubland was once covered with lakes, rivers and lush rain forest. Powerful torrential rivers carried fallen trees into a vast swampland. The trees sank deep into the morass absorbing sediment and large amounts of the minerals in the water. Over an inordinate amount of time the trees became fossilised and turned into stone.

We immediately embarked on the trek up the hill. Most of the petrified tree trunks are strewn across hilly terrain. This means the petrified forest is mainly accessible by foot. It was hot. The sun was merciless. Eleven o’clock and the heat of the day was already in the mid-30s. Plodding up, using the protruding roots and rocks as support, I steadily made my way to the top following a marked path. Interspersed with huge logs of stone and countless broken chunks strewn about the ground, the hike gives you an up-close and touchable experience with the petrified trunks.

At the top of the hill, we were able to enjoy uninterrupted views of the petrified forest, the panoramic view gives you an overall lay of the land, with some of the petrified tree trunks looking like small dots from afar. The view was well worth walking through the sweltering heat. We spend a good amount of time up close and personal with the petrified trunks taking pictures, exploring the surroundings, watching the stone tree trunks sparkle in the sunlight and simply savouring the views.

All in all, it was a fascinating experience to hike through this place that was once a forest but vanished aeons ago. I loved this unique natural phenomenon that seemed to be from another world, a place resembling a mysterious cache of natural art frozen in stone. An austere landscape where the past speaks about a history of repeated jolts of climate change.

The petrified forest in Sibiloi National Park is definitely one of Kenya’s hidden gems and I would highly recommend this place to anyone. Get to experience life in this middle-of-nowhere in Kenya’s northern frontier. The remoteness undoubtedly adds to the charm of the destination.

If you are planning a trip to the petrified forest plan to carry your camera for excellent photographic opportunities. It goes without saying that in the blistering terrain you will need to refresh and replenish yourself with plenty of water, but also probably a good idea to pack some snacks. Don’t forget to put on your sunscreen and if possible wear a hat.

A shout out to Abdikadirhe, a curator at the nearby Loiyangalani Museum, who was not only a wonderful guide but gladly shared his wealth of information about the petrified forest.

Also read: Kenya’s Shaba National Reserve: wild Africa at its best

The model and the San

How can I begin to tell the story of the Ju/’Hoansi-San people? There are so many stories to tell, and they are the original storytellers. They have hunted and gathered for centuries, and they have left a long legacy of taking responsibility for the natural world around them, which they understand to be their provider.

The San have always been survivors who adapt against the odds, and perhaps this is partly due to their exemplary ethos of sharing everything they have with each other. For they believe that if we share, we will have enough.

San hunters stalking prey using bows and poisoned arrows ©Christian Boix

The Ju/’Hoansi-San people of the Nyae Nyae

The country that we now call Namibia was settled by hunter-gatherers at least 100,000 years ago. This may have only recently been proven by scientists thanks to archaeological discoveries, but the few hunter-gatherers that remain have always been aware of their ancestry. Now known as bushmen or the San, their ancestors were Namibia’s very first citizens, and they are part of one of the oldest tribes on Earth. Experts say we can still find traces of the earliest relatives of modern man in their genes.

Most people have heard of the Maasais, the Zulus, and many other indigenous groups across Africa but, for some reason, the San are often overlooked. Perhaps some people prefer to forget that the San were once classified as animals; that they were showcased in museums; that they were hunted for sport, trapped and abused.

San children playing together ©Christian Boix

san-bushman-food — A San tribesman prepares a freshly caught animal for consumption ©Aleksandra Ørbeck-Nilsen

San people set off with poles used to hook and retrieve porcupines or spring hares from their deep burrows ©Christian Boix

2,300 Ju/’Hoansi-San are living in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy – a semi-desert region covered by thorn bush that is located in part of an area, formerly known as Bushmanland, that was used to segregate ethnic groups during Apartheid.

Due to a rapidly developing world, today the San are arguably considered to be the most marginalised group in Southern Africa and are squeezed into 10% of their former territory. They live in extreme poverty and have been forced away from their original lands as a result of illegal land grabbing, leaving the San unable to survive in their traditional way. It used to be easy for the San women to gather when they could move from place to place, but nowadays the resources in their area do not have enough time to replenish, and the community is in competition with the elephants over the little food that is available. As a result, food security is generally quite low in San communities, and not many youths gain a basic education, so illiteracy and unemployment rates are very high.

The majority of the children living in this isolated region don’t have a bright future, and the health status of the San is undoubtedly linked to their low socio-economic status, as their life expectancy – at just 48 years – is 22% lower than the national average. These may all be sad facts, but the San are not unhappy people. On the contrary, they are great, and I feel lucky to learn from them.

If you are someone who adds baobab powder to your smoothie, follows a Banting diet, or tries to focus more on the now and to own less, then you are already following in the footsteps of the San without even necessarily knowing it. Ancient knowledge is catching up with us in a modern context, and there is a reverse trend towards a simpler way of life. But the San are already experts in this field.

A San game that involves enacting a mirror image of your opponent ©Christian Boix

san-bushmen-dancing-around-fire — A San tribal dance around the fire ©Jarrod Kyte

san-bushmen-walking — The San people are the original hunter-gatherers of Africa ©Harald Pokeiser

A barefoot solution

When I first went to Africa, I was like many travellers in that I wanted to help. But when I met the San people, I realised that the opposite had happened. They had saved me from my poverty of perception and opened my eyes to how much we can all teach each other. What they may lack in material wealth, they more than make up for in richness of spirit.

I started to realise that the western perception of Africa is creating more limitations than possibilities. For many years westerners have been arrogantly trying to change people’s lives without actually including them in the decision-making process.

This inspired me to upgrade the traditional outreach approach to encourage inter-dependency so that both parties give and receive. We need knowledge exchange and communication to all be able to live happily in this world, and everyone needs to teach and be taught.

Cultural tourism involves profiting from indigenous communities by offering tourists a chance to see how the locals live. However, in many cases, the tour operators are getting richer from this initiative, while the local people and their culture is becoming poorer. If cultural tourism is the only future that awaits, it’s understandable why school drop-out rates and alcohol abuse is rife in some indigenous communities.

san-bushman-and-aleksandra-orbeck-nilsen — A San tribesman bends down to talk with Aleksandra ©Harald Pokeiser

san-bushmen-and-model-around-fire — Aleksandra sitting around the fire talking to the tribesmen ©Harald Pokeiser

aleksandra-san-bushman-examine-tracks — A skilled San tracker shares his knowledge with Aleksandra ©Louis Libenberg

However, there are ways to share the stories, dreams, ideas and experiences of African tribes without compromising their lifestyle or pride. At Nanofasa Conservation Trust, we believe that ancient knowledge can create modern-day work opportunities. Nanofasa is a non-profit trust in Namibia that was established in Norway in 2011, and that aims to empower the ancient San communities living next to conservation areas to protect wildlife while maintaining and celebrating their culture.

Nanofasa means ‘nature never jumps’ and, together with the San people, the organisation works to ensure healthy and productive interactions between nature, culture and communities to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems for a sustainable future.

The Chinese proverb goes: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” However, what happens if you do not need to teach a man a skill because he has all the skills he needed for thousands of years until modernity took away many of his possibilities to live off the land? Give a man a job he does not like, and there will be little success. However, if you give him the resources he needs to make his skills and knowledge useful again, you then have a sustainable model at hand.

Nanofasa provides San people with the opportunity to become qualified trackers, traditional teachers, guides, and botanists, then assist the Nanofasa research team in ensuring that their surrounding environment thrives. The San people have passed invaluable skills from generation to generation, and Nanofasa’s Barefoot Academy empowers individuals in their area of expertise.

aleksandra-san-woman — Two women from very different cultures connect ©Harald Pokeiser

namibia-team-project — The team at Nanofasa ©Nanofasa Conservation Trust

The moral of the story

The Ju/’Hoansi-San have shown me that nature needs people and that people need nature. Their intrinsic understanding of this symbiosis is why we decided to run Nanofasa based on a model where the San are responsible for leading the way to sustainability.

For real development to take place, we need to nurture, protect and preserve not only our natural environment and wildlife but also our people, their culture and customs. Local communities are the key to a sustainable future. Nanofasa wishes to assist in the battle against poverty and discrimination by facilitating projects that are initiated by the San communities, grounded in their participation and driven forward by the local people themselves.

We need to start working with communities and natural areas within Africa that have stories to tell – stories that will make outsiders want to contribute. We do not have to sell Africa and all its contents; we can tell its stories so that they can continue to be written for generations to come.

We can switch our phones to silent, rewild our perceptions and roar together as one. The tracks are already there, but we have to read them and choose which direction to take. And I choose to leave tracks alongside the San, with the hope of heading together towards a sustainable future.

Working towards a sustainable future with the San people ©Harald Pokeiser

Following in the footsteps of the San ©Louis Liebenberg

About the author

Aleksandra Ørbeck-Nilssen is a 26-year-old viking from Norway. She is the founder and CEO of Nanofasa Conservation Trust, and has a heart that is dedicated to Namibian communities and wildlife conservation.

After working many years as a model and actress at an international level in Paris and New York, Aleksandra chose to settle in Africa. She now works to protect the remaining wilderness in Namibia – the home of giant trees, endangered wildlife, and the ancient San tribe.

Zambian poaching crisis fuelled by Chinese military

Zambia’s elephant population has declined by about 90% due to poaching. Its black rhino population, estimated at 13,000 in 1981, is now extinct. Oscar Nkala visited the border town of Livingstone to find out what’s driving the poaching crisis. Written by: Oscar Nkala for Oxpeckers

An estimated 14 elephant tusks worth US$140,000 were found in two suitcases belonging to Colonel Oscar Chapula, then military adviser to the commander of the Zambian army, as the commander’s entourage prepared to fly out on a seven-day working visit to China on 29th May 2013.

Chapula was arrested, along with two unnamed Chinese embassy officials who reportedly claimed diplomatic immunity. They were released following interventions by authorities, including then defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba, army commander Brigadier General Paul Mihova, and the then Chinese ambassador to Zambia, Zhou Yuxiao, who deployed his military attaché to win back custody of the tusks, according to a report in the Zambian Watchdog.

“The latest [ivory] seizure and arrests at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport involved some diplomats. We needed to get some clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs for police to conduct interviews so that they can establish who the owner of the tusks was and where those tusks were going,” the then Zambian minister of tourism and arts, Sylvia Masebo, said on 12 June 2013 as she explained why the government had not opened an investigation into the incident.

That was the last official pronouncement on the case, and none of the Chinese embassy or Zambian army officials involved were ever prosecuted.

Army role in poaching

According to a Transparency International Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index report of February 2015, there is a “very high risk” of defence force corruption in Zambia.

The report probed for evidence of defence institutions having control or financial interests in businesses associated with natural resource exploitation, what the interests were, and whether they were publicly stated or subjected to scrutiny.

“Members of the Zambian army and police units, all suffering from income declines, possess the weapons and authority to support a great deal of illegal hunting activity,” it said.

“A report by the Zambia Wildlife Conservation Society found well-documented incidents of army personnel setting up roadblocks at game park entrances. Army vehicles, laden with meat and tusks, would be seen driving away later.

“Even if not directly poaching, soldiers and police have regularly allowed other Zambians to rent, purchase, or borrow official weapons and ammunition.

Game meat poaching — Slaughter scene: piles of game meat recovered from poachers in March 2016 ©Zambian Parks and Wildlife Authority

“There are also allegations of Chinese diplomats involved in cartels with rogue military officials in Zambia in exporting ivory to China. There is no evidence to suggest that the interests of defence and security institutions involved in illegal hunting are publicly declared and subject to public and parliamentary scrutiny,” the anti-graft watchdog concluded.

On 16 May this year, the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife announced that Zambian Air Force captain Mwiya Masheke and flight sergeant Mutemwa Chripine had been detained, together with Namibian national Nefuma Taleni Stefanus and Zambian businessman Martin Maimba, in connection with the illegal possession of rhino horns weighing 3.9kg.

The four were arrested by police acting on a tip-off while they were allegedly selling the ivory to the businessman at a shopping mall in Chawama township, Lusaka. They were remanded in custody after appearing in court on charges of violating the Zambia Wildlife Act.

Poaching – an organised crime

Earlier this year, Deputy Tourism Minister Patrick Ngoma told a regional wildlife conference in Victoria Falls that Chinese ivory trafficking syndicates were responsible for hiring Zambians to poach elephants and rhinos in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola and Namibia.

Ngoma pointed out that, despite some improvements in counter-poaching initiatives, Zambia is struggling to contain the internal poaching crisis, which has led to the extinction of the country’s black rhinos over the past decades.

Asked to comment on whether the government had found evidence of Zambian army involvement in poaching, Ngoma said it would be unfair to label the army as an institutional driver of the poaching crisis, although some soldiers had been found to be involved in ivory poaching and trafficking.

“In Zambia, we have poaching syndicates made up of locals, some of them in the army, and yes, some Chinese as well as Zimbabwean, Malawian, Tanzanian, Namibian and Congolese [Democratic Republic of Congo] nationals,” he said.

“In cases where soldiers are arrested, they face the same criminal justice system as everybody else. We are not looking at apportioning blame, but rather we want to stop poaching regardless of whether the perpetrators are soldiers, civilians or foreigners.”

The army’s public relations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Luwespo Sinyinza, told Oxpeckers that, like in every other army in the world, there are rogue soldiers who commit crimes while serving. However, he said the activities of a few “rogues” should not be used to create the impression that the army as an institution is involved in poaching.

“The Zambian army, like all other professional institutions, has to deal with rogue soldiers who commit crimes from time to time. We always let the law deal with the criminals as individuals. We, therefore, do not understand why the media and other organisations should use isolated incidents to paint the army as a poaching institution,” Sinyinza said.

He declined to comment on whether there had been any follow-ups to the 2013 ivory seizure at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport involving Chapula and two Chinese embassy officers. Efforts to contact former defence minister Mwamba were unsuccessful.

Multiple drivers

Conservation bodies estimate Zambia has lost more than 144,000 elephants to poaching in the past 30 years. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the country’s elephant population has declined by 90%, from an estimated 160,000 in 1981 to just over 16,000 in 2015.

The black rhino population, estimated at 13,000 in 1981, has been depleted to extinction by poachers. Only a small population of white rhinos remains in national parks.

The Zambian government’s attempts to contain the multiple drivers of the poaching crisis have failed since the extinction of the black rhino in 1984, said a report published by the American University (Washington DC) in February 2015.

“Faced with the extinction of the black rhino and the decimation of the elephant, the Zambian government initiated several wildlife conservation policies, including cross-border agreements with Zimbabwe and other countries where rhino and elephant poaching is common, aimed at reducing the amount of rhino and elephant poaching,” it said. “But these conservation efforts have had little long-term impacts as many Zambian poachers have crossed the border to neighbouring Zimbabwe to continue poaching.

“Other problems – such as a weak economy, limited resources for wildlife preservation, competition with local farmers for land, the politics of wildlife legislation and a very lucrative global market in ivory – have made it very difficult for the Zambian government to protect its rhino and elephant populations.”

The current Tourism and Arts Minister, Jean Kapata, said the government was concerned about the emergence of poaching syndicates, which have resorted to the use of poisons to kill elephants in large numbers.

“Of late, we are more concerned about the use of poisons to kill animals, especially elephants and hyenas, vultures and other collateral poaching targets. These poaching syndicates remain a threat to all the gains we have achieved working together over the last 30 years,” Kapata said at an event held on 22 March 2016 to commemorate 30 years of working with the Frankfurt Zoological Society on elephant conservation initiatives through the North Luangwa (National Park) Conservation Programme.

Chinese-Zambian army relationship

Military relations between China and Zambia have blossomed, with the sale of aircraft, small arms and, more recently, patrol boats to equip the new Zambia Army Marine Commando force, which was set up to patrol the country’s lakes and rivers last August.

Three months after the May 2013 arrest of the Chinese diplomats and the seizure of the elephant tusks, Chinese ambassador Zhou Yuxiao announced the signing of a US$8-million agreement on the sale of military equipment to Zambia.

The deal also covered the secondment of 11 Chinese doctors to Zambian army hospitals, as well as the rehabilitation of military hospitals in the towns of Ndola and Maina Soko.

In April 2014, the two countries capped their relationship with a Zambian air force order of six Chinese jets worth US$100-million. The first aircraft was due to be delivered to Zambia within the first half of 2016.

Ambassador Zhou Yuxiao left Zambia in July 2014, and was replaced by the current ambassador, Yang Youming.

He did not respond to questions emailed to him by Oxpeckers, as advised by an embassy official. Oxpeckers was also unable to get a response from the Chinese chancellory, an annex of the embassy in Lusaka.

Pack of rogue domestic dogs chase animals in Kruger

A pack of nine domestic dogs were spotted recently on the S3 near the Kruger National Park (KNP) by Samuel Breisacher and his uncle Daniel Waldis. The dogs were chasing a jackal. Source: Lowvelder

Breisacher said these dogs might have crossed over into the KNP from the Cork community. They crossed the dry Sabie River into the park. The sighting was reported to rangers that Breisacher luckily bumped into on the S3.

“I could see the rangers were shocked and worried. They immediately radioed for help and left in a hurry,” he said. “‘I have never seen anything like this. The dogs were very focused and showed the same behaviour as wild dogs. It is not good at all that they were in the park because they might have diseases and pass that on to the other animals, especially the wild dogs,” said Breisacher.

Breisacher is a chocolatier from Stellenbosch and his main chocolate brand, Le Chocolatier, is sold in the retail outlets in the camps so he frequents the KNP often. He is a dedicated conservationist. One of his other chocolate brands, Big 5, is designed to further the cause of saving endangered rhinos. A portion of the profit goes towards Unite Against Poaching.

Dr Kelly Marnewick, manager of Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Carnivore Conservation Programme, is currently busy with Grant Beverley, field officer for the EWT’s Kruger Park Wild Dog Project. They are darting and inoculating wild dogs in the KNP against distemper and other diseases. She said there is a danger of passing diseases on if dogs like these come into contact with wild dogs during a fight.

Since May seven packs of wild dogs have been vaccinated. It is estimated by Marnewick that there are only 300 of them left in the KNP, and only 500 in South Africa.

“It is difficult to say if these dogs would be able to reach the wild dogs, but it is a real risk if they do get to a pack that has not been vaccinated,” said Marnewick.

As recently as 13 May 2016 a pack of wild dogs was found dead with distemper, a dog disease caused by a virus found in domestic canines. The virus had wiped out the pack within 48 hours of it being detected, indicating an incredibly vicious strain.

Canine distemper quickly attacks the nervous system and causes discharge from the eyes and nose, excessive diarrhoea, lung damage, vomiting and eventual death.

There was an outcry on Facebook when Breisacher mentioned his sighting. Regular Kruger visitors stated that the dogs belong to poachers, who use them in packs to hunt down animals in the areas around their communities for subsistence living and to sell to bush butcheries.

Mr Wiliam Mabasa, acting head of communications at SANParks, said the dogs will be put down if they are found in the park. “The danger remains that rabies could be passed on to other animals if these dogs are disease-ridden.”

A dog with rabies was recently put down in White River by the SPCA. White River is about an hour’s drive from the community that Breisacher thinks the dogs hailed from.

Taking a safari to new levels

Africa Geographic organised for our safari to start in Zimbabwe with a visit to Hwange National Park. Located in a beautiful open area of the park, Camp Hwange overlooks a pan that constantly attracts elephants, zebras, impalas, sables, and warthogs. The hosts, the guides and the food were all exceptional, and we enjoyed both game drives and walking safaris. Written by: Justin Mason

There were many highlights of the trip – approaching a huge bull elephant on foot and tracking a lioness through the bush, only to be warned off by a growl, were just a couple of these. The game viewing was terrific every single day, and we enjoyed several amazing lion encounters and a very special encounter with African wild dogs.

After Hwange, we travelled by road to our Botswana wildlife safari where we met up with other AG guests and our brilliant guides Francois and Alex. Suffice it to say we had a week full of laughs and incredible game viewing. Based at an excellent campsite, we explored the stunning and harsh landscape of the Savute in Chobe National Park.

The trip’s predator theme lived up to its name and we enjoyed exceptional sightings and photographic opportunities of the elusive leopard, as well as lions and hyenas on many occasions, and we also spotted Savuti’s wild dogs. Elephants drinking in a dust storm, the exceptional birdlife, baobabs at sunset, and the diversity of game were all very special highlights. Each evening we sat around the campfire and listened to the resident leopard roaring as she circled the camp, while we photographed the beautiful owls that visited the site.

We eventually had to bid a fond farewell to our group and headed back to Zimbabwe to finish our trip at the famous ‘smoke that thunders’ – Victoria Falls, where we stayed at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. AG was spot-on once more, and we cannot recommend this fun and friendly hotel more highly. It has gorgeous views, a busy waterhole, terrific rooms, delicious food, and an extensive range of activities.

Witnessing firsthand the Victoria Falls was not only magnificent but a thoroughly enjoyable and awe-inspiring experience, as was canoeing and fishing on the wonderful Zambezi River, while dodging hippos and crocodiles and watching a variety of game coming down to drink. Christian from AG recommended that we visit Siduli Hide on our final morning on safari in Vic Falls, and indeed it was a fascinating and fun end to a trip not to be missed.

Thank you Africa Geographic! Zimbabwe and Botswana – we will be back!

A photographic bonanza of predators in Savuti

Written by: Francois van Heerden (guide)

I had the pleasure of guiding Africa Geographic guests on a photographic trip to search for predators in Savute – Chobe National Park, Botswana. Here are some images and feedback from the trip.

When we arrived in Kasane and saw warthogs running down the main road through town, we knew this was going to be an experience we would all remember!

After settling in and meeting all participants on our first afternoon, we set off on a leisurely boat cruise down the Chobe River. We were soon elated to watch herds of elephant and buffalo crowding on the river banks to quench their thirst. Pods of hippo snorted and sprayed as we floated by, and massive crocodiles that were basking on the banks watched us carefully as we approached and left them behind.

Few treats beat a Photographic cruise on the Chobe like the one that awaited us on the first day © Joe Knapman — Few treats beat a photographic cruise on the Chobe like the one that awaited us on the first day ©Joe Knapman

Early the next morning we set off for Savuti, taking in the sights along the way and stopping for a packed lunch in the middle of nowhere. Upon arrival at our private campsite, we were excited to note that we were superbly positioned next to the Savuti Channel. The excitement was palpable as everyone realised what an idyllic and productive base this would be from which to explore this surreal wilderness. Our first drive served as an excellent taste of what was to come, as we saw two leopards with a kill up a big old camel thorn tree!

Kickstarting the safari in style by seeing a leopard in a camelthorn tree. ©Francois van Heerden — Kickstarting the safari in style by seeing a leopard in a camelthorn tree ©Francois van Heerden

The evenings in camp were accompanied by an orchestra of sounds as the bush came alive around us with smaller predators calling incessantly. The barred owl, the white-faced scops owl, the pearl-spotted owl and the African scops owls even modelled for the odd photo shoot! Every single night we heard the territorial calls of lions and leopards around camp, and a leopard strolled through camp twice in plain sight, without a care in the world. We were also visited by an endearing honey badger one evening after dinner!

An Africa barred owl warming up for its crepuscular serenade ©Sarah Drake — An African barred-owl warming up for its crepuscular serenade ©Sarah Drake

Dinner was, without exception, simply amazing! The camp staff provided excellent bush cooked meals, including an utterly decadent chocolate cake cooked in a pan over the open fire. The staff, guides and cooks at our exclusive mobile tented camp did an awesome job, seamlessly keeping the mood upbeat and the element of surprise alive. There is not enough praise to commend their efforts in making us feel simultaneously at home and pampered whilst in the bush – they truly re-defined ‘glamping’.

Glamping ©Justin Mason — Camping in style in Savuti ©Justin Mason

Every drive had its highlight but the first morning set the tone for the rest of the trip, as a big sandstorm gave us the unusual photographic opportunity to watch and photograph several bull elephants drinking against an eerie, ghostly white backdrop.

Elephant drinking ©Francois Van Heerden — An elephant drinking ©Francois Van Heerden

We managed to locate lions on almost every drive and it was such a pleasure to photograph the well-known Savuti Marsh Pride. Years ago when the Savuti Channel dried up, this pride survived against the odds by learning to take down elephants, as game was hard to come by with such little water available.

Lioness on the prowl ©Joe Knapmann — A lioness on the prowl ©Joe Knapman

The harshness of Savuti cannot be easily explained, it has to be experienced. Fortunately for the lions and the elephants, the channel started flowing again and the general game returned to the area, providing the predators with easier hunting opportunities.

After an awesome week of fantastic sightings around every corner – we managed to see spotted hyenas on a few occasions and even endangered African wild dogs – the only thing we were missing was a sighting of one the area’s iconic male lions. And, as if on cue, on the last morning drive before we had to head back to Kasane, we were spoilt with two of the dominant male Marsh Pride lions feasting on a buffalo that had been hunted the night before. Watching these two kings was just a perfect send-off and we could not have asked for a better grand finale.

Early morning rambler ©Joe Knapmann — An early morning rambler ©Joe Knapman

A royal whisker licking treat ©Justin Mason — A royal whisker-licking treat ©Justin Mason

All in all, it was a truly memorable trip for many reasons, but most particularly thanks to the passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic group of people who I can today call friends. It was the perfect combination of guests with a great sense of humour and a seasoned understanding of the bush, and great support staff and facilities, as well as endless photographic opportunities to extend portfolios.

The Savute team ©Peter Sandyford — The Savuti team ©Peter Sandyford

And in case you needed any more convincing, here’s what some of our guests had to say:

“This trip lived up to its name and we enjoyed exceptional sightings and photographic opportunities, including the elusive leopard as well as lion and hyena on many occasions. We even spotted the Savuti wild dogs. Elephants drinking in a dust storm, the exceptional birdlife, baobabs at sunset and the diversity of game were all very special highlights. Each evening we sat around the campfire and listened to the resident leopard roaring as she circled the camp, stunning and never to be forgotten, and in between we photographed the beautiful owls that visited.” – Justin Mason, UK

“There is an energy and heartbeat in Savuti unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. The cherry on the top was meeting the incredible individuals that were on the trip. Francois is an incredible guide, photographer and friend, and Alex too was such a star. As for the crazy twitchers and photographers – what a fabulous group! By far my best trip in Africa; it topped the Serengeti by a good margin!” – Sarah Drake, RSA

“Along with the spectacular landscapes and the best of Africa’s sunrises and sunsets, the abundance of birds and other mammals made this a truly spectacular and amazing safari – without doubt one my best experiences to date. The camp was about as wild as it comes, with nightly calls from hyenas, leopards and lions, and in a couple of instances a leopard walked straight past the camp. A honey badger scurried around the back of the tents one evening to our delight. Daily doses of huge elephant bulls at the waterholes, and warthogs and wildebeest kept us amused and provided great photo opportunities. A perfect photographic safari, and one of the most amazing learning experiences I have had so far.” – Joe Knapman, UK

“I arrived back from this incredible adventure yesterday, and I am still struggling to process what I experienced. Firstly, the camp and staff were all superb. How those guys managed to feed us delicious three-course meals cooked on a fire in a cast iron pot is just beyond belief. Getting a chocolate cake cooked in a pan on the fire was just amazing! Alex, our guide, was the best possible guide. He was so tuned in to Francois’ needs as a photographer. He was fun, knowledgeable and mindful at all times. A TOP CLASS guide indeed! Francois, I consider my friend now. I purposely have not gone on any other photographic safaris with other guides because he is a hard act to follow. There are not enough superlatives to describe his guiding, teaching and photographic skills.” – Karen Van Rensburg, RSA

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USA bans trophy imports of captive South African lions

The United States government has again tightened regulations regarding the importation into the USA of lion trophies, this time focusing on populations of captive lions in South Africa

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) director Dan Ash recently published background to this announcement in The Huffington Post. For those who prefer a very brief summary, I have extracted the salient points. For the complete picture please read the entire announcement.

1. Scientifically sound conservation programmes (including the trophy hunting of wild lions) can significantly contribute to the long-term survival of lions. U.S. hunters make up a disproportionately large share of foreign hunters who book trophy hunts in Africa, and their participation in well-managed hunting programmes can help advance the conservation benefits provided by such programmes.

2. Earlier in 2016 USFW introduced a new permitting system to regulate the import of live lions, lion trophies and other parts – the primary aim being as an incentive for lion range countries to work towards sustainable, scientifically-sound management strategies, including hunting.

3. Beginning as of 20 October 2016, the United States has effectively banned the import of lion trophies taken from captive lion populations in South Africa.

4. In order to permit the import into the USA of lion trophies, exporting nations like South Africa must provide clear evidence of a demonstrable conservation benefit to the long-term survival of the species in the wild. In the case of lions taken from captive populations in South Africa, that burden of proof has not been met.

5. If and when such benefits can be clearly shown, UFWS may reevaluate their position.

6. The vast majority of lion trophies imported into the United States in recent years has been from these captive populations in South Africa, so this decision will likely substantially reduce the total number of lion trophy imports.

7. USFW will allow the import of wild or wild-managed lion trophies from South Africa, largely due to effective management by South Africa’s Ministry of Environmental Affairs.

Dan Ash concludes as follows: “Let me be clear – we cannot and will not allow trophies into the United States from any nation whose lion conservation programme fails to meet key criteria for transparency, scientific management and effectiveness… But it’s important to understand that lions are not in trouble because of responsible sport hunting.”

The Magic of Zanzibar

East Africa has an irrepressible allure, and I’ve become addicted to its vibrant kangas (patterned fabric), its friendly people, and its crystal-clear waters. So, to get my next Kiswahili fix, we headed to Unguja Island – more commonly known as Zanzibar – which is just a two-hour ferry ride from the Tanzanian coastal capital of Dar es Salaam, or a direct flight from many African cities.

Thanks to its close proximity and budget airline options, the largest island in the Zanzibar Archipelago is an easily accessible and relatively affordable idyll where South African residents with itchy feet can spend their crashing currency. And with a week’s prescription of sun, sea, sand, and Stone Town tucked between the pages of my passport, a holiday in Zanzibar proved to be just what the doctor ordered to take the edge off my East African cravings.

Find out about Zanzibar for your next African safari. We have ready-made safaris to choose from, or ask us to build one just for you.

jetty-zanzi-resort — The Vision of Freedom jetty was erected in 2015 in Kama and is considered to be one of the best places to watch dolphins in Zanzibar ©Zanzi Resort

Not all who wander are lost

Our first stop was Stone Town – the historical part of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which lies 10 minutes from the international airport on a western headland that protrudes into the Indian Ocean.

Stone Town has all the accoutrements of a magician, whereby the distractions of noise and charm mask its subtle changes to amaze and astound the amateur. It is a hypnotist by whose acquaintance you allow yourself to be harmlessly deceived as you wander beguiled under its spell, submitting to its whims at every indiscernible turn.

Its smoke and mirrors are a labyrinth of coralline ragstone and mangrove timber architecture, and its urban fabric tells the tale of the town’s former life as a Swahili trading port. The now crumbling buildings were once moulded under the influence of disparate cultures from Asia to Europe, and their notorious history as East Africa’s primary slave market remains imprisoned in the foundations.

Its bells and whistles are the elaborately hand-carved doors that are hewn along the narrow walkways, the spice shops that pepper the alleyways, and the smell of incense that permeates the clothes drying on verandas. A stolen glance into an interior courtyard offers an intimate hint of a different life. Each lane is in an active state of dissolution, disappearing seamlessly around every corner before it has barely come into being. At first, I felt this disorienting, but when I surrendered to the colours and the calls to prayer, I found myself smoothly absorbed into the town’s creases; another laughter line on its wrinkled face.

For me, the smells, sights and sounds were as heart-warmingly familiar as a box of Quality Streets at Christmas, and our first day of aimless exploration summoned countless recollections from previous travels. However, it was the convergence of this diverse range of memories that took me by surprise. How magical it was to be reminded of wandering down a cobbled lane in Italy at one turn, then looking up at a wooden balcony reminiscent of Nepal at the next.

stone-town-photo-frames — Handmade frames on display outside a wood carving workshop in Stone Town ©David Capes-Winch

stone-town-double-door — An elaborately-carved double door that is so synonymous with Zanzibar ©David Capes-Winch

spices-darajani-market — Selling spices in Darajani Market ©David Capes-Winch

After a few hours of ambling, we found ourselves dodging the tentacles of octopus and salesmen at Darajani Market, which was nothing fancy but all compelling. After serious deliberation over whether to buy coffee beans or vanilla pods, we settled on a bag of saffron. It seemed appropriate and, although neither of us has any idea how to cook with it, the little threads of red conjure the memory of our meandering in a way that a cappuccino never could.

At the end of a day spent enjoying being lost, our tired feet stumbled past House of Wonders – the first building in East Africa to have electricity and an elevator, and then upon Forodhani Night Market, where we gorged on Zanzibar pizzas and nyama choma (barbecued meat) and drank out of coconuts by the sea until it was time to allow our senses to unwind.

As much as we had enjoyed being schedule-free for a brief interlude, we started the next day with a purpose. Full of (Zanzibari coffee) beans, we jumped on a boat with Colors of Zanzibar to visit the old quarantine station and the giant Aldabra tortoise colony on Prison Island. This endangered species was given as a gift from the Seychelles government in the 19th century, and it was astounding to be in the presence of these testudinal relics – one of which was 158 years old!

While snorkelling in the clear waters around the island at the end of our tour, we manoeuvred through harmless jellyfish. We were amazed to be in such a peaceful and pristine environment while so close to the bustle and dilapidation of Stone Town. Our sneak peek of the marine world also whetted our appetite for more water-based activities. After a late seafood lunch back in town, we set off on an intoxicatingly beautiful dhow sunset cruise with Zama Tours.

As we sailed past the shoreline’s architectural wonders and watched the sun set over fishermen diving into the Indian Ocean, we ate spicy cassava chips. At the same time, the sky turned pink and counted the stars as another day came to a close in magical Zanzibar.

prison-island-tortoises — A 158-year-old giant tortoise in the sanctuary (left); The beach and pier of Prison Island on a tour with Colors of Zanzibar (right) ©David Capes-Winch

dhow-sunset-cruise-stone-town — Photos taken from a dhow sunset cruise with Zama Tours (left and top right); The House of Wonder (bottom right) ©David Capes-Winch

Sun of a Beach

My husband and I share one thing in common – a mutual horror of inclement weather. We are partners in a quest for sunshine, and Zanzibar was our light at the end of the tunnel after surviving another winter in Cape Town. So, with little more than a yearning for vitamin D and crayfish, we bid a fond farewell to Stone Town and headed off to explore the beaches for the rest of our break.

Over the next few days, we travelled from the cliffs of Kama along the west coast to Michamwe-Pingwe in the east, before heading down to Menai Bay in the southwest of the island. Our little circuit made it clear that, although only 85 kilometres in length, the diversity of places to lay your beach towel in Zanzibar is immense, and every nook and cranny has something unique to offer.

From rocky shores with private jetties to beautiful stretches of white sand beaches, it’s fascinating how many sides there are to the Spice Island. Even the same area can change dramatically at different times of day, depending on the tide or weather. There is also a range of activities to spice up your days – from swimming with dolphins or walking in the mangrove forest, to scuba diving or joining a spice village tour with a cooking lesson. As a result, you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your days by the ocean will be sure to make a splash.

zanzibar-paje-viva-africa-tours — Catch up on some R&R on Paje Beach ©Viva Africa Tours

pina-colada-zanzibar — If you like cocktails, then head to Fumba Beach Lodge for that island feeling ©David Capes-Winch

Where to stay in Stone Town

Zanzibar Palace Hotel provides the perfect launchpad for a stay in Stone Town. And the climb to the Dunia Honeymoon Suite on the top floor is particularly worth the lactic acid build-up. Feeling like Rapunzel in her tower, but surrounded by antique Zanzibari furniture, this suite offers a fantastic view over Stone Town, and a further short flight up to the ensuite bathroom provides a loo with a view and loungers to soak it all up from.

For those on a budget, Warere Town House is a great option that lies near the ferry terminal. Basic but clean and comfortable, beautiful fabric designs and other Zanzibari decorative touches make it a welcoming place to lay your head. Its rooftop restaurant – where you can start the day with a breakfast of champions – also offers a great lookout over the town.

House of Spices doubles up on the goods. Not only is it a centrally located hotel, making it a convenient base from which to explore Stone Town’s alleys, but it is also one of the town’s most reputable restaurants. Something of a local icon, House of Spices provides a fantastic fusion of Italian and Zanzibari cuisine, thanks to its Modena-born owner and local chefs. Spices are woven into the variety of dishes in a delectable manner that will help you understand how the Spice Islands got their name. Book your stay through Adventure Camps Tanzania and don’t miss out on the chilli chocolate mousse for dessert!

Where to stay by the beach

People often rave about the resorts along the north coast of Zanzibar, which do most certainly offer the R&R that many require. However, if you venture off the beaten beach to some more secluded coves, there is plenty of fantastic accommodation available.

From beach huts and private villas to luxury boutiques and first-class resorts, there is something for everyone in Zanzibar. And it’s well worth taking a break from bronzing to explore the shoreline – both above and below the water.

Zanzi Resort offers privacy and luxury in a tropical setting on the west coast of the island. From the moment you enter the grounds and drink your welcome coconut, you know it’s time to kick back and relax. A luxury villa with a private pool is the way forward here, especially if you’re looking for some one-on-one time with your nearest and dearest.

Everything has been considered to make you feel at home – from television with DVDs, to a mini-library, and the service is impeccable. Once a week for dinner, a communal barbecue and live music are organised, so you can feast on crayfish and steak, while bush babies pop in to see what’s going on before you take to the dancefloor.

Located along the same stretch as the famous Rock Restaurant, Boutique Hotel Matlai offers an intimate experience along the stunning Michamwe-Pingwe coastline. With just six bedrooms across two buildings – Asili House and Villa Kidosho – guests are provided with a butler service that makes this a genuinely personable experience. You can expect to wake up in a king-sized four-poster bed to see the sunrise before your eyes and enjoy a romantic dinner in the privacy of your balcony in the evening. Still, the hotel’s most impressive feature is arguably its swimming pool. Fit for a movie set, its dramatic curvatures jut out to the beach and make for the perfect place to dream while resting on a floating beanbag. Except you don’t have to imagine because this could be your reality!

If you love scuba diving or are interested in joining the Safari Blue tour, Fumba Beach Lodge is an excellent place from which to explore the Menai Bay Conservation Area. A haven for flipper fiends, you can expect your days to be filled with dolphins, islands, sandbanks, and coral reefs, before you return to the lodge to read a good book in your hammock, surrounded by monkeys. An endemic Zanzibar colobus monkey has also recently been spotted here for the first time!

What to know

Zanzibar is a predominantly Islamic island, which gives it a richly beautiful culture. Expect five calls to prayer a day, beef bacon for breakfast, and most women – even girls from a young age – to be wearing a hijab. It’s unlikely that anybody will take offence at any scantily-clad tourists. Still, it’s always nice to be considerate by covering your wobbly bits and dressing respectfully.

It’s no easy feat to get around the island unless you hire a taxi. Some roads aren’t fantastic, and police officers are out to pocket a few pennies, so they will happily detain anyone on false premises, such as not having a valid driving licence if you hire a car or motorbike. Even though you may escape unscathed from any run-ins, they can still put a dampener on your day and waste a lot of precious tanning time. So if you don’t fancy sweating over petty injustices, it’s worth splashing the cash and jumping in a taxi. Also, consider staying in just one beach spot to save time and money on the road.

Zanzibar is still a low-risk malaria area, so consult your travel clinic before you leave and make the decision that feels best for you. If you do decide to forego antimalarials, cover up in the evenings and consider travelling in cooler periods. We visited in late August during the winter season, and an upside to it being a bit nippy was that we didn’t get bitten once!

Visa requirements

As a British citizen living in South Africa, I find visas the bane of my present-day existence. But for once, a visa didn’t require the promise of my firstborn and my inside leg measurements. South Africans have the good fortune of being able to waltz into Zanzibar for free on their Green Mamba, but thankfully, most Europeans don’t have it too much harder.

It is recommended that visas be obtained at the nearest Tanzanian High Commission before departure, but living in Cape Town makes this no easy feat, so I opted to pay my US$50 and present my yellow fever certificate on arrival, which secured my single-entry visa to paradise before I could say jambo (hello).

stone-town-beach-zanzibar — The bustle of the beach in Stone Town ©David Capes-Winch

About the author

MEI CAPES-WINCH is half-Chinese, born in England, and South African at heart. She received a BA Joint Honours in French and German from the University of Warwick before spending a decade bumbling around Europe, Asia, Australia and Central America, then settling in Cape Town.

Tired of pretending to be a grown-up, she takes every opportunity she can to explore her new home continent, accompanied by her canine best friend and her husband, who lovingly goes to great lengths to stop her whinging about being bored.

4 must-visit Nairobi museums

Nairobi is Kenya’s principal economic, administrative and cultural centre, with a vibrant culture, fabulous restaurants and exciting nightlife. But the rich cultural heritage, as displayed in these three Nairobi museums, is also another fascinating aspect of the city.

So if you are on a visit to Kenya’s capital city and looking to venture out of your hotel for a few hours or so, here’s a list of four amazing Nairobi museums within the city CBD that will definitely be worth your while.

These museums provide evidence of the city’s historical significance and also the cultural richness of Kenya and Nairobi in particular.

The Nairobi National Museum

The Nairobi National Museum is situated on Museum Hill road, five to ten minutes away from the CBD and accessible both by public and private means. It is the perfect one-stop for visitors, presenting them with Kenya’s rich history, nature, culture and contemporary art.

Nairobi museums — ©Nairobi National Museum

The museum houses an extensive ornithological collection representing most of Kenya’s thousand-odd species of birds. The Geology Gallery contains a great deal of interesting information on plate tectonics and the life cycle of volcanoes, which is particularly relevant to the Rift Valley regions. The Gallery of Contemporary East African Art is an exhibition area where artists from East Africa display their artwork. The Prehistoric Gallery houses the palaeontology exhibits, highlighting the East African region as the cradle of mankind.

Also within the grounds are the famous snake park, botanical gardens and nature trail. Not forgetting an excellent cafe that serves some of the best coffee in Nairobi and hosts occasional performances too.

The Nairobi Railway Museum

Nairobi, and to an extent the nation of Kenya, owe their very existence to the Uganda Railway. The outcome of the railway is aptly described by Sir Charles Elliot, a senior British official at the time, with the words, “It is not uncommon for a country to create a railway, but it is uncommon for a railway to create a country.”

The construction of the railway linking the East African coast to Uganda at the beginning of the 20th Century is a story of grand vision, tragedy, and triumph over enormous odds in the quest to effectively administer the British Protectorate of Uganda and control the source of the River Nile. The railway achieved notoriety in the 1900s when ‘the man-eaters of Tsavo’, a pair of rogue man-eating lions, preyed gruesomely on numerous railway construction workers at a section of what is now the Tsavo National Park. The railway took five and a half years from 1886 to 1901 to be completed. The construction took a heavy human toll, a total of 2,493 lives, 38 per month, or five people for every 2km were lost.

The Nairobi Railway Museum has a collection of photographs from the above period, including historical pictures of Nairobi from its infancy, and images of other occurrences and milestones during the railway construction. Numerous artefacts from the early years of the railway operation are also on display. The museum also has a yard with exhibits of the different steam engine locomotives used on the railway system from 1898 when the first train set off on its maiden voyage from Mombasa. One of these, the 59 or ‘Mountain’ class locomotive weighs 254 tons and is reputed to have been the most powerful metre-gauge locomotive ever built, capable of moving 1,200-ton trains in one trip. Another one is the carriage in which Charles Ryall was sleeping in 1900 when a lion seized him through the window, broke his neck and dragged him to his death. Other exhibits include a sample water crane similar to those used at various water stops and stations along the railway line.

Situated off the Uhuru highway close to the CBD, the Nairobi Railway Museum is an informative and engaging destination that should not be missed.

The Kenya National Archives

A repository of some of Kenya’s most significant cultural, political, social, and academic history, The Kenya National Archives is situated on Moi Avenue in the Central Business District, a stone’s throw away from the Nairobi Hilton Hotel.

One of the major attractions in the archives is the arts and crafts collection of the Late Joseph Murumbi, a former vice-president of Kenya. The collection consists of an array of traditional tools and artefacts from different parts of the African continent. The collection includes drums, weaponry, cowbells, traditional attire, tapestry, furniture and cooking implements among others. Notable in the collection is a variety of traditional African sculptures whose aesthetic became a powerful influence and inspiration to the world’s most celebrated artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani.

The Kenya National Archives leads in the preservation of Kenya’s heritage and history. You also get to see the rich diversity of cultures in Kenya, with its 42 ethnic groups’ history, traditional artefacts and utilities on display. Records, reports, and diaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) dating back to the 17th century are among millions of rare and unique publications under the custody of the Kenya National Archives.

Every October, the Kenya National Archives holds a Heritage Week, during which members of the public are allowed access for free – a push towards helping more people discover its records and books, among other cultural documents. Use that as a reason to visit these three Nairobi museums.

The Karen Blixen Museum

Set in the serene suburb of Nairobi, the Karen Blixen Museum provides the most comprehensive insight into this remarkable woman who was made famous by the movie ‘Out of Africa’ about her life in Kenya.

The Museum is located in a tranquil garden and indigenous forest, with a splendid view of Karen’s beloved Ngong Hills. The well-maintained gardens offer a wonderful setting for weddings and corporate events. A museum shop offers many souvenirs, including handicrafts, posters and postcards, the Movie ‘Out of Africa’, books and other mementoes.

Find out about Kenya for your next African safari – find a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.

Behind the scenes of an elephant relocation

I kneel in the dust beside the fallen elephant as if seeking absolution in a cathedral… the cathedral in this case is a forlorn and brittle circle of desiccated mopane bush in the Limpopo Valley. The capture team descend on the sleeping giant and begin their ministrations with quiet precision, while chainsaws carve a track for the flatbed truck. Written by: Andrew Rae

elephant-relocation-mapesu — ©Skyhawk Photography

This prone elephant bull stirs my recollection of another time in another park when these magnificent, sentient creatures were killed to control their impact on the landscape. I remember the smell of cordite and blood mingling in the warm Lowveld air as carcasses were loaded and a chopper arced overhead with a clatter of blades like some glistening angel of death.

This time will be very different as the bull I kneel beside forms part of a small herd of seven elephant set aside for relocation to Mapesu – a private nature reserve established by The Shared Universe Foundation to protect and expand the rangeland of these mighty denizens of the African wilderness.

It is a monumental undertaking, requiring an army of well-trained personnel and specialised vehicles and equipment. Trucks and capture containment are first positioned close to where the elephants are ahead of the capture. This takes hours of ponderous manoeuvring before things are finally set and ready. The chopper chases and corrals the herd as a wildlife vet fires darts dosed with a powerful opiate known as M99. The animals mill around the first of the fallen, the matriarch, and are easily dispatched close by. The young adult bull succumbs a few hundred metres further away. Bush is carved open and flatbed lorries with huge hydraulic cranes attached are moved into position alongside the slumbering pachyderms.

A radio and GPS tracking collar is attached to the lead cow, while I hold my hand near the opening to her trunk monitoring her deep and laborious breathing. Like titanic, wrinkle-covered bellows, her flanks rise and fall in a rhythm as old as the dust coating her, and tears blur my vision as a deep melancholy overwhelms me… she exhales and her tepid breath stirs the hair on my forearm. It is a moment with an ancient creature of the veld that I will never forget.

elephant-relocation-lowveld — ©Skyhawk Photography

It is truly momentous releasing wildlife back into areas they once occupied historically. It is the act of completing something monumental, something grand. It is finishing a complex tapestry that for more than a century has been but an anaemic, unfinished version of the original. It is placing that which has been missing back where it belongs.

The long container truck came lumbering over the ridge – a clanking, dust-shrouded juggernaut. A crowd of us gather on the fence-line behind a shade cloth barrier while photographers clamber on top of the truck to capture images of the occasion. The sun begins a fiery descent into the heat haze along the western horizon and shadows lengthen and the light softens into that pre-dusk glow that so many before me have tried to describe. The scene is set, the elephants are finally here.

elephant-relocation — ©Skyhawk Photography

Steel barriers slide open and we all hold our breath. Nothing stirs on the tepid Limpopo breeze except for the distant, languid call of a hornbill. The container stands open like some dark, cavernous maw, and then it happens – a three to four-year-old male elephant calf saunters out into the open and down the concrete ramp – ears flared and trunk aloft, testing the air. This followed by an adult cow and her female calf, and then the collared matriarch with her new female calf and another sub-adult cow and finally the young adult bull. They gather together, tenuous, guarded, unsure of how to proceed.

I watch as camera shutters fire staccato bursts and a video drone buzzes overhead. I watch them, these new arrivals back in this valley after more than a century of absence and I feel inexplicably alive. I rejoice. I revel in this sensation of completion, of hope for a species that still defies our understanding; this giant so intelligent, so incredibly representative of this wondrous continent. I think of our entwined history together… humankind and elephants, and how full of conflict and carnage it has been. I ponder how elephants must perceive us as we expand our population and consume like ravenous insects – insatiable, uncaring, deadly.

I also perceive hope. Having been privy to the culling in the nineties and now the infinite hunger for ivory in Asia that is decimating the great lumbering herds of East and West Africa and reducing the continent’s population by more than 100,000 in less than a decade.

I have hope because I stood today peering through a steel hatch and I saw an elephant arise. An animal that was prone and lifeless rose up; vital, majestic and beautiful, and I was awestruck.

elephant-release-mapesu — ©Skyhawk Photography

Something is different now on Mapesu Private Nature Reserve. There are large circular tracks in the dust, each of them etched with a labyrinth of delicate wrinkles. Mopane trees are scarred and splintered in certain places and reddish-brown balls of dung lie scattered on lonely game paths everywhere.

There are elephants here once again.

Gallery: Capturing Namibia

Home to fascinating tribal cultures, desert-adapted wildlife and breathtaking vistas, Namibia is a unique Southern African country that appeals to visitors for its promise of relatively untouched beauty.
In September 2016, AG director Christian Boix and a group of our safari clients visited the country’s most popular tourist destinations on a photographic trip that aroused the wildest of senses. Enjoy this gallery of some of the photographic highlights from their whirlwind adventure to Namibia.

? An iconic image of Deadvlei ©Adriano Gannam

? Burchell’s zebras in Etosha National Park ©Adriano Gannam

? Dune textures in Sossusvlei ©Adriano Gannam

? A Herero woman in Damaraland ©Adriano Gannam

? Ground squirrels in Solitaire ©Christian Boix

? A quiver tree in the Namib Desert ©Adriano Gannam

? An abandoned vintage vehicle in Solitaire ©Christian Boix

? A nightscape of a moringa tree in Sossusvlei ©Christian Boix

? A web-footed gecko (Palmatogecko rangei) in Dorob National Park ©Christian Boix

? A Himba child in Kaokoland ©Adriano Gannam

? The Naukluft Mountains ©Christian Boix

Resources

More information and stories about Namibia

The Himba – a people in transition

For camps & lodges at the best prices and our famous ready-made safari packages, log into our app. If you do not yet have our app see the instructions below this story.

Classic Namibia

Namibia is a land of stark contrasts, and a typical visitor can expect to be left in awe by its magnificent polarities – from an abundance of wildlife around waterholes in Etosha to withered tree stumps between the dunes in Deadvlei.

The country is perhaps best known for its vast landscapes, blue skies, sand dunes and endless white gravel roads. Protecting some of Africa’s most untouched wildernesses, offering unique safari experiences. It is also an excellent destination for photographers and wildlife lovers. All creatures great and small make an appearance in Namibia’s sandy nooks and crannies – from chameleons by the roadside and meerkats on the gravel plains, to black-maned lions and desert-adapted rhinos or elephants roaming massive expanses of semi-arid terrain.

And on a two-week trip AG director Christian Boix and six guests from Brazil and Canada crisscrossed this land in search of some of its most iconic photographic highlights. Armed with tripods, lenses, filters, hats, and oodles of suntan lotion, they ventured forth into its wildernesses with a thirst for quirky light, moonless nights, impressive vistas, beautiful people, great wildlife sightings and cold Windhoek lager.

This gallery showcases some of the highlights of their journey to most of the hotspots in this country that offers a little something for everyone.

? The iconic dunes of Sossusvlei ©Christian Boix

Nestled in the largest tract of conservation land in Africa – an impressive enough reason to visit the Namib-Naukluft National Park – lies one of the continent’s true geological gems. Sossusvlei is home to some of the most spectacular natural sand dunes in the world and is undoubtedly one of the most photographed desert landscapes in Africa. A single picture of Sossusvlei’s stark natural beauty – silhouetted camelthorn trees against a glowing morning backdrop of a towering, curvaceous red dune – can capture the essence of Namibia and what it has to offer. Nowhere else in Africa does a desert landscape convey such raw, aesthetic beauty than in Sossusvlei.

For a fantastic view of this magnificent landscape, a climb up Big Daddy or Dune 45 is well worth the hot, sweaty slog. But for an even higher viewpoint, you might want to consider a sunrise hot air balloon safari!

Finding a quiet spot to yourself in this massive landscape is not too hard, despite the hundreds of tourists that visit it daily. Sitting on a dune silently will soon reveal a gamut of critters, which eke out an existence in this seemingly dead land. The sound of a desert breeze, or the gentle crinkle of sand on the move, is often dimmed by the sound of your blood rushing through your eardrums. Vivid colours, wrinkled rocks, polished logs, and at times the sweet scent of acacia blooms, encapsulate the true essence of this magical spot.

Also worth experiencing in the area is the Sesriem Canyon – the gateway to Sossuvlei. Formed over many millennia by the Tsauchab River, the canyon is about a kilometre long and 30 metres deep in places. It is home to some of the most captivating rock formations in Namibia and is also one of the only places in the region that holds water non-perennially.

While a trip to Sossusvlei is essential on your Namibian itinerary, it can be challenging to access without a 4×4 vehicle. Access to both Sossus and Deadvlei can only be attempted by 4×4 travellers, while 2×4 travellers should park their cars and take the shuttle that covers the last five kilometres of deep sandy tracks. In fact, why not walk the final stretch and take in the spectacular scenery, sounds and smells no matter what vehicle you have?

? Making friends while sea kayaking in Walvis Bay ©Christian Boix

About 30km south of Swakopmund lies a busy harbour town on the edge of a wide lagoon that serves as the perfect hibernation area for thousands of shorebirds and migratory bird species. It offers a fantastic source of food for innumerable pelicans, flamingos, and terns – more specifically the diminutive and endemic Damara terns – while the booming fishing, cargo and sea salt industry provides many of the town’s residents with their daily bread.

Walvis Bay has always offered a gamut of exciting activities centred around its lagoon, dunes and the nearby Sandwich Harbour. A plethora of food and accommodation options have sprouted as a result. You can even expect to find a desert golf course, catamaran trips, dolphin cruises and historian quad bike rides of the dunes at your fingertips.

A climb up Dune 7 on the outskirts of town will reward you with splendid views of the lagoon, but if you want to get acquainted with those that live in its waters, then dolphins, whales and Cape fur seals can be found splashing around the black-and-white Pelican Point Lighthouse. The best way to make friends with the colony of seals is by a spot of sea kayaking, which will give you the chance to get up close and personal with these thick-pelted divers.

? The sun sets over the pier in Swakopmund ©Christian Boix

Sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Namib Desert lies a coastal oasis that feels like a surreal remnant of a bygone colonial era. Distinctly German in flavour – thanks to its residents, visitors, architecture and cuisine – it’s the perfect place to enjoy a sunny, if somewhat cool and windblown, stroll down a seaside promenade before tucking into stewed venison spätzle.

As Namibia’s most popular holiday destination, it’s not only our Baltic friends who are attracted to Swakopmund, but it’s also the place-to-be for adrenalin junkies. From skydiving and surfing to living desert tours and camel rides, the range of activities on offer is responsible for the town’s reputation of being the adventure capital of Namibia. There’ll never be a dull moment here, whether you wish to wander along the iconic pier or throw yourself out of an aeroplane over the dunes.

? A photographer’s dream at Spitzkoppe ©Christian Boix

Spitzkoppe, an awesome granitic inselberg, rises out of the Namib’s barren landscape. It has become an iconic landmark of Damaraland and is recognised by many granite-climbing junkies all over the world as the “Matterhorn of Africa”.

Most who journey here are content to stand in awe at the 100-million-year-old formations – around which are several San bushman rock art sites to explore – but, for the more intrepid travellers, the peaks are begging to be climbed. A Spitzkoppe ascent is not to be made without adequate climbing gear or experience and, at 700 metres above ground level, it is not for the faint of heart either.

Part of the Erongo Mountain range, Spitzkoppe is a remnant volcanic plug that now stands as one of the most celebrated mountains in Namibia. There are several other features of the range in the Damaraland region that are well worth adding to your itinerary. The Brandberg or ‘fire mountain’ gets its name from the burning-red hue glowing on its face at sunset – a spectacular time of day in this region. The Petrified Forest is a mystical forest of 200 million-year-old fossilised trees that were uprooted during a flood and have since been revealed by erosion as a striking spectacle of the landscape. God’s Finger, Organ Pipes, Burnt Mountain, and a never-ending list of other incredibly beautiful sights and formations, await around every turn of the road.

No matter what type of traveller you are or what you’re looking for in your Namibia experience, you’re bound to consider Spitzkoppe to be one of the most striking landscapes on your trip.

? A Herero woman in traditional dress in Damaraland ©Adriano Gannam

The Herero are a fascinating tribal group, known mostly for their antiquated clothing, which was introduced by Christian German settlers who sought to convert the tribe and clothe them in the European fashion of the times. This has since become a distinguishing mark of their identity despite the war that these same colonisers waged on them at the turn of the 20th century, which led to the death of about three-quarters of the tribe. By 1905 it is estimated that only 16,000 Herero remained, but today there are about 100,000 living mainly in the central and eastern parts of Namibia.

It is argued that the Herero’s choice to continue wearing their formal attire is a symbol of defiance and survival. The Herero women tend to wear traditional floor-length dresses from their wedding day onwards, and the men dress up at ceremonies in the uniforms of their European oppressors. This is said to be a way of honouring their ancestors who would wear the uniforms of German soldiers that they killed during their genocide. The Herero are proud cattle farmers who, before colonial times, prospered in the central grassland areas where there was ample grazing opportunity. They continue to measure their wealth in cattle – the importance of which is also reflected in the women’s headwear and dances. Their hats are designed to resemble cow horns, which get smaller as they get older as a symbol of their decreasing fertility. And during celebrations they perform the cow dance, which involves stamping feet, kicking up dust, and imitating the upraised horns and swaying movements of cattle.
If you’re in Namibia at the end of August, then it’s worth trying to head to the Herero festival, which is held in Okahandja on Maherero Day.

? Dancing kudu rock art at Twyfelfontein ©Christian Boix

The oldest example of bushman art in Namibia is thought to date back 28,000 years. And in Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes you will find one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings on the continent. Most of these preserved petroglyphs feature rhinos, but elephants, ostriches and giraffes are also well represented, as well as drawings of humans and animal footprints.

Some of these engravings and red ochre paintings date back to the Stone Age, and the site at Twyfelfontein provides an extensive record of rituals and economic practices of San hunter-gatherer communities in this part of Southern Africa before Damara herders and European colonialists moved in.

Separating it from the rest of the country’s rock art sights, Twyfelfontein truly feels like one of the world’s most ancient universities. The stories, engravings and meticulous detail represented in the sandstone are testimony to a very elaborate and active teaching process. Waterhole maps depicting game trails, footprints of different animals, and drawings of coastal creatures, are all evidence of what must have been an incredibly lively and enthusiastic lecture – The Science of Tracking!

Apart from one small engraved panel, which was relocated to the National Museum in Windhoek at the start of the 20th century, none of the rock art has been removed or tampered with.

? A Himba dance in Kaokoland ©Christian Boix

One of the most isolated and sparsely populated regions in all of Southern Africa, Kaokoland, can be fittingly described as one of Southern Africa’s true Edens and last remaining wildernesses. This arid landscape may come across as a harsh environment for living things, but it is, in fact, a refuge for two of the most famous and best-adapted desert icons in Africa – the desert elephant and the Himba people.

Descendants of the ancient Herero people, the Himba are a celebrated indigenous people with a population of about 5,000 – numbering one person to every two square kilometres in population density. They are renowned for the startling intricacy of their garments, as well as their traditional hairstyles. A characteristic feature of the Himba of this region is the red complexion of their skin, obtained by applying ochre as natural suntan lotion.

A semi-nomadic people, they are both proud and generous in offering visitors a glimpse into their traditional way of life, and a visit to a Himba village can be an insightful experience if undertaken with the due respect. It is crucial on any cultural tour in Africa to be sensitive of your tourist footprint; to always ask for permission when taking images, to pay your dues to the local chieftain and photographic subjects, and to be ever mindful of your conduct.

If you are lucky, you may also see the rare desert elephants while you’re in Kaokoland. Their true majesty reigns in an environment where they have mastered the principle of adaptation and sustainable resource use.

In true Namibia style, Kaokoland offers a landscape of magnificent, rugged contrasts. And as it’s not far from both Etosha and the Skeleton Coast national parks, it’s worth making this northern detour.

? White elephants fight in Etosha National Park ©Adriano Gannam

The gateway park to the north of Namibia and the Ovamboaland region, Etosha National Park holds its rightful place as one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. It is home to the Etosha pan, a salt pan which covers roughly a quarter of the park’s area and can be seen from space.

Far more than just a barren Namibian landscape, the ecosystem here is teeming with life. When the perennial rains grace the land, the pan becomes home to a population of roughly a million flamingos. And where water springs from the cracks of the earth around the edges of the pan, wildlife abounds in a diverse and thriving ecosystem.

The waterholes at the convergence of the pan and the bush are the main game viewing attraction, and with just a hint of patience, you can be rewarded with spectacular sightings of plentiful game. White elephants are one of the park’s main icons, but large prides of lions, stately giraffes and vast herds of springboks, Burchell’s zebras, oryx and wildebeests are ubiquitous too.

Any itinerary to Namibia would be incomplete without a few days at this ambassadorial national park, where natural history, wildlife and San culture all have a home.

? San bushmen hunting in //nhoq’ma ©Ana Zinger

The village of //nhoq’ma (Nhoma) lies about 40km from Tsumkwe in the north-east of Namibia, close to the border to Botswana. It is the ancestral home of a small population of Ju/’hoan San.

Various rock art sites prove that the San were the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa, but now only approximately 55,000 members of this tribe remain in total – 20,000 of whom live in marginal settlements across Namibia.

Traditionally the San were nomadic, following food and water sources rather than farming or keeping livestock, and the women gathered edible plants, while the men hunted. There is evidence that until quite recently, many of their cultural practices were still being followed, but nowadays their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle is often not feasible.

The community of Nhoma consists of about 50 adults and 100 children, who make their income from tourism. Time spent at Nhoma with this San community is a most rewarding back-to-basics experience. Mornings in the bush are spent tracking, and perhaps even hunting for the pot. The art of tracking, stalking and using the different hunting paraphernalia is eagerly demonstrated during this excursion. Lighting a fire with sticks, making rope from plant fibres and setting up traps make for a fascinating start to the day. Fruit, root, bark and tuber gathering is on the agenda for the ladies, and it is mesmerising to watch how much knowledge has been passed from one generation to the next. Soon you start to understand how hard survival in this environment is, even though the San’s resourcefulness makes it look so easy.

Social and jovial, there is no opportunity missed to engage in song, dance, play or games, and back at camp you can be guaranteed to witness many dances and rituals, and before you know it be drawn to partake in the laughter, encouragement and praise of these humble people of the sands.

? A nightscape in Tsumkwe ©Christian Boix

Tsumkwe is a town in the semi-arid region of Otjozondjupa, which is nearby the San village of //nhoq’ma. So if you have been visiting the bushmen, this is a lovely place from which to admire the night sky before crossing over to Botswana. The area is sparsely populated, and the nearest town that has more than 50,000 inhabitants takes about 10 hours to reach by local transport.

The land around Tsumkwe is not cultivated, which means that most of the natural vegetation is still intact, and the soil in the area is high in arenosols, which give the ground a sandy texture that makes it comfortable for camping. September tends to be the month with the most sunshine, but the most fun arguably comes when the sun goes down and when, thanks to there being no light pollution, it is magnificent to watch the Milky Way come to life in the clear night sky.

? Africa Geographic’s Travel Director, Christian Boix, in action ©Oz Pfenninger

Christian left his birth country of Spain – its great food, siestas and fiestas – to become an ornithologist at the University of Cape Town and to start Tropical Birding, a company specialising in bird-watching tours worldwide.

For 11 years following his arrival in Africa, he travelled to over 60 countries in search of over 5,000 bird species. Time passed, his children became convinced that he was some kind of pilot and his wife acquired a budgie for company. And that’s when the penny dropped that he needed to stay put a wee bit more.

In 2012 he took the reigns at Africa Geographic Travel as its Director and infused his energy and passion for all things African into the role. Contagiously enthusiastic, he is always eager to report back on his exciting travels across the continent, and never tires of sharing the joy of birding and exploration through his photography and guiding.

Click here for more information and stories about Namibia

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Letter: flaws in plan to sell rhino horn

Demand reduction needs to be driven by enforcing the laws promulgated in horn-consuming countries. The arguments vented by commentators to promote the concept of a central selling organisation (CSO) as the anchor component of the legalisation of the trade in rhino horn debate are seriously flawed. Written by James Campbell for Business Day

The success of a CSO, as once practised by de Beers for the sale of diamonds, had as a fundamental tenet, the focus on price stability throughout all aspects of the industry: the producer, the trader, the polisher and the consumer.

This was achieved via a supply-control mechanism at the De Beers wholesale level coupled with the ability of its customers to buy and move diamonds to the international market. In poor market conditions, such as high interest rates, de Beers put into stock millions of US dollars worth of diamonds to avoid a slump in prices and for these stones to be released to the market under better economic conditions.

Another key component of such a strategy was the massive annual investment in marketing campaigns to promote diamonds to the world consumer using its well know marketing slogan, “A diamond is forever”.

There is no similarity between the diamond CSO and a CSO as a driver in the legalising of rhino horn trade. A CSO focused on maintaining the price for horn at a level greater than the transport costs of moving illegal horn from the killing fields of SA to the markets of China and Vietnam, argued by pro-trade parties as needed to provide funding for rhino security in the wild, will continue to provide the financial motivation for the syndicates to increase poaching.

It has also to be remembered that the CSO in the diamond industry did not arrest the trade in stolen diamonds, illegally mined diamonds or blood diamonds. The Kimberley Process was developed much later as an attempt to curtail aspects of these activities..

Legalisation of horn will provide low-cost marketing credibility to the much published medicinal myths of rhino horn in these consuming countries with a resultant increase in demand.

There is a very low percentage, estimated by some commentators at 0.15% of the Chinese and Vietnamese population, who are users of this form of keratin. Even an increase in demand to supply 1% of the population triggered by the legalisation of trade will set the platform for an increase in poaching based on the most easily understood logic — the syndicates have structures now to obtain the product basically for free or close to it. Why would they abandon such structures to buy legalised horn at five to 10 times the cost of procuring poached horn?

While there is some rhino horn in stock to meet an increase in demand in the immediate short term, it is totally unsustainable beyond the very short term and will only benefit a few people like me.

Demand reduction needs to be driven by enforcing the laws promulgated in horn-consuming countries. Host countries need to be supported by international government and non-government agencies to frustrate the poaching scourge throughout the supply chain. There must be full implementation of harsh legislation similar to illegal diamond buying legislation.

Otherwise, Africa will have to reflect in a few years’ time on the aftermath of the colonisation of its wildlife heritage by Eastern forces and the major damage to an increasing and highly sustainable wildlife tourist industry not available on other continents.

The six most memorable white water rafting rapids on the Zambezi

Imagine the most thrilling rollercoaster ride you have ever been on – with its sharp turns, steep drops, unexpected twists and ability to temporarily rearrange your organs. Well, white water rafting is Mother Nature’s gift to thrill-seekers at the Batoka Gorge Rapids, which lie not far downstream from Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River. Written by: Jessica White

Just taking one trip between the walls of this cavernous gorge, down a river with a mind of its own, leaves white water rafting fans feeling euphoric and hungry for more. If you are having trouble deciphering whether you are being churned through “The Washing Machine” or tripping up “The Stairway to Heaven”, here’s all you need to know about the six rapids that are sure to still be running through your mind long after they have spat you out.

1. The Stairway to Heaven

As one of the biggest rapids in the world, the fifth rapid is fondly referred to as the Stairway to Hell by those who have been on her bad side. Beware not to be lulled into a false sense of serenity, as the drop into the frothing water is so steep that, only at the moment when your raft is balanced precariously on the edge, do you realise what a steep plummet you are in for. One minute you will be staring at a smooth horizon, the next your heart is in your throat and your paddle is frantically snatching at the water as you attempt to launch yourselves to the other side. Fortunately, at the base is a massive standing wave, named the Catcher Mitt, ready to hurl you out and on to the next one.

Grade 5 – Large and irregular waves, long and violent rapids with many obstructions in the forms of stoppers or rocks. May have big drops or steep gradients.

2. Gulliver’s Travels

True to its name, this rapid is bound to take you on the journey of a lifetime. Much like Gulliver’s Travels, this rapid is long and complex, and requires careful navigation of features such as Indicator Rock, which helpfully alerts you to turn right in order to avoid being flipped into the tsunami-sized waves known as Land of the Giants.

Grade 5 – Large and irregular waves, long and violent rapids with many obstructions in the forms of stoppers or rocks. May have big drops or steep gradients.

3. Commercial Suicide

This is the only grade six rapid that you will encounter, and it is the unrunnable rapid. However, it is still an incredible spectacle, as it is impossible to tell which direction the enormous and furious waves are crashing from. Whether it was with rage or love, Mother Nature poured a lot of powerful emotion into the creation of this awe-inspiring rapid.

Grade 6 – Commercially unrunnable in a raft. We carry our rafts around these rapids.

4. The Washing Machine

An ominous black rock lurks in the middle of this rapid, causing the water to churn into a frenzy of agitated waves, which resemble the inside of a washing machine that’s gone into overdrive. This rapid will snatch you up, spin you around and squirt you out, cleaner than you have ever been.

Grade 5 – Large and irregular waves, long and violent rapids with many obstructions in the forms of stoppers or rocks. May have big drops or steep gradients.

5. The Terminator

This rapid is a genuine traffic-stopper. A solid wall of water builds up and crashes back on itself, bringing rafts to an abrupt halt before tossing them over, scattering paddles and rafters across the Zambezi.

Grade 4 – Many irregular-sized waves and obstacles including rocks and strong eddies

6. Oblivion

This is the most photographic rapid on the river and it has caused more rafts to somersault than any other on the planet. This rapid comprises of three waves, and the star of the show stands at an impressive four to five metres. If you don’t capsize, then it is possible to surf the wave for up to 45 seconds. Rafters who do abruptly disembark are quickly flushed to safety.

Grade 5 – Large and irregular waves, long and violent rapids with many obstructions in the forms of stoppers or rocks. May have big drops or steep gradients.

These are only six of the rapids to be found on the Zambezi, and it’s up to you to come and discover the rest. Do yourself a favour and come white water rafting in Victoria Falls. Just one trip and you will be hooked. Warning: Rafting is highly addictive.

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Hiking across Africa’s largest canyon

Written by: Kabo Letlhogela

Our 85-kilometre hike across the Fish River Canyon, Africa’s largest canyon, began with a torturous two-kilometre descent from the main viewpoint near Hobas. Most people consider this to be the most strenuous section of the trail, and three hours later our group had only reached the lowest point and still had a while to go before reaching the sandy riverbed.

Kabo Letlhogela standing at starting point

Due to the tiring descent, we only covered a further 1.8km before setting up camp near First Rest Pools, where we bathed and swam in the water of the Fish River and used it to cook our evening meal.

The following day, we proceeded across thick desert sand, passing gigantic boulders, magical mountain ridges and bushes. Just before lunch, we stopped at the Wild Fig bend where you can find a Vespa scooter from a 1968 expedition that didn’t quite go according to plan. Nearby, an old carcass of a zebra greeted us. We then camped at Palm Springs and enjoyed a hot bath in the thermal sulphur pools. Across the pools, Namibia’s famous wild horses emerged.

On day three, we covered our greatest distance of 31 kilometres. Towering above us were prominent attractions such as Monument Mountain and Table Mountain, which resembles the Table Mountain in Cape Town. At Baboon Mountain Pools, the boys went for a swim to cool down, while the ladies proceeded for an extra kilometre to set-up camp at Bushy Corner.

On the fourth day, the Fish River split into three directions and our group disbanded, some of us getting lost before regrouping. Back on the trail we saw a pair of old rusty hiking boots left by a fellow hiker and, a few metres away, a colony of nearly 40 baboons marched in the opposite direction.

The hike was starting to take its toll as many members of our group were suffering from various injuries. As we passed the German soldier’s grave and the Four Finger Rock, the unrelenting heat forced us to take a longer break than usual before continuing to our last campsite for the hike – Fool’s Gold Corner.

The prospect of clean water and a cold beer were the motivating forces for us to hike the remaining kilometres on our final day. We passed through the Fish Eagle Pools and a rock inscribed with the words ‘COLD BEER’ and pointing to the resort was our final sign of hope that the end was in sight. After five days of hiking in the heat, we arrived at the resort and had accomplished our goal of conquering Africa’s largest canyon during heritage month!

We bet you didn’t know these weird wildlife collective nouns

The collective nouns for lions and other animals

How often have you heard someone say “so what do you call a group of giraffe?” or mongooses or whatever? Well, we did some research and came up with the following wildlife collective nouns, some of which had us giggling 🙂

A clan of hyena

A leap of leopards

A dazzle of zebra

A memory of elephant

A prickle of porcupine

An armoury of aardvarks

A pod or raft of hippos

A crash of rhino

A parliament of owls

A confusion of guinea fowl

A convocation of eagles

A whoop of gorillas

A business of mongoose

An obstinacy of buffalo

An implausibility of wildebeest

A wake of vultures

A fling of oxpeckers

A gaggle of geese

A hedge of herons

A pod of pelicans

A tower of giraffe (when the giraffe are standing still)

A journey of giraffe (for moving animals)

A pride of lion

A coalition of cheetah

A bask of crocodiles

A flamboyance of flamingoes

An elephant family finds a new home

Written by: Jay Roode

The Great Elephant Census of 2016 has just published its findings and they are shocking. African elephant populations are down 30% in the past seven years and individual numbers stand at only 350,000 across 18 African countries. One elephant is being poached every 15 minutes for its ivory – that’s 40,000 a year.

In an era during which the wilderness is shrinking, conservation areas are becoming ring-fenced and human populations are expanding; the space for wild things is dwindling. We stand at the edge of a world where the magnificent creatures that have travelled with us through the ages, and form part of humanity’s fabric, are reduced to theme park amusements in zoos and synthetic wilderness parks.

We too readily forget that the wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity for the human spirit. This is an era that demands urgent conservation philanthropy, particularly from the private sector, with regards to creating or expanding habitat for wild creatures and protecting them for future generations.

This concept became avidly clear when I recently accompanied the Shared Universe Foundation on the relocation of a family group of eight elephants into the newly expanded conservancy of Mapesu. The reserve was historically used for cattle farming and hunting and hasn’t seen resident elephants for over 100 years. But all that is about to change.

The Limpopo valley is a vast wilderness area; a quiet primitive place that is home to some of South Africa’s most noteworthy Khoi San rock art and of course to the ancient kingdom of Mapungubwe – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This valley has enormous potential as a vast transfrontier conservation area, which is a vision actively promoted by Shared Universe.

Poaching has reached unmanageable proportions in certain parts of the valley, and this elephant family was in desperate need of a new home.

I was completely unprepared for the scale of the operation and the dedication of the people involved. It was a massive undertaking involving vets, helicopters, large cranes, specially modified transport containers and a brave and dedicated ground crew.

The operation got off the ground before dawn but it was only at around midday that the elephants were located and nudged towards our position by the patient buzzing of an experienced helicopter pilot.

The heat seemed to flow upwards and the entire landscape shimmered under a relentless assault. Even the giant baobabs seemed to melt like silvery grey wax; their voodoo limbs reaching to the heavens in a desperate plea to end the inferno.

We were all concerned that the elephants may succumb to these extreme conditions, so the operation had to happen quickly and seamlessly to ensure there were no fatalities. The highly experienced crew managed to dart and load these slumbering giants into the specially modified transport containers within a couple of hours.

The cavalcade of trucks, surrounded in billows of red dust, ponderously made its way along rough dirt tracks on their long drive through silent rock and unbounded space to Mapesu and freedom.

Once the antidote was administered, it was thrilling to hear the thundering bangs and thumps as the elephants slowly awoke and came to their feet. The huge containers shook and quivered with their colossal load.

Although it had been a taxing day and everyone was fatigued after what had been a herculean effort, all was forgotten as we stood in a reverential hush as these gentle behemoths slowly walked out of the truck and into their new home.

The landscape itself seemed to expand and welcome home these gentle hearts, and a sense of completeness pervaded the air. An essential puzzle piece had been restored.

Elephants are a keystone species and crucial to Africa’s forests and savannahs. Creating a sustainable elephant population will require a coordinated and multi-faceted effort. We all need to be committed to the belief that, through innovation and dedication, we can conquer what initially appears insurmountable.

CITES: observations from a young Honorary Wildlife Warden

Written by: Raabia Hawa

There are few things that can crush my heart. I suppose after coming across hundreds of elephant carcasses lying abuzz with maggot-filled cavities in pools of thickening blood, there is little that really can move you to tears.

How funny it is then that I was moved to tears watching grown men and women – diplomats, delegates, and professionals – make a decision that even a five-year-old could see is just plain wrong.

I attended the CITES 17th Conference of the Parties because I felt it was necessary to understand the workings of a system that makes decisions, which inevitably have an impact on myself, future generations and everyone on the frontline in the war against poaching.

I pulled together my savings and struggled to get letters of confidence in order to get the necessary accreditation to attend this global market of endangered wildlife and their parts.

The first thing that struck me on arrival at the CoP17 was the jaw-droppingly lavish setting. I walked up to the Sandton Convention Centre and joined the demonstration outside, where people of all ages, nationalities and from all walks of life, shouted their throats sore for elephants, rhinos and lions. “What do we want?” They shouted, and the children, some as young as just five years old, shouted back, “Appendix 1!”

I began my CITES experience with such high hopes. Surely the voices of children, rangers, conservationists and the general public would not go unheard?

I made my way in to get the all-coveted pass and felt so grand wearing it around the arena. Initially, it was difficult to move around as there were so many simultaneous side-events, and my amazing mentor, Will Travers, kept getting pulled into things, so I explored alone for a while.

Through my interactions with numerous people, I discovered there were WhatsApp groups that I requested to be added to. These groups made it so much easier for me to know what was happening around me, to find out which working groups were meeting and where, and what critical proposals were coming up in the committee sessions.

And that’s where it all went down…

That is where I watched the EU let down an entire species to support a few greedy men that satiate the hunting industry. Never in my life had I heard such impassioned speeches in support of decimating entire species in order to line a few pockets. I began to feel sick to my stomach and it became harder each session to hold back my tears.

But it was on Tuesday that I broke. Everyone had been talking up this day. “Tomorrow’s the big one,” people kept saying in the corridors and around coffee tables.

My elephants were on the line.

The morning began with a prayer and briefing at the African Elephant Coalition room. We would stand strong for our mighty Ndovu.

Proposal 14, 15 and 16 were in session. My heart was beating so fast as I celebrated the small victories against the ivory trade proposals, and then it was time for the proposal of the AEC to uplist elephants to Appendix I.

The room was packed to the brim as everyone came in to witness the debate, clinging to hope (some for elephants, some for their lust for money). And so it began.

One side was fighting for the survival of a species, the other to destroy it. Passionate and polarised arguments fought this ultimate war of words.

For those of us on the field, let us always cling to the pillar of strength that for me now is Botswana. Agreeing to relinquish its Appendix II listing for elephants, and ban all ivory until 2025, this Southern African nation has ignored the voices of greed and heard the plight of future generations and a species in need.

I felt so helpless sitting in the back of the room and realising how different South African value systems are from the rest of Africa.

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, DRC, Fiji, Gambia, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Norway, Peru, Rep. Korea, Russian Federation, St. Lucia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe, China and shockingly, the United States of America (despite President Obama’s Executive Order against ivory and rhino horn trade) all voted against giving elephants the highest level of legal international protection.

But what swung the vote was the EU. With their block voting right counting for 28 votes, and a need for a two-third majority in favour of elephants to win, they callously and unashamedly denied Africa’s elephants any hope, and they denied me and future generations the same.

The EU managed to do what no poacher has done. Without mercy and devoid of ethics, the EU hacked away my heart, leaving me lying motionless in a pool of tears at the back of a room where flags of the world acted as my backdrop.

What will I tell the rangers when I go back home? What will I tell the families of those who died protecting this gentle giant we call Ndovu? CITES reconvenes in three years. Possibly by that time, Africa will have lost a further 100,000 elephants. And that is if the current rate of poaching does not increase with this lack of international protection for elephants, which I would say is quite unlikely.

I may not know what to say to the teams back home, but I will say this – unashamedly and without fear: If anything happens to me on the field between now and then, I will know in my heart who is to blame.

The silent giants of Tsavo

Tsavo National Park in Kenya is probably on every wildlife enthusiast’s bucket list. Renowned for its stories of man-eating lions, and admired for its famous elephants covered in red dust and the Critically Endangered hirola, a trip to Tsavo imbues tranquillity in the African wilderness with the prospect of observing big tuskers in their natural environment.

Spanning an area of 22,000km² – making it slightly bigger than South Africa’s Kruger – Tsavo is Kenya’s largest national park. And I had the good fortune to be guided in the park for nearly a week by Richard Moller, the Chief Executive Officer of The Tsavo Trust, and stay at Satao Camp in Tsavo East, which kindly subsidised some of the accommodation, meals and transfers.

The park’s nine big tuskers are among perhaps only 40 on the whole African continent today, as these so-called ‘hundred pounders have been all but wiped out as a combined result of poaching, trophy hunting and large scale exploitation of ivory for consumer goods. So it was a dream of mine to try to locate a few of these remaining iconic giants, and capture them on camera for monitoring purposes and posterity.

Note from the editor: We are very aware of public sensitivity to the disclosure of the location of large tuskers. This feature was put together under the close supervision of the Tsavo Trust, which takes excellent care of Tsavo’s special giants. Read on for further information.

? A herd of elephants in Tsavo National Park © Dex Kotze

The search for Tsavo’s tuskers

Africa Geographic arranged my Tsavo safari after I expressed the wish to see some of the last-remaining huge elephants.

Arriving in Kenya for research and a photographic safari excursion means that you need to pack very few clothes and ensure your photographic equipment takes precedence. It is only by patiently spending 10 to 12 hours a day in the bush that you will have even the remote chance of seeing a big tusker.
Richard is a seasoned fixed-wing pilot and treated me to the joys of aerial observation in the Super Cub on his daily reconnaissance flights. It struck me how easily Richard could identify the elephants from great distances, and we circled far away from them to avoid disturbing their peace.

Thanks to his skill, I achieved my goal and managed to see three of the largest bulls in the park, as well as a few huge females and several emerging tuskers. One evening, after spending 12 hours in the wilderness, local Tusker beer in hand by the fireplace, Richard and I reminisced about the wonders of nature that we had managed to locate during the day. While the waterhole at Satao Camp was inundated with elephants, sometimes as many as 60 quenching their thirst until late at night, our conversation focused on how to save these hidden icons of Africa’s savannahs. No sooner would a herd step back into the darkness to wander miles away in search of food, than another 30 elephants would arrive with rumblings and friendly scuffles in the dark, splashing at the waterhole in sheer delight at the coolness of the water on their bodies. It was a remarkable experience to fall asleep in our luxury tents later, surrounded by the stillness of the night that was only interrupted by the sounds of these majestic beings.

richard-moller-tsavo-elephants — Richard Moller with a big tusker in the background ©Dex Kotze

airplane-tsavo-kenya — Taking off in the Super Cub ©Dex Kotze

big-tusker-dex-kotze — One of only around 30-40 ‘hundred-pounders’ on the continent ©Dex Kotze

Elephant populations in East Africa

Sadly, the egoic obsessions of Western hunters to kill powerful beings is still very prevalent in this day and age. Although Kenya has banned hunting since the mid-70s, elephants do traverse freely to neighbouring Tanzania where elephant hunts are still taking place legally. Consequently, some iconic elephants have wandered perilously across the open borders, unknowingly taking the risk of being shot to decorate a mantelpiece some 14,000km away.

Observing these magnificent elephants in Tsavo East filled me with inner turmoil. Years of my research have revealed how world leaders, CITES, and the corruption in range, transit and consumer states have mostly failed these majestic and sentient beings. Where once 10 million elephants roamed the African continent some 200 years ago, less than 420,000 now remain.

While travelling from Satao Elerai Camp in Amboseli, I witnessed how Tsavo East and West are cut in half by the road that leads from Nairobi to Mombasa. China has also financed over 90% of the new 609km railway line that runs parallel to the road and is due for completion in December 2016. The Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway is the biggest infrastructure project in Kenya since the country’s independence. It will eventually link Mombasa, which is the world’s most significant transit point for ivory smuggling, with other major East African cities, such as Kampala in Uganda. The railway line is designed to carry 22 million tonnes of cargo a year, or a projected 40% of Mombasa Port throughput by 2035.

The total contribution of tourism in Kenya was 10.5% of GDP in 2014 and is forecast to continue rising thanks to the country’s wildlife wonders ©Dex Kotze

standard-guage-railway-tsavo — An underpass for elephants that is being built underneath the standard gauge railway ©Dex Kotze

elephant-herd-drinking — Time for a drink in Tsavo ©Dex Kotze

In this video by Richard Moller, you can watch some of Tsavo’s elephants dealing with their new environment:

Upon seeing this massive railway project, I recalled how, when arriving in Nairobi from Johannesburg days earlier, my attention was immediately drawn to the fact that nearly 90% of travellers at passport control came from China, including those in the queue for Kenyan passport holders. I had a brief flash of Howard French’s book, China’s Second Continent: A guide to the new colonisation of Africa, that I had read a year ago. I witnessed his experience firsthand and shuddered to think of the aftermath for Africa’s wildlife, considering the vast numbers of elephants poached to fulfil the Asian demand for ivory.

The Great Elephant Census is the largest pan-African aerial survey since the 1970s and recently released its results ahead of the CITES Conference of the Parties in Johannesburg at the end of September 2016. It showed that in seven years, between 2007 and 2014, numbers of savannah elephants plummeted by at least 30%.

At this year’s Conference of the Parties, a vital decision was made concerning the deplorable practice of ivory sales for carvings and collectors’ cabins. Members rejected Namibia and Zimbabwe’s proposals, which were strongly supported by South Africa, to export ivory stockpiles. After all, the morally unjustified decision in 2008 to allow a one-off sale of 106 tonnes of ivory to Japan and China yielded a mere US$15.5 million, which is an absolute pittance if one considers how 35,000 elephants a year have been slaughtered for their ivory since that time only eight years ago.

However, another proposal by the African Elephant Coalition, which consists of 30 African states, to up-list Southern African elephants to Appendix I for the highest possible protection, was sadly rejected at the CITES conference when the EU blocked the proposal. Importantly Botswana, with nearly one-third of the continent’s elephant populations, supported the coalition proposal.

big-tusker-tsavo-dex-kotze — One of Tsavo’s nine big tuskers ©Dex Kotze

tsavo-national-park-railway — The road that leads from Nairobi to Mombasa separates Tsavo East from Tsavo West ©Dex Kotze

elephant-herd-waterhole-tsavo — An elephant herd cools down in a waterhole in Tsavo ©Dex Kotze

Collaboration efforts

On the second day of my trip, we spotted a carcass of an elephant that had died a natural death. Later in the day, Richard asked the KWS rangers to accompany him to collect the ivory lying next to the dead animal. Their conversation was in fluent Swahili, and it was clear to see that the relationship between him and the rangers was filled with deep mutual respect for each other’s work and their efforts as the custodians of Tsavo’s heritage.

Two years ago the carcass of Satao, the world-famous big tusker, was found in the area. He had been killed by a poisoned arrow and found with his face hacked to pieces for his tusks, which were destined to decorate the desk of an Asian collector. World conservationists called this a monumental loss. As a result of the prevalence of poaching, Richard would like to see one or two of the iconic Tsavo tuskers enjoy a Presidential Security Decree to protect them, as was the case with the famous tusker called Ahmed of Marsabit National Park in Kenya in the early 1970s. If successfully repeated, this will be a momentous achievement in conservation leadership by an African president.

Over the next few days, I was elated to observe the successful cooperation between The Tsavo Trust, a field-based NGO established four years ago, and the Kenya Wildlife Services. In less than four years since Richard Moller embarked on his NGO’s programme to protect Tsavo’s tuskers, elephant poaching in Tsavo has reduced by over half. There are few examples of close co-operation by African NGOs and their government counterparts in wildlife conservation, so this is a notable venture. Richard and his co-pilot, Josh Outram, spend over 60 hours per month recording the silent giants of Tsavo’s savannahs, and they have donated more than US$300,000 worth of anti-poaching vehicles and equipment to KWS since its inception.

elephant-carcass-tsavo — One morning in flight, Dex and Richard noticed the three-to-four-week-old carcass of an elephant that appeared to have died of natural causes ©Dex Kotze

elephant-in-dust — A young elephant gives himself a dust bath ©Dex Kotze

They also work closely with local communities, as they fully appreciate that the survival of Africa’s iconic species is dependent on the participation of people who live on park borders. Human-wildlife conflict is at the root of an ecological disaster still in its infancy, and apex predators such as lions are especially affected in East Africa, as they pose an enormous threat to the cattle herders, so are consequently often killed or poisoned.

The ubiquitous pastoralists are, according to my sources, spending months in the park grazing the cattle of wealthy politicians, even though this is illegal. Over the course of our week in the area, Richard and I flew over several cattle herds and, a few days later, on my outward journey from Tsavo East, I again observed several thousand cattle and goats inside the park boundaries. The implications that this also has on Tsavo’s ecosystem are immense. From the Super Cub, I noticed that areas north of the Galana River were deprived of any flora and saw massive expanses of soil erosion caused by the hooves of livestock that had been herded to the river for water.

According to documents published by the United Nations, Kenya’s current population of 46 million people is expected to grow to 157 million by 2100. Africa’s people will swell from 1.2 billion today to 4.4 billion by the end of the century. These existing difficulties will increase tenfold over the next 80 years. Unless addressed now by closely involving local communities in conservation initiatives, this increase will spell disaster for Africa’s endangered species.

A herd of cattle walking through the park ©Dex Kotze — Pastoralists driving cattle and goats to the Galana River in Tsavo ©Dex Kotze

elephant-and-babies-tsavo — A dusty red elephant leads the way for her two babies ©Dex Kotze

tsavo-lion — The lions of East Africa are no exception to the human-wildlife conflict ©Dex Kotze

Where to stay in Tsavo

If you’re planning a trip to Tsavo National Park, Satao Camp in Tsavo East is a luxury eco-camp that makes for an ideal base from which to explore the area. Thanks to its fabulous light and unbelievable views, Tsavo East is a paradise for photographers who particularly wish to get shots of the Mudanda Rock, Lugard Falls and Yatta Plateau. With only one lodge and four camps within Tsavo East, the rolling hills of the park have a very remote feel, which means that Satao Camp can provide a rather exclusive experience.

Nestled amongst trees, the semi-circular layout around a waterhole of its 20 ensuite tents offers guests fantastic views from their private verandahs – on which they can toast a Tusker after spending the day in search of this beer’s namesake.

satao-camp-bedroom — Enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep in Tsavo East ©Satao Camp

satao-camp-elephant — An elephant at the waterhole in front of the ensuite tents ©Satao Camp

About the author

Dex Kotze is a businessman who applies his business experience of 30 years to the world of conservation. With a deep passion for Africa’s wildlife and wildlife photography, he started an NGO called Youth 4 African Wildlife, which aims to create next-generation global ambassadors for endangered African wildlife through experiential research, social media, film and photography. Since its inception four years ago, over ZAR800,000 has been raised for rhino conservation, with proceeds assisting in the successful translocation of rhinos to Botswana and the purchase of anti-poaching security dogs and equipment. His passion also steered him in 2014 to be a core strategist of the international NGO, Global March for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions, raising international awareness of the plight of elephants, rhinos and lions.
Dex is also a director of South Africa’s The Rhino Orphanage, a non-profit company based in Limpopo. This was the first of its kind when it was established in 2012, and it is a haven where injured and orphaned rhino calves are cared for, with the aim of releasing them back into the wild.

A cultural awakening in Sudan

Written by: Simon OChen

Nothing can prepare you for the heat in Sudan. It cracks 35ºC before 9am and easily hits the mid-40s by lunch. And surprisingly, it’s cooler in long clothing than in shorts.

Mungi, my guide, presents me with a jellabiya, the traditional long robe that men wear in Sudan. It’s great in keeping the heat at bay. Usually it’s white but can be found in a variety of colours and styles. How it’s kept white in this dusty country I’ll never know, but I’m sure there are some very talented laundry services here.

I slip the jellabiya on and head down Arba’im road, along the old camel route. Arba’im means ‘40’ in Arabic, so named as that was the amount of days it took for the camel caravans to trek from western Sudan to southern Egypt. This road is now tarmacked and smooth, leading to the shrine of Sheikh Hamed al-Nil, the man who had started the Sufi movement many moons ago.

“Every Friday people gather at the shrine,” Mungi explains, “where, after the 16:30 prayers, everyone comes together to form the Zikir Huliya. ‘Zikir’ means ‘charity’ while Huliya means ‘ring’ and the chanting is about Mohammed the Prophet’s good deeds and Allah. They play music and chant repeatedly, some men go into a trance-like state.”

The shrine is located in the Omdurman cemetery. The parking area is lined with small pop-up stalls filled with bites to eat, sweets, tea, coffee and cigarettes. In the main square you will find free food by volunteer cooks who are happy to feed everybody involved.

Men start to gather outside the shrine as the sun sets in the west. A semi-circle is formed and the priests start to drum a beat. They walk around the circle singing, inviting folk to come in and dance.

A priest wearing a rasta-coloured jellabiya (green, red and yellow) walks around burning incense, pausing by various people who sniff it and ritually pass the smoke over themselves and then stuff the priest’s pocket with monetary notes.

I find myself lightly swaying to the beat as Sufis from neighbouring areas arrive with more instruments and parade around the circle.

Men started to chant, and a priest loaded with beads dances around in circles within the circle. The energy is high. Everybody is smiling, greeting each other with long hugs and even longer blessings. It is such an eye-opener to see that this religion, one that the west has grown to fear, can be so spiritual and peaceful. And welcoming without judgement, dissolving the initial judgements I myself held.

I’ve only been in Sudan for four days but I am loving every minute of it. Despite the heat.

Video: Johannesburg market sells illegal wildlife products

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: Traveller24

This 5-minute raw footage taken at the Faraday Muthi Market in Selby, Johannesburg, shows skins and animal parts of endangered species openly available for sale, such as cheetah, leopard, lion, chimpanzee, hyena, pangolin and vulture.

While this was happening, just down the road in Sandton, more than 3,500 delegates from 183 member state countries attended the 17th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – one of the most important wildlife conferences focused on the protection and monitoring of trade in wildlife.

Yet, at this Jo’burg market, a rather well-known muthi (traditional medicine) market, the video clearly shows rampant trade in illegal wildlife products, most of which have very specific restrictions attached to trade, if any is even allowed.

The person who took the video and shared it with Blood Lions wishes to remain anonymous, but confirmed the video’s authenticity to Traveller24 and that it was taken on Monday, 3 October, saying it was, “alarming to see so many leopard skins available.”

In January this year, the Department of Environmental Affairs set provincial leopard trophy hunting quotas at zero for 2016, effectively banning leopard trophy hunting throughout South Africa for a year.

This calls into question the origin of these products, which include pangolin scales, just moved up to CITES Appendix I. Other products included lion skins and bone, as well as endangered vulture species.

Traveller24 spoke to Green Scorpions Environmental Management Inspector for Complaints, Andrew Mbhalati, who is the acting head for Green Scorpions at the moment, but he could not confirm if the market was being investigated.

Mbhalati says he would only be able to follow up on the matter on Monday, when the necessary official Eric Mbela who deals with biodiversity issues was back in the office.

Mbhalati says: “We rely on the public to lodge a complaint. Thereafter the issues are then registered and we send the inspectors to investigate further.” He could not confirm that the division actively investigates or patrols well-known markets such as Faraday. But given that the film was shot on Monday afternoon, it does not appear as if this particular one is being actively monitored.

Ian Michler, the investigative conservationist behind the documentary Blood Lions who has seen the video, told Traveller24 that while no official complaint has been laid, Blood Lions would definitely be collecting a full body of information in order to do so.

Michler says: “The striking irony of this is that a mere 15km from where the world has been holding the most important conference on the trade of endangered species is that these products are being traded in a market. The video shows everything from lion and vultures and crocodiles and primate hands.”

Michler says that while it is all good and well for the stakeholders to hold intellectual discussions on the endangered species, it highlights how little is actually being done on the ground and exactly why these species are in trouble.

“It is one thing to accord them protection in writing but it is another to enforce those laws entirely, which CITES needs to be aware of,” says Michler.

“It is the greatest irony and sadness in actual fact,” says Michler.

When told that the Green Scorpions rely largely on investigating complaints made by the public or organisations who witness the illegal trader, Michler says: “This is an indictment on local and national government, the fact that a country of South Africa’s stature when it comes to wildlife cannot get a rudimentary protection force together to carry out their mandate.”

Michler says: “At least give them the capabilities to patrol markets in the heart of the city – because this is what it boils down to, we are not talking about markets that are in the middle of nowhere. These are visible to everyone. It is extremely sad and a very concerning situation – that they don’t have the resources to carry out the most basic regulatory mandate.”

As part of its official complaint, Michler says Blood Lions would be looking at other areas in the CBD, as well as trying to ascertain who the suppliers to these markets area are.

NSPCA Wildlife aware of the muthi market

National Council of SPCA spokesperson Isobel Wentzel told Traveller24 that, while they are aware of the market, it falls out of their domain.

“We don’t have proof on how the animals are killed, it would be about the manner in how they were killed or proof of cruelty. The fact is we don’t know if they were alive when the parts were chopped off.”

However, Wentzel says: “Market traders need to be in possession of a wildlife trader permit, which must be regulated as it is issued subject to specific quotas. They need permits even if it’s for traditional medicine.”

Wentzel agreed that all known muthi markets across the various provinces need to be checked on, especially to establish proof of origin.

CITES regulates international and not domestic trade

“Conservation enforcement departments have to check if these guys have been issued permits. But it’s clear some of the species they can’t get permits to trade in,” which is the key issue here according to Wentzel.

While CITES regulates international and not domestic trade, Wentzel says these traders are still accountable as it is illegal to take animals such as pangolin out of the wild, let alone sell them.

“You cannot take animals out of the wild; it must be legally bred in captivity in order to trade some of them.”

Wentzel also suggests that it is unlikely these parts came from animals that died of natural causes. “If animals die of natural causes, a permit needs to be obtained just to keep the horn of a rhino for example. Leopard or cheetah skins cannot leave that property unless they have a registered wildlife permit. Curios all have permits for their wildlife items. Even if they call it traditional medicine, muthi markets are not exempted from the law.”

CITES CoP17 – Africa in a nutshell

Another CITES Conference of the Parties has concluded, with a mixed bag of results. The sheer volume of press releases and social media commentary can be confusing, even bewildering. And so here is a brief summary of the main decisions that affect African species.

Note:

– CITES appendix I: No legal international trade.

– CITES appendix II: International trade is permitted, subject to issue of export permits by relevant authorities.

Elephants

1. Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa requested the legalisation of international trade in ivory.

Request denied.

2. The Elephant Coalition (29 countries) and Botswana requested that elephants in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe be up-listed from CITES appendix II to I.

Request denied.

Note that elephants in all other African countries are already on CITES I and that the CITES II listing for the four countries above prohibits international trade in ivory. In effect the trophy hunting of elephants in those four countries and other countries (where the CITES I classification specifically permits hunting) will continue unaffected, as will the sale of live elephants. Elephant trophies may be exported, subject to specific bans already in place by target countries, but ivory may not be traded internationally (domestic sales are permissible).

Rhinos

Swaziland requested that they be allowed to trade internationally in white rhino horn.

Request denied

Note that white rhinos are listed on CITES II, with an annotation preventing the trade in rhino horn. South Africa permits domestic trade in rhino horn – although there are ongoing legal proceedings in this regard.

Lions

Several nations requested the up-listing of lions from CITES appendix II to CITES appendix I, which would kill the growing trade in lion bones and other parts.

Request denied, but no wild lion parts may be traded. Lion parts from captive-bred lions can be traded by South Africa, with that country required to set quotas and report to CITES each year.

In effect this decision entrenches and legitimises the lion breeding programmes in South Africa, and opens up possible channels for the laundering of wild lion parts. Trophy hunting of wild and captive-bred lions continues unaffected.

Pangolins

Request to up-list all pangolins from CITES II to CITES 1 was approved

Grey parrots

Request to up-list grey parrots from CITES II to CITES 1 was approved

This means that no wild-caught grey parrots can be traded internationally. Breeders can trade internationally in captive-bred grey parrots if they register their breeding facility with CITES (which will require upholding of specific standards) and permitting processes. There is no restriction on breeders selling captive-bred grey parrots domestically.

Cheetahs

Request to increase protective measures against the exotic pet trade (cheetahs are already on CITES 1) was approved. States agreed to co-operate more fully, and emphasis was placed on a unified approach for social media platforms.

Sharks and rays

Request made to up-list silky sharks, three species of thresher sharks and nine species of mobula rays to CITES appendix II was approved. This means that trade in these species will now have to be proven to be sustainable.

Parting thoughts

Although these changes provide a few more tools to prevent illegal international trade, they are only as effective as the degree to which the law is respected, applied and enforced. Most trafficking of wildlife happens outside of the law, and I am not convinced that any of these changes will have significant positive effects. Some of them might even drive illegal trade deeper underground than it is currently.

There seems to be an enormous void between CITES and those empowered on the ground to implement effective conservation strategies. What also comes through from social media chatter is a growing sense that CITES is purely an elite United Nations club, of frustration that foreigners with no understanding of the reality on the ground get to make fundamentally important decisions, and that it’s time for Africa to be in charge of its own wildlife management decisions.

Palm oil trade to develop in Congo Basin

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: Written by: Joe Sandler Clarke for Energy Desk, Greenpeace

The second-largest rainforest in the world could become the next frontier in the global palm oil trade as the government of Cameroon considers allowing the expansion of plantations in the country.

The Congo Basin rainforest is home to a range of wildlife, including gorillas. ©Markus Mauthe / Greenpeace

SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC) hold a land lease to develop palm oil on 20,000 hectares of land on the fringe of the Congo Basin rainforest and the company is hoping to receive an extended lease on the land.

The news comes as local community members announce they are bringing a case against the firm, with hundreds of farmers accusing the company of failing to respect the “buffer zones” around their farmland.

The emergence of industrial palm oil plantations in the region has sparked concern among local environmentalists.

Home to gorillas, forest elephants and bonobos, as well as more than 1,000 species of birds and 10,000 types of tropical plants, the rainforest spans six countries, covering a little over 40% of Cameroon’s land.

SGSOC has been active in Cameroon for seven years, working at a relatively small scale, but sparking significant controversy.

It originally outlined plans to develop up to 60,000 hectares of land for palm – an area the size of Madrid, but has since backed away from those plans.

When contacted by Greenpeace researchers, SGSOC said the land it had sought had been designated as an “agricultural development zone in 1989”.

SGSOC have present in Cameroon since 2009. ©Environmental Investigation A

Farmland

In 2012, an EU-funded independent observer of the forestry sector claimed that the company had been clearing forest, without a permit.

More recently, residents in Babensi II village, which overlaps the concession, have complained about their farmland being damaged as part of SGSOC’s development.

Today, local community members are bringing a case against SGSOC, with hundreds of farmers accusing the company of failing to respect the “buffer zones” around their farmland.

SGSOC rejected these accusations, in a response to Greenpeace researchers.

A spokesperson for the company said: “In accordance with the company’s policy to comply with international standards, SGSOC uses the Free, Prior and lnformed Consent (FPIC) approach in each community it works with. Communities that do not wish to partner with SGSOC were entitled to deny the project access to their lands without the threat of repudiation or consequence. For example, 11 Bassosi villages including Babensi II were excluded from the SGSOC project because they rejected it.”

Indonesian development

Large scale palm oil operations were a feature of the region during the colonial era and people living in and around the Congo Basin have long had small scale farming and palm oil operations.

But the scale of SGSOC’s current project may represent the arrival of the Indonesia-style palm oil industry to the region.

Smallholders have been farming palm oil for decades in Cameroon. But the country has not seen industrial palm oil development seen in Indonesia. — Smallholders have been farming palm oil for decades in Cameroon. But the country has not seen industrial palm oil development like in Indonesia.

Indonesia’s rainforest has been ravaged for the last two decades by the poorly regulated palm oil and logging industry.

The huge forest fires that cause devastating pollution across South-East Asia each year have been blamed on practises linked to the palm oil sector, such as land clearance and developing plantations on highly flammable peatland.

Though the Congo basin does not have the same soil, the expansion of industrial palm-oil farming to the region could herald a sea-change in deforestation.

SGSOC first entered the country in 2009 as a subsidiary of United States agribusiness firm Herakles Farm, but has operated as an independent local corporation since 2015.

The company now faces an anxious wait, as its provisional lease to develop the 20,000 hectares runs out in November.

The Cameroon government will then make a decision about whether to cancel or extend the project. The international palm oil sector will be watching developments with interest.

It’s a no for Swaziland rhino horn trade proposal

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: WildAid

Parties to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have voted overwhelmingly to protect rhinos by rejecting a proposal to legalise the rhino horn trade. The proposal submitted by Swaziland to legalise rhino horn trade was defeated 100-26 with 17 abstentions.

white-rhinoceros-ceratotherium-simum-charge-south-africa

Over the past decade, nearly 6,000 rhinos have been killed for their horns — primarily in South Africa, where 5,098 were poached between 2005 and 2015 to supply a lucrative black market.

Proponents of legal trade argue that they can tightly control the trade by limiting it solely to horn legally taken from living rhinos and legitimate stockpiles, and claim they will use the revenue to support anti-poaching.

But WildAid and other conservation groups have warned that legitimising the use of rhino horn by promoting trade can massively increase consumer demand in Asia for a product that is falsely claimed to cure cancer, hangovers and other illnesses.

WildAid CEO Peter Knights said of the vote: “Today, the Parties to CITES have overwhelmingly voted the right way on this issue. Far from protecting rhinos, a legal trade in rhino horn would have simply provided a mechanism for laundering yet more horn from poached rhinos into the trade. Demand reduction efforts in consumer nations, combined with improved enforcement in rhino range states, have a far better chance of reversing the rhino poaching crisis.”

WildAid also opposes “cultured” or bioengineered rhino horn because it risks perpetuating myths of rhino horn’s medicinal potency in Vietnam and China while making the product more socially desirable.

CITES votes against strongest protection for elephants

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: The Guardian

CITES meeting blocks proposal for a ban on all trade of ivory from four southern African countries with stable or increasing elephant populations – but passes other vital conservation measures.

Most African elephants already have the highest level of international legal protection – a CITES “appendix 1” listing – which bans all trade. But the elephants in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, are listed on “appendix 2”, a lower level of protection. On Monday a proposal to add the elephants in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana to appendix 1 was defeated.

The EU played a pivotal role in blocking the proposal, which was fought over by rival groups of African nations.

But the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), meeting this week in Johannesburg, passed other new measures for elephants that conservationists say will add vital protection.

All 182 nations agreed for the first time that legal ivory markets within nations must be closed. Separately, a process that could allow one-off sales of ivory stockpiles was killed and tougher measures to deal with nations failing to control poached ivory were agreed.

More than 140,000 of Africa’s savannah elephants were killed for their ivory between 2007 and 2014, wiping out almost a third of their population, and one elephant is still being killed by poachers every 15 minutes on average. The price of ivory has soared threefold since 2009, leading conservationists to fear the survival of the species is at risk.

The acrimonious debate over elephant poaching has split African countries. Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which host about a third of all remaining elephants, have stable or increasing populations. They argue passionately that elephant numbers are also suffering from loss of habitat and killings by farmers and that they can only be protected by making money from ivory sales and trophy hunting.

However, a group of 29 African nations, which host about 40% of all elephants and are led by Kenya and Benin, have smaller and plummeting populations and countered that poaching and the illegal trade in ivory is the greatest threat.

Critics said the proposal would do little to protect elephants as all international trade is already banned, but proponents argued it was a crucial signal to poachers and criminals of a global crackdown on the illegal ivory trade. Botswana has the world’s largest elephant population, about a third of all elephants, and it is growing. But it broke ranks with Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and argued vehemently for appendix 1 protection.

Tshekedi Khama, Botswana’s minister of environment, said: “There is concerning evidence that elephant poaching is moving south. The criminal networks that facilitate much of this trade are highly organised and fluid, operating over several regions in the continent. Therefore no population should be considered secure. Put simply, a threat to elephants anywhere is a threat to elephants everywhere.”

The Cote D’Ivoire delegate said it was absurd to have some elephants on appendix 1 and some on appendix 2: “An elephant that crosses a border may have protection on one side and not on the other. Elephants do not have passports.”

Lee White, the British-born director of Gabon’s national parks and CITES delegate, said poachers were now shooting on sight at his rangers. The upgrading of all elephants to the highest protection would have sent “a signal that we will come down as hard on poaching as we do on the trafficking of drugs, arms and people”.

However, Namibia’s delegate threatened to withdraw entirely from CITES protections for elephants if all populations were upgraded to the highest levels. “It is completely fallacious that legal ivory trade covers illegal trade,” he said, a statement flatly rejected by other nations.

South Africa’s environment minister, Edna Molewa, said rural communities must benefit from elephants if they are to tolerate the damage caused to crops and the lives sometimes lost. “We dare not ignore their voices,” she said. “Trophy hunting is the best return on investment [in elephant protection] with the least impact.”

The EU, which with 28 votes is a powerful force at CITES, also opposed the upgrade to appendix 1. It said that CITES rules meant the highest level protection is reserved for populations that are in steep decline, and that this did not apply to the elephants in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Some scientific and conservation groups agreed with this, including WWF, Traffic and the Zoological Society of London, arguing the integrity of the CITES was at risk.

The EU delegate to CITES said: “The proposal does not meet the biological criteria. [But] this does not mean in any way we are not concerned about the decline of elephants across the continent.” Several nations said cutting the demand for ivory, through education, and better enforcement against poachers was key.

The issue was forced to a vote and was defeated, leaving the southern African elephants on appendix 2. Earlier on Monday, Namibia and Zimbabwe had attempted to legalise the trade in ivory from those countries.

Namibia said its elephant population had doubled to 20,000 in the last 15 years. Charles Jonga, from the Campfire Programme, a rural development group in Zimbabwe, told the CITES summit: “The people in my community say: ‘These elephants they eat our crops, they damage our houses, what benefit do we get?’ If they get benefits, they will protect and not poach.”

But Patrick Omondi, Kenya’s delegate, said: “Poaching levels and trafficking in ivory are at their highest peak. History has shown the ivory trade cannot be controlled. We are reaching a tipping point and need to give elephants time to recover.”

Both Namibia’s and Zimbabwe’s proposals, supported by Japan but opposed by the EU and US, were soundly defeated. Observers believe Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa did not expect to unpick the ban on the ivory trade at this summit but wanted to keep the debate open, in the hope of future success.

Many conservation groups wanted all elephants to get the highest protection, but Tom Milliken, an elephant expert from wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic, said: “Where elephants fall on the CITES appendices is inconsequential to their survival. All the paper protection in the world is not going to compensate for poor law enforcement, rampant corruption and ineffective management.”

He said the real success of the summit was measures to crack down on countries failing to halt illegal trade.

But Kelvin Alie, at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said the failure to put all elephants on appendix one was a disaster: “This is a tragedy for elephants. At a time when we are seeing such a dramatic increase in the slaughter of elephants for ivory, now was the time for the global community to step up and say no more.”

Countries fail to agree on complete ban to protect African lions from global trade

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: The Guardian

An attempt to ban all international trade in African lions, from trophy heads to bones, has failed at the CITES global wildlife summit.

Animal rights activists carry placards during an anti- canned-lion protest during the first day of the COP17 Cites conference in Johannesburg. Photograph: Kim Ludbrook/EPA — Animal rights activists carry placards during an anti- canned-lion protest during the first day of CITES CoP17 in Johannesburg ©Kim Ludbrook/EPA

African lions have shrunk to just 8% of their historic range, with only 20,000 left in the wild. About 1,500 a year are hunted as trophies, a practice that attracted global attention last year after an American dentist killed Cecil the lion with a crossbow in Zimbabwe.

Rising trade in lion bones to Asia, where such bones are replacing scarce tiger bones in supposed tonics, has raised fears of further declines. South Africa alone legally exported 1,200 skeletons – 11 tonnes of bones – between 2008 and 2011, the latest figures available.

But 182 countries at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meeting in Johannesburg, were unable to agree on a proposal from nine African countries to ban all international trade in lion parts.

Instead, a compromise agreement banned only the trade in bones, teeth and claws from wild lions. Those coming from captive-bred lions will still be legally sold, although South Africa will now have to report on how many it sells each year. The export of trophies from lion hunting remains legal.

Tsekedi Khama, environment minister in Botswana, which backed a total ban, said: “It would be a very, very sad day when we are not able to show our children’s children what a lion looks like because they have been hunted into extinction or because we traded their body parts into extinction, and that we have taken no responsibility in managing the situation.”

A spokesman for the European Union, which helped broker the deal, said: “It is the nature of compromise that not everyone gets what they want.”

A delegate from Niger, one of the countries that proposed the total ban, said: “We continue to be concerned by the constant threat the lion faces. [But] we will accept the compromise.”

Zimbabwe has argued strongly for legal trade in lions and its CITES delegate said living with lions poses serious hardships for communities, as cattle and sometimes people can be killed by them.

“The coexistence of people and lions can only be protected by putting a value on lions,” the delegate said, “through eco-tourism and sport hunting, with the money ploughed back into conservation.”

Colman O’Criodain, from the World Wildlife Fund, said: “Discussions at CITES have shone a light on the lion bone trade, while a recent report highlights the use of lion bone as a substitute for tiger bone. WWF is very concerned about this trend and the recommendation to ban all trade in wild lion bone is a positive first step, but it does not go far enough. WWF believes that, as with the trade of parts of captive-bred tigers, the trade in bone from captive-bred lion keeps demand for big cat bone alive, and complicates enforcement efforts.”

Experts say any legal big cat bone trade gives the opportunity for traffickers to pass off illegal wild bones as legitimate.

Jimmiel Mandima, from the African Wildlife Foundation, had wanted a total ban and warned that lions were going extinct in numerous African countries. He said trophy hunting disrupted populations by targeting the biggest males.

Global trade in African grey parrots banned

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: News24

Delegates at CITES CoP17, a global wildlife conference, on Sunday voted to ban international trade in African grey parrots, one of the world’s most trafficked birds.

Prized for their ability to mimic human speech, the birds are a highly sought-after pet, but their numbers have been decimated in recent years by poaching and the destruction of their forest habitats. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Johannesburg voted 95 to 35 in a secret poll to ban the global commercial trade of the parrot. CITES said the vote result would give the African grey the “highest level of protection” by listing it in Appendix 1, which outlaws all international trade in animals facing possible extinction.Dr Colman O’Criodain of conservation group WWF called the move “a huge step forward” in protecting the bird.”Fraud and corruption have enabled traffickers to vastly exceed current quotas and continue to harvest unsustainable numbers of African grey parrots from Congo’s forests to feed the illegal trade,” he said. “Banning the trade will make it easier for law enforcement agencies to crack down on the poachers and smugglers, and give the remaining wild populations some much-needed breathing space.”The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) estimates that between 2.1 and 3.2 million African greys were captured between 1975 and 2013.

Susan Lieberman of the Wildlife Conservation Society said the parrot had experienced, “significant population declines throughout its range in West, Central and East Africa.”

“It is extremely rare or locally extinct in Benin, Burundi, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo,” she said in a statement.

“If this bird could talk – and it certainly can – the African grey parrot would say thank you.”

The CITES treaty, signed by 182 countries and the European Union, protects about 5,600 animal and 30,000 plant species from over-exploitation through commercial trade.

The 12-day conference, which ends on Wednesday, is sifting through 62 proposals to tighten or loosen trade restrictions on around 500 species.

Do or die – deciding the pangolin’s fate at CoP17

Written by: Hazel Friedman

September 28th 2016 will be remembered by many delegates attending CITES CoP17 as a bitter-sweet day for pangolins – an ancient species that has earned the unfortunate label of ‘the most trafficked mammal we have never heard of.’

After months of vociferous lobbying, conservationists succeeded in eliciting the unanimous support of 19 range countries to uplist the species’ status from Appendix II – which allows for restricted trade – to Appendix I – a total ban on all trade, except for scientific research. But the lifeline that been thrown to this troglodyte creature also constitutes an acknowledgement that other measures to save it have failed.

To date, the pangolin has remained under the radar of mainstream conservation campaigns, unlike the high profile marketing drives undertaken on behalf of elephant, rhino, tiger, leopard and lion. Not only is it extremely elusive – it is a nocturnal loner; funding shortages have also hampered research into its habitat and genealogy. Dan Challender, who co-chairs the Pangolin Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) describes it as ‘the forgotten species’.

But this moniker has now changed, thanks to COP17. Although CITES was only expected to make its decision on the fate of the pangolin on 5th October – the final day of the conference – the unanimous vote meant that the uplisting of all 8 species was implemented immediately. Of the 8 species, four are from Asia and four are from Africa.

“We must embrace our endangered species as a country, continent and as the world, to speak in one, united voice,” says Ray Jansen, Chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) – a non-profit organisation established in 2011 to research, raise awareness and lobby for greater protection of the species. “We must show that pangolins are untouchable, that trade is a no-no. This requires removing demand and increasing stiff penalties for all wildlife crimes, in general, and pangolin trafficking, in particular.’

Although statistics on numbers of both African and Asian pangolins are unclear, conservationists and scientists point out that, based on seizures of pangolin scales and meat transported from Africa to Asia, over 1 million pangolins are estimated to have been poached in the last decade. The rate at which they are being slaughtered for scales and meat is therefore completely unsustainable.

Although the local market for pangolin still revolves principally around traditional healing, followed by a much smaller trade in bush meat, South African pangolins are being caught and trafficked by middlemen who regard this elusive animal, as a lucrative commodity. According to the Limpopo-based anti-poaching unit, Protrack, since the beginning of 2016, there were seven arrests in Limpopo, the province, alongside the Northern Cape, where the Cape Ground Temminck Pangolin – a species indigenous to Southern and South Africa – is most commonly found. Some of the arrests involved foreign nationals allegedly colluding with South Africans who were allegedly aware of the pangolin’s value as a lucrative commodity in the transnational trade.

“Although we have no idea how many pangolin are left in South Africa, if one does a risk assessment, it is necessary to err on the side of caution. This is because huge amounts of scales are leaving South Africa and the continent, which make the survival of the species unsustainable,” Says Rynette Coetzee, who is the Biodiversity Officer at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

For example in July this year, Hong Kong Customs seized over 4000 kilograms of pangolin scales hidden in a container labelled “sliced plastics” from Cameroon. This represents up to six thousand pangolins – the largest seizure of pangolin scales in five years.

Indeed Pangolin body parts have been used for centuries in both traditional Asian and African medicine. But it is evident that in Asia, especially China and Vietnam, pangolin scales are now being exploited for everything from fashion items to status symbols and the species is being eaten to extinction. The massive and growing scale of consumption has resulted in the dwindling of the Asian pangolin species. Inevitably, Africa has become the next port of call.

Conservationists have express enormous relief that all eight pangolin species have been uplisted. But to what extent this will be effective is debatable.

“The upgrading of the pangolin – as with all our endangered wildlife – can be effective, or it will be completely toothless,” warns the APWG’s Rob Bruyns. “As is the case with South Africa’s progressive conservation legislation, laws can be passed, but unless they are effectively implemented and enforced on the ground, they will have no effect on the illegal trade.”

Demand for rhino horn outstrips global supply

Written by: Barbara Maas, Head of Endangered Species Conservation at NABU International

Rhino poaching in Africa has been on the rise for a decade and reached a record high of 1,342 in 2015. Legalising international trade in rhino horn as a way to stop the killing is one of the hotly contested issues on the agenda of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) CoP17 currently happening in Johannesburg, with Swaziland’s proposal to trade in rhino horn to be heard on Monday.

A new study by NABU International highlights that even the global rhino population of just under 30,000 individuals is not nearly enough to meet demand. Opening trade in horn is therefore likely to further escalate poaching and hasten the demise of the world’s rhinos.

Almost seventy percent of the world’s 29,300 rhinos live in South Africa, which hosts CITES this year and has registered a strong interest in legalising trade in rhino horn. Rhino horn is highly prized in Vietnam and China, where it retails for up to US $100,000 per kilo on the black market, making it more valuable than gold.

“Trade advocates insist that ‘flooding the market’ with legal horn will price illegal traders out of the market and discourage poaching,” explains NABU International’s Dr Barbara Maas who carried out the research. “However, our study shows that this is not a realistic scenario, given the potential size of Asian markets and the limited amount of rhino horn available globally.”

NABU International estimates the total mass of rhino horn that is theoretically available from the world’s remaining 29,324 rhinos is 141,000 tonnes. By apportioning this amount to different market scenarios in the two largest consumer countries, Vietnam and China, using common doses prescribed in traditional Chinese and allied medicines (TCM), Maas identified a vast shortfall, even if only a few grams of horn are used. Her results show that a single prescription of three, nine or 50 grams administered to 3.8%, 1.3% and 0.2% of the adult population of China and Vietnam respectively, would require the horn mass of the entire global rhino population.

“Because the majority of privately rhino owners in South Africa are pushing for the legalisation of rhino horn trade, we also looked at how far their horn would go amongst Asian consumers. Our results show that ‘flooding the market’ with horn from these sources is not a credible option, even if a tiny single dose of rhino horn is used. Whichever way you cut it, there simply aren’t enough rhinos left on earth to risk legalising trade,” explains Maas. “It’s a dangerous gamble that could seal the fate of rhinos everywhere within a very short timeframe.”

NABU International suggests that rigorously enforced national and international trade bans combined with effective demand reduction initiatives are the only way to turn the current crisis around and prevent the rhino’s extinction.

Rhino horn consists of a protein called Keratin, which also makes up human nails or hair. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat a large variety of ailments.

Although rhino horn has been shown to reduce fever in extremely high doses, it is less effective than Aspirin. Traditional Asian medicine also offers consumers a host of herbal alternatives. In the mid-2000s rumours of rhino horn as a cancer treatment began to sweep across Vietnam and China. There is no evidence from clinical research in traditional Chinese medicine or elsewhere to support this belief, nor is it documented or approved in TCM manuals.

Yet, this use of rhino horn has become one of the primary drivers behind the dramatic surge in rhino poaching. Chinese and Vietnamese consumers also use rhino horn is also used as a party drug to relieve hangovers, as a status symbol, and more recently as ornaments and jewellery or a hard-nosed investment.

“Rhino populations everywhere are under siege from poachers, illegal traffickers, national and international criminal cartels, corrupt officials and conservation community insiders, art collectors, status and pleasure seekers, medical patients and financial speculators intent on cashing in on the animals’ increasing rarity,” says Maas. They are killed even in some of the most heavily guarded areas, including South Africa’s flagship Kruger National Park. Making trade legal cannot be sustainable. It would open a flood gate that no one will be able to close again in time to prevent the last rhino from dying for its horn.

Video: Shocking evidence emerges of Japan’s dirty ivory trade

Written by: The Environmental Investigation Agency

New evidence of Japan’s failure to control illegal ivory trading at a time when Africa’s elephants face extinction is revealed in a damning report.

The report from the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals the identities of four Japanese ivory trading companies that offered to sell elephant tusks to undercover investigators for illegal export to China. The report, titled The Dirty Secrets of Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade, also documents a 20-year history of broken commitments by Japan to enact effective controls to prevent poached tusks from being sold domestically or for illegal export.

The report follows shocking new elephant census data revealing a 30% decline from 2007 to 2014 in populations in 15 of 18 African nations surveyed. This amounts to an unsustainable 8% annual decline from intensive ivory poaching, which threatens the species’ long term survival.

EIA’s report is released as a critical meeting of 183 nations Party to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is underway in Johannesburg, South Africa. Major proposals from Kenya and nine other African elephant range states, and one from the United States, aim to close domestic ivory markets of Japan and other Parties to help protect Africa’s elephants.

“Japan’s efforts to promote continued ivory trade while opposing the domestic ivory ban proposals is a slap in the face to the 29 African states seeking to end domestic ivory trade to protect their elephants ” said Allan Thornton, president of EIA. “It’s time for Japan to join the global efforts to protect elephants and to permanently ban its domestic ivory trade.”

The EIA report, The Dirty Secrets of Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade, reveals:

– The identities and undercover video of four Japanese ivory companies that admitted to EIA investigators to conducting daily ivory sales to Chinese buyers and boasted of the vast amounts of ivory being illegally exported to China and Hong Kong.

– 30 of 37 Japanese ivory traders contacted by an undercover investigator offered to engage in some form of illegal activity to buy, sell, or fraudulently register a tusk that did not qualify for registration.

– Most of Japan’s ivory tusk imports dating from before the 1989 ban on international trade in elephant ivory were from poached elephants. As a result, the government’s tusk registration scheme is effectively a tool for granting amnesty to large quantities of pre-1989 poached ivory

– An influential report by the wildlife trade monitoring group, TRAFFIC, supporting Japan’s 1997 bid to reopen ivory trade found that Japan could not control ivory trade, but the conclusions were amended and supported Japan’s successful bid to reopen ivory trade.

The EIA report also reveals that, since 1997, Japan has consistently failed to enact CITES commitments to:

– Verify the legality of origin and acquisition of ivory tusks presented for registration, thereby enabling poached tusks to be legalised onto the domestic market with the widespread use of fraudulent declarations.

– Require registration and marking of cut ivory pieces over 1kg and 20cm in height or larger, making it impossible to track the trade chain of ivory.

– Enact “demonstrably effective” controls over worked ivory.

– Control unregistered ivory traders selling large amounts of ivory online shopping and auction sites like Yahoo! Japan and Rakuten Ichiba.

– Prevent illegal export of ivory to China, Thailand, and other nations.

“EIA investigations and research over the past 18 months demonstrate that Japan’s ivory control system is plagued by loopholes and undercut by weak legislation to such an extent that no meaningful control exists at even the most basic level,” said Danielle Fest Grabiel, EIA Wildlife Senior Policy Analyst.

Crafts, communities and and culture in Soutpansberg

In one of the many hidden valleys of the Soutpansberg in central Limpopo, you’ll find Fair Trade Tourism certified Madi a Thavha Mountain Lodge. A place where life and art, mirror people and place, where village life and rich culture blend to create a hip and happening rural style, and where guests are invited to join in on this glorious dance called ‘life’.

the-picturesque-soutpansberg-mountains-home-to-madi-a-thavha-mountain-lodge-madhi-a-thavha

And what makes this ‘life’ at Madi a Thavha special, are the sustainable relationships that they have built with their surrounding communities. Most of the staff is from the local community, with some being rescued out of a life of poverty. Like Paul Sephodi, an unemployed man who came to dig a hole for a septic tank – a two-week job that in the end lasted 11 years and has equipped him with skills that would make any handyman proud.

Alfred Ramolefo, who started out as the foreman on the farm, is now a qualified tour guide and Musa Matchume, the lodge administrator, with his passion for guiding tours and sharing his local and indigenous knowledge with guests. The tours offered at Madi a Thavha are anything but contrived and sterile – guests get to walk along dusty streets with traditionally painted homesteads, hear the melodious sound of children laughing and the tinkling of Nguni cattle bells. Experience rural life with its local hair-salons and spaza shops, visit a local school or community project and meet crafters and local artists in their rural workshops.

experience-the-sights-and-sounds-of-rural-markets-and-businesses-on-a-walking-tour-madi-a-thavha

One such crafter is Sophia Baloyi, a ‘gogo’ who is a master at creating traditional Tsonga beaded items. Together with her sister Lerisa, they create jewellery, beaded baskets, traditional calabash and walking sticks – all with a contemporary edge learned during workshops at Madi a Thavha. These workshops teach local crafters how to use heritage-based techniques and materials to make contemporary products that will appeal to tourists and interior decorators. Products, from 30 rural artists and crafters are sold at the craft art shop at the lodge.

a-tsonga-family-seen-outside-a-hair-salon-during-a-walking-tour-madi-a-thavha

some-of-the-wonderful-products-locally-sourced-and-sold-at-the-craft-art-shop-all-created-with-the-product-development-support-madi-a-thavha

One of the other popular stops on a tour is to visit Thomas Kubayi, a talented woodcarver, drum builder, musician and storyteller. His Vhutshila Art Centre is where guests can enjoy musical performances as well as woodcarving and music workshops, and a place where he imparts his knowledge of carving and traditional music to other local young artists, such as Pilato Bulala, a schoolboy who does scrap art living close to him.

funky-scrap-art-created-by-schoolboy-pilato-bulala-madi-a-thavha

It is heart-warming to visit the Vhutshilo Mountain School where many HIV positive and vulnerable children from extremely impoverished circumstances are cared for. Madi a Thavha also supports Vhutshilo in their quest for proper education, clothes, nutritious meals and health check-ups for the children and young adults, many of whom are orphans. In addition to this, an income-generating scheme for school leavers ensures that they are able to support themselves financially.

such-cuteness-at-the-vhutshilo-mountain-school-for-aids-orphans-madi-a-thavha

These are just a few of the rich experiences that represent Madi a Thavha’s integrated approach to ‘doing’ tourism. An approach that is in line with the principles of responsible tourism and that benefits the local community, and one of the key reasons for their Fair Trade Tourism certification.

Guests of Madi a Thavha Mountain Lodge leave with dust in their shoes, wonderful memories and a suitcase full of art and crafts – each of these with a special story that represents the life and traditions of the colourful people of the northern frontiers of South Africa.

Ivory trade mechanism rejected in heated debate at CITES conference

Written by: Adam Cruise

Yesterday Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe’s recommendation for the adoption of a Decision-Making Mechanism (DMM) for a future trade in ivory was roundly rejected by parties, led by outspoken opponents Burkina Faso, Kenya, Republic of Congo and Chad.

Negotiations over the plight of elephants began in controversial style yesterday at the 17th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), taking place in Johannesburg.

A proposal from the Secretariat to extend the mandate to the CITES Standing Committee to continue the debate on the Decision-Making Mechanism failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority.

In 2007, CITES initiated negotiations on a DMM for a process of trade in ivory, which could lead the way towards a reopening of international trade. Debate over the years became protracted and provoked considerable criticism.

The mandate for negotiation was renewed at CITES CoP16 in 2013, and a DMM Working Group established. However, despite extensive debate, no progress has been made to date on establishing such a mechanism.

“These discussions have been going round in circles for nine years without going anywhere,” says Will Travers, President of Born Free, a wild animal and conservation charity, “it’s time to kill this process.”

“If this mandate is not extended, it will die, it will be moribund,” said Jonathan Barzdo, Chair of the Committee discussing the issue. Although the mandate was not extended here this evening, the issue can be revived in the plenary sessions next week, but the mood among the delegations seems to be to swinging toward greater protection of elephants.

“The surge of feeling among African nations we’re seeing here tonight in the rejection of the Decision-Making Mechanism,” says Keith Lindsay, “is a reaction to what they’ve seen happening in their countries – they’ve seen their elephants being wiped out and it’s time to put a stop to it.”

Earlier a report by the CITES Secretariat for the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) disputed the findings of a recent paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which finds a clear link between the legal one-off ivory sales that took place in 2008 and the current poaching crisis that has seen a third of Africa’s elephants wiped out.

The MIKE claim was immediately challenged by a number of CITES member nations as well as conservation NGOs.

Uganda declared the MIKE report flawed, echoed by both Kenya and the NGOs Humane Society International and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, which suggested that the MIKE analysis lacked transparency, consultation and a necessary peer review to make its claims legitimate and that the authors of the NBER report had in fact answered MIKE’s criticisms.

“The lesson of the NBER study is inescapable,” says Iris Ho, Program Manager, Wildlife for the Humane Society International, “a legal trade, or even talk of one, is a risk that we cannot afford to take.”

Israel went further with its criticism stating: “The MIKE program is not fulfilling the function it was set up to do.” The overall goal of MIKE, according to the CITES website, is to provide the information needed for elephant range states to make appropriate management and enforcement decisions. That MIKE, according to the Israeli delegation, won’t recognise the clear link between the one-off sales and the current poaching crisis hampers efforts to effectively combat the scourge.

There were, however, some nations that welcomed the MIKE report. Speaking on behalf of all SADC countries, South Africa’s Minister for the Environment, Edna Molewa, said they “supported the claim that there is no evidence between the one-off sales and the poaching crisis.”

However, Molewa admitted there was a dramatic spike in poaching in Kruger National Park in the last three years. In 2013 the first elephant in 10 years was poached for its tusks. “This year alone,” she said, “36 have been slaughtered.”

The US delegation noted this with concern and pointed out that the increase in poaching was fast approaching the CITES biological criteria of a decline of 50% over three generations, which requires greater protection in the form of a status uplisting for elephants under CITES recommendations.

Currently, elephants in South Africa are classified under Appendix II, which provides for a possibility of trade in ivory.

An uplisting to Appendix I would provide the highest standard of protection for elephants and would send a clear message to markets that all commercial ivory trade is prohibited. Currently, elephants in South Africa are classified under Appendix II, thereby facilitating a future one-off sale of ivory around the world.

Patrick Ormondi, head of Kenyan delegation, says, “29 African countries are calling for the highest protection of African elephants, and it seems we are getting much support from other member parties from around the world.”

All about the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere Region

Written by: Lindsey Jones

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves currently has 669 sites, including 16 trans-boundary sites, in 120 countries all over the world. South Africa is home to eight Biosphere Reserves, with the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region declared by UNESCO in 2001.

The Kruger to Canyon Biosphere Region, located on the western border of Kruger National Park, in the north-eastern part of South Africa, covers about 2.6 million hectares, encompassing both protected areas (conservation) and agricultural lands, as well as rural development, urban development, mining and forestry. It spreads across three major biomes; savannah woodlands, Afromontane forests and grasslands.

all about the kruger to canyon biosphere region — Keeping a watchful eye on rhinos ©Wynand Uys

Although this biosphere represents only 1.4% of South Africa’s total land surface, it contains nearly 75% of all terrestrial bird species, 80% of all raptor species, 72% of all mammals, 50% of all butterflies and 50% of all frog species found in South Africa. It is also home to seven endemic frogs and two endemic reptiles found only on Mariepskop – the Mariepskop dwarf chameleon and the Mariepskop flat gecko.

Famous tourism hotspots include Kruger National Park, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Pilgrim’s Rest and the Blyde River Canyon. The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon, as well as the greenest canyon in the world. In addition, the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere is home to the largest privately owned conservation area in the world.

Ballooning over Blyde River Canyon ©Wynand Uys

The biosphere reserve was established with the aim of bringing stakeholders in the area together for collective impact. The Kruger to Canyons landscape aims to promote and demonstrate a mutually supportive relationship between people and nature. This is done via a number of strategic objectives, including the implementation of socio-economic development initiatives to support sustainability and climate change adaptation, supporting institutions engaged in research, education and training, and partnering with government agencies to promote compliance to environmental laws and regulations.

A map of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region

In partnership with Wildlands, a variety of NPO’s in the area are working on a Tree-preneur and Waste-preneur programme. The Tree-preneurs care for indigenous trees that are then bartered for food parcels. The Waste-preneur programme works on various recycling projects in the communities. Through the Working for Water Programme various teams of community members are also employed to remove alien vegetation and assist with issues of erosion. The trees, received from the Tree-preneurs, are then used to replant in areas where alien vegetation has been removed.

The beautiful landscape of the Kruger to Canyons area ©Wynand Uys

Another notable project, managed by the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, implemented by the SANParks Biodiversity Social Programme, and funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs, sees over 260 environmental monitors hosted with various organisations throughout the Biosphere. One group focuses on educating communities on environmental issues, while another group focuses on security in protected areas and are divided into those that are armed and unarmed, most notably the all-women Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit in Balule Private Nature Reserve.

Members of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit

The project has had a significant impact not only on socio-economic status and skills development, but also on creating greater awareness of why conservation and environmental issues are so important in the rural communities adjacent to protected areas.

To learn more, watch the following video:

Read more about the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region and its programmes and partners on their website here.

Read more about Kruger to Canyons in this travel diary.

The legal racketeering of ivory

The history of the ivory trade since the colonial era paints a depressing picture about the fate of elephants. Between 1860 and 1920 roughly 33,000 tonnes of ivory were shipped from Africa to the British Empire – the equivalent of 1.1 million elephants.

Approximately 100,000 elephants were slaughtered per year in Africa from 1850 to 1929 to supply ivory to companies in the USA that manufactured piano keys and billiard balls from ivory. In 1916 Americans even hung a circus elephant called Mary who mauled her keeper to death. 13 years earlier Thomas Edison captured his highly publicised electrocution of an elephant on film.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973, and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of plants and animals. CITES is an international agreement to which countries adhere voluntarily. There are currently 183 members.

The triennial Conference of the Parties (CoP) of CITES takes place in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October 2016. This will be the seventeenth time members will convene since CITES was established in 1975. All commercial international trade of ivory from elephants is presently prohibited under CITES.

It is estimated that there were about 5 million elephants in Africa at the turn of the 19th century. In 1979 there were approximately 1.3 million elephants in Africa and by 1989 the numbers declined to 600,000. The Great Elephant Census released its results in September 2016, proving that only 352,271 savannah elephants survive in sub-Saharan Africa. Forest elephant populations have crashed by 60% since 2002, now counting less than 60,000.

Since 1999, CITES approved two “one-off” sales of ivory. In 1999, 50 tonnes of ivory were sold to Japan for a meagre US$5 million. China’s inexcusable reputation as importers of illegal ivory prevented it from buying in the 1999 sale (all went to Japan), but China did participate in the 2008 sale after TRAFFIC representatives investigated and approved the so-called effectiveness of Chinese controlling mechanisms. This did not deter ivory smuggling to China. Between 2012 and 2014 over 41 tonnes of smuggled ivory were confiscated in China.

In 2008 Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia were again allowed by CITES to complete once-off ivory sales, selling 108 tonnes of ivory at an average price of US$157 p/kg for only US$15.5 million. Records of how these funds were ploughed back into conservation are not available on the CITES website.

At the time, CITES issued a press release stating ” Elephant populations of the four countries are in Appendix II of CITES, which means that, even though they are not necessarily now threatened with extinction, the trade in their products is strictly regulated. Recent studies concluded that over 312,000 elephants live in these four countries and that their number has increased in recent years.” Earlier this year Namibia claimed to have over 20, 000 elephants. Adding the very recent results from The Great Elephant Census, these four Southern African countries today have about 261,000 elephants, which is a 16% decrease equal to 51,000 elephants (7,200 per year) since the 2008 sale.

The 2007 African agreement stipulates that no new proposals for further sales from the four countries concerned are to be considered by CITES during a resting period of nine years, commencing as soon as the new sales have been completed.

CITES, MIKE and ETIS

The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) is a comprehensive information system to track illegal trade in ivory and other elephant products. It aims to record and analyse levels of illegal trade. Monitoring these statistics started as far back as 1997. It has become a well-established and effective tool for monitoring illegal trade in elephant products.

The Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) is another division of CITES (far more expensive than ETIS) that was created in 1997 to provide further reports and information to CITES at each meeting of the Conference of the Parties. MIKE assists in the dialogue between CITES members and facilitates the decision-making processes of CITES. It also provides elephant range states with data to assist with the management and enforcement decisions for the long-term management of their populations of elephants.

In her 2002 book Policing International Trade in Endangered Species: The CITES Treaty and Compliance, Rosalind Reeve mentions that the projected cost for the first six years of MIKE was conservatively US$13.4 million. MIKE faced criticism from several countries when India and Kenya commented that funding should rather be used for the prevention of elephant poaching than the establishment of expensive Rolls Royce programmes for monitoring elephant populations. Reeve comments: “..it is questionable whether the human and financial costs of ETIS and MIKE, all to satisfy the desire of a handful of parties to trade in one commodity from one species, can be justified, especially given the limited funds available to CITES. Elephants are the “flagship” species of CITES, spending such vast sums on verification and monitoring without attempting to raise equivalent funds for preventative anti-poaching measures detracts from crucial issues such as improving the capacity for enforcement of CITES at national level.”

The Context

In early September 2016, over 6,000 delegates attended the IUCN congress in Hawaii. More than 90% of members voted against all future domestic ivory sales by adopting Motion 007. Several countries voted against motion 007 namely Japan, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Namibia. (South Africa and Namibia threatened to resign from the IUCN).

In 2015 the presidents of the USA and China undertook to impose a near total ban of ivory trade. Hong Kong has committed to phasing out the ivory trade over the next five years. However, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe have submitted proposals to CITES to re-open discussions at CoP17 surrounding the Decision Making Mechanisms for the ivory trade.

On the opposing side, 29 African states formed the African Elephant Coalition and have submitted proposals to CITES for consideration at CoP17 to upgrade all African elephants to Appendix I (countered by South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe) and to agree to close all domestic ivory trade. The European Union, WWF and CITES are rejecting both these opposing proposals.

Ivory burns

Ivory destructions are a popular and contentious method for nations to publicly assert their opposition to the illegal wildlife trade. Since 1989 about 20 of these events have taken place all over the world. These countries have openly declared war on ivory smuggling and that wildlife crimes will not be tolerated. So far over 220 tonnes of ivory have been destroyed. WWF and TRAFFIC want the destruction of ivory to be monitored by rigorous documentation and audits to reduce the risk of leakage into the black market.

A third “once-off sale” and re-opening discussions of the ivory trade

Firstly, why even call it a once-off sale? The previous sales were supposed to flood the market. Since then, African elephants have reduced by 30%, or 144,000, with over 30,000 elephants being killed for their ivory every year.

South Africa’s stockpile of ivory is 65 tonnes. Assuming South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe collectively held as much as 200 tonnes, the stigma of buying ivory will restrict bidders to a few Asian buyers. Latest studies have shown that the price of ivory has dropped from US$2,100p/kg to US$1,100p/kg. Should an optimistic auction price of US$300 p/kg be achieved, the sale could gross about US$60 million, less the enormous costs associated with the auctions. Historically CITES is unable to control if funds from approved ivory sales are ploughed back into conservation efforts and not racketeered by the corruption so prevalent all over Africa.

Some individual philanthropists have single-handedly donated US$24 million to conservation in Africa. Funds raised from the ivory sales in 1999 and 2008 are infinitesimal if compared to the conservation finance funneled to the African continent. It is time to donate conditionally in return for guaranteed ivory destruction by those minority African nations determined to re-open the trade, regardless of the international condemnation and abhorrence evidenced at the IUCN conference in Hawaii, when more than 90% of members voted in favour of a domestic ban across all nations.

South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs has an approved budget of US$9 million to host the CoP17 of CITES in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October. Over 3,000 delegates from 183 member countries, NGOs and international media will attend. Costs of delegates’ flights, accommodation, salaries etc. will again amount to millions. Expenses at the recent IUCN congress would have been much more due to 6,000 delegates in attendance. Since the establishment of CITES, ivory trade has been discussed ad infinitum in boardrooms and conference halls around the world. Donor funding in lieu of ivory destruction will obviate the need for further onerous record keeping of tracking sales, certificates and inventories of legal sales versus parallel illegal markets, channeling these funds rather prudently into combatting wildlife crime.

Conclusion

Will the world witness another round of dubious, unkind and immoral decisions taken at Cop17? At this juncture of civilization, leaders need to grasp that geographic borders do not bestow ownership of sentient animals whose boundaries have been created by mankind. Besides the threat of habitat destruction caused by global warming, civil war, population explosions, hunting and poaching, the elephant cannot be hung in conference halls like yesteryear. Arguments by minority CITES members who want to trade ivory because elephants reside in their borders are ignorant of fiscal intelligence. Future generations will be dumbstruck when studying history that illustrates amorphous political agendas in the conservation world, where ignorant politicians yielded power and influence over transitory officials for the sake of paltry dollars.

Kgalagadi versus Kruger

Calm down; I can practically hear you screaming at me already! I know, I know, the two parks cannot, and perhaps should not, be compared. But the truth is that I cannot get the red dust of the Kalahari out of my one shoe while my other foot is still firmly planted in the land of the Kruger-holics. So I do find myself comparing the two. And, as South Africa’s biggest national parks – both of which claim transfrontier status and are popular amongst local and foreign visitors alike – I am sure I am not the only one who weighs up the options when faced with two weeks of annual leave. To Kruger or Kgalagadi? So recently when faced with that impossible either/or decision, I did what few men dare and spent a week in each, and here is my comparison like it or not.

greater-kruger-samuel-cox — Another beautiful day comes to an end in the Greater Kruger National Park ©Samuel Cox

My experience

Kgalagadi
To compare apples with apples, I stuck to the SANParks camps on the South African side of the park and divided my time equally between Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata and Nossob. We camped in true Kgalagadi style and, while I am still finding sand in many a crevice, it is the way to go. A cold spell during our time in the park in August meant that temperatures at night reached a chilly -9°C and that, despite popular opinion, mornings and evenings were not necessarily the best time for sightings.

The silence, vastness and unexpected beauty of the landscapes are what stand out from my trip. The image of a wildebeest left dying alone at a waterhole, while a jackal awaited his imminent demise and an oryx stood guard over his body, is forever etched in my memory as a symbol of this land of contrasts and of life and death in a magical desert.

A lone jackal has the waterhole to himself ©Samuel Cox

Kruger
It is not humanly possible to cover all that Kruger offers in a week. From walking safaris to rustic bush camps, 4×4 trails, golfing, and a host of accommodation options, Kruger has it all. That said, I am a firm believer that a visit to the Kruger is best enjoyed slowly. Take it easy, make yourself a base at one of the exquisite rest camps, and indulge a little.

A region where nature meets hospitality and a connection between man and beast reigns supreme

So with this in mind, I divided my time between some of the popular camps in the south of the park to get a taste of what the average visitor experiences. While not everyone’s cup of tea, I like that I can stop for a great steak and a glass of wine at one of the modern restaurants in the rest camps and that well-tarred roads and little loops mean I can return to the shop easily when the need for ice cream calls. By doing it this way, there was always something new to gawk at around every corner, and a host of picnic spots and places to stretch my legs – and it was these simple comforts that stood out from my trip.
The image of an elephant taking a morning drink at the waterhole outside the rest camp while I sipped on my cappuccino is etched in my memory as a symbol of this region where nature meets hospitality, and a connection between man and beast reigns supreme.

What you can expect to see

Kgalagadi
Big cat sightings in the Kgalagadi are incredible. The wildlife densities are lower than in Kruger, which means that you can drive for a couple of hours with little more than some oryx, springboks and wildebeests to keep you entertained. But when you do see big cats, the sightings are pretty spectacular. Talking to fellow red-dust fanatics in our campsites, stories ranged from cheetahs climbing trees and four tiny cheetah cubs playing, to big black-maned lions causing a roadblock and an entire pride lazily lapping at the waterhole. My big cat sightings included spending time alone with a leopard for about half an hour, a cheetah calling consistently while we followed it at a leisurely pace, and a lion causing heart palpitations right next to the fence at Nossob Rest Camp.

A juvenile gabar goshawk is just one of the many birds of prey that you could spot ©Anja Denker

Everyone we met in the Kgalagadi was also mad about birds in some way, and raptors are a sheer delight in this part of the world. Much to my mom’s dismay, there was a bird of prey around every corner. Still, even her non-birder self eventually learnt to appreciate just how close you could get to a martial eagle or spotted eagle-owl in the Kgalagadi.

With this in mind, Kgalagadi is a treat for photographers, thanks to its relaxed wildlife, majestic light, fewer cars and spectacular scenery. Smaller animals are also always around to entertain and provide great subjects on which to test your photography skills and camera settings. From meerkats and ground squirrels to whistling rats and sociable weavers, which astound with their gigantic nests on virtually every tree, you will always find an interesting subject at which to point your lens.

Four cheetah cubs make everyone’s day in the Kgalagadi! ©Cornell Nortier

Kruger
Great for first-time safari-goers, it is not uncommon to see the Big Five in one day in Kruger – be it on a self-drive or guided safari. Apart from the famous five, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species – including almost 2,000 plants, 147 different mammals and 517 bird species. Some of the more interesting animals, which a fair amount of people have been lucky to spot, include wild dogs, bushbabies, aardwolves, aardvarks, pangolins, and roan and sable antelopes.

The wide variety of animal species and high density of game means that a safari in Kruger offers something new every day – even something new around every corner – and it is precisely this that calls people back to this great land time and time again. From crocodiles and hippos to elephants and rhinos, zebras and giraffes, Kruger is also great for bucket-list tickers, first-time safari-goers or families with small kids.

My trip to Kruger included close-up sightings of elephants, rhinos, cheetahs and lions – all either just off the road or directly in our way, although we weren’t asking them to move. The majestic leopard continues to elude me when I visit the park; however, a quick two nights in the Sabi Sand, which is part of the Greater Kruger ecosystem, meant I got my spotted fix.

Photographic opportunities were limited in the park itself as sightings were often shared with a fair number of other vehicles, but this is the price you pay for staying in the south during the busy season. If you venture further north on roads less travelled, or on foot on one of the walking trails, you’ll probably find that sightings are much more rewarding. By experiencing Kruger on foot, I have had male lions all to myself, have come face-to-face with elephants, and have watched hippos take to the water at a spot that can’t be reached in a vehicle.

A zebra fight in the Kruger ©Corlette Wessels

Which park is best for you?

Kgalagadi
The Kgalagadi is fantastic for camping enthusiasts, as the three South African rest camps are spacious and ideal for extended braais with gin and tonics in hand. On the Botswana side, no fences mean that lions licking your tent or hyenas coming to see what’s on the menu is not uncommon, and this connection to the wild is one of the many reasons that people return time and time again.

There are several more sophisticated accommodation options, such as the wilderness camps of Urikaruus and Kalahari Tented Camp, and a few lodges are available for those that don’t like roughing it, such as the community-owned Fair Trade Tourism certified !Xaus Lodge, and Ta Shebube’s Rooiputs and Polentswa lodges on the Botswana side. The new ‘riverfront chalets’ at Mata Mata are also lovely, overlooking the dry riverbed where wildebeest and springbok graze peacefully and jackals dart around at night.

However, camping is arguably why most people come to the Kgalagadi, and 4×4 trailers and rooftop tents are the way to fit in with the crowd. The Kgalagadi is best suited to those who like to kick back, relax and feel the desert breeze in their hair, don’t mind a little sand in their sheets, and enjoy a time that stands still and a silence broken only by the sound of a lion roaring.

The Kgalagadi camps do offer some guided 4×4 trails, safari walks and the usual game drives. We enjoyed three night-drives during our trip, which gave us the chance to spot lesser-seen nocturnal creatures, such as bat-eared and Cape foxes, spring hares, owls, genets and African wild cats. But I found the real joy of the Kgalagadi to be taking long, slow, sandy self-drives. However, do be warned that the corrugated roads cover patches of deep sand that are best navigated in a capable 4×4, as the guy stuck in his Renault Clio and the woman crying in her Toyota Corolla buried up to its chassis, will attest.

bat-eared-fox-kgalagadi-samuel-cox — A scruffy bat-eared fox in the Kgalagadi stares at the camera ©Samuel Cox

Kruger
One thing I love about the Kruger is the versatility that it offers. When budgets are tight, you can camp, caravan or hire a cheap room in one of the rest camps or a B&B just outside the park gates. But if you are celebrating something special or feel like a splurge, several private game lodges both within the park and in the private game reserves that make up the Greater Kruger region are on offer to cater to your every whim. This makes Kruger ideal for a wide range of travellers, be it honeymooners who want to be wined, dined and pampered, or families with young kids that want short bursts of game drives followed by a place where children can run free and parents can catch a nap in the heat of the day. The Kruger National Park rest camps also offer easy access to restaurants, shops and facilities, and this easy DIY-style of holiday is what makes the park appeal to a wide range of travellers.

Kruger also offers several road conditions, from main tarred stretches to dusty dirt roads. It also provides the chance to book guided game drives or even head off on a 4×4 eco-trail in the park. And while you may feel like a dinky car when face-to-face with an elephant in your rental Kia Picanto, it is quite possible and comfortable to enjoy Kruger in almost any vehicle. With accessible routes to follow and places to frequently stop, be it to enjoy a skottle breakfast, indulge in a decadent lunch or get out to take in the view, the Kruger National Park can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways.

For those that are ‘Krugered-out’ or ‘have done Kruger’ I recommend you take a trip to one of the quieter camps in the picturesque northern section of the park, enjoy a night sleeping out in a hide, book on the mountain bike trail at Olifants, or take a walk on the wild side with some of the best guides that you could ever have the pleasure of meeting on a backpacking trail.

Crossing borders

Kgalagadi
Transfrontier parks have been established so that animals can roam freely across invisible boundaries, and natural migration can take place. It’s about ecosystems taking pride of place over geological or political boundaries; promoting collaboration between the countries involved. This also allows us humans to roam free to some extent and, within the boundaries of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, one can travel between South Africa and Botswana – without the need for a passport. Granted that one can’t exit into the surrounding countries (with the small exception of a tiny farmstall on the Namibian side outside Mata Mata to which you can quickly walk to pick up a gemsbok fillet for dinner).

Kgalagadi, at nearly 38,000km², is larger than many countries and one of the largest national parks in the world. It was officially declared a transfrontier park in 2000, making it the first of its kind in Africa. It is a combination of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The park is bordered by the peaceful countries of Botswana and Namibia and, with few settlements existing on the park boundaries, conservation efforts are embraced by all. The communities around the park are often made up of those that work in the park itself, so things like bushmeat poaching are a non-issue. While human-wildlife conflict occasionally raises its head when lions manage to breach the park’s boundaries, the communities seem willing to call those in charge to correctly handle the matter, rather than taking it into their own hands.

Part of the park is owned by the local Khomani San and Mier communities, and the local community is allowed to use the land for cultural purposes. It is on this land that the Fair Trade Tourism certified !Xaus Lodge can be found.

©Fair Trade Tourism — Local members of the community play an active role in conservation efforts ©!Xaus Lodge, Fair Trade Tourism

Kruger
The boundaries of the Kruger National Park cover nearly two million hectares in wild space. The national park was established in 1898 and, while talks for the declaration of a transfrontier park started in 1990, it was not until 2002 that the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park was made official.

The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park links the Kruger with its neighbours – the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area. This conservation area also includes two areas between Kruger and Gonarezhou, namely the Sengwe communal land and the Makuleke region. This project joins some of the most beautiful and essential wildlife areas into a vast conservation area of over 37,000km². It is just the first phase in a plan for a larger transfrontier conservation area that will measure almost 100,000km².

With turbulent political climates in these countries, it is no secret that rhino poaching has ravaged the park and elephant poaching is on the rise. But it may only be through working together that these remaining wilderness areas are protected. With a memorandum of understanding between Mozambique and South Africa being implemented, we are now seeing coordinated law enforcement operations, management efforts, joint training initiatives and anti-poaching work across borders.

What this also means is that visitors are now offered several cross-border tourism experiences. In 2013 a wilderness walking trail in the Pafuri area was launched, and visitors can now cross easily from Kruger National Park in South Africa to Limpopo National Park in Mozambique – opening up a shorter route to the beautiful Mozambican coastline and that perfect bush and beach break.

Thanks to cross-border agreements and experiences, hopefully, the only way is up for the Kruger’s wildlife ©Ross Couper.

How to get there and what to do in the surrounding area

Kgalagadi
Stock up on food and water in Upington as the shops in the park are minimal. Be sure also to fill up here and take extra jerry cans for fuel, as while there are petrol stations at each of the three SANParks camps within the park, the fuel within the park can be unreliable. Upington is 255km away along a pleasant tarred road and is home to the nearest airport. Airlink flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town are available frequently, and from here you can hire a vehicle or book a transfer or tour with a company like Tata Ma Tata tours, which specialises in trips to the Kgalagadi and the surrounding areas.

A trip to the Kgalagadi can be combined with one of the other arid region national parks based nearby. Combine your trip with an adventure into Namibia to see the Quiver Tree Forest and to the /Ai/Ais Richtersveld for a dip in the hot springs and to take in the views over the Fish River Canyon. The Augrabies Falls National Park is also easily reached from Upington and offers the ideal overnight stop before heading down to see the flowers in Namaqualand and onwards along the coast to Cape Town.

Enjoy the best of two countries in one park! ©Ryan Avery

Kruger
Airlink flies from Cape Town or Johannesburg to Nelspruit KMIA or directly into the park via Skukuza’s airport, which I recommend. Car hire is available from either of these airports and, with some towns close to the various park gates and well-stocked shops within the rest camps, self-catering for your trip is super easy. The bigger rest camps are also home to some well-known restaurant franchises like Mugg & Bean, Cattle Baron and Wimpy, and the picnic sites either offer skottle facilities or little take-away spots for the peckish.

For those looking for a bit of luxury, private game reserves like the Sabi Sand, Manyeleti, Klaserie and Timbavati share open borders to the national park and form part of the Greater Kruger National Park ecosystem. You can even take a lodge link flight from Nelspruit KMIA or Skukuza directly to the door of one of the stunning Sabi Sand lodges like I did at Arathusa where I touched down to a leopard on the runway.

For accommodation options at the best prices visit our private travel & conservation club to view our collection of camps and lodges. If you are not yet a member, see how to JOIN below this story.

About the author

JANINE AVERY is the first to confess that she has been bitten by the travel bug… badly. She is a lover of all things travel, from basic tenting with creepy crawlies to lazing in luxury lodges – she will give it all a go.

Janine is passionate about wildlife and conservation, and she comes from a long line of biologists, researchers and botanists.

SANParks responds to Kruger off-takes

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: Written by: Lesley Nyawo, Public Relations Assistant at SANParks – Kruger National Park

The large herbivore biomass is currently the highest ever in Kruger’s history – with +- 20,000 elephant, 47,000 buffalo, and 7,500 hippos – which results in significant changes in habitat.

Buffalo and hippo are drought-sensitive species, and previous droughts in Kruger National Park have shown population declines of up to 50%. The buffalo population is at higher densities than previous droughts, so it is, therefore, expected that the population will incur huge losses during the current drought. If the numbers that remained after the previous droughts in the 1990s for buffalo and hippo are considered (14,000 and 2,000 respectively), significant mortalities are anticipated. Hippos and buffaloes are the largest grazers with the highest biomass and impact on habitats. The purist way of allowing natural attrition to take its course is not always ecologically the best, especially if populations are unnaturally high due to man-made influences.

Removals will be focused on alleviating pressure on sensitive areas in the park e.g. removing hippo from small natural pools where they have concentrated in unnaturally high densities and defecate in the water, making it unusable for other animals. These hippos generally originated from man-made dams that dried up and now populate small natural pools in large numbers.

Culling, cropping, harvesting, ecological removals, sustainable resource use are all terms that have been used. If the term culling in your book means controlling the size of these populations, that is not what SANParks is doing. The numbers are also not cast in concrete, purely as it is not possible to determine how the situation will unfold as the drought further develops. However, the numbers will be kept very low (between 0.5 and 1% of the respective populations).

Logistically it will not be possible to remove higher numbers now, and ecologically it will not be suitable to remove unsustainably high numbers in future. In view of the huge populations of these large herbivores and the mortalities we have already observed amongst buffalo and hippo this year, as well as the anticipated mortalities later in the year, these numbers to be removed are not significant at the population level.

The current drought is being noted for its unprecedented impact on human well-being with an estimated 22 million persons in Southern Africa in need of some assistance. SANParks cannot remain oblivious to this issue. Kruger National Park is, therefore, planning to use the opportunity to sustainably harvest in the region of 350 animals during this drought in order to test different models for meat distribution to disadvantaged, low-income communities on the border of the park. The Kruger National Park will be targeting quintile primary schools, part of the National School Feeding scheme and will use these drought-related removals as an ad hoc opportunity to share benefits with communities.

In light of veterinary regulations with regards to foot and mouth disease, the park will be testing the feasibility and suitability of cloven-hoofed animals products permitted to leave the park, which include: break-dry biltong (BRB) and well-cooked meat (WCM). A secondary objective of the removals will be assessing genetic selection for fitness during droughts and the interactions between disease and drought.

This is not a “sneaky reintroduction of culling by SANParks” as put by some. Kruger National Park is managed according to an approved management plan that makes provision for both biodiversity management and sustainable resource use. Part of the process of drafting this plan was an intensive public consultation process. It is practically not possible to consult the public on each and every management action implemented. A new round of revisions of the Kruger National Park Management Plan has started and will come in full swing in the year 2017. The public is encouraged to register and take part in this process.

Celebrating culture at the Kuru Dance Festival

The Kuru Dance Festival is an annual cultural event where different San groups from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa come together to celebrate and share their rich cultural heritage of storytelling, song and dance. Written by: Bakang Baloi

Dancers gather at the Dqae Qare Farm in the village of D’kar just outside Ghanzi in Botswana. The heat, the dust, the clapping and the rhythmic stamping of feet all add to an intensely spiritual experience.

Different dances are performed to tell the life story of the San people. There are hunting and gathering dances, rite of passage, puberty and courtship dances and, of course, trance healing dances. Hunting dances are dramatic renditions of the hunt – from spoor recognition to the ultimately slaughtering the animal. They celebrate a successful hunt and pay reverent respect to Mother Nature. The Kuru Dance Festival is about these dances.

Rites of passage dances welcome a young woman into adulthood and marriage. A young woman experiencing puberty for the first time is said to be suffering from the ‘eland illness’ and is secluded. The eland symbolises femininity, fertility and good health. In her seclusion the young woman is ritually painted in red ochre, wood ash and charcoal, all mixed together with animal fat and plant pigments. Puberty dances are demure, coquettish and playfully seductive. Males taking part in the dances enact the mating behaviour of eland bulls by sniffing the female folk, grimacing in mock ‘Flehman display’ and emulating the mounting action of bull animals.

Khoi-San healers or shamans are spiritual custodians for the community who intervene with the ancestral spirits and other venerated forms on the community’s behalf. They intercede with all of creation to heal the community, to request good weather and successful hunting trips or to foretell future events. They perform trance healing rituals to propitiate the ancestors. Even though performances of healing dances may be done during the day, a real healing ceremony is conducted at night. Night time is the mythical part of the day when the universe vibrates with sacred energy.

Kruger cull: a bad idea?

One of the basic principles of wildlife management is that large game reserves require less intensive management than small ones. This concept is very applicable when discussing the ecological management of the Kruger National Park.

The ecological impacts of disturbances have a far greater effect on smaller reserves than they do on larger ones. For instance, if a fire burns 5,000 hectares of a 10,000-hectare game reserve, that is a major impact that needs to be managed. However, the same 5,000-hectare fire in Kruger (2 million hectares) is negligible and will have almost no impact. This concept can be applied to all spheres of ecological management – the impact of overgrazing, elephant impacts, diseases, water availability etc.

To say that the Kruger National Park is fenced and, therefore, needs to be micro-managed is incorrect – Kruger is a large enough system that is able to withstand the majority of ecological impacts originating inside its borders – and that includes elephant impacts and the effects of drought.

The majority of species in Kruger occupy fixed home ranges or territories, and historic migrations outside of Kruger were limited to mainly wildebeests and zebras (elephants undertake long-distance movements by nature and this is not a migration). Most of the areas where zebras and wildebeests used to migrate to in spring have now been re-included into the Greater Kruger ecological system (Klaserie, Timbavati, Sabi Sands etc). Therefore, to say that their migration routes have been cut off is incorrect. Unfortunately, migrations back into these areas are unlikely to occur – mainly because of vegetation changes during the period that they were isolated from Kruger (again an example of the size effect). With the current drought, one does not find herds of animals massing along the boundaries of Kruger to escape.

Another important point is how savannahs are maintained in nature. Savannah is a unique biome where there is an uneasy “co-existence” of woody plants and grass. This system is continually developing (vegetation succession), and in Kruger, given the opportunity, the system would progress into a woodland thicket. Ecological disturbances are essential in reversing this natural progression from mixed woodlands to woodland thickets. In other words, savannahs thrive on disturbances – it maintains not only species diversity but also productivity. Disturbances such as fire, drought, elephants, buffaloes and hippos, among others, are critical in reversing the slow and steady progression to a woodland thicket, which would offer far less habitat for animals and also far lower biodiversity of all major taxons.

Climate change is also a major contributory factor to this progression (higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere encourage the more rapid growth of woody vegetation). Savannahs need constant disturbance to create niches for species that would not be there if the effects of those disturbances were restricted.

So, to all those people supporting culling of animals in Kruger, please reconsider your viewpoint – sure, it is not a pleasant sight to see animals dying during a drought. Sure, it is a waste not to use those carcasses to feed people, but how much meat will you get off the carcass of a dying buffalo anyway?

There are ecosystem processes at work during a drought that are critical for the efficient functioning of the ecosystem – in good times and in bad. Let those ecosystem processes do their job!

Leopards: The Cats of the Shadows

The spiked mountain range of uKahlamba in South Africa is often called the barrier of spears. Also known as the Drakensberg, which translates to ‘dragon mountains’, its high, jagged peaks shadow a cave hidden in a sandstone cliff. The cave once concealed creatures that stirred only with the setting sun – leopards.

To reach the animal’s hide-out, a hiker must scale Solar Cliffs and Cathedral Peak and pass through Ndedema Gorge. Not everyone survives the journey.

A modern sign near the cave’s entrance announces it is ‘Closed’ as if its dweller had served notice. The inhabitant was a leopard, its lair called Leopard Cave.

Near this opening in the Earth is a rock painting of a leopard chasing a bushman who escaped to return another day to tell his tale in art.

The leopard likely had good reason to give chase and eventually vacate the premises. Its species, Panthera pardus, has been overhunted and harassed and lost much of its habitat and its prey.

A blind spot in conservation

Smallest in the genus Panthera – of which lions, tigers, and jaguars are also members – leopards (Panthera pardus) once lived from Siberia to South Africa.

But the cats have relinquished as much as 75 per cent of their range, according to a paper published in May 2016 in the scientific journal PeerJ. The study — sponsored by the National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative and conducted by its scientists and others affiliated with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Duke University, Panthera (an international cat research and conservation organisation), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cat Specialist Group — is the first to produce a comprehensive analysis of leopards’ status across their entire range and for all nine subspecies.

The PeerJ co-authors found that leopards long ago occupied a vast range of approximately 35 million square kilometres throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Today, however, leopards are restricted to about 8.5 million square kilometres. In Africa, range loss varies by region – as much as 99 per cent in North Africa, 86 to 95 per cent in West Africa, and 28 to 51 per cent in Southern Africa.

The scientists created the most detailed reconstruction to date of the leopard’s range, says paper co-author Peter Gerngross, a cartographer at the Austria-based mapping firm BIOGEOMAPS.

The biologists reviewed more than 1,300 sources to derive the leopard’s historic (post-1750) and current range.

“Contrary to the pervasive impression of the leopard as one of the most widespread, adaptable and resilient carnivores,” the researchers reveal in their paper, “our calculated range loss exceeds the average range loss for [17 species of] the world’s largest carnivores.”

The results confirmed conservationists’ suspicions that leopards are losing the battle against a many-headed threat – habitat loss and fragmentation, human population density, conflict with livestock-keepers and game-keepers, loss of prey, killing for the illegal trade in skins and parts, and, in some areas, unsustainable but legal trophy hunting.

“Our results challenge the conventional assumption that leopards remain relatively abundant and not seriously threatened,” says paper author Andrew Jacobson of ZSL. “The leopard is an elusive animal, which is why it has taken so long to recognise its global decline.”

“The cat’s status is more grave than previously understood.”

Because of that downturn, the cats are currently listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN. According to Andrew Stein, a member of the group and co-author of the PeerJ paper, the organisation’s Cat Specialist Group recently recommended a change from Near Threatened to Vulnerable. “The change signals to leopard range countries that the cat’s status is more grave than previously understood,” he says. “It begins a process of deeper evaluation, including calls for greater protection and intensified regulation of trade and trophy hunting.”

Philipp Henschel of Panthera, also a paper co-author, adds that “a severe blind spot has existed in the conservation of the leopard, especially in North and West Africa. The international conservation community must support initiatives protecting the species. Our next steps will determine the leopard’s fate.”

Leopard findings

Leopards are part of what’s called the large carnivore guild, which includes lions and hyenas. An ecological guild is a group of species that exploits the same resources. “The large carnivore guild is mostly intact in protected areas,” says South African National Parks biologist Sam Ferreira. “These are the places where leopards still thrive and have relatively large populations.”

Results of a camera trap survey Ferreira conducted in the N’wanetsi concession in Kruger National Park in 2008 led to an estimate of 19 leopards in a 150 square kilometre area. He and colleagues published the results in 2013 in the African Journal of Ecology. The biologists continue using camera traps to study the park’s leopards.

Next door at the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, biologist Guy Balme of Panthera is working with safari guides at more than 20 lodges to track leopards. “Because of the large number of vehicles in Sabi Sand and the reserve’s long history of protection,” says Balme, “leopards have become habituated to game drives.” Guides are familiar with the leopards in their areas. “Their unique spot patterns can distinguish individual leopards,” says Balme, “so we’ve been able to monitor their fates over time.”

Biologists and safari guides have tracked more than 600 leopards over the last 37 years through the Sabi Sand Leopard Project. The results align with Sabi Sand’s protected, stable leopard population.

Across the continent in West Africa, however, the news isn’t as good. From 2009 to 2012, Henschel led big cat surveys in 21 of the region’s largest protected areas. His team’s efforts were rewarded – to some degree. “We found leopards in seven of the 21 areas,” he says, “but only one of these populations numbered more than 100 individuals.” Fewer than 500 breeding-age leopards may remain in the entire West African region, Henschel believes.

He and Luke Hunter, president of Panthera, and scientists at the U.K.’s University of Oxford and other institutions, have identified another threat to Africa’s leopards – competition with bushmeat hunters for the same food source.

Their research, reported in the Journal of Zoology, took place in the rainforests of the Congo Basin. It shows that bushmeat hunting is likely responsible for a dramatic drop in leopard numbers in the Congo. Leopards have vanished without a trace in the most over-hunted of the project’s sites.

“A critical part of protecting big cats and their landscapes is documenting the presence and behaviour of wild cats using camera traps,” says Hunter. “Panthera’s motion-activated cameras collect hundreds of thousands of wildlife images every year. With help from the public, we can analyse these photos to identify the animals shown, enabling us to track wild cat population trends over time and determine what conservation actions are needed to protect these species better.”

A leopard takes in the stillness of the night in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya ©Alison Buttigieg

Survival instincts

Wherever leopards manage to eke out a successful living, they do so by stealth. They’re camouflaged by their spots, blending into the dappled shade of trees and rock piles.

Leopards are also furtive in other ways. They mainly come out at night. By day, studies have shown, leopards hide in dark recesses such as caves. In hot, dry environments, leopards use caves to escape high temperatures. “Leopards are secretive predators, making use of caves as retreats, feeding places, and breeding lairs,” states palaeontologist Charles Brain in his book, The Hunters or the Hunted?: An Introduction to African Cave Taphonomy.

In South Africa, scientist Darryl de Ruiter of Texas A&M University discovered one such leopard cave in Malapa Nature Reserve. “In contrast to the ‘leopard in the tree’ idea that these cats cache their kills most often in large tree branches,” says de Ruiter, “they may well prefer to use the deep recesses of caves,” as vultures, hyenas and lions, which might steal a leopard’s kill, usually won’t enter, and caves may give leopards the ability to store larger prey. Most caves in the Highveld area of South Africa have trees growing in their entrances. “Nonetheless,” says de Ruiter, who published his findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science, “leopards haul carcasses into caves, avoiding trees entirely. In our study, 83 per cent of the cached carcasses were in caves, and only 17 per cent in trees.”

A leopard comes out of its cave hideaway ©Corlette Wessels

A look at the future

Our ancestors may have been intimately familiar with leopards, ancient cave paintings in Europe tell us. But a question asked by biologist Theodore Bailey in The African Leopard: Ecology and Behavior of a Solitary Felid remains: “Will wild leopards survive to evoke the admiration of our far-away descendants as they once did our distant ancestors?”

Recently reported sightings of erythristic, or ‘strawberry pink,’ leopards in South Africa’s Lydenburg region of Mpumalanga may be an indication. Scientists recently reported in the journal Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation that “the presence of this rare colour morph may reflect the consequences of [leopard] population fragmentation.”

Leopards can survive in human-dominated landscapes if they have enough cover, access to wild prey, and acceptance by local people. But in many areas, leopard habitat has been converted to farmland, and native herbivores have been replaced with livestock.

Scientists believe it is mostly a matter of developing tolerance to leopards’ presence. Leopards are usually quiet neighbours and, in many locations, they’ve long-lived among us. However, successfully sharing the same territory will take some adjustment on the part of humans. Livestock owners, for example, may need to develop new ways of guarding their herds.

“It’s not asking too much of people to give thought to the welfare of these cats,” says Stein. “Leopards badly need the reprieve.”

About the author

Ecologist and science journalist Cheryl Lyn Dybas, a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers, fell in love with Africa and its savannas at first sight. She lives in the U.S., outside of Washington, D.C., and also writes on Africa and other subjects for National Geographic, BioScience, Natural History, National Wildlife, Scientific American, Oceanography, The Washington Post, and many other publications. She is a featured speaker on conservation biology and science journalism at universities, museums and other institutions. Eye-to-eye with the wild is her favourite place to be.

A Savuti fishing leopard in action

We were on safari in the Savuti, Chobe National Park in Botswana during the winter months when the Savuti Channel had been reduced to a series of small pools. We knew about Savuti fishing leopards thanks to a BBC documentary we had watched, so we waited close to the waterhole where a leopard had recently been spotted in the hope of witnessing a fishing feline. Written by: Marco Ansón

And then we saw her. There were catfish in the waters, but when we saw the leopard move to the pool’s edge, we initially thought she would just have a drink.

However, the leopard surprised us by slowly entering the water pool. Time stood still for us as we watched, and she seemed to take a long time to make her way steadily further into the shallows.

Everything was silent. Then suddenly, the leopard dunked her head into the dark pool and, as fast as lightning, caught a catfish (barbel) in her mouth!

She left the muddy waters quickly and came close to our vehicle to rest in the shade and eat her catfish trophy. We couldn’t believe our luck!

Watch the video of this fishing leopard here:

More about that Savute safari

Savute is the remote western section of Chobe National Park – far away from the shores of the Chobe River. Abundant wildlife – including lions that specialise in hunting elephants during the dry season – congregates along the Savute channel, which empties into the Savute Marsh.

The Savute River was dry from the late 19th century until it flowed some 75 years later in 1958, only to dry up again periodically for years and even decades. The dry savannas are dotted with rocky outcrops where ancient humans left their ochre drawings. Book your Savute safari here

A prehistoric giant of the oceans – the leatherback turtle

nesting — Leatherback turtle © Bart Lukasik

Seven species of sea turtles are roaming our world’s seas and oceans. Four of them regularly visit the east coast of Southern Africa: the hawksbill, loggerhead, green, and the species which is both the most impressive and elusive, the giant leatherback turtle.

All sea turtles undertake long, perilous journeys to return to the beaches where they hatched to lay their eggs. Leatherbacks – the largest of all living turtles – break all the distance records. They live in open water and can travel across the ocean in pursuit of the best jellyfish feeding grounds, which they prey on. The resultant round-trip to nesting grounds can be up to 6,000km.

To accomplish such journeys, leatherbacks have developed a hydrodynamic, teardrop-shaped body. Their carapace is covered with oily skin to further reduce drag, unlike other sea turtles with bony scutes or external plates on their carapace. This immense body can grow over two metres in length and weigh between 250 and 700 kg on average, although a weight of 900 kg has been recorded.

Leatherback turtles are propelled by the largest flippers of all sea turtles – the flippers can reach 2.5 metres in length. They allow the leatherback to achieve considerable speed needed to traverse long distances, which unfortunately no scuba diver can match. Sightings of these turtles underwater are few and far between, especially as these turtles do not favour coral reefs and only pass through to get to the beaches, where they nest and lay eggs.

It is fair to say that meeting one while scuba diving is rated among the rarest sightings of marine life. Even if you are lucky enough, it will most likely be a fleeting moment, as you do not stand a chance of catching up with a swimming leatherback.

You can, however, see them on one of the northeast coast beaches of South Africa, like Sodwana Bay and St. Lucia in Isimangaliso Wetland Park. During nesting season, which takes place in the summer months in South Africa, leatherbacks can be spotted, mostly at night, laying eggs in the beach sand across many kilometres of local beaches. Find your environmentally responsible turtle watch operator and meet one of the last living dinosaurs of our time.

Facts about leatherback turtles:

1. Leatherbacks feed almost exclusively on jellyfish. They often mistake plastic bags floating in the ocean for food, which can be fatal by blocking digestion tracks. Segregate and recycle your plastic waste to avoid contributing to this unnecessary threat.

2. They are the fastest-moving reptiles of all. Their average speed can reach 10km/hr with bursts up to 30km/hr.

3. They inhabit all subtropical and tropical waters and have been seen even in the waters of the Arctic. The open ocean is their main habitat; they only move closer to land during nesting season.

4. A female leatherback lays about 100 eggs in every clutch. The nest’s ambient temperature will determine the sex of hatchlings (baby turtles) – hotter nests will produce more females and cooler ones will be more male dominated.

5. Male leatherbacks will stay in the open water their whole lives, while females will periodically return to their nesting regions to lay eggs.

Wüstenquell in Namibia offers unique rock formations for photographers

Wüstenquell is a private nature reserve just outside Karabib in Namibia. Its abundant rock formations make it one of most spectacular locations for any landscape photographer, providing you with a show of beautiful panoramics of the desert along with its fauna and flora.

Situated on the edge of the Namib desert, within the misty region of the Atlantic Ocean, Wüstenquell is surrounded by huge granite rock formations, crystal clear running springs and a large variety of succulent and desert plants.

There is no other place in the world with the same amount of these type rock formations per km². There are three different types of granite weathering which mainly consists of feldspat, quarz and glimmer.

We take a closer look at some of these formations below:

1. Wollsackverwitterung – underground weathering

During the damp climate period of the Tertiär, water entered and dissolved the granite along its gaps and chasms. Later the result of this weathering came to the surface resulting in some truly unique looking rock formations.

2. Desquamation – physical weathering

Physical weathering is caused by flat, shell moulded plates that have burst off the rocks due to temperature changes. This can be found fairly easily around the farm house.

3. Tafoni – chemical weathering

Chemical weathering causes ball or kidney shaped cavities. They vary in size from only a few centimetres up to half a metre in diameter. Some of these so called ‘weathering crusts’ form stunning rock overhangs. It was this form of weathering that gave Wüstenquell its unique symbol, the Adlerfels (Eagles Rock).

The reserve is also home to springbok, oryx, ostrich, kudu, warthog, leopard and numerous smaller animals and birds.

Hiking in these beautiful formations is an adventure on its own. For the inquisitive, there are also some caves to explore, complete with bushmen art and much more.

With the beautiful clear skies Namibia has to offer, night photography is an absolute must when on the reserve. When planning your compositions , you can make use of not only the rock formations but the unique quiver trees that provide you with beautiful textured foregrounds. Wüstenquell is worth a visit by any aspiring photographer.

Kruger to Canyons

Hoedspruit is my favourite safari gateway town to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. With several private Big 5 game reserves neighbouring the town and the spectacular Blyde River Canyon nearby, it is located in a fantastic stretch of paradise, known as Kruger to Canyons. This is a wonderfully diverse safari destination for those who prefer to mix up their game viewing with cultural and adventure activities. During my recent week in the area, I sampled some of the many activities and lodges available – and I left already planning my next visit!

blyde-canyon-photography-des-jacobs — The beautiful Blyde Canyon is a photographer’s dream ©Des Jacobs

Watch this short video of Simon’s week in Kruger to Canyons

Mountain bike migration

The main reason for this particular trip to the area was to participate in the second edition of the K2C Cycle Tour – an annual 95-kilometre mountain bike fundraising tour from the Kruger National Park to the Blyde River Canyon, passing through various private game reserves on the way.

Eighty lucky cyclists of all levels undertook this epic journey for the soul, split into five groups, each accompanied by two armed cyclist guards and a backup vehicle. For safety reasons, this isn’t a race, which means that the pace is slow and the attitude laid-back – we frequently had to stop and gently navigate our way past herds of elephants, buffalos and even the odd snorting rhino!

Rotary Hoedspruit organised the event superbly, and the many tables in rest areas along the way groaned under the weight of delicious snacks, water and energy drinks. The tables were staffed by sponsors who cheered us on and encouraged even the most lethargic to keep going. I highly recommend this superb event and encourage anyone interested to contact the organisers soon about the next edition.

A group effort on the K2C cycle tour ©Simon Espley

On safari in Kruger to Canyons

Once the cycle tour had ended, there were still plenty of other fantastic reasons to stick around in the Kruger to Canyons area for a few days, and I didn’t need any convincing. I happily headed back into the bushveld – on four wheels this time – and was blessed by the gods of safari luck on a three-hour game drive that would impress even the most seasoned safari-goer. Back at the lodge afterwards, beverage in hand, I explained to the wide-eyed American couple that the last three hours did not constitute a typical game drive, which can sometimes consist of nothing but the odd impala and turtle dove. But I fear my advice fell on deaf ears, as the next two days produced regular Big Five encounters and plenty of action!

Following elephants on safari in a private game reserve ©Villiers Steyn

Rather than attempting to re-hash my three days in the bush, here is an extract from my travel diary:
Makanyi Lodge, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Guide: Warren ‘Woza’ Jacobs

18 July 2016, 17h30
A herd of elephants surrounds us, very relaxed, then a young female just a few metres away gives us horns for no reason – ear-clapping and a big attitude before she changes gear and wanders off as if nothing happened. My companions giggle nervously and breathe out, and we are on our way again.

18h30
Damside sundowner drinks – surrounded by 11 rotund lions as they relax, satiated after gorging on a two-day-old buffalo carcass. Three rhinos trot by to slake their thirst before snorting off into the fading light. A massive herd of buffalos on the far bank drinking and kicking up dust – must be a thousand-plus thirsty bovines. Lions not interested – #FlatCats. Then a buffalo bellows in the dark distance and hyenas cackle excitedly. The largest male lion is up and running, very focused. So are we, engine gunning and flashlight darting, searching. Ten minutes later and the bellowing and whooping are intense – then we smell blood. Up ahead, we see hyenas mauling a buffalo, tearing chunks off the struggling bovine. But hold on, what’s that? With her back to us and watching the ruckus intently, is a leopard – also drawn by the noise and promise of a meal. Then all hell breaks loose – the lion arrives, full of piss and brandy, and the leopard bolts, as do the hyenas after the largest collects a smack from the boss cat. Lion slaps the buffalo around before clamping down on its throat, ends the suffering. A second male lion arrives, chases off the lingering hyenas and settles down to feed – fat belly and all.

19 July 2016, 07h00
Three lions from a rival pride – we watch as the two big blonde boys take turns mating with the lady, while she switches from flirty and coy to angry slapping and guttural growling after each session.
Klaserie Sands River Camp, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Guide: Andre ‘AK’ Kruger

19 July 2016, 16h30
Surrounded by 18 lions near a buffalo carcass – another large pride! Some are crunching the last few ribs. Most are feral-looking young males – pushed out by the dominant males further north? We drive a few kilometres away for sundowners, displacing a large male leopard chillaxing on the same riverside rocks.

20 July 2016, 11h15
A herd of 30 elephants drinking at the waterhole in front of the lodge deck. Downing my last lime and soda, I tear myself away, load up the rental car and head out – only to spend 30 minutes waiting in the shade of a mopane grove for the same herd to move off the road. A few enormous bulls surround me and linger, tossing ear-claps in my direction now and then and kicking up dust – they seem to enjoy keeping me waiting. I don’t fancy my chances if these six-tonne behemoths pull rank on my tin can car. No worries, no rush. Eventually, they move off, and so do I, on to the next adventure.

lion-buffalo-carcass — A buffalo feast fit for a king in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve ©Simon Espley

Kruger2canyons — Simon watches elephants paying a visit to Klaserie Sands River Camp ©Simon Espley

Make your visit count

As enticing as the wilderness can be, no matter where my travels take me, I always try to connect with local people as they go about their daily lives. I enjoy visiting people in their villages and homes – obviously with their permission. And so, on my Kruger to Canyons safari, I spent time with Prince Nkuma, the manager of Shik Shack. This organisation arranges community tours and Nourish, an upliftment project with a strong wildlife focus for community children.

Prince is a gem, and his fascinating insight into how the local folk relate to wildlife and poaching had me captivated for hours as we strolled around Sigagula, his hometown on the Orpen Road approach to Kruger. We even hired a donkey cart to visit local homes to taste homemade peanut butter, umqombothi (local beer made from maize), and to visit a sangoma (traditional medicine man) who threw bones to look into my soul. We also visited a home to attend a short dance and eat a humble meal consisting of fried chicken, morogo (wild spinach), roasted groundnuts and pap (a soft starch dish made from corn/maize). Dancing was performed by young girls who were all smiles in pursuing this passion.

If you’re ever in the area, I encourage you to support this and similar causes with your patronage and donations. The Kruger to Canyons area is dotted with cultural villages, farms, curio markets and community-run restaurants that are well worth your support.

Birding and Blyde

The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere houses three significant biomes, which means that it’s not only the bushveld that attracts animals and tourists to the area, but the forests and mountainous regions found around Hoedspruit are also well worth exploring. On my final days in the area, I went up Mariepskop – one of the highest peaks in the northern Drakensberg – with a community guide to go birding, but we had thick mist, so I only took a few pictures and some video footage.

Marieskop is unique in that it is home to over 2,000 plant species and, with the Kruger to Canyons region holding up to 75% of all terrestrial bird species and 80% of all raptor species found in South Africa, it is one of the best places in the world for twitchers. I also flew like a bird myself in a microlight flight with Leading Edge Flight School over the canyon and took in the spectacular views of a place that earns its name as the Panorama Route.

mariepskop-birdwatching-simon-espley — Birding in Mariepskop with Abednigo ‘Bedneck’ Maibela ©Simon Espley

A few weeks later Africa Geographic’s general manager (at the time), Janine Avery, also explored the rKruger to Canyons area. Here is an extract from her travel diary from her day out in paradise.

Panorama Route. Guide: Hans Swart

10 August 2016
Gazing out onto the natural formation of the three rondavels, named so because of their hut-like appearance, I can’t think of a better place to spend my birthday. The world’s third-largest canyon falls at my feet and, despite a simmering haze and the harsh drought that has ripped the colour from the landscape, I still feel a sense of awe. A boat putters along the Blyde River below me as my enthusiastic guide regales us with tales of adventures, discovery, gold miners, pilgrims and a small town that had electricity before the streets of London – a town that I am promised serves the best Mampoer milkshakes and to which I look forward to indulging in later. Off to my left a Google’s Street View Trekker with a unique contraption on his back, which resembles a soccer ball housing multiple cameras, dances alongside a villager selling curios. Her deep and bellowing “Shap, Shap” is echoed by his American accented version and his clumsy footing as he attempts a bootie wiggle that can’t compete with hers. Their fun-loving antics tear my attention away from the majestic views as I stroll over to add yet another culture to the mix…

Simon continues…

Where to stay in the Kruger to Canyons area

Makanyi Lodge, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Makanyi Lodge is an extremely luxurious lodge set in south Timbavati, with excellent game viewing throughout the year. Every attention to detail has been considered, and every comfort provided. The outside shower is probably the best of many I have enjoyed, thanks to its views over the nearby waterhole. I departed knowing that I needed to bring my wife here on my next visit, as she is very inclined towards safari chic.
Food and service were top drawer, as was the guiding. I shared game drives with a mad bunch who had adopted our guide Warren Jacobs, renaming him Woza, and the hilarious banter blended with the unparalleled wildlife viewing!

Relaxed pool deck vibes at Makanyi Lodge ©Simon Espley

Tanda Tula, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Tanda Tula consists of an exclusive lodge and a seasonal tented camp in the heart of the Timbavati Game Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger. Spending a night in a starbed rising your safari – sleeping high up on a wooden platform while being serenaded by lions, hyenas, Verreaux’s eagle owls and ground hornbills – features high on my list of incredible experiences that I have had in Africa. Their Field Camp is also one of the unique experiences found in the Greater Kruger area – an authentic glamping experience.

tanda-tula-safari-camp — Make the most of the Timbavati at Tanda Tula’s Safari Camp ©Tanda Tula

Umlani Bushcamp, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Umlani Bushcamp is another Timbavati classic. Your safari in a rustic rondavel at Umlani will feel like a family affair, thanks to hearty communal meals served under the African sky. This down-to-earth safari camp runs mainly on solar power, and you’ll be made to feel at home in no time at all.

Outside the Greater Kruger?

Many people choose accommodation outside the Greater Kruger boundary and enter the park each day for game drives, either in their own vehicle or with a guide. I was lucky enough to spend a night at some of these lodgings.

Wild Olive Tree Camp

Wild Olive Tree Camp is a rustic and affordable community-owned tented camp a few kilometres from Kruger’s Orpen Gate and a few hundred metres from the gate to Manyeleti Game Reserve. It’s a basic but charming camp for independent travellers. The Wild Olive team arrange game drives into the park or reserve if you don’t have your own wheels. The camp runs on solar power and gas showers, with battery charging at reception. The tents will probably get very hot during the day in the summer months (when you would probably be out and about), but during my visit in mid-winter, they were just right. Meals are served in a communal dining tent, and service was excellent, and the smiles wide. This new community endeavour is well worth supporting.

Blyde Canyon, a Forever Resort

Blyde Canyon, a Forever Resort, is one of the only accommodation offerings in the canyon itself, and its views of the Three Rondavels are even better than at the main tourist viewpoints. The resort is the ideal overnight stop for guests exploring the Panorama Route before venturing into Hoedspruit and heading towards Kruger. The accommodation offerings are also expansive, with camping and caravan options and large self-catering units that appeal to families. With a putt-putt course, trampolines and a large pool on site, the little ones will be entertained while you try to protect your braai from the cavorting troupes of vervet monkeys.

Unembeza Boutique Lodge

This popular lodge is located within the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate – a stunning location that places you on the doorstep to the town and its variety of exquisite eateries, while still providing the feeling that you are in the bush with resident warthogs, kudus and bushbucks running around. Unembeza provides the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding area. The lodge management is always around to offer advice and assistance with your day’s plans without intruding to the privacy and peace of quiet the lodge offers. The affordable rooms are a breath of fresh bush air, and each suite is decorated with class and simplicity.

kruger-unembeza — Enjoy the sleek setting of Unembeza Boutique Lodge ©Unembeza Boutique Lodge

Go on a two-wheeled safari at Unembeza Boutique Lodge in the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate ©Unembeza Boutique Lodge

About the author

Simon Espley is an African of the digital tribe, a chartered accountant and CEO of Africa Geographic.
He is a seasoned African traveller – walking, driving, boating, cycling, horse riding and flying his way in pursuit of true wilderness and elusive birds.

Simon’s love of mountain biking took him to Hoedspruit to participate in the annual Kruger2Canyons mountain bike tour, so it made sense for him to explore this region on his own two feet and on two wheels.

More dogs for Kruger’s canine unit

For most visitors, the deep grumble of a lion roaring or the high-pitched whooping of hyenas epitomise the nightly noises of Kruger National Park. But on my recent trip to Kruger, it wasn’t these iconic sounds that woke me up in the dead of night; it was the synchronised howl of four domestic dogs – members of the canine unit.

bloodhound-kruger — A bloodhound/doberman cross ready for his close up.

I was privileged enough to spend the night away from the tourist camps at Kruger’s newest addition – the K9 Centre. Those four howling dogs were young bloodhound/doberman crosses, excited at the prospect of their future working life in South Africa’s premier national park.

new-dogs-kruger-canine-unit — The four new dogs alongside side their handlers with dog trainer Gaven Holden-Smith and kennel master Johan De Beer. Handlers’ faces are blurred to protect their identity.

The dogs, now just over a year old, have been brought up as working tracking dogs and having just finished their training at the centre, they were ready to be handed over to their respective section rangers to get to work. I was at the centre to see the great work being done behind the scenes to get these dogs out and working in Kruger. The canine unit is now a vital component in the war against poaching. These dogs join a formidable team of attack dogs, contraband detection sniffer dogs and other tracking dogs like themselves.

canine-unit-bloodhound — A handler sits alongside Kilalo – the latest addition to Kruger’s canine unit. The handler’s face is blurred to protect his own identity.

They were trained by the capable Gaven Holden-Smith of Holden-Smith Tracking and Conservation and donated to Kruger thanks to funding from Star Project in San Francisco and Wuppertal Zooverein in Germany.

But the truth is it is not all cute and cuddly puppies or dramatic grenade launchers and helicopters in the world of anti-poaching. Sometimes it is the day to day stuff that these organisations need. Hence why, on the day of the dog handover, the K9 Centre also received donations of a high-pressure cleaner from Karcher, LED spotlights for the section rangers from MSC LED Lighting Solutions, alongside chains, harnesses, bite suits, mattresses, grooming brushes, transport boxes, dog bowls, materials for new kennels and Hills dog food all organised by various regions of the SANParks Honorary Rangers.

Members of the SANParks Honorary Rangers at the hand over ceremony. — Members of the SANParks Honorary Rangers at the handover ceremony.

safari-guide-of-the-year — Safari Guide of the Year, Jaco Buys, with Badger – a beloved tracking dog.

But perhaps the most interesting initiative that stood out for me was one pioneered by Casterbridge Animal Hospital in association with the Lowveld Region of the SANParks Honorary Rangers and the Wuppertal Zooverein. The initiative involves training each handler on basic dog first aid so they are able to care for and attend to their dog while hot on the heels of poachers. What this means is that should these four brand new additions to the canine unit be bitten by a snake, lacerate a paw or get dehydrated while deep in the bush, we can all rest easy knowing that we won’t lose a dog to save a rhino.

med-aid-for-dogs — Veterinary nurse Elzabe de Bruyn hands over the trauma kits to SANParks

Thus far, 22 trauma kits have been handed over to the handlers who have received this doggie first aid training, and the K9 Centre also has its master trauma kit. But it doesn’t end there – the aim is now to compile more comprehensive kits for the section rangers, and the Honorary Rangers are even looking to buy/obtain a container which they can convert into a mobile vet clinic, complete with anaesthesia machine, operating table and the like. But this all costs money, or those with access to this equipment give donations. And this, my fellow puppy-lovers, is where you come in! Have a way to help? Want to donate to the K9 Centre by way of cash or equipment? Then be sure to email Grant Coleman, chairman of the Lowveld Region of the SANParks Honorary Rangers, and do your part to support the canines of Kruger!

kennels-canine-unit — New kennels at the K9 Centre keep the dogs safe and sound at night in leopard country!

Book Review: Elephant Dawn by Sharon Pincott

Now and then, a book breaks through the wallpaper of my life and delivers its message intravenously. Elephant Dawn by Sharon Pincott did that for me – an intense, inspiring, and moving read.

Sharon Pincott made the life-changing decision in 2001 to forgo her jet-setting job and comfortable Australian home to make a difference in the world. Having sold her possessions, and later her home, to fund this project, she arrived in Zimbabwe during a tumultuous time in this country’s history – to spend time with a herd of elephants that in 1990 was granted protection under President Mugabe’s decree.

These wild elephants roam over a large, unfenced area that includes the magnificent Hwange National Park and the adjacent Hwange Estate. The presidential protection turned out to be a paper tiger, and to this day, the elephants face the same threats that elephants face all over Africa – primarily poachers and trophy hunters – exacerbated and fuelled by Mugabe’s controversial and destructive land reform programme.

This book is not your classic African safari story; it chronicles Pincott’s roller-coaster journey and follows the lives of several of the matriarchs she got to know.

Over an incredible 13 years, this tough-as-teak lady developed a valuable understanding of all 17 extended family groups that make up the greater 500-strong herd. She also became the public figurehead of this herd in their battle against the deadly intentions of the poachers and trophy hunters. Her deeply personal bond with some of the matriarchs (who would come running when she called) struck a chord with me, although the touching and caressing of some of the elephants would surely have attracted criticism from many.

And yet, here we are – Zimbabwe’s Presidential Herd of elephants is now famous and under intense international scrutiny. Job done. Well, partly. Will Zimbabwe take advantage of this marketing godsend and capitalise on high levels of safari tourism interest? Time will tell.

Sharon Pincott is, at the time of writing, currently back in Australia, taking a break from the pressures of the intensely political world of wildlife conservation. Hopefully, her energy and passion will not be lost to Africa, and she will soon return. Again, time will tell.

Elephant Dawn by Sharon Pincott is available on amazon.com.

Rhino horn?

A chainsaw sputters to life, and its loud hum fills the air. Two black rhinos – a mother and her calf – lie helplessly on the ground. They tremble a bit, though never move from where they have fallen. A helicopter takes off and buzzes above us before speeding away, its heavy blades chopping through the sky. The mother is an exemplary rhino; her primary horn is long and curved like a crescent moon, and her secondary horn is tall and straight, almost matching the first horn in length.

Today, both the mother and the calf will lose their horns because of rhino poaching. There are, however, two crucial factors that affect today’s outcome. The first is that the rhinos will walk away from this experience with their lives and the second is that the process is performed by a highly-skilled wildlife veterinarian and an accompanying team of conservation professionals – the very people who dedicate their careers and lives to protecting these animals. The Zululand Rhino Reserve (ZRR), located in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is in the midst of the process of dehorning all of its rhinos. The reserve is not alone in this decision and rhinos all over the country are having their horns removed by the very humans who are trying to protect them.

two-rhinos-peter-chadwick — A white rhino mother and calf run through an open area before being darted from the air to begin the dehorning process ©Peter Chadwick

rhino-helicopter-peter-chadwick — A helicopter hovers close to a white rhino that has just been darted from the air by a qualified veterinarian ©Peter Chadwick

rhino-long-horn-peter-chadwick — A large white rhino cow, which has had her eyes covered for protection, begins to settle as the sedating drugs take effect ©Peter Chadwick

Where to start

The chainsaw’s blade starts to whir and plunges into the rhino’s horn. It cuts loudly and steadily through the thick horn, and suddenly, under the Zululand sun, it begins to rain rhino horn dust. A large tarpaulin is draped on the ground under the rhino’s head to catch all of the shavings, as even the smallest amount of horn holds value in the illegal rhino horn market. As the blade continues to carve its course through the horn, I flinch and look away, nervous that the cut is too deep. But it is not. The cut is perfectly executed and just nicks the growth plate. The wildlife veterinarian, Dr Mike Toft, is not new to this practice. To date, he has personally dehorned almost 200 rhinos in the greater Zululand area. Mike wields the chainsaw like a practised artisan and expertly cuts around the base of the horn towards the growth plate, which rises in the middle like a small mound.

After the cutting is finished, he uses an angle grinder, explicitly designed for keratin, to grind down as far as he can. Small drops of blood begin to form on the base of the horn. “That’s how you know you’ve gone far enough,” Mike assures us. Previous dehorning methods made only the initial cut, leaving a large chunk of horn mass sitting around the growth plate at the base of the rhino’s horn. Recently Mike cut an additional 2.1 kilogrammes of rhino horn off of a large white rhino after the first cut. With 2.1 kilogrammes of rhino horn translating to approximately US$275,000 on the black market, he is undoubtedly correct when he explains, “that’s why rhino dehorning was not considered successful in the past – there was still enough horn left to tempt poachers.”

cutting-off-rhino-horn-peter-chadwick — A front horn is carefully removed with the aid of a chainsaw ©Peter Chadwick

cutting-rhino-horn-with-chainsaw-peter-chadwick — A back horn is carefully removed with the help of a chainsaw ©Peter Chadwick

The secondary horn is cut just as close, and then the horns are removed from the calf. All the while the ground team works hard, taking blood, skin and hair samples for DNA, recording ear notches and identification numbers, and photographing the animals for records. Mike simultaneously monitors their condition while dehorning the rhinos. They have been darted from a helicopter with a cocktail drug containing an immobiliser, a tranquilliser and an enzyme to ensure rapid absorption. The immobilising drug causes a surge of adrenaline, which accounts for much of the trembling. The entire process is quick and professional.

“It’s not gentle, but it is effective,” according to Mike.

Although that is the case, many rhino lovers still find the process traumatic to watch. Rangers and onlookers choke back tears and soldier on with the task at hand. The dehorning of these two rhinos has been sponsored by a generous donor from the United States, who accompanies us today. Before the rhinos are woken up, he kneels and places his hand on the calf’s small body and takes a silent moment. There are so many things a person desires to communicate to a rhino in this circumstance: compassion, assurance, sorrow, frustration, solidarity. Instead, the team works quickly and calmly, accomplishing what they believe is necessary to protect their rhinos.

injecting-rhino-peter-chadwick — Each darted rhino is given a long-lasting antibiotic in the spot where the dart penetrated ©Peter Chadwick

cutting-closely-rhino-horn-peter-chadwick — Once the horns have been removed with a chainsaw, the stumps are carefully ground with an angle grinder to remove any remaining horn ©Peter Chadwick

blood-samples-rhino-peter-chadwick — Blood samples are taken for DNA sampling from each sedated rhino ©Peter Chadwick

The veterinarian administers a reversal drug to the mother and calf. Within minutes they are both on their feet, huffing and puffing. They charge off into the bush seemingly unaffected albeit a few kilogrammes lighter. The quick return to normalcy is reassuring, and the team proceeds with a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Our next targets have been identified by rangers in the field, and the ground team’s vehicles rush off to meet the helicopter, which is quickly making its way to dart the identified rhinos. The second set of rhinos is another mother-calf pair, but this time of white rhinos. Again, the mother is remarkably beautiful – an older female with an impressively sizeable primary horn. With a horn of this size, it is only due to the hard work of the anti-poaching team in the ZRR that she is still alive. Removing it is demoralising. “It’s devastating to have to deface a rhino because of human greed,” notes Karen Holmes, the general manager of the ZRR.

A crossroads in conservation

We are at a critical moment in rhino conservation. While overall the population of both black and white rhinos in Africa is still growing, we are getting incrementally closer every year to that crucial tipping point where poaching pressure exceeds population growth. From there, it’s a slippery slope to extinction. Many subpopulations have reached that point already. In 2015 alone, over 1,300 rhinos were poached in Africa. Those on the frontlines protecting our rhinos are battle-weary, and the demand for rhino horn shows no sign of relenting. Rangers, managers and owners are desperate for help to stop the ongoing slaughter.

The solution that many are currently turning to is the removal of rhino horns. Dehorning has become commonplace mostly because it is working. Removing the horns is effective at decreasing the reward for poachers’ efforts. Alternative solutions, like poisoning of rhino horn, have proved ineffective, and anti-poaching activities alone are not enough.

A partially sedated white rhino’s pupils begin to dilate before they are covered with a cloth to protect them from damage ©Peter Chadwick

blindfolded-rhino-peter-chadwick — The dehorning process is professionally managed at all times and is carried out to reduce the impacts of poaching on the animals. Although the horns do grow back in time, it is hoped that the dehorning will buy time to find longer-lasting solutions to the current poaching war. ©Peter Chadwick

The issues to consider

It may seem an obvious solution, but from a reserve’s point of view, the decision is never easy. There are logistical, financial and ethical issues with which to grapple when considering rhino dehorning. Dehorning is not a cure-all solution. Rhino horn grows back rapidly and, within about a year and a half, the horn on a young rhino is usually big enough to tempt poachers again. The effectiveness of dehorning is, therefore, temporary and the process must be repeated to continue to be a deterrent. Each dehorning procedure is costly, especially with veterinarian and helicopter fees to factor in. Some reserves are simply too big to be able to dehorn all of their rhinos, and there are also concerns that removing horns will negatively impact tourism.

Yet even when logistics and finances are managed, the number one consideration for whether or not to dehorn rhinos is always the potential effect on the rhinos themselves. Removing the horn from a rhino feels like a gross violation of nature. Evolution favours exaggerated traits, like the rhino’s horn, if there is a strong selective pressure for it to do so. Rhinos use their horns for territorial defence and dominance struggles, to assist in foraging, to protect their young from predators, in courtship, and possibly in mate selection. The knock-on effects of dehorning rhinos could, therefore, slow species growth rate. At an evolutionary scale, it’s a heavy price to pay to protect a species.

blindfolded-dehorned-rhino-peter-chadwick — A dehorned white rhino with a protective cloth covering its eyes just before being awoken from sedation ©Peter Chadwick

blindfolded-rhino-without-horn-peter-chadwick — The chaos of the dehorning scene, with an oxygen cylinder close at hand to assist with the easy breathing of the sedated rhino ©Peter Chadwick

dehorned-rhino-peter-chadwick — A white rhino bull begins to awake after sedation. The area where his horns were removed has been carefully sprayed with a purple coloured antiseptic. This colour will disappear in a few days. ©Peter Chadwick

Zululand Rhino Reserve make their decision

The Zululand Rhino Reserve was formed in 2004 as part of the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Programme, comprised of a consortium of private landowners with varying interests, and decisions are made by a board of directors on Karen’s recommendations. When the ZRR’s board sat down to debate the choice of dehorning rhinos, many of the reserves around them had already instituted dehorning programmes. Like a horrible game of dominos, poaching pressure passes to the next population.

The vast majority of the reserve’s budget was already being spent on anti-poaching efforts to protect their rhinos. While these efforts had been mostly successful in the reserve, it continued to have poaching incursions regularly. Karen, having researched the pros and cons of dehorning, presented her recommendation to dehorn the ZRR’s rhinos with tears in her eyes, explaining how “it felt like we were admitting defeat.” The board’s vote was not unanimous, but the majority voted in favour of dehorning.

rhino-with-detached-horn — A white rhino that has just been dehorned with earplugs and a protective cloth covering its eyes ©Peter Chadwick

The legalisation of the trade in rhino horn

An unfortunate bedfellow to dehorning as a conservation strategy is the issue of legalisation of the trade in rhino horn, another hotly debated topic. When one of the ZRR’s neighbours went public with the announcement that they had instituted a dehorning programme, they were both praised and criticised. There were allegations that they had failed to protect their rhinos, hadn’t adequately considered alternatives, and worst of all, that the programme was a scam designed to harvest and bank rhino horn. These are stinging accusations for people who regularly risk their own lives in the line of duty and spend millions on protecting rhinos. While the company behind the reserve has publicly confirmed that they would be in favour of a legalised trade in rhino horn, this did not factor into their conservation manager’s analysis and recommendations for implementing a dehorning programme. His decision was made because they were doing everything they could on the ground but still struggling to keep rhinos alive.

Wildlands Conservation Trust, an NGO that runs community-owned Somkhanda Game Reserve (located a short distance north of the ZRR) is decidedly against the legalisation of the trade in rhino horn. They still decided to dehorn Somkhanda’s rhino population. As Kevin McCann, the Deputy Director of WCT succinctly puts it: “We decided we’d rather have rhino alive without horns than dead.”

Regardless of which side of the debate individuals or organisations fall on, the crux of the situation is that the international trade in rhino horn is currently illegal and that CITES is unlikely to legalise the trade. There’s no doubt that there are a few unscrupulous individuals who are dehorning rhinos and wagering on trade legalisation, but these are the minority. The vast majority implementing rhino dehorning programmes are doing so with the safety of the rhinos and the people protecting them in mind.

drilling-rhino-horn-peter-chadwick — Each removed horn is measured, weighed and logged, and DNA samples are collected for future ease of tracking ©Peter Chadwick

rhino-horn-shavings-peter-chadwick — Horn shavings from the dehorning exercise are carefully collected, bagged and removed from the site – together with the horns and in accordance with legislative requirements. ©Peter Chadwick

The future

On our sixth dehorning of the day, as the secondary horn is cut off a young male white rhino, it bounces towards me on the tarpaulin. I pick it up, and it fits perfectly into the palm of my hand. How absurd that this inert lump is worth more than its weight in gold on the black market. It is not a cure for anything. It is essentially the world’s most expensive placebo. This culturally-created placebo effect results in a substance with such astronomical worth that it is valued above the life of an animal, above human lives and above the obliteration of a species. I toss it back on the tarpaulin. In my eyes, it is worthless now that it has been removed from the rhino. The day wears on, and we dehorn nine rhinos in total. It is a full day’s work, and the physical and emotional exhaustion is evident on everyone’s faces.

The ZRR will continue with its dehorning programme and remove the horns from all the rhinos in the reserve. It is a colossal undertaking and a heavy responsibility to protect a population of rhinos. The relief, though temporary, must be tremendous. The next years will be critical in evaluating the success of dehorning programmes, as poaching and population growth rates are closely monitored.

Due to the security risk, any horns that are removed during dehorning programmes are immediately taken off the property and moved to a secure undisclosed location and stored in accordance with South African law.

On our drive back to camp we pass a dehorned female rhino grazing. She does not have a horn, but she is still a rhino and, most importantly, she is still alive.

Perhaps in the future, there will be a time when a rhino’s horn does not dictate its likelihood to live or die, but not today. Today there are nine fewer rhinos that will die at a poacher’s hands.

rangers-with-dehorned-rhinos-peter-chadwick — Dr Mike Toft makes a final check on a white rhino mother and calf before administering the antidote that will awaken the two animals from sedation ©Peter Chadwick

two-dehorned-rhinos-peter-chadwick — Two white rhinos that have recently had their horns removed wander off into the surrounding bushveld ©Peter Chadwick

rhino-and-ranger-peter-chadwick — Dr Mike Toft carefully monitors the sedated rhinos throughout the dehorning procedure, providing the highest level of professional care ©Peter Chadwick

About the photographer

All images ©Peter Chadwick. Peter Chadwick is an internationally recognised award-winning photographer.
He specialises in photographing and writing about conservation and environmental issues on the African continent. Peter is a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Shannon Airton is an American expat living in South Africa. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution and a Master’s degree in Biological Anthropology. A conservation biologist by training, she has worked in Zululand researching rhinos, wild dogs and leopards for the last 14 years.

She has recently made the decision to give up the rather rough and nomadic life of a researcher to raise her two-year-old son and help run the family business, Rhino River Lodge, in the Zululand Rhino Reserve. Following her passion for conservation biology, her writing focuses on bringing important conservation issues to a public audience.

Sustainable utilisation of wildlife not so sustainable

A comprehensive new review of the threats facing global biodiversity indicates that a popular approach to saving the planet’s wild animals from extinction may be fatally flawed. Written by: Andreas Wilson-Späth

‘Sustainable utilisation’ is a catchphrase that is as fashionable in wildlife conservation circles as it is controversial. In essence, it suggests that natural resources – in this instance, wild animals – can be ‘harvested’ in a way that will not endanger the continued survival of the species in question. Furthermore, proponents argue that this form of commercial exploitation is a legitimate (some would say the only) way to raise the money required to fund conservation measures.

This philosophy of sustainable utilisation is central to the South African government’s wildlife conservation policy. It underpins claims by the hunting fraternity that killing animals for sport contributes to their conservation, and it forms the basis for arguments that legalising the international trade in products such as elephant ivory and rhino horns will reduce poaching.

New research shows that the belief that humans are capable of using wild animals in this fashion without ultimately causing their demise may be misplaced. In the article, published in the prestigious journal Nature this month, a group of conservation scientists assess the factors that are driving wild species towards extinction. They identify overexploitation, including hunting, as the biggest threat.

The authors analysed the threat information for 8,688 ‘threatened’ and ‘near-threatened’ species contained in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. They found that climate change, pollution, invasive species, urbanisation and agricultural activities present some of the most serious dangers to these species.

The single biggest threat, however, is overexploitation, defined as “the harvesting of species from the wild at rates that cannot be compensated for by reproduction or regrowth”. This affects 6,241 of the species considered. After logging (the survey includes both plants and animals), the researchers show that hunting is the second most perilous subset of threat factors within the category of overexploitation. Hunting impacts detrimentally on 1,680 species. That’s almost exactly the same number of species as are affected by global climate change.

Pointing out that the threats to endangered species are likely to remain as populations grow and human development continues at full pace, the authors of the paper warn that “of all the plant, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species that have gone extinct since AD1500, 75% were harmed by overexploitation or agricultural activity or both”.

According to one of them, Sean Maxwell of the University of Queensland in Australia, addressing these two major threat factors “must be at the forefront of the conservation agenda”, this being “key to turning around the biodiversity extinction crisis”.

As the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg draws near, these new findings should inform the critical debate around a joint proposal to legalise the trade in ivory submitted to the meeting by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

In direct opposition to the 29 Central, West and East African nations that make up the core of the African Elephant Coalition, the three Southern African countries want to be allowed to sell ivory from their national stockpiles on a legalised international market. Citing the need to raise capital for conservation measures and poverty relief, they assert their right to sustainably utilise their wild animal resources. But the new findings identifying overexploitation as the most serious threat to thousands of species cast serious doubt on the validity and wisdom of this approach.

And the Nature article isn’t the only recent document that should give us pause when considering so-called sustainable utilisation as an effective conservation philosophy. In July a large group of international scientists, including representatives from South Africa, came together to pen a declaration to save the world’s terrestrial megafauna.

This is especially relevant to the current debate since sub-Saharan Africa has the planet’s greatest diversity in megafauna, from elephants, gorillas and large cats, to hippos, rhinos, giraffes, buffalos and more.

Noting that 59% of the world’s largest carnivores and 60% of its largest herbivores are now classified as threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List, the authors of the declaration highlight the fact that among other factors, “the current depletion of megafauna is also due to overhunting and persecution: shooting, snaring, and poisoning by humans ranging from individuals to governments, as well as by organised criminals and terrorists”.

They warn that “under a business-as-usual scenario, conservation scientists will soon be busy writing obituaries for species and subspecies of megafauna as they vanish from the planet. In fact, this process is already underway…”

In the face of growing evidence from researchers working in the field that overexploitation represents the preeminent threat to the survival of many endangered species of wildlife, proposals for sustainable utilisation need to be examined with extreme care.

By turning wild creatures into commodities, financial incentives reinforced by market mechanisms are at risk of undermining the conservation prerogative that should form the foundation of this discussion.

Proponents of so-called sustainable utilisation in wildlife conservation often argue that wild animals have to “start paying for themselves” – an attitude that their critics find uncomfortably close to the dictum, “if it pays, it stays”. The latter are particularly concerned about what happens “if it doesn’t pay”, wondering whether wild animals don’t, in fact, have an intrinsic right to inhabit their indigenous habitats without the risk of being sustainably exploited to extinction for the benefit of humans.

Given the fact that our overexploitation of wildlife has been identified as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, causes of the current crisis in which many species may not make it to the end of this century, it is high time that we join the authors of the declaration to save the world’s terrestrial megafauna by stating that we “affirm an abiding moral obligation to protect the Earth’s megafauna” along with all other threatened plant and animal species

I can’t afford to volunteer in my own country

After four splendid years of studying conservation, I received my BTech degree cum laude in nature conservation. I was now ready to make a difference and plough my way into this difficult industry, but I was in for a big surprise. By volunteering, others may have affected my career opportunities. Written by: Zandri Benade

fence-maintenance-jarrett-joubert — Volunteers maintain fences ©Jarrett Joubert

After my studies came to an end, I started to do research on how to become a more desirable candidate within my industry. Volunteering to gain field experience came out top in most of the articles that I read, and this came as no surprise. I started researching wildlife volunteering in South Africa, which led me to my discovery that conservation experiences and wildlife research has become an industry for rich (by my standards) foreigners and not young local scientists like me.

I visited various websites claiming to help you to “start your career in conservation” by joining their various volunteer programmes, of which the itineraries were absolutely fabulous for a young graduate like me! The only problem, aside from having to leach money off my parents for yet another year of unpaid work, was that these programmes were expecting me to also pay ridiculous amounts of money for lavish accommodation and unnecessary sightseeing. Starting anywhere from ZAR90,000 for 24 weeks, I soon came to realise that I was simply not wealthy enough to take part in these fantastic programmes. To put that into perspective, ZAR90,000 equates to roughly four years of conservation class fees.

alien-vegetation-clearing-jarrett-joubert — Volunteers work to clear alien vegetation ©Jarrett Joubert

One can argue that these programmes are designed with tourists in mind and that they would be cheaper had they been set up for locals. But this is exactly where it becomes quite problematic. Many game reserves benefit from volunteer programmes, as the enterprises that run these programmes often provide their beneficial conservation services for free or at a small price. They thus acquire all the necessary funding to run their programmes from the volunteers themselves. So essentially it is a win-win situation for both organisations – but with dire consequences for young graduates in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

In my opinion, the lack of affordable volunteering opportunities for locals could lead to a loss of local knowledge and could complicate career growth amongst educated youth in our country, as foreign volunteers gain valuable experience that they take back to their home country with them.

My future in conservation remains uncertain but I refuse to give up, and I hope that the value of local educated youth will be realised and that we will be given the opportunity to once again become the movers and shakers in the preservation of our own natural heritage.

Poaching along the Okavango River

Elephants in the newly proclaimed Luenge-Luiana National Park in Angola recovered well from over an entire generation of war that this country has endured. This area, previously UNITA occupied, has had time to adjust, and the proclamation of the park in May 2012 was a welcome surprise. But what about poaching? Written by: Mark Paxton

For many of us, this had shown that the KAZA concept could now finally actually be gaining ground, and we were all looking forward to this over nine million hectare park being managed as the star park in Angola. But alas, this seems not to have been the case, and interference from uncontrolled human settlements along the Cuito River boundary has resulted in escalating large-scale poaching incidents in the neighbouring park, targeting mostly the elephants.

poaching-okavango — One of three poached elephant near the Cuito/Okavango river confluence and within the Luengue-Luiana National Park.

Two years ago, for the first time in decades, we saw elephants on the banks of the Okavango River in the Shamvura area where I live. Everybody in the area saw this as a positive and encouraging sign, but I was sceptical. I have been involved in conservation and park management all my life, so I could see this was a sign that the elephants in the park’s interior were being persecuted. As a result of this pressure, I could understand that they were forced to seek refuge and sanctuary further south towards the Okavango River areas, which previously they would only visit occasionally.

It was one of these pressured groups of between 20 and 40 animals that were attacked by poachers in the Kashira area recently. The incident happened at around 17h00 on Saturday, 23rd July, and was first reported to me by my staff and then by our nearest neighbours. I then received a call and was asked how to deal with this incident. I immediately contacted several top senior members of Nampol (the Namibian Police Service), MEFT (The Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism) and then the regional commander of the Angolan Border Police in the Cuando/Cubango Province, Commander Mino. I also alerted several media contacts and, through other contacts, the Cuando/Cubango province governor and the National Director of the Ministry of Ambiente in Angola.

Yet, despite this prompt and widespread reporting to multiple authorities from both countries, it was only the following day that the scene was investigated. They found carcasses of the slaughtered elephants with the tusks removed. Two other wounded animals were tracked but not found. The tusks from the slain animal had been transported that night over the river into Namibia, where the authorities are apparently trying to trace the tusks and poachers.

elephant-poached — A mixed group of officials from Angola and Namibia investigate the elephant poaching incident.

This is not the first poaching incident I reported in this park. In the last four years, I have reported four hippo and four crocodile poaching incidents, as well as many incidents of elephant and other wildlife meat being sold on the Namibian side of the river.

hippo-poaching-okavango — Dead hippo killed by gunshots being dragged in for investigation

The river area is also constantly under threat from illegal fishermen and commercial fishing operations using numerous large nets on Angolan Government boats, apparently with the knowledge and permission of the administrator from Ndirico in Angola.

illegal-fishing-okavango — A boat full of confiscated nets after a combined Namibia/Angolan river patrol.

For years, the Fisheries Inspectors and MEFT Officials have refused to react to these reports, claiming that when Angolans are involved and any activity on the Angolan river bank is reported, they are not entitled to follow up and prosecute. I’ve become quite accustomed to the well-known excuse of “our hands are tied.”

fishing — A heap of fish recently caught and ready to put out to dry.

Strangely, Nampol does not use that excuse, and I have managed many successful anti-poaching river patrols with the Nampol Border Police at Evero Border Post nearby. Several recent meetings with Angolan authorities confirm that they are only too willing to help but have never been approached to do so. I continue to get excellent help from Nampol, which has no problems involving their Angolan counterparts.

The poaching activities along this park’s southern border are beginning to severely impact the Namibian tourism sector along the Okavango River. One of the recent hippo poaching incidents reported in this area occurred during an international fishing competition that was held on the river. Several boats were in the immediate vicinity where the incident took place and found themselves in the way of flying bullets, forcing them to immediately leave the area for fear of being shot. Obviously, word of the experience has spread, which does not do the area any good.

I understand that the Luenge-Luiana National Park has established a Rangers Corp within the park, which has a relatively well-equipped base station. I also understand that they are under-equipped and need some support and training before they can be as effective as they should be. I chair the Namibian Chapter of the GRAA (Game Rangers Association of Africa), and we are hoping to get involved in Angola with our next AGM being there. We hope that, with our resources, we may well be able to offer the necessary assistance to give this park much-needed professional support.

Why you should vote to stop trade in African grey parrots

So a car is rolling down a hill, at the bottom of which is a cliff and a 400-metre sheer drop to rocks below, and inside the car is a guy enjoying a steaming mug of coffee. He is concerned that the car seems to be picking up speed and heading towards certain destruction. He has considered pulling up the handbrake to stop the car and prevent disaster. But that would also spill his coffee, which he does not want to do. And so he continues sipping and rolling down that hill. What does this have to do with grey parrots?

CITES is that man sipping the coffee. They know that they need to pull up that handbrake and prevent certain disaster (grey parrot extinction in the wild). But by doing so, they will spill some coffee (the many legal and illegal traders, politicians and breeding factory owners who rely on the trade of wild-caught grey parrots for their livelihoods and, in some cases, their vast fortunes).

African grey parrots in flight in Odzala ©Dana Allen

On the table at the upcoming CITES CoP17 conference in South Africa will be the upgrading of the status of grey parrots from Appendix 2 to Appendix 1, which will mean no further trade.

This is where you come in…

I am not convinced that members of CITES have the guts to do this, to pull up that handbrake. It’s complicated, apparently. They need encouragement, coercion perhaps.

By signing the petition below, put together by the respected World Parrot Trust, you will make your voice heard. Then send this post to your friends and ask them to do the same.

If you don’t know much about the topic, read my article, Shades of Grey, or scan this startling summary:

Approximately 1.36 million wild-caught grey parrots have been exported legally since 1975, and when one factors in the 33-60% death rate during transport, the likely number of parrots actually trapped legally from the wild is probably more than 3 million birds. There is no accurate estimate for the number of illegal birds taken from the wild – but it would certainly add significantly to this offtake figure. When one considers that total wild populations have crashed to an estimated 560,000 to 12.7 million birds, this offtake figure is staggering.