Africa is home to vast array of wild animals including the iconic Big Five. Safaris rewards with once in a lifetime opportunities for seeing these animals in their natural habitats. African wildlife plays an important role in maintaining the ecological health of the continent’s ecosystems. Predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs keep prey populations in check, while herbivores like elephants and zebras graze on plants and disperse seeds, contributing to the health of grasslands and savannas.
Ostriches are the heaviest and largest living birds on our planet. They are native to the grasslands and savannas of Eastern and Southern Africa. For years, there has been a belief that ostriches bury their heads in sand when they sense danger. Read on to find out if this is true or false. To begin…
It’s more than 100 years but the story of the man-eaters of Tsavo continues to capture imaginations. The gruesome tale unfolded in 1898 when two maneless male lions routinely killed dozens of railway workers in Tsavo, Kenya then known as British East Africa. The attacks were done during the night as the workers slept in…
The Lilac-breasted Roller unofficially named the national bird of Kenya is an all colorful bird widely distributed in Southern and Eastern Africa. While it does have a resemblance to the National flag of Kenya, it has a multicolored plumage said to stand for the country’s rich biodiversity. This non-dimorphic species has about 8 distinct colors…
It’s almost a decade since Cecil the Lion was killed by Walter Palmer, an American dentist who is also a big game trophy hunter. The heartbreaking news of the hunt made international headlines and sparked a worldwide outcry among conservationists. The 13-year-old black-maned male lion was a major tourist attraction at Zimbabwe’s famous Hwange National…
A Spanish tourist has been killed by elephants in South Africa after leaving the car to take photographs of the herd. The 43 year old man was visiting Pilanesberg National Park with his fiancee and two other people when the attack happened. From the police report, the tourists had been driving around before they spotted…
Super tuskers roam freely in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park but do not know what awaits when they cross to neighboring Tanzania where trophy hunting is licensed. I feel bewildered as to why some people have the desire to kill rare and valuable wildlife for personal pleasure. Hunting is illegal in Kenya, but in Tanzania, it’s…
Forget about the famous Great Migration, where about 2 million wildebeest, zebras, and antelope trek in an enormous loop every year between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Masai Mara in Kenya. The world’s largest land mammal migration has been confirmed in South Sudan. This is according to an aerial survey of wildlife conducted by African Parks and…
Jacob and his brother Tibu have made a record-breaking swim across the predator-infested waters of the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. This treacherous move was inspired by a desperate search for female lions. Unbelievably, one of the lions has only three legs. The nearly mile-wide (915-meter) channel connecting two lakes is filled…
Birds of prey are not only an attraction but an important part of our ecosystem. Since they primarily feed on meat, it helps regulate the population of their prey. Raptors also clean up the environment and stop the spread of dangerous pests and diseases when they eat carrion. I paid a visit to The Kenya…
If you have ever been on safari in Kenya or Tanzania, you might have encountered these dog-like creatures roaming the savannas and woodlands. Hyenas and African wild dogs tend to have a similar appearance but are distant apart in their genetics and physical aspects. African wild dog also called the painted dog or Cape hunting…