Team Africa Geographic, Author at Africa Geographic

The winner of our Best Video Clip 2019 competition

Announcing the winner of our Best Video Clip 2019 competition! Take a look to see who has won the $500 prize!

Elephant poaching decimates key Gabon reserve

Elephant population in Gabon’s Minkébé National Park have been decimated, with 25,000 being poached in 10 years (80% reduction), says research results.

Large herd of elephants seen in Nigeria’s war-torn northeast

In an exciting discovery, a previously-unknown herd of 250-300 elephants has been spotted in Nigeria’s far northeast corner, making it the first reported sighting of elephants in the region since the Boko Haram insurgency began a decade ago.

Leopard hunting: CITES quotas not sustainable, say researchers

CITES trophy hunting quotas for leopards are arbitrary and not sustainable, says research. Read here to find what the 3 researchers recommend.

Smoked baby chimpanzee on hotel menu, says NGO

Smoked baby chimpanzee on the menu at prominent DRC hotel, says NGO.

Photographer of the Year 2020 Weekly Selection: Week 4

Our Photographer of the Year 2020 competition, brought to you by Airlink, with a stunning safari prize provided by Djuma Private Game Reserve, is now open for submissions! The competition runs from December 2019 through to the end of April 2020, and there is a great prize up for grabs! The overall winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up […]

Millipedes – 10 facts that we find interesting

Giant African millipedes often have unusually brightly coloured legs and bodies.

Photographer of the Year 2020 Weekly Selection: Week 3

Photographer of the Year 2020 Weekly Selection: Week 2

The Return of Malawi’s Cheetahs

A total of 5,645 kilometres… That is 845 km more than the distance across the United States of America, 2,500 km further when travelling east to west across Australia, and 2,845 km more than the distance across South Africa. That distance does not even count all the little trips in between, including the time spent […]

Photographer of the Year 2020 Weekly Selection: Week 1

Spider Macro Magic

With a record-breaking, never-before-seen 29,887 entries received for our Photographer of the Year 2019 competition, our judges had an incredibly tough time deciding on our winner and runners-up. But at the end of the day, it was the pure macro-magic of Eraine van Schalkwyk’s jumping spider that caught the eye of our judges, and she […]

Wild Babies

It’s only one week until entries open for our Photographer of the Year 2020! We’re brimming with excitement about what gems will be unearthed this year, and to get in the mood, we’re showcasing another great gallery of adorably cute wild baby animals – from Photographer of the Year 2019. Our Photographer of the Year 2020 […]

Klaserie Capers

He emerged silently from the gloom and ambled towards us with that gentle rocking gait that big bull elephants use to cover vast distances with minimal effort. His white tusks glowed in the moonshine, but otherwise, he was just a huge dark grey smudge that loomed larger by the second. The eight of us sat […]

African grey parrots: How social media is facilitating both illegal trade and the fight against it

A recent study examines how social media marketplaces facilitate trafficking of endangered African grey parrots.

Declining Dynasties – Blacktip

It is a year since the BBC first screened Dynasties: Painted Wolves and nearly three since they stopped filming in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Since then, the dynasty has struggled. In part two of this trilogy (read part one here), Nicholas Dyer, who has followed these packs for the last seven years, continues the story with […]

Ethiopia’s Omo Valley Tribes

Black and white portrait photography is a simple aesthetic that can speak volumes. The lack of colour introduces an authentic perspective, where the use of light adds mood and intensity. This is how German photographer Victoria Knobloch approaches her work. With her direct and straightforward photographic approach, she reveals the uniqueness and natural beauty of everyday […]

The Greatest Spectacle on Earth – Crossing the Mara

The energy in the air is feverish, filled with anticipation and burgeoning adrenaline. The chorus of thousands of voices echos through the dust as the herds make their way towards the banks of this legendary river, signalling what’s to come. If the conditions are favourable, what follows will be the breathtaking pinnacle of nature’s greatest spectacle, […]

Wild Art

Flowers and plants captivate me, skulls, skins and bones fascinate me. To me, they are potent symbols of life and death, inseparable and complementary. Living with my life partner Clive Stockil in the Lowveld wilderness of Zimbabwe, I am an artist and a naturalist, celebrating the indigenous plants and wildlife in the wilderness and in my […]

Celebrating Africa’s Wild Babies with Families

We’re back with another dose of just what the doctor ordered: adorably cute wild baby animals of Africa! After the success of our last gallery, we’re turning our eyes to the incredibly close bonds that these babies share with their parents. This epic celebration gallery would not be possible if not for the stunning photographs entered in our Photographer […]

Elephants and trees

Does removing elephants save trees? This fascinating report delves into this important conservation issue.

Declining Dynasties

It is a year since the BBC first screened Dynasties: Painted Wolves and nearly three since they stopped filming in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Since then, the dynasty has struggled. Nicholas Dyer, who has followed these packs for the last seven years, tells the story of Tammy and the Nyamatusi Pack. 📷 Six […]

Zimbabwe elephants: Report identifies existing conservation problems, calls for community involvement

Zimbabwe elephants: Report fingers ZimParks for incompetence and international NGOs for hoodwinking donors, concludes that surrounding communities have to be involved in conservation as beneficiaries.

Lions in Zambia are roaming across areas thought uninhabitable for them

Research: Lions are sneaking virtually undetected through dense human zones in Zambia, thereby ensuring genetic diversity throughout the entire Zambian lion population.

New report reveals the value of lions and their landscapes

The New Lion Economy is the first project of its kind to make the link between ecosystem services, economic development, cultural significance and the survival of lions.

Charlie’s Adventures – A celebration in wildlife photography

For some wildlife photographers out there, capturing the true essence of a photo is their primary goal – a photo where it goes beyond the physical image and portrays the raw emotion of another’s world. For Charlie Lynam, this is precisely what drives his passion for wildlife photography and ignites his desire to continually seek out and create incredible […]

Trophy hunting in Zambia to be suspended due to non-payment of hunting fees to communities

Trophy hunting in Zambia has been halted because communities have not been paid their fees and share of revenue.

Incredible sighting: Rare spotted zebra foal sighted in Maasai Mara

A rare spotted zebra foal with what appears to be pseudo-melanistic colouring has been sighted in the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

Gonarezhou – Land of Giants

It was pitch dark and a bit chilly as I made my way cautiously to the outside privy, scanning the inkiness with my head torch for predators and things that go bump in the night. There had been plenty of hippo and elephant activity all night, and so I was wary. And there she was, […]

Leopard takes down impala

The unpredictable nature of wildlife is what makes going on safari special and unique. Who knows what may be lurking around the next acacia bush or down a quiet dry riverbed? However, knowing what signs to watch for and adopting a deeper understanding of animal behaviour can give you that little boost in ‘reading’ this unpredictability. […]

Vultures of the Old World

“When one thinks about vultures, one envisions a bald-headed, blood-thirsty scavenger waiting for something or someone to perish. We have been brought up to believe that evil surrounds vultures, and this has led to cinematography portraying the species in a negative and unloved light. This has most certainly contributed to the species being disliked and […]

Lion pride kills more than 40 goats in Namibia, in two separate attacks

More than 40 livestock have been killed in a few days by a lion pride in two different locations in the Kunene region in Namibia.

Leopards in Namibia – latest population census results

The results of a recent leopard census in Namibia, providing a more accurate estimate of the distribution and number of leopards in the country.

Safari!

“AFRICA” – now tell me that you don’t hear Sir David Attenborough’s voice when you read that word. Home to an abundance of incredible wildlife and considered the birthplace of humankind, this continent beckoned wildlife enthusiast Olli Teirilä in a way that he could never have expected. With a passion for adventure and wildlife, Olli […]

CITES CoP18 – most controversial one ever? Here are the results for African species

CITES CoP18 – all the results for African species, including rulings for elephant and rhino trade that have some African range states questioning their ongoing participation in CITES.

Rhinos: Trade in horn and increase trophy hunting, says Minister. Have your say, within 30 days

South African minister wants white rhinos downlisted on CITES so that horn can be traded internationally, and she wants more black rhino to be trophy hunted. Read this important post, and have your say.

The Wodaabe – Nomads of the North

The Wodaabe tribe are nomadic pastoralists of the Sahel region in Africa. Their migratory journeys cover the expanse of northern Africa, where they travel with their cattle and families across the arid areas of Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic. They are a small, isolated branch of the Fulani ethnic group and […]

Bushbabies – The Southern Lesser Galago

With their large saucepan eyes, big ears and bushy tails, galagos, also known as bushbabies, are one of Africa’s most endearing creatures of the night. Often referred to in South Africa as nagapies, meaning “little night monkeys” in Afrikaans, they are regarded as one of the smallest of the prosimian primate species. Although reasonably common throughout parts […]

Maasai Mara – Beyond Imagination

Absolutely sensational! That is the only way I can describe my week at the Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, with professional wildlife photographer Arnfinn Johansen, his partner John Siololo and the team at the Oltepesi camp. The Africa Geographic team arranged this fantastic safari. I had very high expectations […]

The Brown Hyena

Steeped in myths and legends regarding magical powers, hermaphroditism and black magic, and more recently cast as villains by Disney, the hyena family undoubtedly suffers from a bad reputation. With their gentle, social interactions and strong kin bonds rarely witnessed, and their reputation amongst farmers as a livestock predator, the misunderstood and secretive brown hyena […]

Watch: Elephant calf rescued from muddy trap

Dramatic rescue of an elephant calf from the mud, with a highly stressed mother having to be sedated. The rescue took place in August 2018, but the edited footage has only now become available from Bumi Hills Foundation.

Celebrating Africa’s Wild Babies

We just love the wild baby animals of Africa. Those soft saucer-like eyes, oversized ears and paws and playful antics make it impossible not to go all gooey at the sight of these adorable little ones. This epic gallery celebrating Africa’s wild babies follows our popular first and second galleries from years gone by, with all […]

St. Helena – Treasure Chest of the Atlantic Ocean

We bounced across the water on the lookout for our quarry. We had been searching for a while now and were starting to lose hope of any success when suddenly there came a shout: “There’s one!” Just below us, swimming effortlessly in the pristine water, was a gentle giant – a whale shark. In no […]

Elephant ivory trafficking possibly controlled by only 3 major cartels, says research

Major implications for ivory trafficking as research reveals that only three cartels control most illegal trade, according to research.

Celebrating Chimpanzees

A gallery of fantastic images of chimpanzees – in honour of our fellow great ape. Images submitted by our Photographer of the Year entrants.

Bull elephants mate more as they get older – research

Older male elephants are more determined to track down and mate with females than young elephants, says research.

Win a painted wolf / African wild dog safari – fundraising event in Hoedspruit

Support painted wolves (African wild dogs) and join the Endangered Wildlife Trust for a fundraiser and auction evening in Hoedspruit to raise funds to purchase much-needed tracking collars to monitor these endangered predators.

Walking Safari in the Greater Kruger

This walking safari got off to a rollicking start. The previous day I met up with my UK-based Africa Geographic colleague and long-time friend Christian Boix, two safari first-timers and our trail guides Hanri and AD and spent our first night in the mobile camp deep in the Greater Kruger. The husband and wife first-timers […]

Scorpions: facts you need to know

Scorpions are fascinating creatures that deserve our respect. They come in all shapes and sizes and this article explains how to differentiate

Introducing the Safari Guide of the Year 2019

And the winner is… After a tough week of scrutiny from mentors and intense but convivial competition amongst the five chosen finalists, the coveted title ‘Safari Guide of the Year 2019’ has been awarded. Find out about the winner here.

Iconic desert-adapted elephant ‘Voortrekker’ killed by trophy hunter in Namibia

In yet another blow to big elephant genes, the iconic desert-adapted elephant bull known by millions of fans worldwide as ‘Voortrekker’ was killed by a trophy hunter after being declared a ‘problem-animal’ by Namibian authorities

Hyena Birth – Moment of Magic

There have been many viewpoints written about the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), from both sides of the story. They have been painted with broad brushstrokes as the evil, thieving scavengers of the African bush on the one hand and the other, highly intelligent, cohesive and beautiful animals. Yet, in a world of pure survival, where […]

Africa could skyrocket tourism investment & earnings – working paper

New report illustrates how African countries can attract tourism investment and significantly increase revenue and socio-economic benefits.

Life with elephants

Botswana elephant debate: We speak to the MOST important people in this equation – those living with elephants. Beyond the politics and ideologies, what do rural Batswana feel about elephants? Read more.

Catastrophic breaking news: 537 vultures found poisoned in dark day for Botswana conservation

Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) has announced that they have recently identified a poisoning site with 537 dead vultures (comprising five species) and two tawny eagles.

South Sudan – Off The Beaten Track

South Sudan is one of the newest and lesser-known countries in the world, where ancient cultural rituals collide with preconceived traveller expectations. I embarked on a tour of the country that took me just as far off the beaten track as possible, visiting tribal groups that haven’t changed their lifestyles very much in centuries. Travelling […]