Stories & galleries
My Life with Leopards
On May 31, 1993, two 6-week-old leopard cubs were brought to the Londolozi Game Reserve, a private reserve bordering the Kruger National Park. In charge of the cubs was Graham Cooke, a 22-year-old old game ranger who had been working at the reserve since 1988. The intention was to rehabilitate the cubs back into the …
The legend of the Mapogo lions
“Legend” – A person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticised tales or exploits. ‘Legend’ is a word that is thrown around all too often in this day and age, but the term surmises the reign of the Mapogo lions in the Sabi Sands to perfection. For the last six …
Young mountain gorillas destroy poachers’ snares
Today in Rwanda, field staff of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund observed several young gorillas from Kuryama’s group destroying snares set by poachers! “We knew that gorillas do this but all of the reported cases in the past were carried out by adult gorillas, mostly silverbacks,” said Veronica Vecellio, gorilla program coordinator at the Karisoke Research Center. “Today, two …
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Caracals count too: mesopredator research in the Cederberg
On a recent trip to the Cederberg with my 9-year-old son, I arranged to meet a young researcher working for the Cape Leopard Trust. I was keen to chat to her about the work of the CLT in the area, and to try and expose my son to the blood, sweat, mud and tears side …
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Gorilla trekking in gumboots
Crossing into the Congo wasn’t the most comfortable experience we’ve ever had but it was an awe-inspiring adventure to go and meet the majestic mountain gorillas, making a childhood dream come true for Marcus. Bouncing around in the back of a safari truck, we wound our way through fertile farmland and villages with grass-thatched huts …
The Boy with the Sapphire Eyes
The above image was recently submitted by Vanessa Bristow, who called it ‘The Boy with the Sapphire Eyes’. Within minutes of posting this magical picture, there was an enormous flood of comment and feedback. Amongst much of the rumpus was a fair degree of suspicion, doubting and downright slander about the picture’s authenticity. Swoops of …
Rare spotless cheetah sighted in Kenya
Armed with a spotter plane made by the Israeli army (and coincidentally called Cheetah), a radio and a LandRover in hot pursuit, wildlife artist Guy Coombes went in search of the elusive ‘morph’ cheetah. “I was told about this incredible ‘morph’ phenomenon that has not been seen for over 90 years…the last one recorded was …
