The African Elephant is one of the most endangered animals in Africa.

Researchers at the University of Washington recently said the elephant death rate from poaching was currently 8 per cent, higher than the 7.4 per cent rate which led to the international ivory trade ban in 1989.

Samuel Wasser, one of the researchers, warned that African elephants - largest living land animal- are being pushed into extinction and could be extinct by 2020.

The African Elephant, which can easily consume up to 225 kilograms of fruit, grass, and leaves in a day, is divided into two subspecies: The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana), and the African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

The differences between the two are merely on the physical aspect – The African Forest Elephant tends to have rounder ears and is significantly smaller than its counterpart.

Besides poaching, African Elephants faces another major challenge: The calves have chances of dying in a drought, or falling prey to lions and crocodiles.

The population in the 1980s was around 1 million, with around 70,000 elephants being killed a year. The total African elephant population is now less than 470,000.

Sad. Isn’t it? So the next time you go on an African bush safari just take your time in the bush and get as many photos of the African Elephant as possible. You never know. If nothing is done to stop the exploitation of these creatures, then those photos might be used as reference material by future generations.

Share This

A recent issue of The East African newspaper carried a disturbing story on the dwindling number of lions in Africa.

In only two decades, recounted the story, Africa’s lion population has dwindled from 200,000 to 20,000 today. This is quite unfortunate because the thrill of watching the kings of the jungle in their natural habitat is what anyone visiting Africa seeks for.

It particularly breaks my heart to realise that human settlements as well as poaching are to blame for this sad scenario.

Read the full story here
Even as we muse over this, it’s important for us to explore the Kenyan jungle - at least to catch a glimpse of these awesome creatures. Our African Kenya Safari begins here.

Share This

I look at Namibia and i see a country giving you the best of both world’s. Its a country that is timeless and yet modern.

The arid and desolate coastal Namib Desert is in stark contrast with the fertile wildlife pasture of inland Namibia.

Its no wonder then that the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape teaming with wildlife surrounds Africa’s most modern metropolis next to South Africa.

With its German architecture and contemporary highway systems, it almost seems out of place with the rest of the landscape.

Read the rest of this entry »

Share This