Photographer Callum Perry said: ‘It brought tears to my eyes – seeing the Giraffes’ journey to their fallen friend was one of the most emotional scenes I have ever seen.
Incredible footage shows the moment a group of Giraffes come to pay their respects to one of their own who died during childbirth. Credit: Callum Perry.
This incredible footage shows the moment a group of Giraffes come to pay their respects to one of their own who died during childbirth.
The group of Giraffes were captured on camera walking towards the corpse in a gathering filled with human emotions as they mourned and said goodbye to a member of their audience.
Photographer Callum Perry, 28, from Britain, who is currently traveling in South Africa, captured the rare moment in the Marataba Contractual National Park.
“The giraffe’s funeral made me take a step back and look at the beauty I’ve seen in my life, and that even in life’s most difficult moments, there can be silver linings.
One by one the Giraffes pay their respects. Credit: Callum Perry.
‘I was really fascinated by the emotion of this whole scene; words can hardly do it justice. I feel honored to have been there as they all paid their respects.
“Most of the people I know in the safari industry had never seen this happen before, so they were amazed and a little jealous.”
Photos show a group of more than five Giraffes examining the dead body as it lay on the ground.
In the video, a Giraffe is seen walking towards the dead member of their pack before being followed by others.
Giraffes Mourn The Death Of One Of Their Own Credit: Callum Perry.
One by one, each Giraffe bowed to send its beloved friend away.
Giraffes are thought to mourn their dead, as Zoe Muller, a wildlife biologist from the University of Bristol who founded the Rothschild’s Giraffe Project in Kenya, recalled a moment she witnessed more than a decade ago.
Muller said she saw 17 female Giraffes looking sad and that the pack traveled to a part of the savannah they don’t normally visit.
It turned out that a calf had died and Muller witnessed the group of Giraffes gathering at its mother and staying with her for two days after death.
She interpreted the Giraffes’ behavior as sadness, but she was afraid to say this because some scientists believe the opposite.
She said, as quoted in The National Wildlife Federation: “My personal position has changed. I would now be much more open about acknowledging non-human grief. Giraffes, humans, we are all mammals.
‘Our emotion system is largely driven by hormones, and hormones have probably evolved in the same way in all mammals.’
He watched over a few days as a herd appeared to ‘mourn’ the loss of one of their number. A female died over complications with pregnancy and was quickly exploited by scavengers. But each day, the rest of the herd would stop and watch as the vultures squabbled and the hyaenas chewed on the remains. It’s anthropomorphism to suggest that it was mourning, but their curiosity certainly extended beyond simply observing something that caught their eye.
A herd of Thornicroft’s Giraffes mourn the loss of one of their number. Credit: Edward Selfe.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
Researchers from the Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development retrieve dead dolphins from Tefe lake, which flows into the Solimoes river, that has been affected by the High temperatures and drought in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil, October 2, 2023. Credit: Bruno Kelly
Since September 23, as the drought has worsened and water temperatures have risen, 153 River Dolphins have been found dead in the region: 130 Pink River Dolphins and 23 Tucuxi. In one week, the loss was around 10% of the local river Dolphins population. On the 28th of September alone, when the water temperature exceeded 39ºC, 70 River Dolphin carcasses were recorded, in addition to hundreds of fish.
The crisis, however, goes far beyond the loss of River Dolphins. There is an increase in mortality of fish species in the region, which are essential for the food security and livelihoods of local communities. The drought is also impacted water supplies and transportation, isolating some communities. Overall, 500,000 people have already been impacted.
Researchers are still trying to confirm the cause of death, but they suspect the high water temperatures are to blame. Image Credit: Bruno Kelly
“What is happening at Lake Tefé is terrifying. The impact of the loss of these animals is enormous and affects the entire local ecosystem”, warns Mariana Paschoalini Frias, Conservation analyst at WWF-Brazil. “River Dolphins are considered ‘sentinels’. In other words: they are indicative of the health of the environment where they live. What happens to them is reflected in the other species that live around them, including humans.”
“In our studies on Amazonian Dolphins, we found that they suffer from several pressures, such as fishing, mercury contamination and the impact of hydropower plants. But these events in Tefé show that more research needs to be carried out on how they will be affected by worsening climate change,” she added.
The deaths highlight the urgent need to scale up efforts to conserve the world’s River Dolphins – and the importance of the Global Declaration for River Dolphins, which will be signed by South American and Asian range states in Colombia on October 24th.
The operation was divided into different fronts. One of them, called Alive Operation Sector, monitors groups of Pink and Tucuxi River Dolphins along Lake Tefé, an isolated environment that is home to a large population of these two endangered species. When the team finds an individual with signs of abnormality, they are able to rescue them and take them to the Rehabilitation Float. The Operation Dead Sector, in turn, aims to identify and search for carcasses in the region and perform necropsies to collect samples for laboratory analysis. And the Environmental Operation Sector works to monitor water, fish and phytoplankton, organisms composed of microalgae and photosynthetic bacteria.
Tucuxi Amazon river dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis). Image Credit: Projeto Boto
Of all the variables analysed so far by experts, the one that has shown discrepant changes is water temperature, reinforcing that River Dolphins mortality is related to climate change, the effects of El Niño and extreme drought. The water temperature of Lake Tefé reached close to 40°C, says oceanographer Miriam Marmontel, leader of the Amazon Aquatic Mammals research group at IDSM, when the maximum average over time has been 32 degrees, a fact that certainly generated thermal stress in animals.
Members of the environmental consultancy Aqua Viridi also identified in one of the lake’s points an unusual number of alga Euglena sanguinea, which produces a toxin that can cause mortality in fish. The assessment carried out on the river Dolphins, however, did not confirm that the animals have been affected by possible toxins produced by these organisms. Other analyses are underway to help understand the algae’s possible role in the current environmental and health emergency.
Since the beginning of the crisis, 104 River Dolphins have been necropsied and tissue and organ samples have been sent to specialised laboratories. Seventeen individuals have already been assessed and, to date, there is no evidence of an infectious agent as the primary cause of deaths. Molecular diagnostics of 18 individuals also tested negative for infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, associated with mass deaths.
In Lake Tefé, there is a stretch called Enseada do Papucu, which has been critical for animals due to the water temperature. Even so, many Dolphins continue to frequent the area due to the abundance of fish, their basic diet. To prevent further deaths, the area is being isolated with a physical barrier called “pari”, which is made of wooden stakes and is based on traditional riverside knowledge. Subsequently, the species will be moved to deeper, less hot areas.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered and reports that its numbers are shrinking. The Dolphins are susceptible to numerous threats, ranging from industrial and agricultural pollution to drilling for oil and gas.
The Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), or boto, acquires its pink hue from repeated abrasion of the skin surface. Males are typically pinker than females because of more frequent trauma due to aggression. Image Credit: Sylvain Cordier
Pink River Dolphins are a source of tourism income for some local communities, which call them “boto” or “bufeo,” per the New York Times. They are part of Amazonian legends and stories, including one in which the Dolphins turn into handsome men to seduce young women. The animals’ well-being is thought to be an indicator of the health of the river ecosystem.
“The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate change scenario,” says Daniel Tregidgo, a British researcher who lives in the region, to the Guardian’s Jonathan Watts. “To know that one [Dolphin] has died is sad, but to see piles of carcasses, knowing that this drought has killed over 100, is a tragedy.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi (XPL 107) Image Credit: Ingrid Mandt
According to the Desert Lion conservation organization DELHRA (Desert Lions Human Relations Aid), it can be assumed that one of the last black-maned male desert lions, “Mwezi” or “XPL 107”, was ‘harvested’ as a trophy on Wednesday, October 11.
In a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), DELHRA writes: “Having learned from reliable sources and informants that the male Lion, known as ‘Mwezi’, was allegedly shot, we would like to contact the ministry to know the circumstances and justification for such an alleged killing.”
According to the report, the tracking system of the satellite collar (which is supposed to protect her) was abused to locate the Lion in a protected area. “That is, in the Palmwag concession or, more likely, in the adjacent Skeleton Coast Park, by trophy hunters who were allegedly accompanied by MEFT officials.”
The Desert Lion Conservation Organization further states: “On October 12, we received a report from our informant in Khowarib that the Lion Rangers had received a warning SMS (this happens when a collared lion breaks through a geo-fence) indicating a Lion near the Wild Veld Safaris hunting camp in Khowarib village.” The investigation revealed that it was a dead Lion that had allegedly been kept in the hunting camp since the early evening of October 11.
Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi (XPL 107) Image Credit: Desert Lion Conservation
According to Desert Lion Conservation, “Mwezi” was still observed and photographed on Sept. 27 when he mated with a lone Lioness, XPL 108, the last survivor of the Obab pride, and followed her into the Skeleton Coast Park, the tracks suggested.
According to DELAHRA, the investigation revealed that two vehicles – one from the MEFT and the other allegedly a hunting vehicle – had entered the Palmwag concession area, with the crew citing “police action” as the reason for the entry. “This coincided with the report coming out of Khowarib later that day, and we learned from a source that the dead lion in the Khowarib hunting camp was the beautiful black-maned desert Lion Mwezi, which had been sought as a trophy for some time.”
DELHRA is of the opinion that a criminal investigation that compels the release of the information will clear up this case and that the parties involved, if warranted, should be prosecuted, as a permit to hunt in the Palmwag concession or in the Skeleton Coast Park cannot have been lawfully granted, and that if it is granted for a hunt in a concession area, but is hunted in the Palmwag or Skeleton Coast Protected Areas, such a permit would be considered null and void.
Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi (XPL 107) Image Credit: Ingrid Mandt
The letter to MEFT further states: “Based on our information, we would welcome answers to our questions or even a joint and transparent investigation. We ask you to inform us of the following: Has the MEFT issued a trophy permit for hunting XPL 107? If so, could the MEFT please justify this? We ask for a copy of the hunting permit and a copy of the report of the MEFT officer who accompanied the hunting party. We also ask for a copy of the protocol of the website concerning the downloads of the positions of this Lion between September 1 and now by all users. Finally, we are asking for copies of reports of incidents in which XPL 107 may have been involved.”
It goes on to say: “We intend to file a complaint and contact the Information Access Officer and the Ombudsman, as the destruction of natural resources falls within the remit of these bodies in the event that the MEFT does not respond. In such a case, those who have access to the relevant information may be summoned as witnesses.”
The Ministry of the Environment had not responded to questions at the time of going to press.
The Desert Lions Of Namibia Image Credit: Wilderness Travel
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
The three remaining African Elephants in Karachi, Pakistan continue to be subjected to poor care and living conditions despite these factors playing a significant role in the premature death of the fourth Karachi Elephant ‘Noor Jehan’ in April 2023.
Madhubalaat Karachi Zoo is now alone despite Elephants being herd animals, her solitary status has been documented to be causing her severe angst. In addition, she resides in a small barren environment that fails to meet her species-specific needs. Questions also remain around her diet & general care.
Four Paws Vets perform dental treatment on Madhubala at Karachi Zoo.
Sonia & Malikaat Karachi Safari Park fare slightly better having a green pasture to reside in during the day (in recent months the Elephants have been afforded greater access to the pasture & this must continue) although the cages in which they are incarcerated at night remain abhorrent and entirely unsuitable for Elephants (a third cage of the same type has been constructed in anticipation of Madhubala’s arrival)
Noor Jehan Shortly Before Her Death In April2023
Following the death of Noor Jehan and recognising that the three remaining Karachi Elephants are suffering, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation struck a verbal agreement with animal welfare organisation Four Paws International to upgrade the Elephant enclosure at the Safari Park to create a more species-specific environment as well as training caretakers to afford the Elephants’ better ongoing care. In line with these improvements Four Paws also agreed to complete the move of Madhubala to the Safari Park to be with other Elephants in what would become a more appropriate setting.
In June 2023 Barrister Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui was elected Mayor of Karachi and since then the agreement has stalled with no further progress and no signed MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)
Mayor Murtaza Wahab in dragging his feet to sign the MOU is prolonging the suffering of all three Elephants and particularly Madhubala.
So as not to cause further suffering to the elephants Mayor Murtaza Wahab must sign the MOU without further delay or relinquish all three Elephants to a recognised Elephant sanctuary outside Pakistan
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
Staff at a Thai animal hospital take six-month-old orphan Clear Sky swimming to strengthen her leg muscles.
This baby Elephant is trying to forget her fear of water as she learns to walk again after losing part of her foot.
The nervous six-month-old grabbed a keeper for support as she was lowered into the pool at an animal hospital in Chonburi, Thailand.
CLEAR SKY IS LEARNING TO WALK AGAIN IN A SWIMMING POOL AFTER SHE INJURED HER FOOT.
The six-month-old is the first elephant to receive hydrotherapy at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden animal hospital in Thailand
Clear Sky caught her leg in an animal trap laid by villagers to protect their crops.
Staff at the animal hospital are trying to help her strengthen her withered leg muscles.
After surgery she is now having treatment to strengthen her leg muscles.
STAFFERS USE A HARNESS TO HELP CLEAR SKY INTO THE WATER AND KEEP HER AFLOAT
THIS WAS HER SECOND TIME GETTING WATER THERAPY
Baby Elephants usually love water, but Clear Sky was ‘a bit nervous and scared’, said a vet.
However she appeared to relax by the end of the hour-long session.
Vet Padet Siridumrong said: “She is still a bit nervous and scared of the water.
“Usually baby Elephants love the water.
“If she can do this regularly she will have fun.”
Villagers had found Clear Sky hungry and hobbling, after being separated from her mother in the wild.
Vets hope with more swimming, she won’t need an artificial leg.
The orphaned Elephant was in bad shape when she arrived at the hospital.
She was hobbling, in pain and in dire need of milk.
‘Kampon Tansacha, the director of the zoo that’s now her home, said: “We named her Clear Sky Up Ahead, because that is what she will need while she is with us.”
Elephants are a revered national symbol in Thailand, but their population in the wild has plummeted to an estimated 2,500 in the last century, a result of rabid development, habitat destruction and the ivory trade.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
Front Cover: African Leopard by Mark Dumbleton in Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa.
Remembering Wildlife has launched several charity photo books over the years that highlight endangered species and act to raise funds for the protection of the animals featured with the help of famous supporters and talented photographers around the world. Remembering Elephants, Remembering Rhinos, Remembering Great Apes, Remembering Lions, Remembering Cheetahs, and Remembering African Wild Dogs have already been produced, and Remembering Bears was funded and delivered last year. Remembering Leopards is the latest release in the series and will bring attention to Leopard species that are threatened around the world with the help of beautiful images of Leopards generously donated by many of the world’s top wildlife photographers
A mesmerising Leopard study by Roy Toft
This year the attention is turned to the eight species of Leopard: African, Amur, Arabian, Indian, Indochinese, Javan, Sri Lankan and Persian. Despite their adaptability, the global population and distribution is sadly in decline. They are now believed extinct in 23 of their 85 original range countries. As well as each of the sub-species, Remembering Leopards have also included images of Snow and Clouded Leopards too.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Leopard as a Vulnerable species, and three of its subspecies are ranked as Critically Endangered. In addition, the Peer paper recommends that the status of another two subspecies be uplisted to the status of Critically Endangered and Endangered.
Margot Raggett, founder and producer of Remembering Wildlife, said: “Despite their adaptability, the global population and distribution of leopards is sadly in decline. “They are now believed to be extinct in 23 of their 85 original range countries.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, the legal and illegal wildlife trades, traps, trophy hunting and human-wildlife conflict are among the leading threats to Leopards. Although found across Africa and Asia, they are now extinct across large swathes of their previous habitat.
The Making Of The Book
A crowdfunding appeal to produce the latest edition of a wildlife book series has broken previous records for this very popular project. The campaign launched on April 1 2023 and smashed its minimum target of £20,000 in just four minutes when it launched on 1 April. Remembering Wildlife says that within the first day, supporters had pledged more than £100,000, making Remembering Leopards the fastest funded of all the books in the series so far.
More than £1 million has been donated by the photobook series to protect endangered species since its launch in 2016, attracting famous supporters including Russell Crowe, Ricky Gervais and Michelle Pfeiffer.
“I’m blown away by the support our Kickstarter has had already and I promise everyone who has pledged their support that this will be the most beautiful book on Leopards the world has ever seen.”
Margot Raggett, founder and producer of Remembering Wildlife
“There is no greater friend to the animals than Ricky and we are deeply grateful for his on-going support and championing of the series!” ~ Margot Raggett/Remembering Wildlife
In Chobe National Park, Botswana, Hannes Lochner captured this Leopard looking skyward, as a flock of marabou storks flew overhead. Behind him, on the horizon, the sun sets over a swelteringly hot (50°C) day.
The photographers who have donated their images for this edition are:
Jane Addey, Oriol Alamany, Neil Aldridge, Theo Allofs, Matt Armstrong-Ford, Daryl & Sharna Balfour, Adam Bannister, Volodymyr Burdiak, Will Burrard-Lucas, Vladimir Cech Jr., Paras Chandaria, Chad Cocking, Marius J Coetzee, Shem Compion, Keith Connelly, Ben Cranke, Brendon Cremer, M & C Denis-Huot, Anja Denker, Tristan Dicks, Kevin Dooley, Greg du Toit, Marlon du Toit, Mark Dumbleton, Kairav Engineer, Morkel Erasmus, Amit Eshel, Suzi Eszterhas, Sascha Fonseca, James Gifford, Paul Goldstein, Sergey Gorshkov, Owen Gröbler, Richard Guijt, Todd Gustafson, Thorsten Hanewald, Hilary Hann, Trish Hennessy, Roger Hooper, Arnfinn Johansen, Lakshitha Karunarathna, Sebastian Kennerknecht, Agung Ganthar Kusumanto, Tim Laman, Frans Lanting, Behzad J Larry, Chien Lee, Hannes Lochner, Michael Lorentz, Piper Mackay, Russell MacLaughlin, Shivang Mehta, Garry Mills, Marc Mol, Yashas Narayan, Latika Nath, Heinrich Neumeyer, Pete Oxford, Parinya Padungtin, Richard Peters, Mevan Piyasena, Michael Poliza, Isak Pretorius, Margot Raggett, Abdul Rashid, Matthew Roper, Andy Rouse, Jonathan & Angela Scott, Pasan Senevirathne, Ismail Shariff, Anjali Singh, Harman Singh Heer, Andy Skinner, Sarah Skinner, James Suter, Tom Svensson, Roy Toft, Ann & Steve Toon, Paolo Torchio, Lance van de Vyver, Jan van der Greef, Marsel van Oosten, Christophe Vasselin, Federico Veronesi, Francesco Veronesi, Thomas Vijayan, Marion Vollborn, James Warwick, Marcus Westberg, Shannon Wild, Steve Winter, Art Wolfe and Nelis Wolmarans
Two Leopard brothers play fighting at Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. The shot was taken by photographer Trish Hennessy. The pair were initially playing in a bush before they climbed on top of the rocks on a hill to put on the show.
All profits from the sales of Remembering Leopards will be donated to projects protecting Leopards.
I fell in love with wildlife and safaris many years before picking up a camera! In the 2000s, I worked in PR in London and used all my spare cash to book safaris to Africa, as I had become totally addicted to being in nature. It was when I inadvertently signed up to a photography-based safari in 2010 that everything changed for me. It was a trip to see Kenya’s ‘Great Migration’ led by Jonathan & Angela Scott and it was only a few days before I went, that I realised I was supposed to bring a camera. I bought a cheap kit camera & lens and headed to Kenya. It turned out that camera was no good at all for wildlife (it was a very short lens) but nonetheless, I was totally inspired by Jonathan & Angela’s photography. When I got home, I immediately upgraded my gear and signed up for a course at the London School of Photography to learn the basics and I’ve never looked back. For a few years I went on as many photographer-led trips as I could, to learn from the best and then in 2012, agreed a deal to work as a Photographer in Residence at a camp in the Maasai Mara called Entim Camp. At that point I started selling my photos and attracting followers on social media.
It was in 2014 that everything changed for me once again. I had been working as a resident photographer in Kenya at that point for about three months a year, for three years, and it was at the end of one of those stays that I travelled to Laikipia to visit a friend. We were woken very early in camp by the sound of hyenas going crazy and at first light, went to investigate. What I saw changed my life, It was an elephant who has died from a poisoned arrow, likely poachers had shot him but he’d got away, only to die a slow, painful death over the next few days. The hyenas had started to eat his body and the sight – and the smell – was so shocking. I came to realise that poaching and the many other threats that wildlife faces are often hidden away from tourists and as a result, many like me at that point, had any idea how bad things really are. I was incredibly angry and upset and resolved to channel those emotions into something positive. That was the trigger for me to start work on what I thought would be a one-off book on elephants, to raise awareness about poaching and funds for projects working to protect elephants. I started to approach wildlife photographers I’d met in the field and invited them to donate an image each and it took off from there. 18 months later, Remembering Elephants was published. It sold out in 2 months and raised more than £100,000 and without me knowing it, a series was born. We’ve published five more books since (Remembering Rhinos, Remembering Great Apes, Remembering Lions, Remembering Cheetahs and Remembering African Wild Dogs) and the 7th in the series, Remembering Bears, will be published in October 2022. More than $1.2m USD has been raised by the series for conservation so far. Over 200 photographers have now contributed to the series and producing and steering it, has become my life’s work. Nowadays I spend far less time in the field taking traditional wildlife pictures like before but rather, I spend more time visiting the projects we are able to support with our funds, so I can see how our money is making a difference.
Source: Heroes of the extreme An interview with Margot Raggett. Gizmo, 2022.
Margot was awarded an MBE in the The King’s Birthday Honours 2023 for services to International Wildlife Conservation.
In a press statement Thursday, the animal rights organization said the Waccatee Zoo in Horry County will be permanently closed. Additionally, as part of the settlement, per PETA, the operators of the South Carolina facility are banned from owning or exhibiting wild or exotic animals, breeding domestic animals, exploiting domestic animals for profit, and working or volunteering at other roadside zoos.
In its lawsuit filed under the federal Endangered Species Act and South Carolina’s public nuisance law in April 2022, PETA described Waccatee Zoo as “one of the worst roadside zoos in America.” The complaint alleged the zoo’s operators confined and exhibited more than 460 animals and that the facility’s conditions deprived them of “adequate veterinary care, shelter, food, and water.”
An attorney for the Waccatee Zoo and the defendants, Reese Boyd III, told theMyrtle Beach Sun News that the lawsuit has been settled and the facility will be shut down. He said that his client’s agreement to the settlement terms was not an admission “to the exploitation of animals in their care” – adding that a number of PETA’s accusations were “factually untrue,” per the newspaper.
PETA also said in the lawsuit that it regularly received complaints about Waccatee from zoo visitors.
“Day after day, animals at Waccatee sway and pace back and forth—unnatural behaviors that signify the animals’ needs are not being met,” read PETA’s lawsuit. “Many animals experience negative stress due to small, insufficiently enriched spaces that provide little to do, offer inadequate opportunities to socialize, and are affirmatively dangerous.”
The lawsuit cited the case of Lila, a tiger who either died in late 2020 or 2021, saying that she “became so emaciated that much of her skeleton—including her vertebrae, scapula, shoulder, hip, and other joints—was visible through her skin.” The complaint also alleged that other animals at the zoo experienced hair loss and emaciation—adding that “isolated, frustrated, and bored animals exhibit alarming and repetitive behavior, indicating that they are experiencing psychological distress.”
Emaciated Lila suddenly disappeared resulting in PETA asking for a necropsy report.
Lila passed away after a fall from old age, zoo owner Jeff Futrell said.
According to a letter PETA sent to Waccatee Zoo on Feb. 25, the organization wanted answers to the whereabouts of Lila after she was the subject of a PETA campaign because of her ill health.
“After months of wasting away, losing fur, and turning in endless circles in her dismal cage, Lila has disappeared—and PETA is asking whether she died, in pain and in the cold, and if her death is being covered up,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Michelle Sinnott. “Nothing can undo Lila’s suffering, and PETA is calling on Waccatee Zoo to release the other big cats before they suffer as she did.”
And now, PETA is asking the owners of the zoo to release the necropsy report.
In a press statement, Brittany Peet, PETA’s general counsel for captive animal law enforcement, responded to the settlement: “This victory blocks Waccatee’s operators from ever again mistreating wild animals as they did for decades. PETA is delighted to see the survivors thriving in their new sanctuary home and will continue to ask everyone to help us advocate for all animals still trapped in roadside zoos by never patronizing such operations.
In May, PETA and The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) rescued nine remaining animals left at the Waccatee Zoo. Among the animals retrieved were a llama, two North American black bears, and six emus. PETA said the rescued animals would head to a TWAS sanctuary in Colorado.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP WILDLIFE
You can support ‘Protect All Wildlife’ by donating as little as £1 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need. Please donate below.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
The South Plateau project proposes to clearcut more than 5,500 acres of pine forest in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest. The project also calls for logging on an additional 9,000 acres and bulldozing up to 56 miles of roads, many through mature, old-growth forests.
“This reckless project was approved without considering its threats to Grizzly Bears, Lynx, and other wildlife,” said Kristine Akland, Northern Rockies director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The fragile Yellowstone ecosystem surrounding this iconic national park is vital for Montana’s rich biodiversity and climate. This project must be stopped before our beautiful backcountry forests are bulldozed.”
The Forest Service approved the logging project without identifying the locations, timing or scope of the logging units or roads. Instead, the agency said it will make those decisions when crews are on the ground, which inhibits analysis of potential harm to protected species and prevents public involvement.
“The Forest Service needs to drop the South Plateau project and quit clearcutting old-growth forests,” said Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. “Especially clearcutting and bulldozing new logging roads in grizzly habitat on the border of Yellowstone National Park.”
“Clearcutting high-elevation lodgepole forests across thousands of acres is not going to improve ecological conditions and will not help protect communities from wildfire as the Forest Service claims,” said Adam Rissien, a rewilding advocate at WildEarth Guardians. “Rather, this is another misguided, old-style timber sale that will undermine the forest’s ability to store carbon.”
The project allows for significantly more logging and road building than is authorized by the Custer-Gallatin Forest plan. The notice also says that the South Plateau project will destroy and remove thousands of acres of habitat for Grizzly Bears and Lynx, which are both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
You can support ‘Protect All Wildlife’ by donating as little as £1 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need. Please donate below.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
In May 2019, Botswana’s President Masisi justified the decision to recommence trophy hunting by emphasising that local communities will be guaranteed more than just menial jobs and enjoy sustainable wildlife management’s economic benefits.
A Bull Elephant shot in Botswana – a so-called ‘100 pounder’.
As the passage of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill moves to the Committee Stage of the House of Lords, a suite of amendments has been tabled for deliberation. These amendments include amending the Bill from a blanket ban to a case-by-case assessment of trophies imported into the United Kingdom based on whether they contribute to the conservation of wildlife and human economic upliftment.
For example: Amendment Clause 2(d) states that hunting imports may only be granted if:
“a hunting area where the hunting operator can demonstrate that financial or non-financial benefits of trophy hunting materially contributes to the conservation of the trophy hunted species, including habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, and support for community livelihoods.”
A Shopping List For Trophy Hunters
At face value, this appears to be equitable. Ignoring the obvious ethical dispute, if trophy hunting can be proven to benefit the conservation of wildlife and human livelihoods, then perhaps it may be a case to consider. However, the problem in the majority of trophy hunting cases, and in most countries where trophy hunting takes place, the activity not only is wholly unable to benefit wildlife and human communities, but precipitates the opposite.
Botswana, one of the major destinations for trophy hunters, is a particular case in point.
The southern African nation has been promoted by some in the House of Lords as an example of a trophy hunting ‘success.’ So much so that a high-level delegation of government officials from Botswana, including a minister, an ambassador and a wildlife department head of authority were invited to the House of Lords in June 2023 to make a case for the benefits of trophy hunting in their country. Yet, serious questions surround Botswana’s ability to adequately regulate trophy hunting and provide any meaningful benefits for communities living among and alongside wildlife.
Field investigations, in-person interviews and literature, financial audit, international policy document reviews have been undertaken over the course of a year to assess the validity that Botswana can provide meaningful and tangible benefits to its wildlife and people. This is a summary of the results:
On an international level, the country has been flagged for non-compliance under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due to its failure to submit annual reports, which provide crucial information for validating offtake of elephants for trophies for the international trophy trade. This indicates that the wildlife conservation in Botswana is not adequately managed.
Hunting quotas are not based on scientific data. A total quota of 356 Elephants and 74 Leopards are on the Wildlife Hunting Quota List for 2023. These figures are regarded as abnormally high. The list also includes Zebra, Buffalo, Ostrich, Wildebeest, Kudu, Eland, Gemsbok, Warthog, Baboon, and Lechwe.
There is evidence of widespread unethical hunting practices including over-use of already overly high quotas, fraudulent practices, corruption, baiting, and hunting near and within photographic tourism zones. As well as the deployment of aerial support to search for large tuskers and killing Elephant bulls near artificial waterholes.
Trophy hunting activities in Botswana are forcing communities, which are expected to rely on the proceeds of trophy hunting, into a perpetual cycle of impoverishment and economic disenfranchisement. Trophy hunting obstructs the development of more meaningful activities like photographic tourism while the proceeds from trophy hunting are so miniscule that individual community members are practically receiving nothing.
There is also widespread evidence of corruption and mismanagement of funds generated by the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) system in areas centred on trophy hunting as the main economic activity. The mismanagement and corruption are directly linked to trophy hunting.
The current government has revoked scientific research permits of organisations that have been committed to providing peer reviewed scientific data on the conservation status and ecology of Elephants and suppress those that have dared to voice concern over unsustainable and unethical hunting practices.
An aerial photograph of a butchered Elephant, shot by trophy hunters in Botswana.
The adult Elephant Bull (above) has been stripped of its body-parts. The trunk has been hacked off. There are large portions of the Elephant’s skin cut off. All four feet have been removed – presumably to make foot / table stools (the Botswana president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, (in)famously gave Elephant foot stools to the presidents of neighbouring countries at an Elephant Management meeting in Kasane in 2019). The tusks and skull have been taken to a taxidermy. These body parts represent the prize – the trophy – that the hunter was after, and which will be displayed on a wall in their home in Europe or America or Asia. There is also some flesh cut off on the flanks of one side, possibly to provide some meat for the trackers and skinners as a ‘tip’.
It has been claimed in Botswana that trophy hunting is only undertaken in ‘marginal’ wilderness areas that are not deemed viable for photographic tourism. It is also claimed that attempts to convert trophy hunting areas not viable for photographic tourism into photographic tourism areas is a challenge. Areas that are deemed not viable for photographic tourism are remoteness, lower densities of wildlife and monotonous natural landscapes. In these spaces, trophy hunting becomes a necessary evil as the sole provider of revenue for remote communities living within and alongside wildlife.
And yet, this Elephant was shot in a hunting concession (NG41) that is neatly wedged between two national parks – Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park. These two parks are globally renowned for photographic tourism and are consequently brimming with tourists wanting to photograph what Botswana showcases best – wildlife. The fact that that this Elephant was shot right in the middle of these tourist hotspots makes a mockery of the claim that trophy hunting in Botswana only takes place in marginal areas.
The Wall Of Death: A Hunter’s ‘Trophy’ Room
The standard narrative from hunters and their proponents is that trophy hunting is an essential conservation tool that, if conducted ‘ethically’, preserves endangered wildlife and provides revenue for impoverished communities living in marginalised areas where photographic tourism is absent. Yet as this case shows, as they all do, that narrative is a false one. Stripped of its protective fairy-tale veil, the true face of trophy hunting lays bare, a narcissistic bloodlust of a few depraved individuals who care little for ethics, community upliftment or wildlife conservation. ~ Adam Cruise.
In The Trophy Hunter’s Sights: Botswana’s Elephants
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP WILDLIFE:
You can support ‘Protect All Wildlife’ by donating as little as £1 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need. Please donate below.
Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
The Environment Secretary offered assurances about the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill in a letter to campaigners.
The Government has pledged to do “all we can” to ensure a ban on trophy hunting imports becomes law amid fears pro-hunting peers could “wreck” the reforms.
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said the Government will not support any further amendments to the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill.
The proposed legislation would prohibit bringing into the country body parts from species deemed of conservation concern.
The Bill, introduced by Conservative MP Henry Smith, has already cleared the House of Commons.
But a group of peers have raised concerns and tabled amendments that threaten to derail the proposals.
Time is running out to consider the Bill and it will fall if it does not receive royal assent before the current parliamentary session stops ahead of the King’s Speech on November 7.
Ms Coffey, in a letter to the Humane Society International/UK dated August 17, wrote: “It is a manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals and we are working hard to deliver.
“The Bill passed the Commons in March, with the Government’s support, and we will do all we can to support its progress through the House of Lords working with Baroness Fookes.
“I can confirm that we will not be supporting any further amendments to the Bill. I expect committee stage to progress next month.”
Conservative peer Lady Fookes is the Bill’s sponsor in the House of Lords.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “There is a small and vocal group of pro-hunting peers doing their best to wreck this Bill, but we need the Government to remain focused on the almost 90% of the public who want this ban on the import of hunting trophies.
“The timing for this Bill is indeed extremely tight but we were encouraged to receive a letter from Environment Secretary Therese Coffey yesterday.”
No Friday sittings to consider private members’ bills are expected in the House of Lords in September, according to the Government whips’ office in the Lords.
With the party conference recess running until October 16, there are expected to be just two possible Friday sittings before the parliamentary session ends.
Mr Smith, MP for Crawley, said he is speaking with the Government in a bid to secure more parliamentary time for his Bill.
Conservative peer Lord Mancroft, who opposes the proposals, said amendments have been tabled in a bid to “clean up” or clarify parts of the “badly drafted” Bill.
He acknowledged it is “very possible” the amendments could halt the Bill’s progress and rated its chances as “less than 10%”.
Mr Smith said the planned legislation is about UK import policy, adding opponents have pressed “spurious arguments” about how trophy hunting helps conservation.
A House of Lords briefing paper on the Bill stated: “According to figures from the Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) trade database, 190 hunting trophies from Cites-listed species were imported into the UK in 2020 (the most recent complete year for which figures are available).”
PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE 