Wildlife
latest news & developments
Trophy hunting study finds positive outcomes — but governance matters
A landmark review of over 1,000 studies led by Stellenbosch University reveals that 65% of documented trophy hunting outcomes in Africa are positive for conservation and local…
SA’s leopard population remains uncertain as new strategy weighs conservation and hunting
South Africa’s new draft leopard conservation strategy aims to balance preservation with cultural use and hunting, despite lacking reliable data on how many leopards actually…
The long journey is getting harder for the world’s migratory birds
A major new report reveals that nearly half of the world's migratory bird species are declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and human threats along critical flyways.
A sea of uncertainty
A spreading sardine mortality event linked to pilchard herpesvirus has hit South Africa and Namibia, raising alarms over total biomass loss, fishery limits, and the survival of…
The bluebuck, rebuilt
More than two centuries after the bluebuck vanished from the Western Cape, biotech firm Colossal Biosciences is attempting to genetically reconstruct the extinct antelope.…
The missing piece in climate change? Scientists say it could be wind
University of Pretoria researchers on Marion Island have found that shifting wind patterns, often overlooked in climate models, play a crucial role in shaping sub-Antarctic…
One elephant, 400km and 20 years of reconnecting a broken landscape
Deep in the Knysna forest, a lone elephant named Strangefoot, thought to be the last of her kind in the area, highlights the critical need for connected landscapes. This article…
Top ranger Nomcebo Tshabalala is SANParks torchbearer for women
Assistant section ranger Nomcebo Tshabalala stands undaunted in the male-dominated world of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, passionately protecting wildlife and inspiring women in…
Marion Island’s brown skuas defy scientists after landmark cat eradication
More than 30 years after South Africa eradicated feral cats from Marion Island in a landmark conservation success, scientists have discovered that one of the island's top…
The heart of the fynbos
Explore the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a unique landscape between Rooiels and Pringle Bay, where an ambitious conservation effort is underway to protect critically endangered…
Only 119 free-roaming cheetahs remain in South Africa, landmark census finds
A landmark four-year census has found that only 119 free-roaming cheetahs remain outside South Africa’s national parks and private game reserves, with researchers warning that…
Illegal gillnetting in South Africa: New reporting app targets growing threat to rivers and estuaries
Conservationists and law enforcement agencies in South Africa are launching a new Gillnet Reporting App to combat the rising problem of illegal gillnetting in rivers and…
1,400 Days in the wild: Inside the intimate drama of Zambia’s predator kingdom
For 1,400 days, a wildlife film crew lived and worked in Zambia’s Nsefu sector, documenting the lives of lions, leopards, hyenas and wild dogs in one of Africa’s most socially…
Beyond the bin: Rethinking bioplastic waste for a circular future
Stellenbosch University has developed a process involving enzymes that can break down bioplastics
Ambitious project to rewild a piece of paradise in KwaZulu-Natal
A conservation project has brought together biodiversity, habitat protection, cultural heritage and community conservation