Namibia’s plan to cull 723 wild animals amid drought has sparked global outrage. Conservationists say the cull is politically motivated & unnecessary. MEFT responds
Category Archives: Human-wildlife conflict
Op-ed – Saving Namibia’s desert lions: workable alternatives to culling of problem animals
Op-ed: Izak Smit explores solutions to human-wildlife conflict in Kunene, Namibia, focusing on ethical conservation of desert-adapted lions
KAZA elephants – new analysis adds vital details
An analysis of elephant population trends in KAZA shows a worrying increase in poaching, slowed population growth, negative population trends outside of protected areas, and the need for more accurate information to combat threats
A hiatus in the hyena literature
A review of scientific literature on Hyaenidae reveals trends and gaps in the research on hyenas and other Hyaenidae species
The fragile kingdoms of the African lion
Lions are under threat. A new study examines the fragility of lion populations in Africa, probing socio-political & ecological factors
“Shock” value – the animal toll of electric fences
What is the animal toll of electric fences? Safeguarding protected and wild areas comes at the expense of countless wildlife, says research
Op Ed: Should Namibia and Botswana bring down their veterinary fences?
Should Namibia & Botswana bring down their veterinary fences? Gail Thomson makes the case for livelihoods, migratory routes & economy
Vultures successfully released after poisoning incident
Vultures are in crisis, threatened by human-wildlife conflict and poisoning events. Organisations like the EWT are helping to save vultures
About those 6 speared lions – comment from Big Life’s CEO
Six lions speared to death in Amboseli: Big Life Foundation CEO Benson Leyian comments on the complexities of human-wildlife conflict
On the brink: Namibia’s wild desert horses
The fate of the Namib’s wild desert horses is uncertain. There are no easy answers when weighing up their role in Namibian tourism & wildlife
Putting elephants on the map – exploring connectivity in southern Africa
How do elephants move across southern Africa through protected areas and beyond? New research explores the value of habitat connectivity
Maasai, maize and mammoths – human-elephant conflict in the Amboseli ecosystem
Averting crop-raiding elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem is a constant battle. Josh Clay reports on how rangers prevent human-elephant conflict
Population growth, exploitation and climate change: safeguarding Africa’s wildlife into the 22nd century
A study on population growth, resource exploitation & climate change highlights the necessary steps for preventing loss of wild habitats & species in Africa
West African giraffe conservation success in Niger after daring translocation
A vital population of West African giraffe in Niger has been bolstered after the translocation of 4 giraffe from a security stricken region to Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve
Human-wildlife conflict: long-term trends in Namibia
Research in Namibia on the type & frequency of human-wildlife conflict incidents between 2001–2019 can aid in mitigating future conflict occurrences
The tragic human cost of elephant translocations
Human-elephant conflict: Communities near Kasungu face tragic losses following the introduction of new elephant herds to the national park
The elephant in the room – how social media attention misses more pressing conservation threats
Social media impacts conservation. Research shows that the attention elephants receive on Twitter fails to address urgent conservation issues
Human-wildlife conflict: The ones that got away from snares and shotguns
Scientists can now detect injuries from snares & shotguns on trophy-hunted lions & leopards – quantifying the extent of previously unreported human-wildlife conflict
Elephants that creep in the dark – how elephants distinguish between human activities
Chobe elephants have learnt how to change their activity patterns to reduce risk of human encounters – new research
Lions target particular types of cows – research
Understanding how predators select cattle for prey could help in protecting livestock from lions, mitigating human-wildlife conflict
Habituating leopards
Following the death of leopard Hosana, Jamie Paterson & Maxine Gaines take an in-depth look at leopard habituation & tourism ethics
Trophy hunting will not save Africa’s lions – Opinion editorial
Trophy hunting will not save Africa’s lion populations, & the UK ban on imports is a positive step for conservation, writes Hans Bauer
Surviving in post-pandemic Zimbabwe
As tourism slowly recovers in post-pandemic Zimbabwe, hunger still stalks the country. Many resort to the basics to survive the loss of income
How much to kill a woolly mammoth?
The trophy hunting of 2 of Botswana’s largest tuskers threatens community wealth, a wildlife corridor & tusker survival. By Simon Espley
Hosana, famous Sabi Sand leopard, killed under tragic circumstances
Well-known leopard Hosana of Sabi Sand is believed to have been killed in self-defence by an anti-poaching unit on patrol
Iconic Amboseli super tusker Tolstoy dies
Famous Amboseli super tusker Tolstoy has died at the age of 51, six weeks after being treated for a spear wound
Botswana to develop 8 new lodges on Chobe Riverfront?
Botswana’s dubious call for tenders for 8 new lodges in Chobe NP, despite regulations preventing developments, has angered environmentalists
Super tusker Tolstoy treated for spear wound
Amboseli super tusker Tolstoy is in recovery after being treated for a spear wound, following a midnight raid on nearby crops.
Namibia’s elephant auction: Evaluating the results
Namibia’s controversial elephant auction: balancing conservation, welfare and legality – Opinion editorial
The emotions of human-wildlife conflict
Human-wildlife conflict – emotions and cultural significance attached to wild carnivores strongly influence mitigation strategies. New Research
Grabbing the lion by the tail – intervention vs interference
Grabbing the lion by the tail – Interference and intervention in the lives of wild animals are controversial and there are no simple answers as to when or if they are appropriate. Jamie Paterson gives her perspectives.
Namibia’s livestock guarding dogs are saving cheetahs
Guard dogs are saving cheetahs, says new research based on livestock guarding dogs – because livestock losses have reduced by 91%
Chobe River lions face an uncertain future
Lions in the Chobe River area face an uncertain future – pressured by human farmers to the north and a lack of new blood from the south
Translocating lions does not reduce conflict – research
New research from Botswana shows that translocating lions in conflict with livestock owners is expensive and results in high lion mortality, repeat offences and very little reduction in human-lion conflict.
The story behind the Namibian elephant auction
Namibian elephant auction: We look at the background, reasons and context of the controversial sale by auction of 170 wild-caught elephants
Compensation for damage-causing animals near Kruger NP
Compensation given for damage causing animals on the western boundary of the greater Kruger National Park – a contested and emotive issue
The Edge of Existence and human-wildlife conflict – we interview James Suter
The Edge of Existence tells the story of human-wildlife conflict on the western boundary of Tanzania’s Serengeti. We interview the filmmaker
Riff Raff the ‘problem-causing’ elephant shot and killed
The ‘problem-causing’ elephant known as Riff Raff has been shot and killed by provincial authorities in South Africa
Human-lion conflict in a key lion population area
Human-lion conflict is a major issue for the conservation of wild lions – we look at the successful Kwando Carnivore Project in KAZA
Wild dogs facing increased persecution in Eastern Namibia
Wild dogs face increased persecution, as evidenced by this puppy carcass found on a road – likely the victim of an intentional killing
Elephants held hostage in Laikipia
Young bull elephants held hostage in Laikipia after destroying crops. It is estimated that local communities lose over a US$1 million in revenue from raiding elephant in Kenya each year.
Drones keep elephants safe in Tanzania
To reduce human-elephant conflict, drones are being used to chase elephants off farms and ensure their safety.
Why people kill lions
In light of the events in Tanzania on the first of January, Jeremy examines the age old conflict between humans and lions in East Africa.
Elephants, communities and conservation
Gail Potgieter talks about making your footprint count for conservation when touring Africa.
Caracals count too: mesopredator research in the Cederberg
The caracal, or rooikat, is a beautiful but much persecuted (by farmers) wild cat that inhabits a range of habitats – including farmland
