Cecil the Zimbabwean lion has gained more worldwide prominence in death than it ever did during its lifetime. Since Simba of “The Lion King” fame, no other lion has captured the world’s imagination in this way. The brutal killing of Cecil by Walter Palmer, an American dentist, has horrified and outraged people around the world. Palmer has been the subject of much criticism in … [Read more...]
Demand justice for Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe
Cecil the Lion was the most famous lion in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park – but now he's dead, and his killer may not even face any jail time. Reporters are working to confirm the horrifying details of Cecil's death. Here's what sources are saying: this month an American dentist named Walter James Palmer used bait to lure Cecil out of the park, then shot him with a bow and … [Read more...]
Cycad poacher sentenced to 10 years in landmark ruling
In a ground-breaking decision, and for the first time on record in the Eastern Cape and possibly in South Africa at large, an Encephalartos cycad poacher has been sentenced to ten years direct imprisonment by the Jansenville regional court. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (the EWT) would like to commend the National Prosecuting Authority, Advocate Coetzee, and the members of … [Read more...]
Nominations sought for rhino conservation heroes
Since 2012 the annual Rhino Conservation Awards have served to recognise the remarkable individuals and organisations that protect Africa’s rhino population. Nominations have now opened for the Rhino Conservation Awards 2015. Nominations are invited from all African rhino range states, in categories including; Best Field Ranger, Best Conservation Practitioner, Best Political … [Read more...]
Coming together to save one of Earth’s largest mammals
They're among the world's oldest species of mammal. Rhinoceros and their ancestors have been around for nearly 55 million years and, at one time or another, nearly 100 different species of these incredible creatures have roamed the planet. Now, only five species remain — white, black, greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran — and three of those are critically … [Read more...]
Let’s help relocate rhinos to less violent pastures
There is a massive international effort afoot to raise money to relocate 100 rhinos away from the devastating poaching syndicates of South Africa to Botswana, where poaching rates are low. It’s crucial we act now, because over 1,000 rhinos are being killed for their horns annually. At this rate they’ll all be gone in 20 years. And I simply can’t stand the thought that my … [Read more...]
Dutch grant helps combat rhino poaching
Since February this year, when the Dutch Postcode Lottery in Holland announced that Peace Parks Foundation was the primary beneficiary of a €14.4 million grant from its Dream Fund, the team behind the Foundation’s Rhino Protection Programme has made notable progress in combatting wildlife crime and protecting the endangered rhinoceros from criminal exploitation. The lottery … [Read more...]
736 down this year - the unforgettable cry of a wounded rhino
“They say that the cry of a wounded rhino never leaves you… It is the sound you hear when a rhino wakes with half its face and struggles to its feet, dazed and confused, into a fate it will never understand.” This is an extract from Courage in the Loss of Hope By Lauren Daisy Flynn referring to a poaching incident in Kariega Game Reserve near where I live in Mpuma Coloni. … [Read more...]
Police pitching in to prevent rhino poaching
Deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu told Parliament a dedicated special investigation unit under the command of the SA Police Service’s Detective Services is now concentrating on rhino poaching. “The unit, located within the SAPS Cross-border Unit, operates under the operational agreement between the Southern African Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPPCO) member … [Read more...]
More than 500 rhino killed by poachers in 2014
Some 558 rhino have been killed in South Africa already this year, setting the country on course for a gruesome new record number of poaching deaths, wildlife officials said on Thursday. Despite stepped-up efforts to curb the scourge, the number of animals killed is around 100 higher than at the same point in 2013, a year which saw a record 1,004 deaths. The vast, … [Read more...]
Hours to save the elephants
Poachers recently shot one of the world’s largest elephants, Satao, then hacked his 100 pound tusks out of his face with a machete. At the current rate of killing, elephants may be extinct in 15 years. This week, if we act now, we have an amazing chance to crack down on the illegal trade that fuels the slaughter. Each day, 50 regal elephants are butchered just to make dinky … [Read more...]
Are we happy with our direction?
How to break through with the crucial story of our time? One creative way is by means of an animation you simply have to see. Brace yourself for Man, created in Flash and After Effects. This deeply honest and no-nonsense rendition of our relationship with the natural world cuts to the chase. Created by Steve Cutts in 2012, this video addresses crucial environmental … [Read more...]
Kenya’s biggest elephant killed by poachers
Satao lived in Tsavo East National park in southeast Kenya and was celebrated as one of the last surviving great tuskers, bearers of genes that produce bull elephants with huge tusks reaching down to the ground. This news follows hard on the heels of the slaughter of another legendary tusker, Mountain Bull, deep inside the forests of Mt. Kenya. Of all the elephants that … [Read more...]
