People are likely to live with wildlife only when they have some realistic incentives to bear the costs of doing so. If wildlife doesn’t in one way or another form part of the livelihoods of people, it will inevitably make way for activities that do. For elephants, these incentives mean tourism and, yes, even trophy hunting.
Category Archives:
Quirimbas: A Diver’s Paradise
Quilalea Island in Mozambique is part of the marine-rich paradise of Quirimbas Archipelago. Adventurer Fiona Ayerst shares her experience
Land issues: The story of beauty and violence
Land, an emotive subject, a limited resource that builds nations or breaks them. Use it well and you thrive, use it unwisely and you will sink to the bottomless pit of chaos and poverty.
Opinion: The trouble with trophy hunting
Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, shares his insight into the latest news around the import of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe to America.
South Africa’s top tourist attractions
If there was a checklist for the perfect travel destination, South Africa would tick most of the boxes. Famed for its amazing wildlife and landscapes, superb local cuisine, warm hospitality and great weather, (plus the added bonus that its affordable) it’s easy to understand why tourism is so big in South Africa.
Video: Lots of gorillas, and luckily not much mist!
As part of our four-month trip around Africa, we decided to spend some of our time with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Now Trump calls elephant trophy hunting a “horror show”
President Trump called elephant hunting a “horror show” Sunday and strongly suggested he will permanently block imports of elephant trophies from two African nations despite his administration’s earlier approval of the practice.
Decoding Kruger’s ‘Elephant Management Plan’
The Kruger National Park is vast, at about 2 million hectares, and requires a thorough management strategy in order to ensure long term sustainability. Part of that strategy, The Elephant Management Plan – compiled by Kruger management and Scientific Service – is currently in force, and covers the period 2013 to 2022.
Delta Delight
This fantastic gallery of images by Hannes Lochner will have you booking your Okavango Delta (Botswana) safari with us and packing your bags
US to lift elephant trophy ban
US authorities will remove restrictions on importing African elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Opinion: Too many lions in Kunene
Whether tourism operators and armchair lion-lovers like it or not, there are now too many lions in some parts of the Kunene region. Trying to save the lions that are killing livestock, or harassing the farmers who kill them, including impounding their firearms, will not serve the interests of conservation in the region.
Problem lions announcement: Conservationist challenges Namibian minister
Conservationist challenges Namibian minister in open letter regarding decision to relocate or kill problem lions in the Kunene region.
Lion pride kills over 250 livestock in Namibia in one week of carnage
Over 280 goats and sheep have been killed by the same lions in two different locations over the past week in the Kunene region in Namibia.
The chameleon the size of a house cat: 7 fascinating facts
The Parson’s chameleon is regarded as the largest chameleon in the world, found in the lush rainforests of eastern and northern Madagascar. Here are some fascinating facts about this giant creature of the forest.
Bamboo lemurs on the brink, driven by climate change
What do China’s giant pandas and Madagascan bamboo lemurs have in common, aside from their precarious conservation status?
Safari tips: Tipping while on safari
The simple act of tipping can be an anxious moment for many people while on safari, and the subject of much discussion and seeking of advice.
Unlocking the potential of Zinave National Park
Zinave National Park in Mozambique has come alive with activity that will see the full potential of this breathtaking conservation area unlocked over the next decade.
Capturing South Luangwa
Safari report-back: South Luangwa in Zambia offers a wildlife-rich safari and fantastic photographic opportunities. By Edward Selfe
49 Vultures poisoned near Kruger National Park
The poisoned bodies of nearly 50 vultures have been found by rangers in Mozambique‚ just a short distance from the boundary of the flagship Kruger National Park.
The bird-eating heron of the Kgalagadi
The Kgalagadi always delivers unusual opportunities to photograph animal and bird behaviour – such as a bird-eating heron.
Video: Maasai coming of age ceremony
For the Maasai, the Emuratare is one of their most important ceremonies, and a life-changing milestone for the boys and girls who celebrate their transition into adulthood.
Mega-carnivore dinosaur footprints discovered
An international team of researchers from South Africa, UK, and Brazil have discovered massive footprints belonging to a carnivorous dinosaur that roamed Southern Africa 200 million years ago.
Forest elephant population collapse in Central Africa
Wildlife censuses carried out in four Central African countries have revealed that forest elephant populations have declined by approximately 66% over eight years in an area covering almost 6 million hectares.
Safari tips: Cell phones & internet on safari
Communication with the outside world is possible in some form from most tourism areas in Africa, and we all need to set boundaries – but for most a safari is time to detox, unplug, switch off.
Rock-cut churches in Ethiopia to be documented
In Ethiopia, Christians are still today carving new, free-standing churches from solid rock faces, and now there is a project that is currently documenting this at-risk cultural practice.
Kruger should cull 88% of its elephants, says hunter Ron Thomson
Celebrated hunter Ron Thomson believes that 88% of Kruger National Park’s elephants should be culled.
Rhino horn: Recipes for disaster
In the middle of the sixth mass extinction, when 50% of the living species are at risk of extinction due to the ever growing, destructive human hands, the six rhinoceros species are at the tip of the pyramid, among the most endangered species on Earth.
Kwaai Khwai
Safari report-back: My epic adventure in Botswana’s Khwai – a wildlife-rich area near Okavango Delta, Botswana. By Simon Espley
Can carbon measuring save Tanzania’s forests?
Up until now I have never been involved in projects that mitigate climate change, however during my last expedition, I had the opportunity to spend some time exploring the greater Mahale ecosystem and Carbon Tanzania’s newest project site.
Kruger: Is this the technological future?
Presently, we are able to instantly globally share everything we see and hear in Kruger and just about every other destination on earth. Animal sightings and locations are given in real time and we are able to send photos and videos across a host of social media platforms.
Social media used to sell big cats in UAE despite law
Cheetah cubs continue to be sold on the UAE black market via social media accounts operated by five key dealers, helping fuel a thriving trade in illegal exotic pets.
Video: Adorable sand cat kittens spotted for first time in wild
On a recent expedition to Morocco, Grégory Breton, director of Panthera France, captured stunning (and viral!) videos and photos believed to be the first-ever sighting of wild sand cat kittens in their African range.
66 Giraffes join thousands of other animals exported to China
Sixty-six giraffes arrived in central China’s Henan Province in the early hours of Sunday, on a chartered flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, according to local sources.
Water for Elephants
There is a crisis of elephantine proportions playing out in the dry sandy Kalahari woodlands of eastern Botswana, and a determined family of caring people is caught in the middle of the drama. A friend and I spent a few days with them in September this year and came away determined to help. I hope that …
Safari tips: Understanding accommodation types
When it comes to going on a safari in Africa, you will soon discover that the selection of accommodation options is vast. From straw huts and mobile camps, to ultra-luxury hotels and lodges, your choice of where you’ll unload your bags will be influenced mainly by your needs and budget.
Benny the elephant and Mike – a touching African story
When the dry season sets in and water is scarce, barriers blur and relationships are forged out of necessity. One such relationship is that of Benny the elephant and Mike the human.
Giant Kenyan elephant killed by authorities on suspicion of killing farmer
One of the last big elephant bulls in Africa was shot and killed by the authorities because it was suspected he had killed a farmer.
Opinion: Are Maasai cattle to blame for overgrazing in Tanzania?
Living with the Maasai has taught me that conservation is not only about animals but is just as much about us humans; that to preserve any one place we have to be mindful of the local communities that live within it and try to understand the way they view the world to be able to work alongside them to protect mother nature.
My ‘Delta Detox’ mobile safari experience
Safari report-back: My tented mobile safari in the Okavango Delta, Botswana – an adventure I will never forget. By Carolien du Plessis
Video: Young elephants kicked and slapped during capture for Chinese zoos
Rare footage of the capture of wild young elephants in Zimbabwe shows rough treatment of the calves as they are sedated and taken away.
Kruger: Impact of social media and mobile phones – good or bad?
Technology and social media have shaped the Kruger experience into something radically different from what it was ten years ago.
Laos: The fastest growing ivory market in the world
A new report has revealed that China’s neighbouring country, Laos, has now become the fastest growing African ivory market in the world.
Lions escape from Etosha, kill livestock
Lions from Etosha National Park in Namibia have reportedly escaped into the neighbouring Sesfontein Constituency and have managed to kill 19 goats in one night.
Magnificent Madikwe
Safari report-back: My wife and I spent two unforgettable days in Madikwe – the variety of wildlife encounters blew our minds. By Anton Kruger
‘Iconic tusker’ shot by trophy hunters in Zambia
A large bull elephant, described as an ‘iconic tusker’ was trophy hunted in Zambia this weekend – the biggest elephant trophy in decades.
Understanding elephant movements across international borders
A transboundary elephant connectivity study has been launched in western Zambia with the fitting of satellite tracking collars to wild elephants to investigate their cross-border movements.
Elephant ivory and the Japanese hanko stamp
Hanko stamps are the Japanese version of a signature, used throughout Japan to sign deals and important documents, and are made out of a variety of materials, including elephant ivory.
Field notes: Western lowland gorillas feeding on seasonal fruits
Odzala-Kokoua National Park guide, Alon Cassidy, enjoyed some wonderful sightings of western lowland gorillas enjoying some seasonal treats.
9 Elephants die in freak electrocution accident
In a tragic accident, 9 elephants have died in a freak accident after being electrocuted by power lines near Sua Pan and a village called Dukwi in Botswana.
Moremi Magic
My Moremi glamping safari. There’s something immensely satisfying about discovering Africa on a mobile tented camp safari. G&T anyone?
