African Wildlife & Conservation News
An extraordinary rescue mission deep in the Sahara captures four rare Dama gazelles and revives hopes of saving the species
For years, the dama gazelle has been of great concern to the international conservation community. This beautiful, uniquely adapted but also heavily poached species of the Sahel has suffered a long decline and now stands at the brink of extinction. Despite the risks...
Silent Forests: A rare glimpse inside the forest elephant poaching crisis
We are in the midst of an elephant poaching epidemic across the African continent. Fueled by a growing middle class in Asia that is hungry for ivory status symbols, these iconic and intelligent mammals are being slaughtered for their tusks at an alarming rate. While...
The Soutpansberg Mountains, a box of secrets for conservation ecologists?
By Chris Bell, Newcastle UniversityAn African leopard prowls silently through the undergrowth of the Northern Mist belt forests of the Soutpansberg Mountains. He knows every inch of this vast landscape, as this is his territory, where he has been the apex predator for...
Growing Livestock Numbers Threaten One of the Last Refuges for Large Wild Herbivores in Kenya
Across Laikipia County in central Kenya, large wild herbivores, including endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and African wild dog, coexist alongside rapidly growing numbers of people and associated livestock. A Biological Conservation study...
Urgent pan-Africa action plan launched by PASA to stop illegal chimpanzee trade as sanctuaries reach crisis capacity
GUINEA, WEST AFRICA – The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA)—the largest alliance of wildlife centers in Africa—has announced the launch of Action for Chimpanzees (AFC), a program to curtail the illicit trade of western chimpanzees for bushmeat and the pet trade,...
Plastic recycling is not enough: we need to address plastic pollution at the source
While organisations, scientists, governments and activists from around the world debate on how to save the planet from plastic waste, how can they really begin to solve this issue when we have no facts about where exactly the pollution is or who is responsible?...
Kenyan wildlife policies must extend beyond protected areas
At least 15% of the world’s surface is governed by laws to protect its living species, including plants, animals and fungi. But this is not enough. The most recent estimates suggest that an additional 30% of the planet’s surface needs further conservation attention....
Global Mountain Gorilla Population Count Grows to 1,063
Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities and the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration reveal that the number of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the 340-square kilometer transboundary protected forest have increased to 459 from an...
South Africa struggles to manage wildlife ranching: why it’s a problem
Over the past few decades, South Africa has seen a dramatic conversion from livestock or crop farming to wildlife ranching – known locally as game farming. The result has been a rapid rise in areas enclosed by game fences and a high demand for wildlife. Animals are...
Botswana’s Okavango Delta is created by a delicate balance, but for how much longer?
The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is a mosaic of water paths, floodplains and arid islands. The delta sits in the Okavango river basin, which spans three African countries: Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Because it’s an oasis, in a semi-arid area, it hosts a rich...