A look at how The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are working to protect pachyderms.
Category Archives: Natural history
SANParks concerned about the use of mobile apps for wildlife sightings
The introduction of mobile applications designed to share information on interesting animal sightings in national parks has become a major cause for concern for South African National Parks (SANParks).
Walking with the Maasai
Maasai life and the impact of the 21st-century trends, conservation, political pressures and tourism on these people
Diving with potato bass
While scuba diving on reefs on the east coast of South Africa and Mozambique your are almost guaranteed a close encounter with a potato bass, one of the largest predatory fish on the reef.
Video: 60 hyenas take on a lion
Watch this epic video and images of a stand-off and brawl between hyenas and lions over a buffalo in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
Wounded elephant limps to a local lodge for help
A victim of a failed poaching attempt, this elephant limps to Bumi Hills Safari Lodge in search of help.
Trophy hunting – a compromise?
Trophy hunting – the debates rage on. This analysis of the arguments put forward to justify trophy hunting makes for interesting reading
Build your own owl box!
Attracting owls to your garden is a wonderful way to marvel at these incredibly hunters of the dark. Learn how to build an owl box
The truth about volunteering with lions
Volunteering with lions – a volunteer exposes the behind-the-scenes reality of working in one of South Africa’s lion parks
Rhino rangers
The heroes who are working on the ground to save the rhino.
Antelope hybrid in the wilds of northern Botswana
A wild hybrid between a red lechwe and a waterbuck antelop confounds an experienced game ranger in Selinda, northern Botswana
Zooming in on mesocarnivores
A camera trap study contributes new insights into the diverse world of small and medium-sized carnivores.
Kenya’s ivory burn: the story in pictures
Photos documenting the biggest ivory burn in history, which took place in Nairobi National Park last weekend.
Video: rare footage of white lions mating
Video footage and epic photos of rarely-seen white lions mating in Timbavati, Greater Kruger. Chat to our safari consultants & pack your bags!
Travel companies call for an end to activities that exploit lions
Leading African tourism companies call for an end to captive breeding, canned hunting and other forms of abuse of lions
Africa’s Big Tuskers
Africa’s tuskers deserve special mention – these huge elephants are facing the combined pressures of poaching and trophy hunting
Lesotho’s only endemic freshwater fish under threat
Startling population crash of the fish species Maloti minnow is linked to dams and water tunnels of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
Elephant poaching – intelligent law enforcement helps
Elephant poaching: Tanzania’s recent success in the ivory war is testament to the powers of a multi-agency anti-poaching strategy
STROOP – your chance to make a difference for rhinos
STROOP: Our CEO implores YOU to help ensure a controversial new documentary about rhinos is completed without censorship
Chapman’s Baobab has fallen down
Chapman’s baobab in Botswana – Africa’s first “post office” and a beacon for early day explorers has fallen down
White baboon stands out from the crowd in Arusha NP
A white, albino baboon has been seen wandering around Arusha National Park in Tanzania. This is an extremely rare encounter that has tourists flocking to view the mythical creature
Rhino poaching – Buy No Rhino
Meet the two South African sisters who cycled 6,000km across South-East Asia to save the rhino.
How China’s taste for wildlife feeds a killing frenzy
Africa’s extraordinary and charismatic wildlife is clearly under siege from the wrecking ball that is China.
Saving a little elephant
An elephant calf is saved after he became trapped in a dam at Phalaborwa Copper, Limpopo – thanks to the heroic team of Elephants Alive
Asia’s Golden Triangle – a conduit of death for Africa’s animals
The Asian end of the grisly wildlife trade business and a place that has become China’s illegal wildlife supermarket.
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
The horror of snares
Unravelling the danger of snares – the indiscriminate killer of the bushveld and a serious threat to Africa’s free-roaming wildlife
An open letter to point out flaws in legalising the rhino horn trade
An open letter to Mr. Hume, the owner of South Africa’s largest privately owned rhino herd, with regards to his wish to lift the CITES ban on the rhino horn trade.
Lions, trophy hunting and the US government – the 27 facts you need to know
27 things you need to know about lion trophy imports in the US, and the impact hunting is having on lions in Africa.
Local community rallies together to save elephants that are stuck in the mud
The tale of an attempt to rescue two elephants from the mud after they became stuck after trying to drink water from muddy pools
Famous Marsh lions poisoned in Maasai Mara
Lions from the Marsh Pride, made famous by the Big Cat Diary series, have been poisoned in the Maasai Mara with at least two lions dead as a result.
Saving the cheetah: a need for speed
The cheetah is the fastest land animal, with a body built to incredible acceleration. But its also fast heading towards extinction in the wild
Why you should care about thickets
A thicket is a dense, almost impenetrable tangle of trees, shrubs, and vines, that is home to a host of biodiversity. Here is why you should spare a thought for thickets
Rehabilitating and releasing baby rhinos
Baby rhinos need special care and Ntombi was no exception. This is her story – after 18 hack wounds from poachers who had killed her mother
A very special pangolin rescue
This is a story of two rescued pangolins, a story of compassion and transboundary teamwork to help two endangered mammals
8 unexpected uses for elephant dung
Elephant dung has many uses to humans – from delicious coffee and beer, to medicine, insect repellant, biogas and paper
12 edible indigenous South African plants
Connect to your food and the rhythm of nature in a new, fresh and wild way by growing these 12 indigenous edible plants.
Zimbabwe elephant hunter identified as German mogul Rainer Schorr
Animal rights group PETA has named the hunter who killed one of Africa’s largest elephants as German businessman Rainer Schorr
18 000 Mauritian flying foxes: to cull or to treasure?
The Mauritian government plans to cull 18,000 endangered flying foxes – scientists say that this drastic measure threatens their existence
Rescuing Beatrice the baby aardvark
‘A’ is for aardvark – a strange nocturnal creature that wanders some of Africa’s drier areas. ‘B’ is for baby aardvark that was rescued
PALF’s dogs sniff out illegal bushmeat
Crocodiles and turtles are released after the PALF dog team sniffs them out in a road block.
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.
Dereck Joubert responds to a hunter on the economics of hunting
Dereck Joubert responds to hunter claims – explains how the argument for hunting gets thinner each time it is tested
‘Extinct’ plant discovered on Lion’s Head
A small species of plant, thought to be possibly extinct, has been rediscovered on the slopes of Lion’s Head.
The hidden struggle of South Africa’s freshwater fish
A new conservation film, entitled Fins in the Fynbos, aims to turn the spotlight on threatened fish species and how to save them.
Lion cub petting – but first, let me take a selfie!
An exploration of the reality behind the lion breeding industry and the heavy implications of taking a ‘selfie’ with an adorable lion cub.
Graphic content: Baby hippo killed by its pod
A baby hippo is slaughtered by its pod in a startling series of photographs that highlights the realities of wild Africa
CSI Bushveld – how did the python die?
In an investigation of Bushveld CSI, Corlette examines the corpse of 5 metre long python to determine what killed it.
Drones keep elephants safe in Tanzania
To reduce human-elephant conflict, drones are being used to chase elephants off farms and ensure their safety.
Professional hunters’ association president calls for a review of lion hunting
After viewing the new film Blood Lions, Hermann Meyeridricks is asking the hunting association to reconsider its position on lion hunting.