Nine months after Zambia lifted its general trophy hunting ban—including on elephants—the country has now lifted its ban on hunting African lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (Panthera pardus). The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) lifted the ban after surveying its big cat populations and setting new regulations. During the announcement the country’s Minister of Tourism and […]
Tag: lion
Australia becomes first country to ban lion trophies
Last month, Australia became the world’s first country to ban the import or export of lion trophies, often taken from so-called canned hunting where lions are raised solely to be shot by foreign hunters. “These new rules mean that if you go overseas and engage in the appalling act of canned hunting, you can forget […]
Death Dance
Sometimes you spend hours waiting for a specific photo, anticipating and watching for the decisive moment in sweltering heat. Other times you just stumble into the right spot at the right time. I wish I could wax lyrical about the planning and preparation that went into capturing this moment, but I can’t. It was a […]
Joined for a Drink
This year has been a whirlwind thus far and my photo processing has taken a serious back seat between a new role at work, continuous family commitments and other random things. I found time tonight to take a quick peek at some of my photos from our safari to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in December […]
Video: Lion Protector Biologist Helps Big Cats and People Coexist
The fewer than 2,000 lions left in Kenya face many threats, including retaliatory killings by herders who lose livestock to the big cats. National Geographic 2014 Emerging Explorer and conservation biologist Shivani Bhalla started a nonprofit organization, Ewaso Lions, to help herders learn to live with lions – giving the big cats their best chance […]
POLL: Should lion canned hunting be banned in South Africa?
International indignation over the canned hunting of lions in SA is growing, writes Martina Polley. Lions are majestic animals, the alpha predators of the African bush. We think of them as roaming wild and free across the plains. But this is far from the reality. South Africa has a population of about 2750 lions in national […]
Madikwe: May 2010 (Part 1)
Hey everyone! I am carrying on my huge backlog of trip reports as and when I find the time to do so – so herewith the start of another belated adventure for you to enjoy. Back in May 2010 my wife and I were fortunate to be invited by my friend Gerry van der Walt […]
How Did Porcupine Repel 17 Lions? Explaining Viral Video
When the going gets tough, the prickly get going—especially in the case of a plucky porcupine that recently fended off 17 lions in South Africa’s Londolozi Game Reserve. In late October, wildlife guide Lucien Beaumont came across the pride of big cats, including some youngsters, milling around an object of interest. “To my surprise, it […]