The long shadow of colonial forestry is a threat to savannas and grasslands

The long shadow of colonial forestry is a threat to savannas and grasslands

Tree planting to restore forests, capture carbon and improve the land has gained strong momentum in recent years. The Bonn Challenge and its offshoots such as AFR100, initiatives focused on forest restoration, have persuaded developing countries to commit millions of hectares of land to these projects. Funding for AFR100 has been secured from international donors…

archaeological elephant tusks

Tusks found in 500-year-old shipwreck reveal origins of ancient elephants and impact of the ivory trade

Oxford University study leads cutting-edge scientific and historic analysis of elephant tusks found in shipwrecked cargo. OXFORD, 17 December 2020 – An international team has discovered the origin of the largest cargo of African ivory found from the oldest shipwreck in southern Africa.   The discovery of a 16th-century shipwreck has, with the aid of advanced scientific…

Earthshot prize rewilding ecosystem restoration

The African Conservation Foundation has been named an official Nominator for the Earthshot Prize

The African Conservation Foundation (ACF) is delighted and honoured to partner with the Royal Foundation of HRH The Duke of Cambridge and other global leaders to support the Earthshot Prize and tackle the environmental challenges we all face. ACF has been selected as a nominator for the Earthshot Prize. Recently launched by Prince William, the Earthshot…

Impact of climate change on rainforest elephants

UK and Gabonese experts lead research into impact of climate change on rainforest elephants

Experts from the University of Stirling, working closely with the Government of Gabon, have led an international study into the impact of climate change on Central Africa’s rainforests and the threat posed to elephant populations in the region. Dr Emma Bush and Dr Robin Whytock, of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, along with Professors Kate…

Dispelling the top seven tree planting misconceptions

Dispelling the top seven tree planting misconceptions

“Plant more trees!” has become a rallying cry for global leaders and climate activists around the world who see tree planting as a solution for everything from climate change to food security. The growing interest in this area means it is more important now than ever before to consider effective tree planting that benefits communities…

giraffes and elephants alter the African Savanna

How do giraffes and elephants alter the African Savanna landscape?

As they roam around the African savanna in search for food, giraffes and elephants alter the diversity and richness of its vegetation. By studying the foraging patterns of these megaherbivores across different terrains in a savanna in Kenya, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and collaborating institutions discovered that these large mammals prefer…

chimpanzee

Cameroon government cancels logging concession that threatens wildlife in virgin rainforest

A Cameroonian government decree allowing logging in a forest that is home to the rare Ebo gorilla and other endangered species, like chimpanzees, forest elephants and grey parrots, has been cancelled. The decree, which was signed mid-July, had sparked outrage among local communities and conservation groups. In total 68,385 hectares of virgin forest would be…

Lions are less likely to attack cattle with eyes painted on their backsides

Lions are less likely to attack cattle with eyes painted on their backsides

The predation of livestock by carnivores, and the retaliatory killing of carnivores as a result, is a major global conservation challenge. Such human-wildlife conflicts are a key driver of large carnivore declines and the costs of coexistence are often disproportionately borne by rural communities in the global south. While current approaches tend to focus on…

save ebo forest

Help prevent logging and save rare gorillas in Cameroon’s Ebo Forest

Rainforest Rescue released a petition protesting the Cameroonian government’s move to open 150,000 hectares of Ebo Forest – an area the size of Greater London – to logging.  The logging concessions would impact one of Africa’s great biodiversity hotspots. Ebo Forest is the habitat of a possible new subspecies of gorilla, as well as a…

Conservation MBA Program Full Funding Opportunity at the African Leadership University

Conservation MBA Program Full Funding Opportunity at the African Leadership University

The ALU School of Wildlife Conservation (SOWC), part of the African Leadership University (ALU), is a platform for emerging leaders with interests in conservation to get cutting edge leadership training to learn to lead effectively and manage Africa’s unique natural assets for sustainable and inclusive human benefit. SOWC aims at developing the next generation of…