When the guns finally fell silent in 1992, little was left alive in Gorongosa national park. During the 15 years of Mozambique’s civil war – in which more than a million people died – the country’s wildlife also paid a terrible price. Poaching for meat and ivory was so intense that the small surviving elephant […]
Tag: Spotted hyena
Uganda’s lions in decline, hyenas thriving – new findings from country’s biggest ever carnivore count
For nearly 15 years almost no information was available on the population status of Uganda‘s large carnivores, including those in its largest national park, Murchison Falls. These species represent a critical part of Uganda’s growing tourism economy. The country is home to the famed tree-climbing lions, which are much sought after for this unique behaviour. […]
Study links African lion survival to prey availability
BLANTYRE, Malawi ― African lions are declining due to the decrease in their herbivore prey, necessitating the need for increased prey protection measures to reverse this trend, a study says. According to the study published in the Conservation Science and Practice journal, preventing prey depletion can improve the lion‘s reproduction and population growth in ecosystems […]
The state of lions, leopards and hyenas in Uganda
The first comprehensive population estimate of Uganda‘s lions, leopards and spotted hyenas in almost two decades has revealed that lion numbers in the country are extremely low. Leopards (Panthera pardus) are holding on across the country, and hyenas are faring well. In a collaboration involving more than 100 conservation stakeholders, researchers used spatial capture-recapture methods […]
The world’s weirdest penises – including a detachable one that swims off after a mate
When it comes to the animal kingdom, nature’s creativity knows no bounds – especially when it comes to reproduction. Across different animal species, penises take on strange and unexpected forms, each adapted for a specific ecological niche or evolutionary advantage. From detachable appendages and corkscrew shapes to multi-functional tools, the diversity in animal penises is […]
The hyenas of Harar: how a city fell in love with its bone-crunching carnivores
The hyenas gather as night settles. The bolder animals come early and lounge around, undisturbed by the loud blare of mosques calling people to prayer. By the time Abbas Yusuf arrives, dozens lurk in the semi-darkness, pacing over shards of splintered bone and broken glass. Abbas whistles and calls, tossing out a few chunks of […]
Leopard with an Impala kill in Maasai Mara
We were captivated by the sight of this Leopard with the Impala kill and we took our time to soak in the experience. When we circled for a different view, we noticed the huge size of the Impala. The immense strength of this Leopard to have hauled this huge Impala up this tall tree was […]
Mammals of Kruger Park
In my last post from South Africa, I will share some photos of mammals and reptiles we encountered in Kruger Park. Even though we did not find any surprising animals, it was exciting to see large numbers of common mammals. After the low densities we had experienced in Hluhluwe, Kruger Park felt like the Real […]