By Tracy Keeling - One Green Planet According to a study released in April, a mere 3% of ecosystems around the globe remain intact. To determine the integrity of the world’s wildernesses, the study’s authors looked at both the current state of habitats...
By Don Pinnock - Daily Maverick The High-Level Panel report on Lions, Rhinos, Elephants and Leopards marks a tectonic shift from apartheid-era exclusive ownership and use of wildlife to a more inclusive and transformative approach that acknowledges community...
By Cyril Zenda, Fair Planet The desire to own a python skin belt proved costly for Tapiwa Mpofu, a villager from Zimbabwe’s Hurungwe communal areas who is now serving a nine-year jail term. Two years ago, the 41-year old man was convicted for violating the Parks and...
By Andrew Plumtre - The Conversation Few things excite biologists more than contemplating the parts of the world still relatively free of human damage. For the last 30 years, scientists intent on protecting Earth’s biodiversity have sought to enshrine targets for...
By Rosie Awori Deep in the dense forests of Central and West Africa, members of a lesser-known African elephant species slowly make their way through their jungle habitat eating and quietly carrying on with their lives. Unknown to them, their identity has been a...
By Charan Saunders - The Revelator The values of Zimbabwe’s and Namibia’s ivory stockpiles have been grossly overstated, and their proposed sale would lead to another poaching epidemic. Last year the world reacted in shock when Namibia announced plans to auction off...
By Dr Adam Cruise Commodifying elephants under the banner of ‘consumptive sustainable use’ may hinder rather than help rural communities in Namibia’s community-based conservancies. The equity of financial benefits for impoverished rural communities from Namibia’s...
By George Wittemyer - The Conversation Humans have been over-exploiting African elephants for centuries. More than 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire’s demand for ivory led to the extinction of genetically distinct elephant populations in northern Africa. But in...
By Robin Whytock and Fiona Maisels - The Conversation wo big decisions have been made in the last few weeks in relation to African elephants that will have major implications for the survival of the giant mammals. The first is that a global body devoted to...
By Tracy Keeling - The Canary The controversial sale of elephants from Zimbabwe to other countries, mostly China, is again in the spotlight. The renewed scrutiny comes due to author and filmmaker Karl Ammann highlighting related...