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.
Category Archives: Natural history
Selling Out
©Dex Kotze South Africa is home to roughly 83% of the world’s rhino population and, at time of writing, has lost 3,700 rhinos since the escalation of poaching in 2008. With this year’s death toll already over a thousand, it seems likely that the total number of rhinos slaughtered for their horns in 2014 will …
10 lovely images that capture life in Liuwa
From herds of lechwe in the flood plains to the fishing festival of the Lozi people. Liuwa Plain National Park is place worth visiting!
40 000 Maasai told to leave homeland as hunters move in
Tanzania has been accused of reneging on its promise to 40 000 Maasai pastoralists by going ahead with plans to evict them and turn their ancestral land into a reserve for the royal family of Dubai to hunt big game.
Turtling in iSimangaliso
November is turtle breeding time at iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Namibian black rhino hunt may be cancelled
The Texas hunting club that auctioned off a permit to shoot an endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia said it will cancel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denies the winning bidder’s request to bring the dead animal back to the U.S. as a trophy.
Chinese criminal syndicates and corruption behind Tanzania’s elephant meltdown
A new report reveals that Chinese-led criminal gangs are conspiring with corrupt Tanzanian officials to traffic huge amounts of ivory, a trade which has caused half of Tanzania’s elephants to be poached in the past five years.
The bloodhounds of Virunga in DR Congo
In the DRC’s Virunga National Park conservationists have taken a different approach in the fight against poaching – they got themselves some good old-fashioned bloodhounds.
Africanis
In the dusty rural villages of South Africa, one can expect to see dogs of all shapes and sizes roaming freely, seemingly uncared for and feral. To those who are used to the regulated pedigree world of dogs, these ‘village dogs’ are widely thought of as un-domesticated and most likely carriers of the rabies virus. …
Conservation’s Best Friend
One of Aesop’s fables tells of a vixen taking her numerous pups out for an airing. She comes across a lioness proudly carrying a single cub. ‘Why such airs, haughty dame, over one solitary cub?’ sneers the vixen. ‘Look at my healthy and numerous litter here, and imagine, if you are able, how a proud …
Rebranding environmental crime as a crime against humanity
Environmental crime is hindering Africa from seeing economic growth, destroying the future of the people.
LepiMAP’s butterfly-filled LepiBASH
Discover what a magical resource butterflies and moths are for local ecosystems at Spring LepiBASH from 18 to the 26 of October.
When the buying stops, the killing can too
A look into the illegal wildlife trade and how to reduce the demand that is fuelling the illegal poachers who take the lives of thousands of rhinos and elephants every year.
Travel Tale – Prince of Thieves
‘I don’t like this situation,’ Heinrich, a South African friend said, as we crossed Victoria Falls Bridge. We were on our way back from watching the bungee jumping, a common stopping point for visitors at the falls, when a ragtag group of sinister looking specimens appeared, running full tilt in our direction. Fortunately, the gang …
Cry Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf is Africa’s most endangered carnivore. Learn what is being done to protect them in the Ethiopian highlands
Meet the Wolfpack
Gallery of fantastic images documenting the journey of an Ethiopian wolf pack from den to fully fledged members of the pack
So you want to start a rhino war?
On the release of his new book, Poachers Moon, Author and renowned conservationist Richard Pierce led a panel of experts discussing the rhino poaching issues.
Targeted for his tusks – an African icon is saved
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues one of Tsavo’s bull elephants that was injured by a poacher.
The Rise of the Huntress
A commentary on the rising popularity of hunting among young women.
Hunting with the Hadzabe bushmen
Ken joins a traditional hunt with a tribe of Hadzabe bushmen.
Ramping up support for elephants and rhinos
In just a few short weeks the world will be taking to the streets in support of our endangered, iconic wildlife species, courtesy of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, which takes place on World Animal Day – October 4.
Kruger rhino sales canned
Private game reserves that contracted to buy 260 rhinos from the Kruger National Park have been refunded R14 million.
Rhino orphan seeks solace from humans in the Kruger
Exhausted orphaned rhino looks for comfort with cars in the Kruger.
Leakey’s last stand: The final battle of Africa’s elephant king
The man who saved the African elephant in the 1980s is returning to the fray. This time nothing will stop Richard Leakey except the grim reaper.
Fascinating Pangolin Facts
Get to know more about the pangolin, one of Africa’s most elusive creatures
Chinks in the pangolin’s armour
How pangolins end up in medicine, on menus and electric fences.
The Luckiest Pangolin Alive
The story of a little pangolin who’s making a big difference.
Video footage emerges showing why Tanzanian hunting company was banned
Motherboard has gotten its hands on some horrifying video footage of hunting and wild animal abuse in Tanzania with a company known as Green Mile Safari.
A new giraffe drops into the world
An outstanding sequence of images of a giraffe giving birth in the Mara Triangle.
Get To Know The Gorillas
CLEARING UP THE MIST AROUND THE GREAT APES
Congo: the living forest
DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF CONSERVATION IN THE CONGO
Lion King or Commodity?
AN ANALYSIS OF
THE LION BREEDING INDUSTRY
IN SOUTH AFRICA
The heart warming story of two orphaned elephants
Over the last month the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has welcomed two new orphaned elephants, rescued from well and a herd of cattle
Ivory – the burning question
AMERICA’S ONGOING DEBATE OVER THE TRADE IN IVORY
The painted ape
The mandrill is the most colourful of all monkeys & occurs in the dense rainforests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo & Gabon
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 …
A friend of the enemy
A CONSERVATIONIST INTERVENES IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PREDATORS
Giving life to Cape vultures
Maggie explains how the endangered Cape vultures are hatched at VulPro.
Shelley’s crimsonwing – no photos in natural habitat
A rare photograph of an elusive Shelley’s crimsonwing. There is only one other known photographed of this threatened bird.
A Namibian’s view on hunting in his home country
Namibian John K Kasaona gives a local’s view on the Namibian hunting debate.
Satao – the Giant Who Will Never Die
HOW SATAO, KENYA’S LEGENDARY TUSKER, IS A SYMBOL OF HOPE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHING
How Charcoal Fuels al-Shabaab’s Terror Campaign
A POTENTIALLY GREATER THREAT TO WILDLIFE THAN POACHING
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
Just hatched! One of South Africa’s rarest birds
Rare footage of the South Africa’s rarest bird, the blue swallow, hatching from an egg.
Proteas threatened by climate change
It is an uphill battle for South Africa’s national flowers as proteas face the threats of climate change.
Drongo mimics alarm calls to steal food
Drongo mimics alarm calls to keep stealing food from other species, finds UCT biologist.
Looking after orphan elephants
Andrew White takes us through a day in the life of the elephant orphans and their keepers at the Elephant Nursery Facility at Lilayi Game Reserve in Lusaka.
Water lilies of the Delta
During a walking safari in the Delta we stop to appreciate the magnificent water lilies that litter the Okavango’s waterways.
To bee or not to bee
Farmers along the perimeter of Serengeti National Park have tried various elephant-deterring techniques, from beating tin cans to lighting fires, most of which haven’t appeared to work. But now there are beehive fences which appear to be doing the job!
Rhino horn – To trade or not to trade: Does it really matter?
The rhino horn trade is being punted as an option with ‘if it pays it stays’ philosophy. The counter argument being that we don’t understand the market, making it difficult to play with. Each a compelling argument in its own right, however are we are dividing our forces, our efforts and the rhino population while we debate the issue?
Diving with dinosaurs
We go diving with cow sharks; a shark with very few modern adaptations that makes them one of the closest links we have to dinosaurs.
The Lower Zambezi beneath a copper sky
An Australian company’s scheme to mine copper in one of Zambia’s most pristine national parks.
Fight for the fynbos fish
Learn about the redfin minnow, the most widespread group of freshwater fishes in the Cape Floristic Region, and find out why these fish face a serious risk of extinction.
Rhinos: It’s time for Plan B
We do not get a second chance if we get the economics of rhino trading wrong; all the rhino in the wild will be gone. It is time for a Plan B.
Parrots and people
The lives of parrots and people have been intimately entwined for centuries, if not millennia. Given the familiarity of many of us with some of Africa’s parrots it may come as a surprise that we still know so little about their lives in the wild.
Baboon spiders: hairy monsters or furry friends?
Baboon spiders are placid, enigmatic animals that would rather keep to themselves than risk an encounter with human beings. And believe it or not, there are people who are fascinated by them…
Scientists call for critically endangered listing for West Africa’s lions
The living dead, scientists call them: populations of animals so small their extinction is all but inevitable. At the top of the list may be lions in West Africa.
New population of critically endangered riverine rabbits found
A population of critically endangered riverine rabbits was discovered in the Anysberg Nature Reserve, bringing new hope for the species.
Wild dogs collared in the name of research
An alpha female has been re-collared and two young wild dogs collared for the first time in the 13 member-strong pack at Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia, in anticipation of a natural split in the group. Read the full story here.
Trophy hunting in the context of community conservation
A thought-provoking blog post about how a well-managed trophy hunting operation has a positive effect on both wildlife and communities.
The birth of a pangolin
This is Roxy, the most amazing mama Cape pangolin in the whole world.
It’s a bird-eat-bird world
Bird-on-bird action as a pearl-spotted owlet catches a lovebird and proceeds to butcher and devour it in a Windhoek, Namibia garden
11 Interesting Facts about Sociable Weavers
Sociable weavers build massive colonial nests that hang 4m high in trees and telephone posts throughout the arid regions of Southern Africa
The mighty springbok migration
Gert van der Merwe’s personal account of the great springbok migration is told in Lawrence G. Green’s book Karoo. Towards the end of the 19th century, Gert’s family moved their sheep and cattle between decent grazing lands, helped by their shepherds and a San wagon leader who must have previously experienced the migration. “The trek …
The front line of lion conservation
Eventually a shout from below, and a sad find. A young lion, killed by Maasai spears. Her claws, tail and ears are gone – prizes
Scientists discover new giant mole-rat in Africa
The world’s newest species of mole-rat: Caroline’s mole-rat (Fukomys vandewoestijneae) has been identified in Zambia by scientists
Former NBA star Yao Ming stands up to poaching
Former NBA player and Chinese icon, Yao Ming, launches a major public awareness campaign about consumption of rhino horn and ivory in China
Maasai people locked out of Loliondo
Loliondo the Maasai community concession and wildlife destinations is in the spotlight as locals clash with trophy hunting companies
Searching for the elusive Sousa & the mythical sawfish – Part II.
First things first. No, sawfish are not cetaceans. Whales and dolphins are cetaceans; sawfish are sharks. Learn more here
Searching for the elusive Sousa & the mythical sawfish – Part I.
First things first. No, sawfish are not cetaceans. Whales and dolphins are cetaceans; sawfish are sharks. Learn more here
A close encounter with the world’s smallest whale
Beneath the soaked rags lay a parched and forlorn-looking pygmy right whale, the world’s smallest baleen whale
Hyena Men
This series of disturbing and yet fascinating images from photographers Pieter Hugo and Adetokunbo Abiola in their book The Hyena & Other Men
The naked baboon
This rather demonic-looking naked baboon was spotted in Zimbabwe. The lack of fur could be due to 1 of several causes, according to a vet
The Magnificent Seven – Kruger’s giant elephants
The Magnificent Seven – Kruger National Park’s legendary giant bull elephants of yesteryear – are the stuff of fireside stories
The 10 most remarkable birds in Ghana
Here they are – the most interesting and sought-after birds in Ghana, according to Africa Geographic safari guru Christian Boix
Nothing like a good grooming – Ethiopia style!
A highly amusing account of our safari guru Christian Boix being groomed by a Gelada monkey in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia
Leopard toad alert
The threatened western leopard toad needs drastic help during its short breeding season in the depths of the Cape Town winter
24 hours in paradise: a game count in Zimbabwe
Volunteers conduct an annual game count in Zimbabwe’s stunning Hwange National Park every year – renowned author Tony Park tells us more
The legend of the Mapogo lions
Sadistic tyrants or protective fathers? The legend of the Mapogo lions lives on many years after their disappearance
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
Rare spotless cheetah sighted in Kenya
A rare spotless cheetah has again been seen in Kenya; 90 years since the last time this colour morph was seen in the wild
