Lions, Africa’s largest predators, are a near-universal source of fear for the continent’s wildlife. But in Kenya, it’s the king of the jungle that’s now becoming fearful — of domestic livestock. In Kenya, most wildlife is found outside formally protected areas. The lions, zebras and elephants that attract tourists mostly live in pastoralist rangeland. […]
Category: Wildlife
Huge carnivores are roaming the streets of this Ethiopian city. What they’re doing could be saving people $100,000 USD per year
Climate change has an unlikely new ally. In Ethiopia, urban scavengers, such as hyenas and hooded vultures, are preventing over a thousand tonnes of carbon emissions every year, just by eating rotten meat. The findings are reported in Ecological Solutions and Evidence. Scavenging animals are a common feature of large Ethiopian cities, where they live in the […]
“My stomach lurched as the hippo drifted in our direction, only her pink, sweaty face visible – like a shark’s fin.”
It was a misty morning, soon to be scorching, like every day in Niger, when we arrived at the riverbank. I was 17, living in the capital, Niamey, while my mother worked as a diplomat at the US embassy. It was the Christmas holidays and my mother, keen for my sister and I to experience […]
Lynx could return to Scotland – but can rewilders win over wary Highlanders?
Could lynx, the elusive wild cat driven to extinction in Britain more than 1,000 years ago, become the new Loch Ness monster? “Whether Nessie’s there or not, she draws tourists,” said Margaret Luckwell, a resident of Moray, Scotland. “It would be the same with lynx. I’d love to see a lynx in the wild.” Luckwell’s view […]
Out of captivity, into conflict: slow lorises struggle to survive after release
Wildlife releases are usually joyous events. Uplifting scenes of animals cautiously nosing the air as they take their first tentative steps into freedom warm our hearts. However, new research suggests the wild can be a “death trap,” especially if the released individuals lack the essential skills to find food and integrate with wild populations, or […]
7 astonishing underwater kingfisher photos that show the beautiful bird is just as at home below the surface as above it
These remarkable photographs show how a kingfisher dives and the ingenious way it is adapted for underwater The common kingfisher, or Alcedo atthis, is an iconic sight on the riverbanks and wetlands of the UK. Azure blue with an orange and white sheen, they offer a fast moving streak of colour among reeds and waterways. But despite their […]
Older Male Whales More Successful at Mating Because They’re Better Singers, Shows Study
Older male whales are more successful at mating than their younger rivals because they are better singers, suggests new research. The older singing whales are increasingly successful at birthing offspring compared to younger males, with the findings suggesting that the humpbacks may need time to learn and refine their singing and competitive tactics—giving experienced males […]
Australia hands record prison sentence to reptile smuggler in trafficking crackdown
The seizure of dozens of live Western blue-tongued lizards, bearded dragons and spiny-tailed skinks covertly packed into popcorn bags, biscuit tins and women’s handbags have led to the longest prison sentence ever doled out to a wildlife smuggler in Australia. On February 13, a New South Wales District Court sentenced 61-year-old Neil Simpson to eight years […]