Here's This Week's Africa Wildlife News Digest

Here is This Week’s Africa Wildlife News Digest

MP Urges Gvt To Slaughter Excess Elephants To Feed Starving Zimbabweans

ZIMBABWE: MAKONI Central legislator David Tekeshe left members of parliament and Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda in stitches Wednesday after he suggested that government must slaughter thousands of elephants which are in excess to provide free meat for starving citizens.

Tekeshe stood to pose a supplementary question on the issue regarding in-excess elephants in the country’s national parks due to a ban on the sale of ivory.

Source: NewsDay

Study confirms that Gabon is the largest stronghold for critically endangered African forest elephants

GABON: The most comprehensive survey conducted of elephant numbers in the Central African nation of Gabon since the late 1980s has found elephants occurring in higher numbers than previously thought.

The study, which was conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Gabon’s National Park Agency (ANPN) and Vulcan using a new non-invasive survey technique, estimates that 95,000 forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) now live in Gabon, confirming it as the principal stronghold for this species, which is considered Critically Endangered by IUCN.

Source: Eurekalert

Africa sees elephant baby boom thanks to pandemic

KENYA: COVID-19 was tough luck for those planning once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list trips.

But the pandemic was perfect for pachyderms — as well as other safari animals. In Kenya, the lockdown, lack of tourism and reduced poaching led to — a lot — of sex on the savannah.

Back in May, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and the Kenya Wildlife Service launched Kenya’s first-ever National Wildlife Census.

Source: New York Post

The high-tech kit saving Africa’s wildlife

TANZANIA: As they settle down for the night at Sabora Tented Camp in Tanzania, the last thing its guests will be thinking about is technology.

What Oprah, royals and billionaires jet in to see is wildlife – in particular, tens of thousands of migrating wildebeest being followed by tree-climbing lions.

Source: The Times

Funding platform wants to revive wildlife sector devastated by Covid-19

A newly launched platform aims to revive the nature-based tourism industry in Africa — a sector that was devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The seven-month-old African Nature-Based Tourism Platform facilitates Covid-19 relief and recovery funding to communities and small and medium enterprises involved in the sector in 11 African countries.

Source: Times Live

Peace Parks Rehabilitates Nyika Park and Vwaza Game Reserve with KfW

MALAWI: The Government of Malawi has inaugurated a series of projects around Nyika National Park and Vwaza Wildlife Reserve.

Between the rehabilitation of water sources, dams and the construction of a 70 km solar powered electric fence, the set of projects was implemented by the Peace Parks Foundation with funding from the German Development Agency (KfW).

The inauguration of a 70 km solar-powered electric fence around the Vwaza swamp, the rehabilitation of water sources, dams, and the installation of a satellite tracking collar on a zebra in the Nyika plateau.

Source: Afrik21