None of the existing role players in conservation understand what is required to save Africa’s vanishing wilderness. The issue is just too broad and deep – and politically charged.
Category Archives: Poaching
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park: Protecting the “birthplace of rhino”
Over the past few months, Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP) in KwaZulu-Natal – managed by conservation agency Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife – has been hard hit by a significant escalation in rhino poaching. Ezemvelo has subsequently been hard at work developing more effective anti-poaching and resource management strategies. In support of this, Peace Parks Foundation has committed an additional R10,6 million towards the implementation of advanced technology solutions in this sacred rhino protection area.
Trophy hunting may cause extinction in a changing environment
Trophy hunting and other activities involving the targeting of high-quality male animals could lead to the extinction of certain species faced with changing environmental conditions, according to new research.
Opinion: Too many lions in Kunene
Whether tourism operators and armchair lion-lovers like it or not, there are now too many lions in some parts of the Kunene region. Trying to save the lions that are killing livestock, or harassing the farmers who kill them, including impounding their firearms, will not serve the interests of conservation in the region.
Problem lions announcement: Conservationist challenges Namibian minister
Conservationist challenges Namibian minister in open letter regarding decision to relocate or kill problem lions in the Kunene region.
49 Vultures poisoned near Kruger National Park
The poisoned bodies of nearly 50 vultures have been found by rangers in Mozambique‚ just a short distance from the boundary of the flagship Kruger National Park.
Rhino horn: Recipes for disaster
In the middle of the sixth mass extinction, when 50% of the living species are at risk of extinction due to the ever growing, destructive human hands, the six rhinoceros species are at the tip of the pyramid, among the most endangered species on Earth.
Laos: The fastest growing ivory market in the world
A new report has revealed that China’s neighbouring country, Laos, has now become the fastest growing African ivory market in the world.
Elephant ivory and the Japanese hanko stamp
Hanko stamps are the Japanese version of a signature, used throughout Japan to sign deals and important documents, and are made out of a variety of materials, including elephant ivory.
Hippo teeth: Hong Kong trade threatens species in Africa
Hong Kong has always been regarded as the epicentre of the global wildlife trade. It appears however that this trade is not adequately controlled by authorities and may lead many species to the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, many news headlines announce illegal elephant ivory and rhino horn trade being processed through Hong Kong’s borders. Many …
Continue reading “Hippo teeth: Hong Kong trade threatens species in Africa”
Dear John, our response to your rhino horn auction
Rhino farmer, John Hume, will be auctioning 500kgs of rhino horn online today (23 August 2017). He presents arguments for his rhino horn auction, which Dr Simon Morgan – co-founder of Wildlife ACT, debunks.
The rhino in the room: South Africa’s domestic trade in rhino horn
On the surface, the upcoming legal auction of rhino horn set to begin on August 21 might appear to be a harmless propaganda exercise, but it may in fact signal a deepening of the rhino crisis.
Cycads need protection from poaching
Cycads are one of the most endangered species on this planet, it’s time we educate ourselves on how to save them from extinction.
Tsavo ‘Super Tusker’, Ndawe, dies after multiple spear wounds
Ndawe was the missing link, the proof that we were looking for. We were sure that elephants made the long journey between Tsavo and Amboseli, and he was the confirmation.
‘Shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, say Botswana academics
South Africa should implement a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, suggest Botswana academics Goemeone EJ Mogomotsi and Patricia Kelilwe Madigele in a report titled ‘Live by the gun, die by the gun’.
Lion farmers in South Africa threaten big cats worldwide
South African lion farmers are supplying large volumes of lion bone, teeth and claws as ‘tiger parts’ to an insatiable Asian market – says a report recently published by the Environmental Investigation Agency. South Africa is the world’s largest exporter of lion body parts.
Undercover operation reveals rhino trafficking secrets
A recently completed 11-month undercover investigation by Elephant Action League (EAL) called Grinding Rhino has exposed the networks, the players and the means by which rhino horn is trafficked into China.
Let’s boycott African tourism. Not
Some keyboard warriors regularly call for the boycott of an entire country’s tourism industry in reaction to the death of animals that could conceivably have been prevented.
R.I.P Tullamore – the last lion of the 5 Musketeers
Tullamore, the last of the famous ‘5 musketeers’ desert lions of northern Namibia, has been killed in the Okongue area, along with a lioness and two cubs, in the ongoing battle between rural cattle farmers and free-roaming lions. The lions were poisoned. Tullamore was the last surviving member of a group of 5 desert lions made …
Continue reading “R.I.P Tullamore – the last lion of the 5 Musketeers”
Rhinos to Australia: is this conservation?
There are plans afoot to move rhinos from Africa to Australia as an ‘insurance policy’ and for ‘safekeeping’ in large grass paddocks amongst the gum trees. Is this a valid conservation project (as claimed) or a misdirection of energy and resources by a well-meaning Western society intent on privatising African conservation into their own backyard?
Human-wildlife conflict in East Africa
Human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest causes of reduction in wildlife populations across Africa – we unpack various solutions
R.I.P SATAO 2
SATAO 2 has died, at the hands of ivory poachers. We pay tribute to this giant elephant by quoting several people who met him
Giant elephant Satao 2 poached in Tsavo, 6 super tuskers left
SATAO 2 is dead, and another of the last super tuskers left in Africa has been poached, leaving only 6 of these giants in the Tsavo Conservation Area in southern Kenya.
Lion bones: SA public has no time to contest sale
South Africa is about to permit the export of lion bones to produce fake tiger wine but has given the public almost no time to object. The permit will allow an annual export of 800 skeletons to Asia.
Chinese traders going after Africa’s donkeys
According to several sources, there is a growing demand in Chinese markets for donkey pelts, and some rural areas in Africa are reportedly being stripped of free-roaming donkeys to feed the demand.
Anti-poaching pooches
Kruger National Park’s anti-poaching dogs work hard all day to keep our rhinos and other wildlife safe. Learn more about them here
Zambian poaching crisis fuelled by Chinese military
Zambia’s elephant population has declined by about 90% due to poaching. Its black rhino population, estimated at 13,000 in 1981, is now extinct.
Video: Shocking evidence emerges of Japan’s dirty ivory trade
The dirty secrets of Japan’s illegal ivory trade revealed in undercover video with Japanese ivory traders.
More dogs for Kruger’s canine unit
Kruger’s K9 Centre welcomes the addition of four new dogs at handover ceremony.
Rhino horn?
Removing the rhino’s horn to prevent poaching is a controversial and emotional matter – as is the related debate about trading in rhino horn
Poaching along the Okavango River
A look into the poaching of elephants, hippos and crocodiles along the Okavango River on the border of Angola and Namibia.
Why you should vote to stop trade in African grey parrots
Sign this petition and help to save thousands of wild African grey parrots!
The first arthroscopic surgery on a rhino is performed in South Africa
A behind-the-scenes report from a groundbreaking operation on a poached rhino!
Barbaric elephant slaughter in Angola
Barbaric elephant slaughter creates horror scene on the banks of the Okavango River.
Meet 3 elephant angels
Three of the world’s leading African elephant conservationists offer hope and inspiration for saving elephants from extinction.
Vietnam’s booming ivory market
Vietnam’s growing illegal ivory trade threatens Africa’s elephants.
Supporting the canines of Kruger
Learn more about the anti-poaching canines of Kruger and how you can help support these dogs making a difference.
Bushmeat hunting alarmingly high in South Africa
A recent study shows levels of bushmeat hunting in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa are alarmingly high.
Hope: a rhino’s story of survival
The rhino poaching documentary STROOP is to be released this year, this is the story of one character, the rhino called Hope.
Famous big tusker Tim speared
Tim the well-known super tusker elephant from Kenya’s Amboseli has been speared in a human-wildlife conflict incident
Saving Elephants
A look at how The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are working to protect pachyderms.
Walking with the Maasai
Maasai life and the impact of the 21st-century trends, conservation, political pressures and tourism on these people
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.
Who’s protecting our rhino?
A behind-the-scenes look at the anti-poaching heroes and their dedication to saving rhinos in Kruger.
Rangers for Rhinos
The heroes who are working on the ground to save the rhino.
What it takes to get an interview with a rhino horn user
The filmmakers behind the rhino documentary STROOP give insight on what it takes to get an interview with a Vietnamese cancer patient and rhino horn user.
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.
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
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.
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.
Rhino poaching is a crisis of governance
According to a wildlife expert, wildlife poaching has become a serious threat to democracy in many countries where it takes place.
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
WildAid calls for ban on synthetic rhino horn exports
U.S.-based entrepreneurs are developing synthetic rhino horn that can’t be differentiated from actual horn, but WildAid and the Center for Biological Diversity believe that this will only accelerate consumer demand in Asia for illegal wildlife products.
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
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.
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
Mounting up against poaching in Zakouma
Since man tamed the horse, the majestic animal has gone from a means of transport to a tool of industry and war. Human society has advanced on the backs of horses, but we have since dismounted, finding little use for horses other than leisure. However, in some remote corners of Africa, the horse plays a …
65 endangered vultures killed in poisoning incident
65 vultures and a tawny eagle found dead in a poisoning incident on a private farm north-west of Hoedspruit.
Bangweulu horses on anti-poaching patrols
Meet the Bangweulu Wetlands Project anti-poaching horse patrol – ensuring that this excellent conservation project thrives!
Hand-rearing a black-bellied pangolin
Joel Gunter meets a critically endangered black bellied pangolin.
Ivory dealers busted thanks to German travellers on safari
On Monday the 16th of March 2015, two German travellers, Martin and Christin Kotthoff, led to the arrest of two ivory dealers near Kasane, Botswana.
Rejuvenating cacao industries in the Congo
Cocoa plants proving to be a sustainable alternative to poaching in the Congo.
Running the Gauntlet in the Serengeti
The perils 1,3 million wildebeest face along their Serengeti migration route – as expanding local populations seek much-needed protein
Treating Africa’s tuskers
Three large tuskers where treated for after being hit by poisonous arrows.
Southern African bearded vulture decline
Humans are largely to blame for the rapid demise of one of Africa’s most famous birds – the bearded vulture.
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.
The dog: 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 …
Pangolins: chinks in the 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.
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
Ivory – the burning question
AMERICA’S ONGOING DEBATE OVER THE TRADE IN IVORY
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
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
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?
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
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
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
