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Big cats + the ominous wild dog landscape
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It’s THAT time of year! Our annual celebration of Africa’s magnificence and your photographic talents begins tomorrow – teamAG is on standby for your 2025 Photographer of the Year entries.
And this year the prize for our three winners and their partners is extra-special – brought to you by African Parks and Ukuri. They will join an Africa Geographic expedition to Odzala-Kokoua National Park in Congo-Brazzaville to search for lowland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffaloes and flocks of grey parrots. And what about the dwarf crocodiles, golden pottos, Demidoff’s dwarf galagos, Lord Derby’s flying squirrels and the host of other mysterious creatures that you won’t find on too many other safaris?
What a joy for my team and me to review the influx of entries (expect the usual weekly galleries) and a privilege that you trust us with your photographic treasures. Thank you.
This is also the time of year when countless brown-veined white butterflies flutter by – wave after wave of these angelic spirits migrating east over the Kruger National Park towards Mozambique. A few days ago, I was cycling into a gentle summer breeze along one of the Greater Kruger fencelines, which was channelling thousands of butterflies towards me. What a special moment when time stood still, and nature enveloped me in a gentle Utopian hug. Life is good.
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Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
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Move over, hip flasks and CamelBaks. Did you know that elephants have the best built-in hydration system? The pharyngeal pouch, found just behind an elephant’s tongue, is a hidden reservoir that can store up to four litres of water. Elephants can use this to quench their own thirst or offer a life-saving sip to a calf, allowing them to stay hydrated when surface water is scarce. And the pouch isn’t just for drinking – it doubles as a cooling system and even helps amplify the elephants’ low-frequency rumbles. Desert-adapted elephants (always prepared for the worst) have even bigger pouches, making them the champions of drought survival. In Africa, it pays to be resourceful!
We can’t wait to see your Photographer of the Year 2025 entries. In celebration of the competition launch, we’ve put together a gallery of our favourite big cat images from past competitions – and included a few fascinating facts about the cats to boot. Plus, researchers have just found that wild dogs are hunting harder for less due to prey scarcity. Check these stories out below.
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DID YOU KNOW?
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We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level. YOUR safari choice does make a difference – thank you!
Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/celebrating-africas-big-cats/
BIG CATS
Explore Africa’s big cats – lion, leopard, & cheetah – through stunning photos & fascinating facts about their habitats & behaviours
Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/painted-predators-vanishing-prey-a-wild-dog-crisis/
WILD DOGS
African wild dogs are hunting harder for less due to prey scarcity caused by poaching. Can they overcome this changing landscape?
TRAVEL DESK:
Our safari picks of the week
Still looking for that unique once-in-a-lifetime safari adventure? Browse our ready-made safari ideas OR click here for free safari planning.
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Keep Tsavo’s eyes in the sky
Tsavo Trust safeguards Tsavo Conservation Area’s iconic tuskers, but they need wings to do it. They’re halfway to funding a helicopter – vital for vet work, collaring, rhino darting, and tackling human-wildlife conflicts. Without it, patrolling Tsavo’s vast, roadless wilderness is near impossible.
$250,000 stands between them and the sky. Will you help? Every donation to our Guarding Tuskers campaign keeps conservation airborne. Donate now. Make an impact. Keep watch over Tsavo.
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WATCH: SAVING AFRICA’S LAST TUSKERS: There are only 10 super tusker elephants left in East Africa’s Greater Amboseli ecosystem, and less than 100 remain throughout the continent. At least six of these tuskers were shot by trophy hunters last year when they crossed over the Kenyan border into Tanzania. Check out this documentary to hear informed perspectives of the onslaught on these iconic animals. (16:31) Click here to watch
For more videos celebrating Africa, check out our videos here
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