Critter News

DECEMBER 13, 2010

Kotze said Jordaan had apparently doing "stem cell research" to help people walk again after a friend of his had been paralysed in an accident. Jordaan allegedly submitted a research application to the University of the Free State, but its animal ethics committee rejected it. He was told to rewrite and resubmit it.

South Africa 100

South Africa Experience Experiments Primates 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2014

You probably have to go to a resturant in Botswana or South Africa to find Tigerfish on the menu. As I was just starting to examine it, a famous paleontologist who happened to be passing by came over to look, and immediately determine that it was a fossil primate tooth, a very rare find indeed. One is on the plate, as dinner.

South Africa 231

South Africa Botswana Africa Fish 231

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2013

Geladas are the sole survivors of a once abundant branch of primates that historically foraged across the grasslands of Africa, the Mediterranean and India. However recent research has shown that they are in fact not baboons, despite superficial appearances, and they are now just called “Gelada”. Photo by Adam Riley.

Ethiopia 163

Ethiopia Primates Mammals Fur 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

I did that with Peacocks & Picathartes – Reflections on Africa’s birdlife (published by Penguin Random House South Africa ). In case you didn’t know, yes, there is an indigenous peacock living in Africa, the Congo Peafowl. He has authored several other books and many articles, largely on natural history.

Congo 264

Congo Africa South Africa Madagascar 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

The “Wild Rwanda – Where to watch birds, primates, and other wildlife” gives you the info how and where to look for both birds and mammals (not just primates, the title is somewhat misleading). Among others, he edited The Important Bird Areas of South Africa and The Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa.

Rwanda 221

Rwanda Primates Wildlife Gorillas 221

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

I was in contact with a group of birders for whom I arranged and guided an annual tour to Africa. We already had South Africa, Zambia and Uganda under our belts, but my clients’ request for the next year came right out of the blue: Ghana! During each trip we would discuss a destination for the following year.

Ghana 211

Ghana Hunters Guinea Gambia 211