July 01
Africa: Honey Bees Vote to Decide On Nest Sites - Why We Should Listen
When people think of honey bees, they often think of classic wooden hives, in which beekeepers are having to breed more and more bees just to keep managed populations stable. These… Read more »
July 02
South Africa: South Africa's 70,000kg Rhino Horn Stockpile Must Be Burnt to Prevent Illegal Trading
Despite a global ban on international buying and selling of rhino horn since 1977, the South African government and owners of private rhino reserves continue to stockpile it. A new… Read more »
June 27
Africa: A 'Trilobite Pompeii' - Perfectly Preserved Fossils of Ancient Sea Critters Found Buried in Volcanic Ash
If you've ever visited the fossil gallery of a natural history museum -- or its gift shop, for that matter -- you've probably seen the armoured body remains (or exoskeletons) of an… Read more »
June 25
Africa: Maths Makes Finding Bat Roosts Much Easier, Our Research Shows
Finding bats is hard. They are small, fast and they primarily fly at night. Read more »
June 20
Africa: Elephants Use the Tips of Their Trunks to Grasp Things With Great Precision
An elephant uses its trunk for eating, drinking water, communicating, exploring the environment, social behaviour, and making and using tools. The trunk, which contains six muscle… Read more »
June 11
Africa: African Elephants Address One Another With Name-Like Calls - Similar to Humans
What's in a name? People use unique names to address each other, but we're one of only a handful of animal species known to do that, including bottlenose dolphins. Finding more… Read more »
June 03
South Africa: New Drakensberg Nature Reserve Will Protect Ancient Rock Art, Wildlife, Livelihoods, Grasslands and Water
South Africa's Drakensberg mountains have a new 6,500 hectare nature reserve. The new Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve is working with communities and will preserve ancient rock… Read more »
May 30
Africa: How Many Giraffe Species Are There? Understanding This Is Key to Their Protection
Giraffes, with their distinctive body shape and variations in coat patterns, have long been an example in evolutionary biology teachings. They are a textbook example of how species… Read more »
May 24
Africa: Animals Self-Medicate With Plants - Behavior People Have Observed and Emulated for Millennia
When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists… Read more »
May 15
South Africa: Leopard DNA Study in South Africa Traces Ancestry to Ice Age - and Will Guide Conservation
An ice age almost one million years ago led to a meeting between leopards from central and southern Africa that were searching for grassland. New research into the leopards'… Read more »
May 13
Africa: Wildlife Traffickers Carried On Their Illegal Trade During Covid Lockdown
The world literally stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while countries locked down to keep coronavirus at bay, wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal activities.… Read more »
May 08
Africa: Playing With the Kids Is Important Work for Chimpanzee Mothers
Wild chimpanzees have been studied for more than 60 years, but they continue to delight and surprise observers, as we found during the summer of 2017 in Kibale National Park in… Read more »
May 01
Africa: The Covid-19 Pandemic Changed Our Patterns and Behaviours, Which in Turn Affected Wildlife
The Earth now supports over eight billion people who collectively have transformed three-quarters of the planet's land surface for food, energy, shelter and other aspects of the… Read more »
April 24
Africa: Our Laser Technique Can Tell Apart Elephant and Mammoth Ivory
In recent years, the global trade in elephant ivory has faced significant restrictions in an effort to protect dwindling elephant populations. Many countries have stringent… Read more »
April 15
South Africa: Climate Change Is Causing Marine 'Coldwaves' Too, Killing Wildlife
The effects of ocean warming are profound and well-documented. But sometimes changes in the patterns of winds and ocean currents cause seawater to suddenly cool, instead. Read more »
Africa: Reptiles in South Africa Are Under Threat - but There's Good News Too
Media reports about the biodiversity crisis and what researchers have argued qualifies as a mass extinction event tend to focus on the big ecological effects. Melting ice sheets,… Read more »
April 12
Africa: Africa's Wildebeest - Those That Can't Migrate Are Becoming Genetically Weaker - New Study
Wildebeest - large African antelopes with distinctively curved horns - are famous for their great migrations on the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. One hundred and fifty… Read more »
Zimbabwe: El Niño Drought Leaves Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba Only 13 Percent Full - a Disaster for People and Wildlife
Water levels at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe have dropped dramatically because of the latest El Niño drought. The country's president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has declared a national… Read more »
April 10
Africa: African Wild Dogs Will Soon Have Their Own Sperm Bank - How Artificial Breeding Will Help Them Survive
Scientists from the Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals have been working in southern Africa for over 15 years to protect endangered African wild dogs… Read more »
April 08
South Africa: South Africa Is to Shut Down Captive Lion Farms. Experts Warn the Plan Needs a Deadline
The South African government has officially confirmed that captive lion farms will be shut down. A new ministerial task team report just released has cemented the government's… Read more »
April 01
Africa: After 10 Years of Work, Landmark Study Reveals New 'Tree of Life' for All Birds Living Today
The largest-ever study of bird genomes has produced a remarkably clear picture of the bird family tree. Published in the journal Nature today, our study shows that most of the… Read more »
April 04
Africa: South Africa's Conservation Model - Why Expanding the Use of Biodiversity to Generate Money Is a Good Idea
South Africa's government is calling for public comments on an updated version of its existing biodiversity economy plan. Read more »
April 03
Kenya: Kenya's Wildlife Conservancies Make Old Men Rich, While Making Women and Young People Poorer
Kenya once had an exceptional abundance and diversity of wildlife. But as the country's population boomed, wildlife lost space to people, buildings, roads and agriculture. Read more »
March 21
Africa: Pangolins in Africa - Expert Unpacks Why Millions Have Been Traded Illegally and What Can Be Done About It
Pangolins are fascinating creatures known for their unique appearance and distinctive scales. They are mammals belonging to the order Pholidota and are native to Africa and Asia.… Read more »
March 20
Africa: Chimpanzees Stayed in an 'Invisible Cage' After Zoo Enclosure Was Enlarged - South African Study
Captive chimpanzees are one of the most popular species kept in zoos because of their charismatic appeal and similarity to humans. They are the closest living relatives of humans… Read more »