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Kingsley Holgate in Nkhotakota + saving cranes
Last weekend, I attended a joyous event that renewed my faith in local conservation efforts. A particularly beneficial 2,364 hectares of privately owned land has been added to Timbavati in the Greater Kruger – consolidating the significant conservation success of this wonderful Big 5 private nature reserve that shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park. We watched as Wiggill and de Vos family members cut the wire fence that has, since I can remember, prevented wildlife from accessing an extensive stretch of the Klaserie River. Research projects have commenced to measure the impact on biodiversity and large trees as elephants move in to utilise what was forbidden fruit.
Meanwhile, a short distance away at my home, the warthog boars have started lip-clacking, heralding the start of the rut. The loud metallic clacking goes on for hours as the tunnel-vision gents follow the sows, nose to tail. Unfortunately the rainy season has been disappointing; some bushwillow trees are already turning orange, and the sparse grass has withered to straw. Are we in for a harsh dry season ahead?
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
And now for more news worth celebrating: A bird thought to be lost to science has been rediscovered in the cloud forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Not just one, but 18 yellow-crested helmetshrikes reappeared in bright yellow helmeted glory, chattering away in the trees, to a herpetology team from the University of Texas – who were exploring the forests on the mountain of the Itombwe Massif. The helmetshrike, which has not been seen in two decades, is endemic to the western slopes of the Albertine Rift. And the cherry on top? The discovery provides further motivation to drive the protection of these tropical forests from mining and logging.
Below, read about Kingsley Holgate’s expedition to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, and learn about the intricacies of crane conservation in South Africa’s wetlands.
Keep celebrating Africa
Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/a-rejuvenation-story-afrika-odyssey-expedition-to-nkhotakota/
EXPEDITION NKHOTAKOTA
Kingsley Holgate and his Afrika Odyssey Expedition team find a story of rejuvenation, abundance and hope in Malawi’s Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve
Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/the-changing-face-of-wattled-cranes-conservation/
CRANE CONSERVATION
Wattled cranes rely on wetlands & grasslands for survival – linking them to human populations that depend on these ecosystems
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WATCH: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is Malawi’s oldest and largest reserve – encompassing 1,800km² of wild and rugged terrain. It extends east from the edge of the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley to just short of the shoreline of Lake Malawi. It is the ideal playground for hikers, mountain bikers and wilderness-seekers. Nkhotakota is Africa at her most raw and beautiful, removed from the indignities of mass commercial tourism. (06:03) Click here to watch
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