Page 26 – Africa Geographic

Rhino breeder John Hume says he is on verge of bankruptcy, appeals for cash

The world’s largest private rhino breeder, John Hume, is on the verge of bankruptcy, leaving questions open as to what will happen to his 1,626 southern white rhinos.

Giraffes – The Silent Extinction

It’s hard to comprehend that giraffe numbers have plummeted by almost 40% in just three decades. This rapid slide now places them amongst the most threatened species on the planet, with only approximately 98,445 (subsequently increased to 115,322) individuals remaining across this massive African continent! A population collapse of this nature could conceivably be driven …

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Lion killings: Namibian NGOs respond to questions from abroad about lion management

In light of the recent backlash against Namibia for the death of a desert-adapted lion, Dr Chris Brown, CEO of the Namibia Chamber of Environment, responds to a foreign national’s questions regarding Namibia’s management of lions in the wild.

My fight to save Liberia’s pangolins

Two steps forward, one step back in pangolin conservation. Liberia is a country in West Africa that has overcome civil war, battled through the Ebola crisis and is currently recovering from the impacts. But there is one more issue to confront – the illegal wildlife and bushmeat trade.

Guarding Limpopo National Park’s carnivores

A new carnivore protection ranger force, the Limpopo Lion Protection Team, has been trained and deployed – specifically assigned to support the Greater Limpopo Carnivore Programme and tasked with securing known lion ranges from targeted lion poaching.

Lions tested for tuberculosis in Greater Kruger

A veterinarian and the ProVet Wildlife team recently darted a pride of five lions in the northern part of Greater Kruger to test for TB.

Celebrating Africa’s Giraffes

The 21st June marks the summer and winter solstice – depending on where you are in the world – and in the northern hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year. It is then entirely appropriate that the day also marks World Giraffe Day, considering it is the planet’s longest-necked animal. As one of …

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Gretzky, a desert-adapted lion, shot by Namibian authorities after killing livestock

Gretzky, the iconic Huab River male desert-adapted lion, who sired and established the Ugab Pride has been shot and killed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) at De Rust Farm.

Gorillas, chimps and lemurs among species in danger of imminent mass extinction

The majority of primate species, including chimpanzees, gorillas and lemurs, are on the brink of extinction, and scientists fear that without a concerted global effort they will soon be gone for good.

Lavish Livingstone

Livingstone is the Zambian gateway to Victoria Falls – the ‘smoke that thunders’ – a superb luxury safari haven

Mysterious deaths of ancient baobabs leave scientists baffled

A new survey of baobab trees across several countries in southern Africa found that most of the oldest and largest of trees have died or significantly deteriorated in the last 12 years.

Kruger lion hunted – what we know

A large male lion was trophy hunted on Thursday morning last week in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Zambia’s hippo cull: Valid concerns and questions from those affected

A showdown is looming between tourism operators in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park and trophy hunters, in the wake of the Zambian government’s decision to cull up to 2,000 hippos over a 5-year period in Luangwa Valley, across the river from the tourism lodges – and to award the culling contract to a South African trophy hunting outfit Umlilo Safaris (so much for the empowerment of local people and generation of revenue that stays in Zambia).

There’s a Leopard in my Garden

One of the most popular requests from safari tourists to their guides is to see leopards. This is a tough task, even for the most experienced of guides, due to the elusive and cunning nature of these big cats. But there is a town called Hoedspruit, near the Kruger National Park in the Limpopo Province …

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Mountain gorilla numbers surpass 1,000

The population of mountain gorillas, one of the world’s most endangered species,, has increased by a quarter to over 1,000 individuals since 2010, wildlife authorities said.

The black & white of African wildlife explained

Every now and then nature experiments by producing a black or white mutation of an animal or bird that is otherwise normally coloured. There is something magical about seeing a white lion, black leopard or ‘king’ cheetah in the wild, as if it were a spiritual shadow of the species, a form of higher being.

The Turkana people – Nomadic by Nature

This series of images showcasing the intriguing nomads of the pastoralist Turkana tribe in northern Kenya will have you booking your next African safari

Opinion: Africa is not Disneyland

Some imagery that comes to our screens can be tough to stomach, and every now and then Africa really tests one’s emotional make-up.

Zambia hippo cull via trophy hunting not as high as 2,000, says minister

The Zambian government on Tuesday denied reports that it has authorised the culling of 2,000 hippos in the Luangwa Valley.

An introduction to Maa – the language of the Maasai and Samburu people

What do you do to prepare yourself for the trip of a lifetime to the African continent? You learn the language! Here we look at the language of the Maasai people: Maa.

Photographer of the Year 2018 Winners

These fantastic images from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 winners will have you dusting your camera off and booking your next safari

Forest hornbills being decimated in Ghana

Six out of eight Ghanaian forest hornbill species have shown significant population declines due to uncontrolled hunting, according to a long-term research project.

Zambia reinstates plan to cull 2,000 hippos

Zambian authorities have overturned their 2016 decision to suspend the culling of up to 2,000 hippos in Luangwa Valley.

Elephant cow with calf saved from snare

An elephant cow, with a 2-week-old baby in tow, needed all the help she could get after sustaining a serious injury from a poaching snare.

Photographer of the Year 2018 Finalists: Gallery 2

This gallery from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 finalists will have you dusted off your camera and booking your next African safari

Photographer of the Year 2018 Finalists: Gallery 1

This gallery from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 finalists will have you dusted off your camera and booking your next African safari

How cheetahs modify prey handling behaviour to outsmart lions and hyenas

Cheetahs in the Serengeti National Park change their behaviour when handling large kills based on the threats presented by lions and hyenas, according to researchers.

Ranger forces strengthened in Mozambique

On 16 May 2018, 39 recruits, of which three are women, celebrated their graduation as rangers during a passing out parade held in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique. This follows the successful completion of a gruelling eight-week ranger training course presented by the Southern African Wildlife College, that prepared the new recruits for their stand against wildlife crime in the various conservation areas to which they will soon be deployed.

Photographer of the Year 2018 Semi-finalists: Gallery 3

This gallery from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 semi-finalists will have you dusted off your camera and booking your next African safari

Photographer of the Year 2018 Semi-finalists: Gallery 2

This gallery from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 semi-finalists will have you dusted off your camera and booking your next African safari

Photographer of the Year 2018 Semi-finalists: Gallery 1

This gallery from Africa Geographic’s Photographer of the Year 2018 semi-finalists will have you dusted off your camera and booking your next African safari

Terminally ill Vietnamese find comfort in rhino horn

A recent study has revealed that the reasons why the Vietnamese buy illegal rhino horn is not only for medical and health-related reasons, but also as a form of comfort to those that are terminally ill.

Tanzania invites bids for logging in Selous to pave way for huge hydropower plant

The Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) has invited tenders for large-scale logging in the Selous Game Reserve, a world-renowned wildlife area, where it plans to construct a large hydropower plant.

9 Fascinating facts about black-footed cats

Here are 9 facts about the smallest species of wild cat in Africa, the black-footed cat – also known as the small-spotted cat.

Kenya to fast-track laws to make wildlife killing capital offence

Kenya will fast-track laws to make wildlife poaching a capital offence as part of the country’s bid to conserve flora and fauna.

Attacks by captive carnivores – the stats revealed in open letter to minister

A formal letter to the Minister of Environmental Affairs from some of the top wildlife NGOs in the country about the captive carnivore interactions in South Africa. Records show that at least 37 incidents of captive carnivore attacks have occurred since 1996, affecting no less than 40 victims.

Identifying venomous snakes: How hard can it be?

Identifying venomous snakes is a lot more complicated than you’d think. There aren’t any hard and fast rules to distinguish a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake in southern Africa, and many people get bitten by snakes that they misidentify as ‘harmless’. Here we look at some misconceptions when it comes to venomous and non-venomous snake identification, and what to do when you encounter a venomous snake.

SA hunters expelled over canned lion hunting

Two South African hunting associations that embrace canned lion hunting have lost an appeal to retain their membership to Europe’s top hunting organisation, and have been thrown out of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation for breach of policy.