The elephant trade in Southeast Asia: a slippery slope with sanctuaries
Asian Elephants These gentle giants are smaller than their African counterparts, with smaller ears and only one finger on their trunk instead of two. Raised in matriarchal herds, elephants are highly social and extremely intelligent. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Asian Elephants stood at approximately 100,000. Today that number is … Continued
Elephants are ditching their tusks in an evolutionary twist
Darwin’s theory of evolution based on natural selection is proving true once again, except this time it seems like humans are to blame for the quiet genetic evolution taking place. Researchers in Africa have discovered a tuskless trend growing in female elephants, one they’re beginning to directly correlate to heavily poached areas. According to a … Continued
Social media is bad news for the ethical treatment of animals
If you cooked a delicious meal, perfected a pretty hairstyle, or travelled to an exotic place but then forgot to post about it on social media, did it ever really happen at all? On one hand Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter can be great communication tools. But there’s also a darker side to these … Continued
10 incredible facts about elephants
There’s no denying elephants are pretty majestic creatures. Thanks to their large size, their sensitive disposition, and their incredible plight from poachers and ivory hunters, these animals are quick to capture headlines and animal-loving hearts alike. Ready to find them even more fascinating? Here are 10 slightly random but totally incredible facts about our favourite … Continued
10 lethal animal encounters that could have totally been avoided
Wild animals are beautiful to look at… or at least they are from afar. That’s because wild animals are exactly that–wild. That means you’re probably best to stay far away and to not try and tame them as pets or snuggle up to them in order to snap a selfie. Yet every year we hear … Continued
10 of the most trafficked animals in existence (for now)
Recently more than 10,000 endangered radiated tortoises were seized from poachers in Madagascar, but not all of them were physically saved. Hundreds of the animals died from illness and dehydration, proving once again that most animals just really shouldn’t be taken out of their habitat. Experts believe the turtles were intended for the illegal pet … Continued
Chilli seeds and light aircraft—Latest update from GRI
Love Nature’s charity partner Game Rangers International have just launched an exciting new project in the south of Kafue National Park, combining women’s empowerment with human-elephant conflict mitigation. District Community Officer Britius Munkombwe trained the Shanangoma Women’s Group to sow and propagate chilli seeds, and to start their own chilli nursery. The majority of mature chilli … Continued
Happy World Elephant Day!
Happy World Elephant Day! Watch this to see how working together is vital for the survival of the baby elephant and therefore the species.
Just how big can animals grow?
If you were to take a walk through North America a mere 10,000 years ago, there would have been an awful lot more animals with you on their menu. From giant sloths to short-faced bears, to perhaps even the 9ft-long (three metre) sabertooth salmon. If we think of big animals now, then our imagination takes … Continued
Larger than life: Graham Spence, co-author of The Elephant Whisperer, reflects on the achievements of charismatic conservationist Lawrence Anthony
When Lawrence Anthony decided to save the lives of seven ‘troublesome’ elephants by giving them a home on his South African reserve, he wasn’t sure what would follow. But he knew it would be a great adventure. Anthony’s exploits with the elephants on ‘Thula Thula’ have been immortalised in the page-turning bestseller, The Elephant Whisperer. … Continued
Up all night: 7 animals that hardly ever sleep
If you are a regular homo sapien you will spend a third of your life tucked up in bed, sound asleep. If you live to the respectable age of 75, then you would have successfully slept through a whopping quarter of a century. Sleep is a state of inactivity when we become less responsive to stimuli. … Continued
7 little-known facts about Africa’s super seven
Africa is one of the most popular game-viewing destinations on the planet. The continent’s most famous animals were originally sought after by hunters but now it is predominantly tourists who hope to catch a glimpse of these iconic species. This week we’re airing the documentary Africa’s Super Seven on the Love Nature streaming app, so we … Continued
Latest from the field at the Elephant Orphanage Project
Game Rangers International are a charity working hard protect Zambia’s threatened wildlife. Love Nature is currently making two shows with GRI, focusing on its Elephant Orphanage Project, which is involved in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned elephants back into the wild. For more information, please visit our Make a Difference page. UPDATE FROM THE FIELD With the … Continued
Jumbo relocation project begins in Malawi, as 500 elephants pack their trunks and move on
The small southern African nation of Malawi is about to literally pick up 500 huge elephants from one side of the country and drop them in another, in one of the most ambitious wildlife relocation projects the continent has ever seen. The giant-moving mission—which is being managed by not-for-profit Johannesburg-based group African Parks, in collaboration … Continued
Tragedy befalls the little elephant calf Kafue: Latest update from Game Rangers International
Game Rangers International are a charity working hard protect Zambia’s threatened wildlife. Love Nature is currently making two films with GRI, focusing on its Elephant Orphanage Project, which is involved in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned elephants back into the wild. For more information, please visit our Make a Difference page. UPDATE FROM THE FIELD The … Continued
Kenya set to burn massive ivory stockpile heavier than 17 bull elephants
The Government of Kenya is preparing to destroy a 106 tonne stockpile of ivory next week in a high-profile international event, which conservation charities hope will prove a significant stepping stone towards ending all ivory trade and the poaching epidemic that feeds it. The Kenyan Government’s ivory burn will follow the Giants Club’s two-day wildlife summit … Continued
Orphaned elephants begin journey towards life in the wild
Orphaned Elephants Zambezi and Musolole have taken their first steps towards a life back in the wild. Last month they were relocated from the Lilayi Elephant Nursery outside Lusaka to the Kafue Release Facility in Kafue National Park. The translocation began very early in the morning at the nursery with both elephants being sedated for … Continued
Meet Borneo's pygmy elephants
Think of elephants and you probably picture majestic herds lumbering across an African plain. That’s unsurprising; there are still some 700,000 elephants on the continent, despite being down from as many as five million barely a century ago. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the poster child for conservation, garnering millions of dollars in pledges … Continued
Elephants, the vegetarian giants
Their multi-ton frames shake the ground as they roam across the African mesa. Luckily, these massive animals are herbivores and lead mostly solitary, peaceful lives. As these giant non-ruminants graze on shrubs, trees and plants, their nutrient rich droppings fertilize the earth and allow new life to prosper.
Saving Zambia’s wild animals through the airwaves
‘My name is Britius Munkombwe and I’m 37 years old. I was born in Zambia and have lived here my whole life.’ ‘I have a Grade 12 level education and am currently studying for a diploma in Project Management. I have received comprehensive training in community mobilisation, community based natural resource management, human elephant conflict mitigation, and various HIV … Continued
Meet Muchichili, the newest orphan at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery
Last Monday Game Rangers International’s Elephant Orphan Project rescue team set out to save a young elephant alone on a tiny island in Lower Zambezi, Zambia. Now, after a lot of hard work and a lot of manpower, the orphan herd at Lilayi Elephant Nursery is happily welcoming the newcomer with open trunks. One of … Continued
Gardeners of the forest
Have you ever seen anyone digging with their gardening shovel in the forest or a preparing a seedling germination tray in the woods? Who then plants the teeming and endless variety of vegetation? Forests have their own expert gardeners who carry and spread seeds far and wide, keeping it alive and growing. In fact, 95 … Continued
In the Field: Zambia’s Camp Africa
Zambia is home to some of Africa’s most beloved and endangered species, spanning nearly every habitat imaginable across hundreds of thousands of square miles. And for the next two years, it’s also home to Camp Africa, a Luangwa-based camp set up to tell the story of the incredible natural beauty and extraordinary breadth of African … Continued
You can turn elephant dung into paper
There’s no need to let all that fresh elephant dung go to waste. It contains enough undigested fiber that it can be used to create paper and paper products. By recycling elephant waste in this way, it not only creates job opportunities, it also helps preserve forests and puts significant value on the lives of … Continued
Frustrated elephants have had enough of noisy motorcycles
A motorcyclist traveling through Khao Yai National Park in Thailand found himself on the wrong side of the herd, when a pack of angry elephants charged his noisy motorbike. The elephants were agitated due to a group of motorists that had sped through the same area moments earlier, and by the time this guy was … Continued
The reason elephants don't get cancer
Elephants very rarely get cancer, a long known fact now attributed to the pachyderm’s 20 modified copies of a gene us humans have just one of, the tumour suppressor gene, p53. Joshua Schiffman, a paediatric oncologist at the University of Utah’s High Risk Paediatric Cancer Clinic and researcher at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, was first inspired … Continued