Hermanus and False Bay – things to do, what, when and how. A complete guide to having fun on Cape Town’s coastline – from a local
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Snakebite!
A miraculous escape from death, and how to prevent and treat snakebite.
Deeper into Durban
To the traveller and foodie Durban is an eclectic fusion of old and new, trendy and not-so-much. We reveal some of her secrets
A Rock Art Jewel
One man’s mission to document a complex rock art panel on the roof of a shelter in a remote area of South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains
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 …
It’s hard to be a man
The Xhosa people of South Africa have an age-old ritual that is mystical, secretive & far away from the eyes of the public. This is Ulwaluko
Turtles – ninjas of the Deep
Turtles – the wanderers of Earth’s vast oceans – played a vital part in changing the conservation status of our coastline
Through a Land of Giants
The Ruvuma River does not give up her secrets easily – but that did not stop 4 intrepid researchers from journeying its length
The wild beneath the ocean waves
‘What’s great about the ocean is that you swim a hundred and fifty meters from the shore, and you feel vulnerable – you are in the wilderness,’ says Craig Foster. Feeling vulnerable is something most modern humans try to avoid, but it would have been a regular part of our ancestors’ lives, and it draws …
Ethiopia’s church forests
In the highlands of Ethiopia, American scientist Meg Lowman is working with local forest ecologist Alemayehu Wassie to protect ancient church forests. As in many developing countries, much of Ethiopia’s original forests have been cleared for subsistence agriculture and for harvesting timber and firewood, diminishing northern Ethiopia’s forest cover from 45% of its territory in …
Elephant charities – the good, the bad & the gly
In September 2013, a high-profile announcement was made in New York about a bold Clinton Global Initiative, bringing together NGOs, governments and concerned citizens to stop the slaughter of Africa’s elephants. Making international headlines, the Initiative pledged $80 million over three years to counteract the elephant crisis with a three-pronged strategy to “stop the slaughter, …
Continue reading “Elephant charities – the good, the bad & the gly”
Finding gold in Gabon – the golden cat
I was used to working in the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa, where the animals I studied roamed in full sight. I was used to the relative comfort and safety of getting around in a 4×4, and my camera went everywhere with me. Then, in 2010, I arrived in the Central African country of …
Cape fire – life in the Ashes
Walking through the ashes of Table Mountain National Park after last week’s monumental fire, I didn’t expect to see it as a landscape teeming with life, and yet it was. The sensation was one mixed with awe at the devastation and wonder at the nature that has survived or is already emerging. The fire raged …
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
Living Wild in Liuwa
Liuwa Plain, a remote national park in Zambia, is a conservation success story because of cooperation from villagers that live inside the park
Vic Falls – Africa’s adventure capital
From the sedate to the downright terrifying, Vic Falls has it all for the adventure traveller and safari enthusiast
The Thing About Hunting
The thing about hunting is that the topic is so polarising that it prevents meaningful discourse between people who probably have more in common than they care to admit. And, while the protagonists battle it out, the grim reapers continue to harvest Africa’s wildlife and other natural resources. We humans tend to silo information to …
Exploring East Africa’s coral reefs
With the stadium lights of Durban fading into the night and the water lapping at the side of the boat, our small team had high hopes. Little did we know this would be our last night of restful sleep for a long while. Using a minimal budget and a team of six divers, one filmmaker, …
Monkey business
A tiny black face peers through the open gate, not daring to go out. A few minutes later, another furry body runs past – he is the first vervet monkey to step into a land of unknown mysteries, his new home. Soundlessly, other troop members follow – the juveniles first, the females and their babies …
Samburu Sensations
We challenged our CEO Simon Espley to tick off a carefully compiled list of avian eye candy during his 3-day Samburu safari
Gule Wamkulu – when the ancestors dance
In various parts of Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, the spirits of the ancestors take on corporeal form and dance for their living descendants. Not just to entertain but also to inform, chastise and guide. The forms they take are varied and spectacular, and the occasion of their portrayal is called the gule wamkulu – the …
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. …
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 …
Cry Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf is Africa’s most endangered carnivore. Learn what is being done to protect them in the Ethiopian highlands
One Month with the Himba
Documentary photographer Alegra Ally tells us about her month with the Himba people, Namibia’s most enigmatic tribe.
Zakouma – beyond the infinity pool
A visit to Zakouma, central Africa’s last wildlife stronghold, means going back to old-school, authentic safari values
The Rise of the Huntress
A commentary on the rising popularity of hunting among young women.
Kalahari: photographing life in the desert
Wildlife photographer Hannes Lochner shares his experiences from living and working in the Kalahari
Fascinating Pangolin Facts
Get to know more about the pangolin, one of Africa’s most elusive creatures
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.
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
Three years in the wild
Sometimes, I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world. For the past three years, I have lived almost exclusively in South Africa’s national parks and nature reserves. On a typical day, while some people sit in city traffic, I could photograph lions in the Kalahari, tracking rhinos with rangers or swimming with turtles. …
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 …
Ruaha – a walk on the wild side
Ranger training in Ruaha (Tanzania) evokes the peril and beauty of walking safaris – the best way to really feel Africa’s pulse
Ruaha – wild inspiration
WE ASKED RUAHA’S RESIDENT ARTIST OF 11 YEARS ABOUT LIFE AND INSPIRATION IN TANZANIA’S WILDEST FRONTIER
A friend of the enemy
A CONSERVATIONIST INTERVENES IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PREDATORS
Hadza: a short history of an ancient tribe
Tanzania’s Hadza people – the last of the true hunter-gatherers – an ancient tribe that still hangs onto a traditional way of life
Hunting with the hadza
A journey back in time with one of the world’s oldest tribes on Earth. Greg Lederle spends time hunting with the Hadza people in Tanzania
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
