Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger, Author at Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife

Young Balule elephant shot 13 times before horrified guests

Dec 9, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: elephant, Nikela Blog, trophy hunting, wildlife conservation Tagged: APNR, Conservation Action Trust, Kruger National Park, trophy hunting

Just as the furor about the trophy hunting of the pride male named Skye began abating, another incident, the shooting of a young Balule elephant, has highlighted the ethics of hunting in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) alongside the Kruger National Park. This time the victim, a young Bulele elephant, was shot 13 times within sight of traumatized guests. Balule is a reserve within the APNR. After the first shot, the elephant began screaming and its cries were only silenced 12 shots later. Guests staying at Parsons Nature Reserve near the boundary of Maseke Nature Reserve were relaxing on…

World’s worst elephant poaching countries let off the hook by CITES

Oct 10, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: Animal Poaching, elephant, Nikela Blog Tagged: CITES, Conservation Action Trust, EIA, elephant poaching

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, China, Thailand and the Philippines, some of the world’s worst elephant poaching countries and illegal ivory traders have been allowed to exit a key international initiative set up to curb the mass slaughter of elephants. They have been allowed to exit the National Ivory Action Plan (NIAP) process at recent meeting of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), because they have supposedly substantially achieved their National Ivory Action Plans. The Problem… However, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) strongly disagrees with the so-called success. It says key gaps remain in terms of implementation on the ground…

Rhino poaching drop may mean we’re running out of rhinos

Oct 2, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: Animal Poaching, Nikela Blog, rhino, rhino poaching Tagged: Conservation Action Trust, Department of Environmental Affairs, rhino poaching

A strategic report on poaching just released by the Department of Environmental Affairs shows a rhino poaching drop, and that fewer rhinos and more elephants are being killed. Of concern, however, is what the report leaves out. Until August this year, 506 rhinos were poached in South Africa, 333 in the Kruger National Park. That’s 185 fewer than the same period last year. At the same time poaching incursions into KNP increased from 1 702 last year to 1 873 this year. Taken together – higher incursions and fewer kills – it’s bad news, meaning there are fewer and fewer…

Vulture Rescue: He was found hanging upside down in dead tree

Sep 20, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: Bird of Prey, Nikela Blog, vulture, wildlife conseration Tagged: African White Backed Vulture, Andre Botha, SANParks

There are so many wildlife stories with sad endings. When I came across Andre Botha’s post on Facebook about this remarkable vulture rescue it simply had to be shared. The Vulture Rescue told by Andre Botha On Tuesday morning while busy with fieldwork in the Kruger National Park, I was contacted by the State Veterinarians and Veterinary Wildlife Section of SANParks about a vulture that was found hanging in a tree near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park. I drove out to the site expecting to find a dead vulture suspended from a tree that needed to be recovered and…

A nail in the coffin of the captive lion breeding industry?

Aug 29, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: canned hunting, Nikela Blog Tagged: canned lion hunting, Conservation Action Trust

There was an overwhelming consensus for the need to bring an end to the controversial captive lion breeding industry in South Africa at a two-day Parliamentary Colloquium of the Portfolio Committee of Environmental Affairs. However, in an article in the Cape Times “SA’s lion conservation policies rooted in science” is a carefully scripted piece by Minister Molewa trying to justify an industry the majority of attendants at the colloquium agree has past its sell by date. Mr MP Mapulane (chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs) summed up the sentiment around the room by saying “South Africa is allowing…

Young Balule elephant shot 13 times before horrified guests

World’s worst elephant poaching countries let off the hook by CITES

Rhino poaching drop may mean we’re running out of rhinos

Vulture Rescue: He was found hanging upside down in dead tree

A nail in the coffin of the captive lion breeding industry?

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