“There are few sounds as evocative and exhilarating as a lion roaring his challenge into the African night; triggering in us all a primordial reaction of fear and awe. Lions are essential players in Africa’s wild spaces, ruthlessly executing the role of an apex predator and so helping maintain biodiversity and ecosystems, which change fundamentally …
Category Archives: Decoding science
The Cheetah
“A cheetah in full flight is one of Africa’s most breathtaking sights – that blindingly rapid and yet sublimely smooth acceleration and the ability to swerve at full speed take one’s breath away. And, with a hunting success rate above 50%, cheetahs are amongst the most successful of Africa’s large carnivores when it comes to …
The Mountain Gorilla: Gentle Giants
“The thrill of trekking for mountain gorillas in the astonishingly beautiful misty highlands of East Africa is not difficult to explain. Quietly observing these gentle giants as they go about their day is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a privileged few, and to be treasured beyond compare. If you are lucky enough to exchange glances with …
Gorilla Doctors
The dart lands just below her left shoulder. Gashangi, a 33-year-old mountain gorilla, reacts as though stung by a bee. She swipes a large hand toward her perceived antagonist but is unable to reach the feathered projectile. A few moments later, she gets up and begins to move off through the lush montane vegetation towards …
The Okapi: The Shy Forest Dwellers of Central Africa
The mysterious and enigmatic okapi is one of the oldest mammals on Earth, but it has only been known to the western world since the early 20th century. Covered in unusual markings on their rump and legs, okapi are elusive, shy and gentle, and nearly impossible to observe in the wild due to their secretive …
Continue reading “The Okapi: The Shy Forest Dwellers of Central Africa”
The Chimpanzee: Our Forest Kin
“The alpha male chimp was sitting in the forest path ahead, staring into the distance in a melancholy way as if contemplating life’s challenges, chin resting on balled fist. My party and I were waiting it out, aware that it was us who were intruding on his territory and home. He knew we were waiting …
The Cape Leopard
The Cape leopard is the stuff of legends. This seldom seen, highly elusive apex predator survives in some of the most inhospitable habitat possible – the rugged, low nutritional fynbos biome of the Cape Fold Mountain ranges. Despite the habitat limitations, this region did historically host many wildlife species such as black rhino, Cape mountain …
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 …
The Mighty Zambezi: More than a River
She goes from lazy and beguiling to a raging beast capable of pounding a man and his ambitions into submission. Indeed, the Zambezi River is quite a lady… Most people know the Zambezi as that intoxicating cauldron of the elements and humankind at Victoria Falls – where that massive river inhales and forces itself into …
Trophy hunting: sustainability problems in Zimbabwe exposed
Trophy hunting in Zimbabwe’s Matetsi Safari Area is not sustainable at current levels as trophy sizes are declining, there is little scientific data supporting quota sizes and hunting management is seriously incapacitated.
Carnivores in decline due to land reform
Population numbers of carnivores in Zimbabwe have dropped significantly due to land reform that has seen large tracts of land change hands
Lion King or Commodity?
AN ANALYSIS OF
THE LION BREEDING INDUSTRY
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Shades of Grey
A JOURNEY FROM A BUSTLING FOREST COMMUNITY TO SOLITARY LIFE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM
Get to know the grey parrot
There are 25 species of parrot native to Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius, according to the IUCN – with preferred habitats ranging from closed forests to arid zones. Parrots are not as diverse or abundant in Africa as in Australasia and the Neotropics. The grey parrot is found in the primary and secondary rainforests of West …
How to count elephants from a plane
THE METHOD BEHIND AERIAL SURVEYS OF AFRICAN WILDLIFE
Where the giant elephants still roam
THE GREATEST AFRICAN ELEPHANT CENSUS IN HISTORY TAKES TO THE SKIES
