Blog / Category_Conservation

Most people have probably heard about the issues with poaching in Africa, and you may have even seen some of the images in National Geographic or on the Internet or television. What most people fail to realize, though, is how brutal and serious an issue poaching actually is.

Illegal wildlife trade is a $19 billion per year industry – something that is causing some of the most endangered species on earth to reach critically low levels. Without action, many of these species could become extinct a lot sooner than you think.

Putting Poaching in Africa into Perspective – Recent Poaching Statistics

• In 2013, 1004 rhinos were killed in South Africa alone. 
• If poaching continues at the current rate, there will be no rhinos left in the wild by 2025.
• Even though the ivory trade was banned in 1989, last year, poaching levels have returned to those of the 1980s.
• 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa last year – this equates to 3 elephants every hour, every day.
• At the turn of the 20th century, chimpanzees numbered between 1 and 2 million . . . now there are estimated to be fewer than 300,000 remaining in the wild. 

A New Approach to Catching Poachers – The Analytical Model of Poaching Behaviour in Africa. While many studies believe that technology is the solution, the University of Maryland’s Institute for Advanced Computer Studies has taken a different approach. They have developed the world’s first analytical model of poaching behaviour in Africa. The model has found that rather than trying to find the poachers, it’s more important to find the prey. Once the animals are identified in the wild, rangers can be sent out to the region to protect them against poachers. Read more about the model and findings from the project: http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/about-us/news/research-tom-snitch-featured-uk-telegraph

The issue with animal poaching is not an isolated topic. In fact, Hollywood star and environmental activist, Leonardo DiCaprio, has teamed up with Netflix to produce a film/documentary titled Virunga to create more awareness for this issue. The film follows a group of rangers at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo as they attempt to protect endangered gorillas from poachers. “Films like Virunga are powerful stories that are a window into the incredible culture and natural diversity of our world, the forces that are threatening to destroy it, and the people who are fighting to protect it,” says DiCaprio in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

The film will be released in theatres in New York and Los Angeles on November 7th. It will also be available on Netflix.

WATCH THE MOVIE TRAILER: http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/80009431 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FILM: http://virungamovie.com/

 

Jane’s work today focuses on inspiring action on behalf of endangered species, specifically chimpanzees. Her institute also includes community-centered conservation programs in Africa, including sustainable development projects that engage local people as true partners. To support the Jane Goodall Institute and to help fight the illegal bush meat trade and illegal poaching in Africa and help protect chimpanzees, gorillas, elephants, rhinos, and more, you can make a donation here: Donate to the Jane Goodall Institute Please remember that Zawadee donates 2% of all sales of our African Wildlife products (carvings, sculptures, masks, etc.) to the World Wildlife Fund and The Jane Goodall Institute to help them protect species at risk.

“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope.”

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an environmental organization, based in Kenya, which seeks to empower communities to conserve the environment. It was founded in 1977 by Professor Wangari Maathai as an offshoot of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK) in response to the requests of rural Kenyan women. These women noticed a number of environmental issues that were posing a threat to the African environment, namely the drying up of streams, unsecured food supplies.

The vision of the organization is to create “a values-driven society of people who consciously work for continued improvement of their livelihoods and a greener, cleaner world.” This vision drives their mission of creating better environmental management and community livelihood through tree planting. 

How much of an impact has the Green Belt Movement had to date?

Here is a look at GBM by the numbers:

• Number of GBM-supported community tree nursery groups – 4,034

• Number of indigenous seedlings raised by the community nurseries annually – 8,000,000 seedlings

• Average number of trees planted in critical watershed areas annually – 5,000,000 trees

• Number of tree planting sites in critical watersheds across Kenya – 6,500

• Total number of trees planted since 1978 to date – over 51 million

• Average survival rate – 70%

The Green Belt Movement’s Three Pillars of Activity:

1. Community Empowerment and Education: GBM believes that education and community empowerment is important to help people understand the connection between a healthy environment and human activities.

2. Planting Trees: GBM focuses on planting the right trees in the right locations to have a maximum impact on the ecosystem, helping to preserve the environment for years to come.

3. Advocacy: GBM uses a grassroots approach to help local communities maintain a healthy and fruitful environment. However, GBM also has an international presence and advocates for environmental policies to protect forest ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa and the Congo Basin Rainforest Ecosystem.

 

About Wangari Maathai – The Founder of the Green Belt Movement

“We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!”

Wangari Maathai was internationally recognized for her advocacy for human rights, democracy, and environmental conservation. She was the 2004 laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, author and former chairman of the National Council of Women of Kenya. Her work at the council led to the concept of community-based tree planting and the original concept for the Greenbelt Movement. Maathai passed away on September 25, 2011, but she left us a lasting legacy and made great impact on the Kenyan environment and community. Her awards, achievements and personal affiliations are too many to list. Her dozens of honorary degrees and awards are a testament to her impact on the environment.

Want to learn more about Wangari? Check out her publications:

• The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience

• Unbowed: A Memoir

• The Challenge for Africa

• Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World

Purchase copies of her books here NOTE: If you click through to purchase any item from Amazon, a percentage of the sale is donated to the Green Belt Movement.

DONATE to the Green Belt Movement

There are a number of ways to get involved with the Green Belt Movement and support this great cause:

• Support the Gift-A-Tree Global Campaign

• Make a donation

• Visit The Green Belt Movement online for more information about how to donate.

Each year, millions of Serengeti wildebeests migrate across the African continent. But they are not the only ones. A number of different groups of animals move throughout Africa in a similar pattern each year, with the goal being to find water to drink and land to graze. Zebras are one of the largest of the secondary groups that are part of the Serengeti migration each year. In fact, more than 200,000 zebras participate in this amazing journey each year! 

About African Zebras

Zebras are African equids and are relatives of the horse family. They are easily identifiable by their black and white striped coat. Even though zebras may look the same, each zebra actually has a unique pattern. Like many other African animals, they are a social herd of animals, sticking together naturally, something that also helps them ward off predators such as lions, hyenas and many others.

Zebras Migrate Based on Environmental Factors

As outlined on eyesonafrica.net, zebras (and other African animals) “do not follow a calendar schedule, rather, they follow cues from the environment to tell them when the rains have reached an area and they then move there to take advantage of the fresh growth of grasses. The migration timing and pattern varies year to year.” The great news is that you can experience the migration of zebras in person. Imagine being able to see thousands of zebras congregated in the same place, grazing, caring for their young, and seeing many different African animals interact in their natural habitat. It would be a trip you won’t soon forget!

Longest Migration Among African Mammals

National Geographic recently published a story that found, “A population of zebras surprised biologists by making a more than 300-mile beeline across parts of Namibia and Botswana—the longest big-mammal migration ever documented in Africa.” While this migration has been observed during consecutive years, it is still not of the scale of the Serengeti Migration, as it involved only a few thousand zebras. However, “the animals cover more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) in a straight-line, up-and-back journey across Namibia and Botswana. (In the Serengeti, the animals meander more before circling back, so their feet touch more ground, but the distance between the zebras' two destinations is greater.)”

Why Wildebeests and Zebras Migrate Together

African travel experts have identified four main reasons why zebras tend to migrate with wildebeests:

1. Since wildebeests are short grass grazers, and zebras tend to shear off long grass, zebras essentially cut the grass in new areas, allowing wildebeests to pick up the tailings.

2. Zebras have better eyesight and hearing, essentially acting as an alarm for wildebeests when predators approach.

3. Wildebeests have the ability to “smell” water, making them an ideal travelling partner for zebras.

4. Zebras tend to have better memories and are more cautious travellers, something that helps wildebeests identify and fend off potential dangers.

Please help us to help species at risk

Please remember that Zawadee donates 2% of all sales of our African Wildlife products (carvings, sculptures, masks, etc.) to the World Wildlife Fund and The Jane Goodall Institute.

Africa is home to an incredible array of fascinating animals—among them many of the world’s most majestic big cats!

You’ve no doubt heard of lions, cheetahs and leopards, but are you familiar with the slightly smaller African wild cat—the serval?

With their small heads, large ears, long necks, long skinny legs, long slender bodies and short tails, Serval cats have an almost patched together appearance. They’re even referred to as “the cat of spare parts.” From a distance, they slightly resemble a cheetah, as they have similar coloring and markings, but servals are smaller. They typically weigh between 13- 18 kilograms (30-40 pounds) and are around 53-56 centimeters (21-22 inches) tall at the shoulder. Here are some other interesting tidbits about this distinctive big cat from Africa:

• The name, serval, is derived from a Portuguese word meaning “wolf-deer”
• Servals have the largest ears of any cat
• They love to climb, leap and play in the water
• A serval standing on its hind legs, can jump 2.7 meters (more than 9 ft.) straight up in the air
• Their hind legs are longer than their front ones
• They were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians

A Formidable Hunter

Despite their patched together appearance, or perhaps because of it, servals are extremely effective hunters. With the aid of their over-sized ears, servals have excellent hearing. They can hear their prey of choice—small mammals, such as rats and mice—rustling through the grasses and pounce accordingly. Servals can launch themselves high in the air with their long slender hind legs and snatch small birds from the air. But their prey isn’t limited to the land or air. Using their curved paws, servals are able to pluck fish and frogs right out of the water. Of course, servals are not the largest animals in the African savannahs, and must be on-guard from their many predators. As with many wild animals in Africa, servals face threats from those larger than themselves, including leopards and spotted hyenas. And not surprisingly, they must also contend with another usual culprit—people. Human encroachment is gobbling up the servals’ habitat, and unsavory poachers have been known to hunt servals for their beautiful skins, which are used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes, and sometimes sold to tourists. Serval meat is also considered a delicacy by some tribes.

Family Life

Similar to cheetahs and leopards, servals are primarily solitary animals. Both male and female servals maintain their own territories and mark them with their scent. The female serval raises her young on her own. A typical litter is between two to five kittens. The male kittens are kicked out of the den at about six months, but their sisters may stay with the mother until they’re two years old.

Out of the Wild

Unlike some exotic animals, servals are not a rarity in captivity. There are 292 servals in zoos worldwide (130 of them in the U.S.), according to International Species Information Service.

There is also a demand from some to have this wild animal as a domesticated pet. Even a cursory internet search brings up dozens of breeders pedaling serval cats as household pets. But if you want to see the beauty of the servals in their natural habitat, you’ll have to book a flight to Africa, as that’s the only place in the world where they’re found in the wild.

There are thousands of animals currently on the endangered species list, many of which call Africa home. One such animal fighting for its survival is the often misunderstood, African wild dog.

The African wild dogs’ numbers are dwindling fast. They once roamed much of the continent, but today can only be found in a few small pockets scattered throughout Africa. It’s estimated that there may be as few as 3,000-6,000 left. As is often the case, humans have been the biggest threat to these animals. But today, much is being done to increase the population of the wild dogs. Let’s hope it’s not too late.

 The Basics about African Wild Dogs

Although about the size of a medium domestic dog, you won’t confuse these animals with your pet. They have mottled coats with patches of red, black, brown, white and yellow fur. Each dog has a unique color scheme, so they can recognize each other at great distances. These long-legged animals have dark brown circles around their eyes and big rounded ears.

 

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) also share these interesting characteristics:

• Typically weigh between 17-36 kg (37-79 lbs), and are about 60- 75 cm (24-30 in) tall at the shoulder
• Only have four toes per foot
• Are also called cape hunting dogs or painted dogs
• Can live up to 11 years
• Can cover an astounding 50 km (31 mi) a day looking for food
• Sleep during the day
• Have litters of 2-20 pups, but of course not all survive

Formidable Hunters

 

The pack is comprised of a dominant breeding pair, a number of non-breeding adults and their dependent offspring. What’s interesting is that all of the males are related to each other, and all of the females are related to each other, but not to the males. Males stay with the pack they were born into, but when females are between 14-30 months they leave the pack in groups of sisters to find another pack that doesn’t have any sexually mature females. Wild dogs in the same pack look out for each other. They share food with one another. Smaller pups are allowed first go at a fresh kill, and dogs help weak or ill members. Even though only one dog in a pack has pups, the entire pack looks after the young. The whole pack even sleeps huddled up together. Efforts to Save the African Wild Dog In 2004, African wild dogs were classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

They do have some natural threats—namely lions, but most of their decimation has been at the hands of humans. Wild dogs’ natural habitat is continually being chewed up by human encroachment. Additionally, they’re poisoned and hunted by some, who consider the dogs as pests, who threaten domestic livestock. They’re also killed inadvertently by diseases that are spread from domestic animals, and are sometimes killed in traffic accidents in the ever-increasing roadways zigzagging through their habitats. This video, courtesy of Journeyman Pictures depicts the beauty of this endangered species.

By the way, we highly recommend subscribing to Journeyman Pictures YouTube channel. Interesting, challenging and provocative content, published every week. "Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time." The wild dogs’ population is dangerously low, but there are glimmers of hope. Groups such as, the African Wildlife Foundation and the African Wild Dog Conservancy are working to get African wild dogs’ numbers back up. The already fragile ecosystem will be out of balance if we lose these animals. But through concerted efforts and education, the small population of African wild dogs that are left will hopefully increase and eventually thrive.

You might also enjoy our blog series Getting To Know Africa. Here's a taste of this interesting series - https://www.zawadee.com/blogs/blog.