Leopards and jackals were most active on roads when vehicles were scarce
Across three South African conservation properties with sharply different levels of vehicle activity, leopards and black-backed jackals were…
Read story →WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Research, conservation and new discoveries
A continuing selection of new studies, conservation projects and important developments connected to species in the archive.
Black Rhinos Grouped More Often in Greener, Patchier Landscapes
Sightings from 13 reserves in South Africa and Malawi linked black rhino group formation to local vegetation productivity…
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Two arrested after suspected waterbuck poaching
After a farmer found the remains of a waterbuck near Groot Marico, police investigated and arrested two suspects.…
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Reintroduced spotted hyenas favored dense bush and prey-rich scrubland
Tracking five hyenas in a lion-free section of Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa, linked their habitat use to…
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Three Ways of Analysing Elephant Calls Gave Different Results
Recordings from a semi-free herd in South Africa show how the method used to classify call timing can…
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Elephant Rank Was Linked to Stress Levels After Helicopter Disturbance
In a small, fenced elephant population, helicopter use was associated with higher stress-hormone markers. Lower-ranking elephants had higher…
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African Bush Elephants Distinguished Artificial Food-Quantity Patterns at Close Range
In experiments in South Africa, four semi-tame elephants chose between visual patterns representing canopy size and leaf density.…
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Common Bulbuls were more active in litchi orchards as fruit ripened
At two South African litchi orchards, camera-trap records of Common Bulbuls were about 51% higher per day during…
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Wild Elephants Used 41 Gesture Types to Make Others Move Away or Stop
Wild African bush elephants in Addo and Marakele used 41 gesture types during conflicts, mainly to make another…
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Faecal egg counts missed many nematode infections in African ungulates
In Kruger National Park, egg counts in faeces often detected fewer infections than counts of adult worms recovered…
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Wild Vervet Monkeys Used Vision in 96.8% of Food Evaluations
In 18,868 food-evaluation observations from 44 wild vervet monkeys in South Africa, vision was used in 96.8% of…
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Hippos Yawned Before Heading Out to Feed — Even on Cool Evenings
Observations in Zambia and South Africa found that hippos yawned most frequently as they prepared to leave their…
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Giraffe and White Rhino Blood Samples Differed in 28 Metabolites
Blood samples from southern giraffes and white rhinoceroses differed in 28 metabolites across repeated statistical checks. Branched-chain amino…
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Food Leaves Its Mark on the Gut Bacteria of Kruger’s Wildlife
Gut bacteria in nine mammal species from Kruger National Park followed clear patterns linked to food and digestion.…
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Crowned Eagles in the City Prefer Forest
Five crowned eagles in Durban selected forest over built-up habitat. Body-movement measurements suggested greater energy expenditure among buildings,…
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A New Tool for Monitoring Oxygen in Immobilised Rhinos
Blood samples from 16 white rhinos in Kruger National Park show that an adapted calculation can help vets…
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Cattle Egrets Find New Feeding Opportunities Around Farms and Towns
Cattle egrets exploit insects flushed by livestock and machinery. A review of 173 studies links this flexibility with…
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Online Advert Led Police to a Live Southern African Python in North West Province
South African police recovered a live Southern African python in Delareyville after it was allegedly advertised online for…
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Giraffes Responded More Strongly to Lion Calls Than Oxpecker Alarms
Playback experiments with 35 free-ranging southern giraffes in South Africa found that lion vocalisations triggered stronger vigilance than…
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33 Descendants of Phased-Release Cheetahs Reached Independence in South Africa
Twelve captive-origin cheetahs were phased into seven fenced reserves in South Africa. Their ranging and habitat use stabilised…
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