Tanzania sees progress on Kilimanjaro wildfire

Tanzania sees progress on Kilimanjaro wildfire

Tanzanian environmental minister Hamisi Kigwangalla visited the scene of a wildfire burning through Kilimanjaro National Park on Wednesday, checking on fire suppression efforts and thanking those battling the flames. Community volunteers have joined professionals in working to put out a fire that TANAPA, the Tanzania National Parks authority, said broke…

IPBES: We depend on ecosystems that are rapidly deteriorating

An estimated 1 million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction within decades and the threats to their survival are accelerating, according to a much-anticipated report on biodiversity from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem…

Scientists appeal to Rajoelina to protect Madagascar’s biodiversity

Scientists from across the globe are placing some pressure on President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar to ensure he makes biodiversity conservation a priority of his five-year term. The researchers from 16 different universities and organizations, including the University of Antananarivo, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Madagascar and the International Union…

Botswana named top African safari tourism destination

Botswana has been named the best African country for safari adventures, narrowly edging out Tanzania for the first time in annual ratings conducted by SafariBookings.com. “Botswana – a study in contrasting landscapes, from the impossibly beautiful Kalahari Desert with its big skies to the watery wonderland of the famous Okavango…

New wildlife research makes case for funding African parks

People may think that African wildlife is already facing enough threat from climate change or illegal trafficking, but the continent’s preserves are facing up to USD$2 billion in funding shortfalls that threaten protected areas. That’s according to Peter Lindsey, director of the Lion Recovery Fund and co-author of new research…

Toxic toad poses threat to Madagascar’s native species

Toxic toads that arrived in Madagascar as an invasive species pose a threat to the island nation’s wildlife because – unlike animals in the toad’s native Asia – they’ve developed no gene mutations to protect them. That’s the conclusion of a team of European researchers who urge the government in…

IPBES report shows critical need to protect Africa’s biodiversity

Biodiversity continues to decline in every region of the world, and that’s especially a concern for Africa, according to newly released regional reports from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). “Africa is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and this is going to have…