Elephant identification is a difficult task – but a new system based on ear patterns is making the task easier – research by Elephants Alive
Tag Archives: elephants
Spotting elephants from space
Artificial intelligence and satellite images can help conservationists count elephants from space, says new research.
580 elephants return to Virunga in DR Congo – and other species follow in their wake
580 elephants have been seen moving again between Queen Elizabeth NP in Uganda and Virunga NP in DR Congo – and other species are following
Forest elephants going hungry as climate change stops trees from fruiting
Forest elephants are losing body condition – most probably due to climate impacts on forest tree fruit production – say researchers
The great elephant balancing act
Elephants are amazing animals and a favourite for holidaymakers on safari. BUT meeting an elephant at night near your home can be terrifying
Elephants & cattle – restoring soil nutrient levels
Research shows that elephants can assist farmers by restoring soil nutrient levels when cattle have depleted those nutrients
The importance of adult male elephants
The selective harvesting of old bull elephants damages broader elephant society because of the important role played by the bulls – research
“Living dead” – elephants in Kruger NP are sterilizing palm trees, says research
Elephants feeding on fan palm trees are preventing the palms from reaching full size & reproductive potential in Kruger NP, says new study
Botswana elephant graveyard: mystery death toll rises to 400
What we know about elephants dying under mysterious circumstances near the northern Botswana village of Seronga, north of the Okavango Delta
Hyenas eat baby elephant while its mother watches helplessly – both elephants were stuck in mud
Hyenas eat baby elephant while its mother watches helplessly – both elephants were stuck in mud. WARNING: Some may find the images distressing.
Elephant Warriors
Elephant collaring in the Greater Kruger by Elephants Alive and Blue Sky Society Trust – a process driven by science and the need for data
Trophy hunting: rural communities respond
Opinion: Rural communities are the custodians of African wildlife and deserve to have their voices heard in the trophy hunting debate.
Saving the Northern White Rhino: Third Embryo Successfully Created
International scientists and Kenyan conservation authorities have successfully created the third viable embryo of the near-extinct northern white rhino. The global initiative has taken yet another step in the long journey to pull this subspecies back from the brink.
Severe drought affecting elephants and other wildlife in Mana Pools
Severe drought in Mana Pools is affecting elephants and other wildlife – a photographer shares her images and thoughts.
Scientists write letter to Botswana president about elephants
Prominent elephant scientists write to Botswana’s President Masisi about strategy to manage elephants and reduce conflict with humans.
Opinion: The untold story behind hunting in Botswana
Hunting in Botswana: Human-wildlife conflict scientist takes a deeper look at whether the historic hunting ban was good or bad for elephants and people.
Opinion by human-wildlife conflict specialist: Botswana has found her voice about elephants – but will we listen?
Human-wildlife conflict specialist comments on the recent recommendations regarding the hunting ban and human-elephant conflict in Botswana.
Opinion: Dereck Joubert reacts to Botswana hunting and culling recommendation
Respected filmmaker and conservation spokesperson Dereck Joubert has reacted to the Botswana government committee proposal to resume trophy hunting, and commence with elephant culling. Plans also include erecting fences to prevent certain wildlife migrations, and improve on human-wildlife conflict mitigation methods.
Elephants: Listen to the people of the Okavango – opinion
The elephant – an iconic species that is beloved around the world is not such a gentle giant to the people who actually live with Earth’s largest mammal. This is the story of over 16,000 people from 15 settlements in the eastern Okavango Delta panhandle who are trapped between a river and over 18,000 elephants.
Research: Are there too many elephants in Botswana?
Botswana’s researchers contribute to the debate surrounding large elephant populations and their impact on the environment in southern Africa.
Can elephants run, or do they just walk faster?
A fascinating study has revealed that although elephants can move at considerable pace, there is a question as to whether they can run.
Bees protect large trees from elephant impact
A study has found that hanging beehives containing African honeybees from the branches of marula trees protects these trees against elephant impact because the elephants avoid those trees.
Video: Young elephants kicked and slapped during capture for Chinese zoos
Rare footage of the capture of wild young elephants in Zimbabwe shows rough treatment of the calves as they are sedated and taken away.
9 Elephants die in freak electrocution accident
In a tragic accident, 9 elephants have died in a freak accident after being electrocuted by power lines near Sua Pan and a village called Dukwi in Botswana.
Killing crop-raiding elephants won’t solve problem, say scientists
One of African conservation’s most pressing issues is ensuring that elephants and humans can coexist peacefully in the same area
Love for elephants on the Elephant Ignite Expedition
The Elephant Ignite Expedition travelled to 10 different countries, to visit projects that work tirelessly to save elephants
China announces end of legal ivory trade
China announces 2017 timeline for domestic ivory ban.
An elephant family finds a new home
Eight elephants find a new home in an area that hasn’t seen elephants for over 100 years.
CITES CoP17 – Africa in a nutshell
A brief summary of the main decisions taken at CITES CoP17 that affect African wildlife species.
CITES votes against strongest protection for elephants
CITES meeting blocks proposal for ban on all trade of ivory from four southern African countries.
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.
Ivory trade mechanism rejected in heated debate at CITES conference
Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe’s recommendation for the adoption of a Decision-Making Mechanism for a future trade in ivory is roundly rejected by parties at CITES CoP17.
Kruger cull: a bad idea?
Culling wildlife in Kruger during times of drought can negatively affect ecosystems – decision-makers should not rush into culling
Book Review: Elephant Dawn by Sharon Pincott
Every now and then a book comes along that breaks through the wallpaper of life and delivers its message intravenously. Elephant Dawn by Sharon Pincott does that – it is an intense read, inspiring and moving.
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.
Barbaric elephant slaughter in Angola
Barbaric elephant slaughter creates horror scene on the banks of the Okavango River.
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.
Peter Beard and The End of the Game
A meeting with Peter Beard, author of the End of the Game – a provocative tale of the harsh reality of starvation, poaching and hunting in Kenya.
Local community rallies together to save elephants that are stuck in the mud
The tale of an attempt to rescue two elephants from the mud after they became stuck after trying to drink water from muddy pools
Tanzania’s most wanted elephant poacher and ivory trafficker arrested
A major ringleader, who is also a supplier of weapons, ammunition and cars to poaching syndicates, is arrested. And with both ‘Shetani’ and the ‘Queen of Ivory’ now in custody, there is a chance to crack down on the international networks involved in the illegal trafficking of ivory.
Elephants held hostage in Laikipia
Young bull elephants held hostage in Laikipia after destroying crops. It is estimated that local communities lose over a US$1 million in revenue from raiding elephant in Kenya each year.
Welfare of elephants in captivity comes under question
Elephants are still being ridden in South Africa, despite a growing international move away from the controversial practice
Drones keep elephants safe in Tanzania
To reduce human-elephant conflict, drones are being used to chase elephants off farms and ensure their safety.
Uganda’s elephant population on the rise
The Great Elephant Census offers hope for savanna elephants in Uganda.
9 things you didn’t know about Garamba
From Garamba’s dark history to its blossoming future, here are 9 facts about this park in the DRC.
Chinese delegate at Elephant Summit asks about buying elephant penis
A summary of the recent African Elephant Summit where a Chinese delegate asked about buying elephant parts including the trunk and penis.
It’s not the end of the game for Namibia
Chairman of the Kunene Regional Conservancy Association responds to the article: End of the game for Namibia.
Ivory dealers busted thanks to German travellers
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.
End of the game for Namibia
Having been involved in Namibia’s community-based conservation programme over the past 20 years, Christiaan Bakkes is questioning whether the programme is still the success it has been hailed as.
Celebrating Zakouma National Park
Zakouma National Park a picturesque conservation success story.
Chinese criminal syndicates and corruption behind Tanzania’s elephant meltdown
A new report reveals that Chinese-led criminal gangs are conspiring with corrupt Tanzanian officials to traffic huge amounts of ivory, a trade which has caused half of Tanzania’s elephants to be poached in the past five years.
When the buying stops, the killing can too
A look into the illegal wildlife trade and how to reduce the demand that is fuelling the illegal poachers who take the lives of thousands of rhinos and elephants every year.
Walking with a myriad of wildlife in Tsavo
Join us on a great walk through Tsavo as we come across elephants, lions, hyenas, crocodiles and much more…
Ramping up support for elephants and rhinos
In just a few short weeks the world will be taking to the streets in support of our endangered, iconic wildlife species, courtesy of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, which takes place on World Animal Day – October 4.
Elephants, communities and conservation
Gail Potgieter talks about making your footprint count for conservation when touring Africa.
Death of the kings – Tembe’s elephants in danger
In Africa today there are probably no more than 40 giant tusker elephants, in South Africa, the last of these giants live in Tembe Elephant Park in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal
How to relocate an elephant
“An elephant can’t resist a watermelon; it’s an easy job to lace it with deadly chemicals” when “a herd of elephants can cost you $10 000 in crop destruction in a night.” In order to help rural farmers and elephants alike KWS is translocating elephants to remote Kenyan reserves.
Emotion and desert elephants
Dr Margaret Jacobsohn gives her thoughts on the Namibian desert elephant hunting debate.
Zimbabwe’s Presidential Elephants in peril
Sharon Pincott, who worked for 13 years under the banner of The Presidential Elephant Conservation Project protecting the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe has announced that she has closed down her project.
Animal cruelty charges for Knysna Elephant Park
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has laid animal cruelty charges against Elephants of Eden, the Knysna Elephant Park, for cruelty to elephants.
Criticisms of the Environmental Minister’s views on ivory trade
Criticisms have emerged following Edna Molewa’s, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, remarks on the ivory trade and how it relates to a possible trade in rhino horn.
To bee or not to bee
Farmers along the perimeter of Serengeti National Park have tried various elephant-deterring techniques, from beating tin cans to lighting fires, most of which haven’t appeared to work. But now there are beehive fences which appear to be doing the job!
The elephant killing fields of Selous
Some 481 miles to the southeast of Tanzania’s iconic Serengeti National Park lies the lesser well-known Selous Game Reserve. But for many species in the Selous, all is far from well. Results from a wildlife census conducted in October and November, 2013, show a dramatic decline in elephants in particular.
Is the Serengeti safe? Ask an elephant.
The elephants of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park may have figured out where danger is – and where it usually isn’t. Scientists examine the stress levels of these gentle behemoths of the savanna to see if they have an innate sixth sense.
Mourning elephants in the Maasai Mara
A bizarre elephant death ritual plays out in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve as a herd of elephants pay respect to an elephant carcass.
Walking with Giants in Tsavo
Africa Geographic guests recently spent 5 days following elephants in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park on an 80km walking safari
