“Elephant damage!” is now a common phrase in reaction to the sight of fallen trees, and landscapes bereft of trees. The apparent loss of large savanna trees such as marula and knobthorn in Africa’s protected areas is often blamed on elephants, and this perceived direct link between elephants and treefall drives many conservation authorities and strategies to focus on managing elephant numbers to ‘save’ trees.
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Habitat loss and poaching have driven dramatic declines in African elephants, but it is challenging to measure their numbers and monitor changes across the entire continent. A new study has analyzed 53 years of population survey data and found large-scale declines in most populations of both species of African elephants.
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Africa’s iconic terrestrial predators – the three big cats, the African painted wolf, and the spotted hyena – are all wondrously proficient predators that fit neatly into place in their ecosystems.
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Apangolin’s defence mechanism, honed over millions of years, is a remarkable example of nature’s ingenuity. When threatened, the “scaly anteater” curls into a compact ball, its tough scales shielding its vulnerable belly from predators’ sharp teeth.
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The sands of the Kalahari dunes are thick and soft – murder on the calves of the uninitiated – especially after a day spent following meerkats, feeling ungainly in their light, scampering presence.
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In the recent report provided by the High-Level Panel on the management of iconic wildlife species in South Africa, the majority of the panel recommended that the government of South Africa ban captive lion breeding.
