location: South Africa

location: South Africa

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South African Wild Coast communities challenge Shell in Constitutional Court
A South African court heard arguments Tuesday from coastal communities, NGOs and British oil and gas giant Shell on whether the multinational should be allowed to proceed with offshore exploration on the country’s Wild Coast. The hearing was accompanied by protests against marine oil and gas exploration across the country. The case goes back to […]
Mass vulture poisonings expose need for cross-border action in Southern Africa
- A cluster of mass vulture poisonings in May and June 2025 has drawn attention to an ongoing problem in the transfrontier conservation area that straddles South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
- The field response to the poisonings involved teams of veterinarians, rapid response teams, and stepped-up monitoring of the area, saving the lives of more than 80 vultures.
- The series of incidents triggered meetings involving South Africa National Parks, conservation NGOs and other authorities to assess where systems were lacking and could be improved.
- Experts say national strategies to address poisoning and strengthen vulture conservation need to be complemented by regional action.

Poisoning crisis could drive vulture extinction in South Africa’s Kruger region
- More than 400 vultures died in a spate of poisoning events in and near South Africa’s Kruger National Park in May and June this year.
- André Botha, co-chair of the Vulture Specialist Group at the IUCN, says more than 2,000 vultures have been poisoned in the wider Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) since 2015, and other raptors and predators have also died.
- Observers have noted an increase in hunting and snaring of species such as impala for the bushmeat trade, with poachers frequently leaving poison-laced carcasses behind to deliberately kill carnivores or vultures.
- Botha and others stress that urgent action is needed to rein in poisoning and wildlife crime in the GLTFCA, particularly preventative engagement with communities.

A nest with a chick brings rare hope for hooded vultures in South Africa
In rare good news for vultures in Africa, conservationists have confirmed the first-ever nest of a hooded vulture containing a chick in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in southeast South Africa. That marks the southernmost recorded nesting site of the critically endangered vulture species, according to KwaZulu-Natal-based nonprofit Wildlife ACT. “It gives us as conservationists some new […]
Elephant culling plan in South Africa faces backlash over welfare concerns
Animal welfare groups in South Africa are pushing back against a local government plan to allow culling and trophy hunting to reduce elephant numbers in Madikwe Game Reserve. According to the North West Parks and Tourism Board, which oversees the 75,000-hectare (185,000-acre) wildlife conservation area in the country’s north, the elephant herd has grown […]
Cape Town faces backlash over proposal to kill baboons
In Cape Town, South Africa, an ongoing conflict between people and baboons has escalated to the point that local authorities are considering culling 117 animals from four troops, roughly a quarter of the local population. The 45-kilogram (100-pound) primates sometimes raid homes for food and, very rarely, have injured people, but local conservationists argue killing […]
Scientists decode the unusual silver-blue color of an ancient South African plant
Most plants get their coloration from pigments, but an endangered South African cycad gets its unique silvery-blue hue from wax crystals and an underlying chlorophyll-rich layer, according to a recent study. Researchers say understanding how such layers work could pave the way for creating materials that protect from UV and water exposure. Cycads, sometimes described […]
Donovan Kirkwood, protector of South Africa’s rarest plants, dies aged 54 in search for one of the world’s most endangered species
In late August, high in South Africa’s Jonkershoek Mountains, a small group of botanists picked their way across steep ground in search of one of the world’s rarest plants. They were surveying Penaea formosa, a critically endangered shrub thought to number fewer than 50 individuals. Donovan Kirkwood, curator of the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, was […]
To save a rare South African ecosystem, conservationists bought the land
Three conservation trusts have together purchased an area of a severely threatened vegetation type found in the Overberg region of South Africa’s Western Cape province. Known as the renosterveld, this unique habitat characterized by shrubs and grasses is also a breeding ground for endangered black harriers, the three groups announced in a joint press release. […]
Rhino breeder John Hume accused of horn trafficking, arrested in South Africa
John Hume, a controversial rhino breeder and former owner of the world’s largest rhino breeding farm, was arrested in South Africa on Aug. 19 for alleged involvement in a rhino horn trafficking syndicate. The arrest follows a seven-year-long investigation by South African authorities. Hume, along with five others, faces 55 charges on multiple counts of […]
As climate change burdens grow, community mental health alarm bells ring
- People worldwide are struggling emotionally with the relentless escalation of the climate crisis, and reports show that climate change-related threats to mental health and well-being are increasing. But this story goes beyond statistics to look at the impacts on communities, families and individuals in the developing world.
- Stories presented here tell of anxiety, depression, anger and sadness in the face of large-scale changes to communities and personal lives, mostly due to factors out of people’s hands, which leave them feeling powerless. The problem is especially acute in poorer vulnerable communities lacking sufficient mental health services.
- The current global capacity to deal with a climate change-induced mental health emergency is inadequate, say experts who are calling for the prioritization of mental health support as an integral part of climate change interventions and mitigation.
- Some local stories offer hope. Examples show how caring, engaged communities and individuals, plus government support, can help create resilience and hope. Coping strategies include culturally sensitive interventions, mentorship, ongoing mental health assistance and honest recognition of humanity’s climate change plight.

First record of Cape clawless otter preying on African penguins: Study
The critically endangered African penguin has several predators to fear, including gulls, seals and sharks at sea, and leopards, caracals, domestic dogs and mongoose on land. A recent study has now documented the first confirmed case of yet another predator: a Cape clawless otter was observed preying on the African penguins of a mainland colony. […]
Sharon Haussmann, guardian of rhinos, died on May 31, aged 51
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. In the final months of her life, Sharon Haussmann could still be found walking fence lines, coordinating antipoaching patrols, and debating the finer points of dehorning protocol with field rangers and policymakers alike. The work was unrelenting, the […]
South Africa to ban highly toxic pesticide Terbufos
In a decision welcomed by advocacy groups and researchers, South Africa’s Cabinet has approved a ban on the import of Terbufos, a highly toxic pesticide linked to the deaths of six children in a South African township in October 2024. On June 12, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minister of Presidency, said the ban will be accompanied by […]
Blue cranes now listed as vulnerable in South Africa
The blue crane, South Africa’s national bird, is now at greater risk of extinction, as a new regional assessment lists the species as “vulnerable.” “A Near-Threatened listing is no longer appropriate, now that the population is declining,” states the recently published Red Data Book of Birds, which follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature […]
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa was under a declared state of national disaster on Thursday as the death toll from floods caused by severe rains in the Eastern Cape region rose to 92. The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week’s floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha […]
To reduce rhino poaching — by a lot — cut off their horns, study says
Poaching has decimated rhino populations across Africa, but a new study finds that dehorning the animals, or surgically removing their horns, drastically reduces poaching. The study focused on 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger ecosystem that sprawls across the border of South Africa and Mozambique. Poachers killed nearly 2,000 rhinos here, 6.5% of the reserves’ […]
Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Rescue teams began a third day searching for missing people Thursday after floods devastated parts of South Africa’s rural Eastern Cape province and left at least 49 dead. Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise. The missing included four high school students who were swept away when […]
Death of tagged white shark on bather protection gear in South Africa sparks debate
The recent killing of a juvenile great white shark on a drum line — a shark control method consisting of baited hooks attached to floating drums — off the east coast of South Africa has sparked a debate over the measures employed to protect swimmers at the expense of the threatened species. The 2.2-meter (7.2-foot) […]
Seventy southern white rhinos arrive at their new home in Rwanda from South Africa
- Conservation NGO African Parks has successfully transferred 70 southern white rhinos from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park.
- The rhinos are the first international translocations under African Parks’ Rhino Rewild initiative, which will disperse more than 2,000 rhinos from a captive-breeding operation that the NGO purchased in 2023.
- African Parks previously moved a herd of 30 rhinos to Akagera in 2021, and says Rwanda will provide a safe, viable home for more — with the potential for future expansion of the white rhino population from there into East and Central Africa.

Riding toward a greener future: E-bikes transform food delivery in South Africa
- Home deliveries in South Africa have surged in recent years, with delivery of food and groceries overwhelmingly done using motorcycles.
- One company, Green Riders, has seized a slice of this market for electric bicycles, highlighting some of the obstacles facing cyclists on Cape Town’s streets.
- The South African city’s planning includes efforts to shift commuters from using cars or buses — primarily to reduce traffic congestion — with limited success.
- The presence of several hundred couriers on e-bikes is highlighting issues including inadequate road infrastructure as well as safety for cyclists who must often travel 20 kilometers or more from their homes to reach economic opportunities.

‘Absolutely ecstatic’: Scientists confirm survival of rare South African gecko
Researchers have confirmed the presence of a rare gecko species atop an isolated South African mountain, accessible only by helicopter, more than 30 years after it was last seen. The Blyde rondawels flat gecko (Afroedura rondavelica), with its distinct golden eyes and dark-banded tail with a purplish sheen, was previously known only from two male […]
Malagasy wildlife champion wins top global conservation award
Malagasy scientist Lily-Arison René de Roland has been announced as the winner of this year’s Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes “extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts.” In its announcement, Indianapolis Zoo, which presents the award, highlighted René de Roland’s scientific and conservation work that has led to the discovery of several species and the establishment of four […]
Community-led system boosts fisheries in a corner of fast-depleting Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi’s fish stocks are declining, but one community stands apart: around Mbenje Island, a traditional fisheries management plan has ensured thriving fish populations for generations, Mongabay contributor Charles Mpaka reports. Landlocked Malawi is highly dependent on the lake, which supplies 90% of the country’s fish catch; more than 1.6 million people rely directly or […]
Cape vulture conservation offers hope, but challenges remain
- The Cape vulture, Southern Africa’s only endemic vulture species, has shown positive signs of recovery in some parts of its range, with the overall population stabilizing.
- In 2021, the species’ conservations status improved from endangered to vulnerable, making the Cape vulture a rare success story for vulture conservation in Africa, say conservationists.
- Despite this success many challenges remain in protecting this species and other vultures due to threats such as poisoning, energy infrastructure and, increasingly, “belief-based use.”
- The recovery of the Cape vulture provides a positive example for vulture conservation, but replicating this success with other species is riddled with challenges, say experts.

Traffickers slither through loopholes with wild-caught African snakes and lizards
- South Africa’s native reptiles and amphibians, including threatened species, are being illegally captured and exported for the global pet trade.
- A recent study found that eight of the 10 most-exported reptiles from South Africa are native species, most of which are not protected by CITES, the global wildlife trade convention.
- Conservationists suspect some breeders falsely claim wild-caught reptiles, such as giant girdled lizards, are captive-bred to bypass trade restrictions.
- Legal loopholes at both the national and international levels allow non-CITES-listed species to be traded with little oversight.

Mass South Africa vulture poisoning kills 123; 83 others rescued
In South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a mass poisoning attack this week has left 123 threatened vultures dead and another 83 recovering with the aid of a veterinary team. On the morning of May 6, a team consisting of the South African National Parks (SANParks) rangers and staff from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) found […]
Trophies, body parts & live animals dominate global lion trade, data show
- Lions are the most-traded wildcat in the world, and the only big cat whose commercial trade is permitted under CITES, the international wildlife trade agreement.
- Lion body parts, including bones, skins, claws and teeth, trophies and live individuals are traded across the world, both legally and illegally.
- South Africa stands out as a hotspot for the trade due to the flourishing captive lion industry, which also supplies body parts and engages in canned hunting.
- Unsustainable trade in lion bones and other body parts, including from poached lions, poses a threat to the already declining wild lion populations across the world.

Mozambique’s farmers pay the price of Europe’s paper packaging demands
The rise in e-commerce has created a commensurate rise in demand for single-use paper packaging. Fast-growing, high-yield eucalyptus has become a popular choice for paper but farming communities in Mozambique are paying the price for cheap paper according to a Mongabay documentary produced by Boaventura Monjane, Davide Mancini and Juan Maza. Portugal used to be […]
PHOTO ESSAY Wind-blown sand scouring life off a Southern African landscape
- Botany professor emeritus Timm Hoffman and his colleagues are seeing eddies of dune sand piling up around quiver trees at study sites in northwestern South Africa.
- Hoffman has been studying the iconic trees for 20 years — the sand, which in places has formed drifts up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) deep, is new.
- Five years ago, environmental scientists noted an increase in wind-blown sand plumes in the arid areas on both sides of the South Africa border for reasons that are not entirely clear.
- This spreading sand is killing off the succulent vegetation adapted to this climate, threatening this austerely beautiful region’s biodiversity and the livelihoods of shepherds and farmers who call it home.

Loss of great white sharks triggers domino effect down food chain, study shows 
- A new study shows how the disappearance of an apex predator, the great white shark, from South Africa’s False Bay triggered changes throughout the food chain.
- With the loss of the top predator in the area, populations of its prey species, such as fur seals and sevengill sharks, increased; the latter’s prey, meanwhile, small fish and smaller benthic sharks, declined.
- The changes also coincided with shifts in the behavior of animals that live in the orbit of great whites.
- Over a 20-year period, the authors observed a significant drop in numbers of great white sharks beyond the study area, raising concern that the overall population of the protected species might be in decline.

Succulents die off with expanding desert in South Africa and Namibia
Succulents endemic to South Africa and Namibia are drying up and dying across the increasingly hot northern part of their range. Mongabay contributor Leonie Joubert reports that a combination of climate change and overgrazing are causing desertification that the plants can’t survive. In September 2024, botanists Wendy Foden and Kayleigh Murray surveyed an area Foden […]
Fishing rights, and wrongs, cast small-scale South African fishers adrift
- A community of mixed-race families has lived and fished in South Africa’s Langebaan Lagoon since the 1800s.
- Starting with the former apartheid government in the 1970s, a series of conservation-oriented decisions ostensibly aimed at protecting fish stocks have slowly squeezed the number of these fishers allowed to operate in the lagoon.
- The government now says fish stocks have collapsed and it has reduced the number of small-scale fishers operating in the lagoon even further, while allowing recreational fishing to continue unimpeded. For their part, the fishers deny the stocks have collapsed, and blame declining catches on industrial developments.
- One expert likened the three-decade-long exclusion of the Langebaan net fishers to a case of fortress conservation, in which local people are squeezed out of nature and denied access to resources they’ve long used in order to preserve them for elites.

Outlook improves for wattled crane in South Africa
In what’s being hailed as a conservation success, the wattled crane has seen its conservation status in South Africa improve from critically endangered to endangered. Globally, the wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population of 6,000 mature individuals in the wild as of a 2018 […]
Vincent van der Merwe (1983-2025), champion of the cheetah
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay’s founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives, and story summaries. Vincent van der Merwe, champion of the cheetah, died March 16, aged 42. For a species built for speed, cheetahs have run out of room. In their native Africa, they are marooned on islands of fragmented habitat, hemmed […]
Conservationists, fishing industry find balance on protecting African penguins
Conservation NGOs and commercial sardine and anchovy fisheries in South Africa have reached an out-of-court settlement agreeing to extents of fishing closures around six key African penguin breeding colonies. The agreement, endorsed by the environment minister, was made a court order on March 18. The boundaries of the new fishing closures achieve “the sweet spot […]
Bleak future for Karoo succulents as desert expands in South Africa
- Recent population surveys show continued decline in two desert-adapted succulent tree aloe species, with conservationists fearing for the state of an understudied third species.
- A years-long drought has accelerated spreading dust-bowl conditions following decades of mining and heavy grazing, with grave consequences for endemic succulents.
- A conservation triage should prioritize cultivating at-risk species in nurseries and botanical gardens, many of which are unlikely to survive reintroduction into their natural habitats.  

Deadly Botswana rains made more likely by climate change, rapid urbanization
Unusually heavy rainfall struck southern Botswana and eastern South Africa from Feb. 16-20, flooding cities and killing at least 31 people. In Botswana, the government said nearly 5,500 people were affected, and more than 2,000 people evacuated. A new rapid study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), a team of international climate scientists analyzing extreme […]
Rhino poachers imprisoned in back-to-back South Africa sentencing
A South African court in January sentenced four poachers to several years in prison for two separate crimes committed in Kruger National Park (KNP). The Skukuza Regional Court, which in the past has boasted a near-100% conviction rate and under whose jurisdiction KNP falls, held two South African citizens, Sam Khosa and Solly Selahle, and […]
Vietnam faces scrutiny for not sharing enough data on rhino horn trade
Vietnam, a major hub for rhino horn trafficking, is in the spotlight at an international meeting this week for not adequately combating the illegal trade of the iconic animal. The annual meeting of the Standing Committee of CITES, the global wildlife trade convention, is being held in Geneva from Feb. 3-8. As a source country, […]
Rhino horn trafficker jailed in legal first on financial charges in S. Africa
A South African court has sentenced a Democratic Republic of Congo national named Francis Kipampa to 18 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in money laundering linked to illegal rhino trade. “It is the first time an individual has been successfully prosecuted for their role in the illegal wildlife trade linked to serious financial offenses,” the […]
Do cheetahs scavenge? Yes, research says, but also not really
- Recently published research finds that cheetahs aren’t above scavenging other predators’ kills, contrary to the conventional wisdom that they only eat what they kill.
- Direct observations and by-catch data from carnivore research projects in three locations in South Africa and Malawi were used to gather information on cheetah scavenging.
- The researchers say that understanding these behavioral shifts is crucial for cheetah conservation, as successful reintroduction efforts depend on the ability of cheetahs to adapt to new environments and food acquisition strategies.
- However, other cheetah experts question how common this phenomenon is, given that the researchers only recorded three scavenging events between 2019 and 2023.

Right whales can live to 130, but in North America they die young
- A new study indicates that right whales have extremely long lifespans of 130 years or more, adding to growing evidence of extreme whale longevity.
- The research draws attention to the plight of North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered. It found that despite their long potential lifespan, their actual lives are far shorter than those of southern right whales, a close relative.
- The authors and other experts believe North Atlantic right whales’ lives are being cut short due to threats in the “highly industrialized” waters off the eastern United States and Canada where they live; these include fishing gear, which can entangle the whales, and vessel strikes.

What singing lemurs can tell us about the origin of music
MADAGASCAR – It turns out that the Indri Indri lemurs of Madagascar can carry a tune. Researchers have found that these furry, tree-dwelling creatures use music to communicate with one another, likely for generations. Through collecting songs and calls produced by 20 indri groups in Madagascar’s rainforests over the span of 15 years, the scientists […]
New campaign seeks swifter justice for slain South African wildlife ranger
- A campaign aiming to raise funds to finance a reward for information about the 2022 killing of wildlife ranger Anton Mzimba in South Africa was launched recently.
- The campaign will also raise funds to support the efforts of a U.S.-based nonprofit, Focused Conservation, which will work with a specialized unit of the South African Police Service to investigate Mzimba’s killing.
- In 2024, wildlife rangers have also been killed by armed groups in Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo; no known arrests have been made to date.
- The lack of consequences for these crimes impacts how the rangers do their jobs, and deters new recruits from joining the profession, according to experts who work with rangers.

Poachers target South Africa’s ‘miracle’ plant with near impunity
- South Africa has faced a surge in poaching of rare succulents by criminal syndicates since 2019.
- A recent spike in prices paid for a different kind of plant, a drylands-adapted lily, the miracle clivia (Clivia mirabilis), has drawn the attention of plant-trafficking syndicates to the lone reserve where it grows.
- Large numbers of clivias have been seized by law enforcement, raising fears that this rare plant is quickly being wiped out from the limited range where it’s known to occur.
- Reserve staff and law enforcement agencies are underfunded and spread too thinly across the vast landscapes of South Africa’s Northern Cape province targeted by plant poachers.

Unlike: Brazil Facebook groups give poachers safe space to flex their kills
- A new study shows how openly poachers in Brazil are sharing content of dead wildlife, including threatened and protected species, on Facebook.
- It found 2,000 records of poaching on Brazilian Facebook groups between 2018 and 2020, amounting to 4,658 animals from 157 species from all over the country.
- Data suggest there were trophy hunts, meant only to show off hunting hauls rather than being done for subsistence or a consequence of human-wildlife conflict.
- The study highlights the impunity for environmental crimes and the easy dissemination of content related to illegal practices on social media networks in Brazil.

African women’s assembly unites for climate justice
The third Women’s Climate Assembly (WCA) took place recently in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together roughly 150 women activists and community leaders from 14 West and Central African countries. The meeting focused on addressing the impacts of the climate crisis in Africa. Among the key resolutions that emerged, participants agreed to establish an African women’s climate […]
Population crash means African penguins are now critically endangered
Africa’s only resident penguin species is now officially critically endangered, according to a recent assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Over the past century, the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) has suffered precipitous declines in its population. In the mid-1950s, there were an estimated 141,000 breeding pairs of African penguins, or 282,000 […]
Inbreeding adds to growing threats to Africa’s smallest wildcat, study finds
- The tiny black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is one of Africa’s rarest cats, only found in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, with a total population size of fewer than 10,000 individuals.
- The black-footed cat’s genome shows a high level of inbreeding, likely due to historic and recent habitat fragmentation, according to a newly published study.
- Inbreeding may increase the risk of amyloidosis, a fatal disease that kills about 70% of captive black-footed cats, and also affects wild populations.
- Long-term ecological studies of the black-footed cat in South Africa and Namibia finds that the species faces numerous complex threats, including land-use change, fragmentation, disease and climate change.

Caracal, meet penguin: How humans pushed unlikely predator and prey together
- A recent study finds that a group of caracals in South Africa has become regular seabird hunters, including eating endangered Cape cormorants and African penguins.
- The dietary shift is the result of generations of large-scale changes made to the Cape Peninsula by humans, predominantly since the arrival of the first European settlers.
- The changing landscape is causing species’ ranges to overlap more, and bringing new predators and prey into contact.
- In this system, solutions and conservation interventions are complex, as are people’s opinions about the correct way to manage the area.

Follow the prey: How servals adapt to an industrialized landscape
- A new study finds that servals have surprisingly high densities in the Sasol Secunda petrochemical industrial complex in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
- The study authors concluded that this wildcat, native to sub-Saharan African wetlands and savannas, can adapt to anywhere it can find abundant prey, no matter how disturbed by human presence.
- Highlighting the benefits of industrial sites for wildlife must, however, be contextualized to ensure that preserving natural habitats remains the priority, according to another cat expert.

Hooded vultures in Ghana and South Africa on the brink, study says
- A new study on hooded vulture populations in Ghana and South Africa shows low genetic diversity, placing the birds at threat of disease outbreaks and environmental change.
- South Africa only has an estimate 100-200 hooded vultures left, while Ghana’s population is larger but declining.
- As scavengers, hooded vultures remove corpses from ecosystems; their absence can lead to health risks for humans and wildlife.
- Researchers say their findings should spur greater conservation action to protect the birds, including from belief-based hunting practices.

South Africa seeks to settle landmark African penguin lawsuit
South Africa’s new environment minister is calling for an out-of-court settlement with conservation groups that earlier this year filed a case against his predecessor for not doing enough to protect plummeting populations of African penguins. Dion George, who took office in July, made the announcement on Aug. 20 via his Democratic Alliance party, adding he […]
African Parks embarks on critical conservation undertaking for 2,000 rhinos
- African Parks, which manages national parks in several countries across the continent, plans to rewild all 2,000 southern white rhinos from Platinum Rhino, winding up John Hume’s controversial intensive rhino breeding project.
- The conservation organization needs to find safe spaces to translocate 300 rhinos to every year, as poaching of the animals for their horns continues.
- Potential recipient areas are assessed in terms of habitat, security, national regulatory support, and the recipient’s financial and management capacity.
- Earlier this year, 120 rhinos were translocated to private reserves operating as part of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation.

‘Everything is a being’ for South Africa’s amaMpondo fighting to protect nature
- amaMpondo environmental defenders on South Africa’s Wild Coast bring the same spirit of resistance to extractive mining interests today as their forebears did to the apartheid state in the 1960s.
- Their connection with the land, and the customs that underpin this, makes them mindful custodians of the wilderness.
- The amaMpondo say they welcome economic development, but want it on their own terms, many preferring light-touch tourism over extractive mining.
- The amaMpondo’s worldview and values are passed down through the generations through the oral tradition.

South Africa adopts a new climate change law
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law a new climate change act, the first of its kind for the country. The legislation aims to both reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change already baked into the global system. The new law aims to set […]
120 rhinos moved from breeding program to South African reserves
In a significant milestone for rhino conservation, 120 southern white rhinos were recently relocated to reserves adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The rhinos were moved from Platinum Rhino, a privately run breeding program. In September 2023, conservation nonprofit African Parks announced it had purchased Platinum Rhino and its herd of 2,000 white rhinos […]
34,000-year-old termite mounds in South Africa are still being used
- Termite mounds in Namaqualand, South Africa, are at least 34,000 years old, according to a recent study.
- The termite mounds are still used by southern harvester termites (Microhodotermes viator), making them the oldest known inhabited termite mounds by a lot.
- The discovery also unearthed organic material buried deep inside the mound, demonstrating that the termites help to store carbon at depths greater than 1 meter (3 feet).
- Scientists are planning further research to understand how much carbon is stored in these termite mounds and how fast it is accumulating.

‘Explorer elephants’ in transfrontier conservation area offer solution to tree damage
- In parts of Southern Africa, elephants engage in “hedging” by breaking off the branches of hardwood mopane trees, snapping their trunks in two or pushing them over.
- Consequently, large areas of mopane forest are transformed into shrublands, which a new study in Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park says can threaten the habitat of other forest-dependent animals.
- Gonarezhou is part of a massive transfrontier conservation area, and some “explorer elephants” have been searching for routes to alternative foraging grounds in neighboring South Africa and Mozambique.
- But hunting and human settlements are creating a “barrier of fear” that stands in their way.

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