Clearer numbers, urgent threats: what the latest data reveal about Africa’s forest elephants, and their ongoing Critically Endangered status
Category Archives: Natural history
Botswana elephant hunting under scientific review
A new Elephants Without Borders report reviews Botswana’s elephant hunting system, scrutinising quotas, transparency & risks to mature bulls
Botswana’s zebra migrations
Explore Botswana’s spectacular zebra migrations, tracing ancient routes & seasonal movements across the Salt Pans, Okavango Delta & Chobe
How elephants navigate Gonarezhou’s fragmented corridors
Study shows how Gonarezhou’s elephants move beyond park borders, highlighting barriers, seasonality & urgent needs for corridor restoration
When should “clever” cheetah breed?
New research shows how cheetah mothers time breeding with baby booms of prey, boosting cub survival in changing African landscapes
Why do giraffes have such long legs?
Giraffes’ long legs ease heart strain from high blood pressure, revealing an energy-saving secret behind their towering height
Wildebeest migration: AI counts indicate low numbers
AI and satellites reveal lower wildebeest numbers in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem offering a new view of Africa’s Great Migration
The 10 cat species of Africa
Discover Africa’s ten cat species, from lions and leopards to elusive small cats, their habitats, behaviours, and conservation challenges
Eden to Addo: Cape wildlife corridors
Scientists map 40 potential wildlife corridors to link the Garden Route, Baviaanskloof & Addo: a vision of a Cape mega-living landscape
Ebony and ivory: a tale of two collapses
Elephants and ebony: new research reveals how Africa’s forest elephants sustain its darkest wood – and what happens when they vanish
Elephants and trees: the Kruger debate
A new study explores how stakeholder opinions differ on managing elephants, from culling to contraception, in APNR, Kruger
Saving Sierra Leone’s chimpanzees: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary leads Sierra Leone’s fight for chimp conservation – an inspiring story shaping the future of Africa’s chimps
The Madikwe elephant dilemma
To cull or not to cull? Madikwe faces an elephant crisis that forces conservation discussions about culling, hunting and tourism. Expert Roger Collinson unpacks the trade-offs and stakes
Surprising secrets of African wild dog diets
New DNA analysis reveals surprising prey in African wild dog diets, reshaping our understanding and informing vital conservation strategies
Four giraffes, not one: Four species officially recognised
IUCN confirms four giraffe species, reshaping conservation across Africa and unlocking urgent, species-specific protection strategies
New study outlines risks of South Africa’s commercial lion farming industry
Study of 160+ sources finds no proof lion farming aids conservation – and warns it may fuel demand for lion body parts
Freshwater fish – the canaries of our rivers
Rare South African fish like the Barrydale redfin warn of our rivers’ decline – saving them means saving our freshwater lifelines
Beyond the ‘Six-Year Rule’: The fatal flaw in lion trophy hunting policies
Dr Paul Funston unpacks the scientific and ethical failures of lion trophy hunting policies – and the deadly cost to iconic pride males
How bonobos flip the script on power
Female bonobos rise to power through coalition and cooperation, challenging dominance norms in the animal kingdom – and human assumptions
Trophy hunted: Another Hwange collared pride male lion
Blondie, a collared pride male lion in Zimbabwe’s Hwange area, has been trophy hunted after being baited, leaving behind 10 cubs
Trophy hunted: another Botswana tusker
Another Botswana tusker has been trophy hunted in Northern Botswana, in NG42 – a hunting concession managed by Johan Calitz Safaris
Why captive breeding won’t save wild parrots
Can commercial captive breeding of parrots reduce pressure on wild populations, or does it worsen the conservation crisis?
The mountain gorilla: gentle giants
Everything you need to know about the Mountain gorilla—habitat, behaviour, threats, and how to see them on an African safari
Leopards in the crosshairs: how trophy hunters are gunning for Africa’s elusive cats
Trophy hunters are targeting Africa’s leopards. A new report reveals the true cost of killing the cats we can’t afford to lose
Hornless hope: is rhino dehorning the most effective tool in saving the species?
Rhino dehorning slashes poaching by 78% – a bold, effective strategy that challenges how we think about wildlife crime prevention
Trophy hunting to return to Madikwe & Pilanesberg? Elephant, rhino & buffalo
Trophy hunting may return to Madikwe & Pilanesberg, targeting elephant & buffalo in both parks, & rhino in Madikwe – per a tender from NW Parks & Tourism Board
West Coast National Park
Discover South Africa’s West Coast National Park – wildflowers, whales, ancient footprints & epic birding just 90 minutes from Cape Town
How apes use sex to keep the peace
Research reveals bonobos & chimps use sex to resolve tension. Great ape sex offers insight into the evolutionary roots of human intimacy
Popular lion Bon Jovi euthanised after killing cattle
Well-known lion Bon Jovi was euthanised near a rural village in community-owned farmland near Zambia’s Kafue National Park after reportedly killing cattle
Simien Mountains National Park
Simien Mountain National Park in Ethiopia offers a cornucopia of experiences – Simien wolves, endemic ibex, geladas and breathtaking trekking
Shooting for sustainability: the role of trophy hunting in Timbavati
Can regulated trophy hunting support conservation in a modern reserve reliant on tourism and wildlife? We explore the case of Timbavati
Kruger lion population: declining in the north
A new survey sheds light on the state of the lion population in the north of Kruger, revealing trends that could shape future conservation efforts
Poaching and trafficking on the rise in northern Kenya – threatening endangered giraffe, cheetah and more
Rampant poaching & wildlife trafficking in northern Kenya is driving endangered species such as reticulated giraffes, hirolas & cheetahs to local extinction
Saving Hoedspruit’s leopards
Discover how the Ingwe Research Program studies Hoedspruit’s 140 leopards, using citizen science to track leopards & boost their conservation
Famous Liuwa Plain lion Bon Jovi relocated to Kafue after becoming ‘problem’ lion
Famous Liuwa Plain lion Bon Jovi is relocated to Kafue National Park – he had killed cattle and was a threat to local villagers
Livestock, wildlife, and the future of the Maasai Mara
Do cattle in the Maasai Mara harm wildlife or land? Recent studies challenges exclusion policies and call for a new conservation approach
The science of counting Kruger’s elephants
New research says Kruger’s elephant numbers have been underestimated, with improved aerial surveys revealing a growing population of elephants
The unique roars of leopards
Leopards have unique voices. A groundbreaking study shows how researchers can identify these elusive cats by their distinct roars
Addo Elephant National Park
From relaxed elephants to hard-working dung beetles, Addo Elephant National Park is a conservation marvel packed with wildlife, adventure, and history.
Painted predators, vanishing prey: a wild dog crisis
The African wild dog is hunting harder for less due to prey scarcity caused by poaching. Can they overcome this changing landscape?
You asked: Our CEO’s view on hunting
Is hunting justifiable? Simon Espley explores the ethics & realities of hunting’s impact on conservation, biodiversity, & local communities
How are Greater Kruger’s 120 rewilded rhinos doing?
We check in on the 120 rhinos rewilded to Greater Kruger as part of the African Parks Rhino Rewild initiative
Boko Haram, fishermen, and the threat to black crowned cranes
Lake Fitri, Chad’s vital bird habitat, faces threats as Boko Haram drives human migration, endangering black crowned cranes & waterbirds
New hope for Tsavo’s wild dogs
Tsavo’s African wild dogs face major threats. Tsavo Trust & Painted Wolf Foundation are working to save these painted dogs. Here’s how
Botswana elephants mass die-off solved – cyanobacteria theory affirmed by scientists
Hundreds of elephants mysteriously died in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2020. Scientists affirm cyanotoxins were the likely cause
Kingsley Holgate’s Afrika Odyssey – the finale, with rhinos
Kingsley Holgate’s Afrika Odyssey expedition connected all African Parks’ protected areas. As a finale they visited the rhinos at AP’s Rhino Rewild HQ
African elephants – how many tuskers are left?
How many tuskers are left in Africa? We embark on an extended investigation to estimate the number of tuskers remaining on the continent
Elephant populations drop by 90% (forest) and 70% (savannah) in 53 years – study
Research has uncovered population density declines of 90% for forest elephants and 70% for savannah elephants across Africa in 53 years
Elephants, carbon markets, and the conservation of miombo woodlands
Discover the surprising link between carbon markets & elephants: how protecting Africa’s miombo woodlands benefits both climate & wildlife
Martial eagles hunt lion cubs in Maasai Mara
Martial eagles have been recorded hunting lion cubs in the Mara ecosystem. A new study delves into the extraordinary behaviour of this apex predator
