Africa

Tag

Hippos… beware the water horse!

  It’s World Hippo Day So…. on an overland trip in East Africa in the 1990s, my wife and I learned that the hippo – not the lion or elephant or rhino – is categorised as the most dangerous wild animal in the continent! Why? Those teeth and jaws are ultra powerful Some more facts about the hippo… “Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) are large, round, water-loving animals that are native to Africa. The word “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek word for...

Spotted from space – technology locate elephants. Are poachers next?

It feels like something straight out of “Minority Report” the movie – a computer searches the planet for ‘ grey elephants in green forest’ – and returns a positive result – ‘there’s a herd scattered at ### , ### coordinates’ . Yet it’s very real – and it’s helping to highlight the plight of these magnificent beasts, spread as they are the vast plains of Africa.   “Satellites allow large‐scale surveys to be conducted in short time periods with repeat...

Park rangers protect , fatal attack

Statement from Virunga National Park on recent attack Africa national parks play a vital role to protect the wildlife of this amazing continent and travellers / tourism ( world Heritage status) and local communities benefit from the same. The importance and significance of these parks can therefore not be overstated. It is therefore doubly tragic when this happens…. It is with immense sadness that Virunga National Park confirms the deaths of 6 Park Rangers in an attack by armed assailants...

All about rhinos

World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22 every year! This special day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways. Many groups work to protect rhinos * https://wildlifeasia.org.au * https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/wildlife/asian-rhinos * http://www.kws.go.ke * https://rhinos.org...

‘Spring Alive’ : the Common Ringed Plover

As birds migrate from Europe to their wintering grounds in Africa, we explore the fascinating behaviour of the Common Ringed Plover, a small but feisty wader familiar across Africa’s wetlands. Have you ever looked at a migratory bird and imagined where it came from, and all the places it passed through to get to where it is here, today? Have you ever thought about all the different people of different nationalities who have observed and appreciated this bird before you? In...

‘Lost’ elephant shrew found

A sengi species ‘lost’ for half a century has been rediscovered in a surprising location A small mammal that has not been by scientists seen the late 1960s has been found, and in a new country. ( source and full article- https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/a-sengi-species-lost-for-half-a-century-has-been-rediscovered-in-a-surprising-location/ ) Sengis, also known as elephant-shrews, are a group of small insectivorous mammals. The Somali sengi had not been seen in the wild there for half a century, and was considered lost to science. It was known from...

World giraffe day!

he lion might be ‘king of the ‘jungle’ , but its the giraffe that has the greatest vision ( pun intended) ….. yes, everyone, it’s World Giraffe Day Giraffes are a unique creature…. The tallest mammal on the planet ; only found in Africa ; endangered or locally extinct in many African countries due to massive habitat loss ; able to Sleep standing up ; has a kick like no other m something which lions sometimes surcome to. More information...

‘Celebrating’ world Heritage

Yesterday was African #WorldHeritage Day…. What is World Heritage? Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage. World Heritage sites –...