Page 15 – Africa Geographic

Kruger elephants: Giants of the Future

This is a citizen science project to assist Kruger National Park scientists to monitor populations of large-tusked elephants in the park

Trophy hunters lied about Xanda, son of Cecil, says Oxford researcher

The Zimbabwean trophy hunter who shot Cecil the Lion’s son, Xanda, was lying about the circumstances of the hunt, says the Oxford University researcher Andrew Loveridge from WildCru.

Cecil the Lion’s son Xanda killed by trophy hunter

Xanda, the 6-year-old son of Cecil the Lion, has been shot and killed by a client of Zimbabwean professional hunter Richard Cooke, a Victoria Falls resident. Xanda, in his prime years and the father of several young cubs, was killed just outside Hwange National Park, as was his famous father. Although the hunt was reportedly …

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‘Shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, say Botswana academics

South Africa should implement a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, suggest Botswana academics Goemeone EJ Mogomotsi and Patricia Kelilwe Madigele in a report titled ‘Live by the gun, die by the gun’.

Materials for your art safari

Disasters involving art materials are nothing new to me after years of travelling and sketching in southern Africa.

Lion farmers in South Africa threaten big cats worldwide

South African lion farmers are supplying large volumes of lion bone, teeth and claws as ‘tiger parts’ to an insatiable Asian market – says a report recently published by the Environmental Investigation Agency. South Africa is the world’s largest exporter of lion body parts.

Undercover operation reveals rhino trafficking secrets

A recently completed 11-month undercover investigation by Elephant Action League (EAL) called Grinding Rhino has exposed the networks, the players and the means by which rhino horn is trafficked into China.

Why Namibia’s desert-adapted lions are being killed

Namibia’s desert-adapted lions in the Tomakas region of Namibia are being killed off in a sad whirlpool of human politics, with the recent killing of the last of the famous ‘5 Musketeers’ being one such example.

Watch: Cape leopards caught on camera

The Cape Leopard Trust has caught many wondering Cape leopards in their camera traps across the remote Cape mountains and farmlands

Magical Mahale – meetings with chimps

Trekking for chimps AND snorkeling the crystal clear waters form a paradise beach – the charm of Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania

Trekking the beautiful Bale Mountains in Ethiopia

This was an amazing opportunity to visit Ethiopia’s most important biodiversity hotspot and see some of the rarest creatures in the world.

Hyena cub births: the good, the bad & the gory

Imagine the excitement when guests at Nsefu camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, were able to watch a spotted hyena giving birth.

Kruger- lodges vs self drive

Which Kruger safari option is better – luxury of the private lodges in the Greater Kruger or the self-catering options in the national park?

Let’s boycott African tourism. Not

Some keyboard warriors regularly call for the boycott of an entire country’s tourism industry in reaction to the death of animals that could conceivably have been prevented.

Madikwe safari – exciting predator encounters

Plenty of predator action and large herds of elephants in this Africa Geographic photographic safari to Madikwe in South Africa

R.I.P Tullamore – the last lion of the 5 Musketeers

Tullamore, the last of the famous ‘5 musketeers’ desert-adapted lions of northern Namibia, has been killed in the Okongue area, along with a lioness and two cubs, in the ongoing battle between rural cattle farmers and free-roaming lions. The lions were poisoned. Tullamore was the last surviving member of a group of 5 desert-adapted lions …

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Niassa: splendour in peril

Niassa in north Mozambique is one of Africa’s last true wilderness areas. This superb photo gallery is a testament to this vast treasure

Jurassic Niassa

“Are we seriously landing there?” The Cessna Caravan was heading towards a massive rocky dome, and what appeared to be a short dirt track in a dense sea of woodland. But, as we skimmed over a wide sandy riverbed, the track morphed into a landing strip. We bumped down and taxied to a halt. Paradise …

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ET the aardvark goes home

ET was found and brought to me at ZURI Orphanage in Namibia in August 2015. Small and alien-like in appearance, ET settled in quickly with life on the farm. We have a house full of cats and dogs but settling in an aardvark was a completely different experience. There is very little written about aardvark so we had to learn as we went along.

Titanic battle between squirrel and parrot

On the morning of the 30th May, I witnessed a tussle between one of the current occupants of the nest, a brown-headed parrot pair, and a tree squirrel which dared to venture too close to the nest.

Hiking Réunion’s Cirque de Mafate

We stood on the rim of the caldera, the immense volcanic amphitheatre of the Cirque de Mafate, on the French island of Réunion. As far as the eye could see sheer walls of lush green vegetation encircled the seemingly endless and mythical world before us.

Rhino horn trade: A considered justification

Rhinos throughout South Africa are being brutally killed for their horns. In this article I would like to focus on some of the positive contributions by the private sector and the trials and tribulations that they face in trying to keep rhinos safe.

Photographer of the Year: Commendable finalists

The judges had a tough time this year choosing our wildlife category winner in the Photographer of the Year competition as there were so many amazing finalists. It got to a point where they had whittled it down to five wildlife photographs. However, it was clear that all five were perfect contenders for first place! A tough decision had to be made…

Photographer of the Year 2017 Winners

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you grabbing your camera and booking your next safari

Hunting body president resigns over canned lion dispute

The president of the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa [Phasa], Stan Burger, unexpectedly announced his resignation on Tuesday with immediate effect.

Private game reserves are vital for conservation

Without detracting from the wonderful and critical role that our national parks play in conservation we would like to take an opportunity to focus on the positive achievements of the private sector in this regard.

Photographer of the Year 2017 Finalists

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you grabbing your camera and booking your next safari

Baby elephants to be exported to Dubai zoo

A game farm in Namibia has been issued permits to sell five baby elephants to a zoo in Dubai. The elephants range in age from four to eight years old. The sale, at an undisclosed price, will be finalised later this year when the elephants are exported.

Photographer of the Year 2017 Semi-finalists Part 2

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you grabbing your camera and booking your next safari

Photographer of the Year 2017 Semi-finalists Part 1

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you grabbing your camera and booking your next safari

Réunion Island: Trekking to the ‘Peak of the Furnace’

Located within the Réunion National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Piton de la Fournaise, also known as ‘The Peak of the Furnace’ or le Volcan (the Volcano) by the locals, has had more than 150 recorded eruptions since the 17th century, with the most recent eruption beginning on 31 January 2017. At 2,631 metres in height and about 530,000 years old, this volcano is one of Réunion Island’s most popular tourist attraction.

Mabamba Swamp: A bird-lovers paradise!

Mabamba Swamp is a bird-lovers dream destination. It is home to 260 bird species, including the massive shoebill – Uganda’s most sought-after bird!

Rhinos to Australia: is this conservation?

There are plans afoot to move rhinos from Africa to Australia as an ‘insurance policy’ and for ‘safekeeping’ in large grass paddocks amongst the gum trees. Is this a valid conservation project (as claimed) or a misdirection of energy and resources by a well-meaning Western society intent on privatising African conservation into their own backyard?

Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists Part 1

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you booking your next safari

Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists Part 4

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you booking your next safari

Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists Part 3

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you booking your next safari

Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists Part 2

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2017 Top 101 Finalists – images that will have you booking your next safari

The link between hunting & tourism in Namibia

I am not a hunter. Nor have I ever been. I am a vegetarian (since the age of about 11), I am part of the environmental NGO sector and I have interests in the tourism industry in Namibia. So, it might surprise you that I am a strong supporter of the hunting industry in Namibia, and indeed, throughout Africa.

6 Tips to sketch a cheetah hunt

Wildlife artist and art safari host Alison Nicholls shares tips for sketching a hunting cheetah hunt – including field sketches and photos

Human-wildlife conflict in East Africa

Human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest causes of reduction in wildlife populations across Africa – we unpack various solutions

South Luangwa: dog detection unit hounds poaching

In eastern Zambia, Conservation South Luangwa, in partnership with Working Dogs for Conservation and Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife has launched a fantastic initiative: Zambia’s first ever canine wildlife detection unit.

Opinion: Rhino horn trade = extinction in the wild

It is now legal in South Africa to trade domestically in rhino horn, after this country’s Constitutional Court recently overturned an eight-year ban on domestic trade, based on a technicality.

Namibia’s desert-adapted lions

Namibia’s desert-adapted lions are hardy survivors that eke out a living in the inhospitable arid west of this beautiful country

No Timbavati ‘100 Pounder’ elephant hunt

The last few weeks have witnessed some pretty vicious social media attacks on lodges within Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park

In the Footsteps of Giants

Award-winning photographer Greg du Toit shares with us his favourite elephant images, and explains why each image impacted on him

Baby elephant tragedy leads to appeal for help

Eric Sagwe of Wildlife Works received an early morning phone call that a baby elephant had been hit by a large truck in Tsavo, Kenya.

Elephant Ignite Expedition

Elephant Ignite embarked on a 16 000km, 100-day journey across 10 African countries to cast the spotlight on the elephant poaching crisis

Love for elephants on the Elephant Ignite Expedition

The Elephant Ignite Expedition travelled to 10 different countries, to visit projects that work tirelessly to save elephants

R.I.P SATAO 2

SATAO 2 has died, at the hands of ivory poachers. We pay tribute to this giant elephant by quoting several people who met him

Spending time on safari at a Maasai village

Safari report-back: Spice up your Kenyan safari with a fascinating visit to a Maasai village. By Giada and Gianluca Ventura

Satao 2 poached in Tsavo – 6 super tuskers left

SATAO 2 is dead, and another of the last super tuskers left in Africa has been poached, leaving only 6 of these giants in the Tsavo Conservation Area in southern Kenya.

18% crash in Kruger white rhino population

Drought & poaching have reduced estimated white rhino numbers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park by 18% during the past year

Trophy hunting: leopard update

Earlier this year, South African Environmental Affairs minister Edna Molewa announced a ZERO quota for leopard hunts in 2017, a continuation of the 2016 ruling.

Of leatherbacks and loggerheads

As our guide brought the open game vehicle coasting to a halt, the only sound was of waves breaking gently on the sand. That morning, Sodwana Bay had been clamorous with tractors and trailers, speedboats and scuba divers. But now, late at night, the beach was utterly empty. And out there, somewhere, an ancient and …

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Protecting pangolins with the Tikki Hywood Trust

The Tikki Hywood Trust is doing great things to protect the remaining wild populations of pangolins – the most trafficked animal in the world

Rhino orphans released into iSimangaliso

On Monday, three white rhino orphans were peacefully released into their new home within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

New species of dwarf lemur discovered in Madagascar

Scientists have discovered a new species of dwarf lemur In the forests of northern Madagascar – weighing in just 100 grams

Rhino Bombshell: SA Minister plans to permit trade in horn

South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has declared that she plans to permit the trade in rhino horn domestically and, in what looks like a loophole big enough to drive a tractor through, the export internationally of horn for ‘personal purposes’.

Why conservation is failing

There is a war going on in African conservation, and the other side is winning hands down – why is that? Op-ed by Simon Espley

Finding Africa’s rarest parrot – Cape Parrots in Magoebaskloof

A birding trip into the Magoesbaskloof in Limpopo, South Africa to find the Cape parrot – Africa’s rarest parrot

Hunting: the colour game is over

The breeding of wildlife to produce unusually coloured animals, in the hope that hunters would pay a lot more to shoot them, has fallen flat in a spectacular manner — with the practice being widely condemned.

Lion bones: SA public has no time to contest sale

South Africa is about to permit the export of lion bones to produce fake tiger wine but has given the public almost no time to object. The permit will allow an annual export of 800 skeletons to Asia.

Chinese traders going after Africa’s donkeys

According to several sources, there is a growing demand in Chinese markets for donkey pelts, and some rural areas in Africa are reportedly being stripped of free-roaming donkeys to feed the demand.

Lion skeletons – 800 to be exported annually

SANBI’s recommendation to the Department of Environmental Affairs to allow export of 800 captive-bred lion skeletons from South Africa is coming under fire from Humane Society International and the producer of the film Blood Lions.

A closer look at pangolins and the pangolin men

Imagine the possibility of walking with pangolins. Adrian Steirn’s recent photographic series The Pangolin Men captures a unique and exceptional scenario of beasts and men.

Kruger Walking Magic

The three-night Mphongolo Backpack Trail in the Kruger National Park takes takes your soul to a deeper understanding of wilderness

Supernatural South Luangwa

“Turn left. Continue along the road, through a dry riverbed. When the road forks, keep to the left.” We were 371km from home, six hours into our journey, and at the bottom of page two of a three-page printout of detailed instructions describing how to get to South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. We weren’t …

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China announces end of legal ivory trade

China announces 2017 timeline for domestic ivory ban.

The Askari Project: a Tsavo tusker conservation initiative

As part of their fundraising initiatives to help protect the giant (tusker) elephants of Tsavo, The Askari Project offers two adventure tours

Trophy Hunting: unethical Namibian hunters to blame for poor image

Unethical hunters cause poor international image of trophy hunting – says past president of the Namibian Professional Hunting Association

Kicking back in Mauritius

The year is all but done, the mountain of admin has got the better of you, and strings of last-minute things to do are being pulled from your threadbare brain like a magician’s trick. It’s now, more than ever, that you need to be sitting on a beach, staring out over the turquoise water with …

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