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Africa’s Big Five and Little Five

10,000 Birds

Africa is famous for its large, charismatic mammals, and the Big Five epitomize the most sought-after of these fantastic beasts. Originally a hunting term, the Big Five were the most dangerous and prized targets of the great white hunters on safari. Black Rhinos are best sought in South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania.

Buffalo 194
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Can we talk about Cecil the Lion?

10,000 Birds

I get that you’re really angry, I mean, he was a popular lion and yes, his cute widdle cubs will probably die to, but I can’t help feeling you’ve kind of missed the point a bit, and well, ending all hunting in Africa will not solve much and maybe make things worse and… No, no, I’m not a hunter.

Lions 200
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Vultures, Human Evolution, Global Warming, and Windmills

10,000 Birds

The topic was the concept of humans as predators, or hunters, or really, eaters of meat, and I was discussing the many ways in which people misconceived this notion. Even though this referred to a period after the supposed “scavenging” phase, it lent support to the idea of a stepwise evolution of the ability to hunt.

Humane 165
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Falakhe’s Story

10,000 Birds

Early starts are the rule when monitoring endagered species in Mkuze Game Reserve, in South Africa, but there’s a particular urgency to this morning’s start. At first we were concerned that another dog had been injured, perhaps hit by one of the hunter’s cars (who were watching the pack as well).

Wolves 187
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Birding the Kruger Park (5): Pafuri area part 1

10,000 Birds

Pafuri lies in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park and is described as “some of the most potentially productive birding territory in South Africa” on the SANParks website. For example, this study showed that Malachite Kingfishers spent more time hunting in locations with more fish. ” (HBW).

Elephants 147
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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls

10,000 Birds

…Sure, we got lots of ‘em javelina and wild hogs too” But I explained to him that I was a hunter of a different kind and that I was looking for tiny owls and not wild pigs. Growing up in South Africa, I fell in love with our two representatives of this genus, the Pearl-spotted Owlet and the Barred Owlet.

Owls 144
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Ghana – Rainforest Birding on the Brink by Adam Riley

10,000 Birds

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 187