Conservation through education – sustainable & conscious living
35 young elephants have just been taken from their life in the wild in Zimbabwe to spend the rest of their lives in captivity in China. It has recently been reported that Grace Mugabe has sent the elephants to China, along with a small number of lions, hyenas and a giraffe, in exchange for boots and uniforms…
Continue reading ➞ An elephant that ceases to be wild ceases to be
In just 7 days, on the 17th November 2016, conservation organisations and governments from around the world will meet in Vietnam for the Ha Noi Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade. This will be our next chance to close the domestic ivory markets. YOUR voice can help stop this terrible trade that is killing one…
With bonfire night approaching this weekend, we're all ready and prepared for the bright and beautiful lights and sizzling sounds of fireworks erupting in back gardens and designated parks. However, something that we don't usually consider whilst we are enjoying the colourful explosions is our pets and resident animals who don't quite feel the same…
Whilst browsing a retail store today I got chatting to the store manager about my adventures in Africa during the past few years. Upon saying that I had been working at a Lion Protection Trust in South Africa, her immediate response was "awwww so you got to play with all the little lions and tigers?!"…
It has been announced that the USA has banned the imports of lion trophies that have come from captive lion populations. Following the Cites results earlier this month, which refused to uplist lions to maximum protection, failing to stop the canned hunting industry, this new decision will mean that American hunters - who make up…
"When the (Kruger) Park was proclaimed by President Paul Kruger, attitudes toward wild animals were still based on a literal interpretation of the biblical injunction that God has given Man dominion over the birds of the air and the fishes of the sea. By the time the pioneers bowed out the world was coming to…
With a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, I am very sad to say that Cites chose to ignore our pleas, as today's vote meant that it has been decided that elephants will unfortunately stay listed as Appendix II, like African lions, meaning that they will not receive the protection that they so desperately need.…
Today's Cites decision brought disappointing news for lions as the call to up-list them to Appendix 1 was not agreed upon. The outcome of the discussions by Cites - the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species who decides upon the listings of each animal and plant, and therefore its level of protection worldwide…
This week celebrated World Rhino Day, which is all about spreading awareness about the rapidly depleting rhino population! I recently attended a debate in London about the legalisation of the trade of rhino horn. An interesting and very often sensitive and controversial topic, I went in to the debate being firmly against the trade, but…
Once again i find myself outraged but no more surprised at the carelessness of the human race causing the unnecessary end of a beautiful animal life. I am of course talking about this week's wildlife disaster that has set the internet on fire, and conservationists and animal lovers worldwide into turmoil, about the carelessness of the parents…
This image really speaks a thousand words. This is a collection of all of the snares that have been found on the Mbube reserve of the White Lion Protection Trust, where I am currently situated. Snares, made by looped wire, are used mainly by meat hunters in South Africa, and have been said to be…
It’s currently 16:31 and 32 degrees Celsius in the Timbavati, I haven’t spoken to a real human being in about seven hours, I’ve got a raging cold from being exposed to 20 hours non-stop air-con on my way here, mix all that with having been up and active since 4.45am, and I’m feeling pretty delirious.…
I've lost count of the amount of times that friends have sent me photos of people that I know involved in the terrible wildlife tourism trade that is in the media so much these days, and how many times that I have wanted to write ranting long comments on those social media photos, asking them…
Earlier this week I sat with my family to watch Davina McCall's new wildlife documentary 'Life at the Extreme'. Whilst the premiere received mixed reviews about Davina's capability of presenting a wildlife documentary, I thought it was good to see an 'ordinary' person immersing themselves in the wilds of Africa. Near the end of the…
My name is Jess. And I #jointheherd According to the calendar, this Chinese New Year is the year of the monkey, but we want to make 2016 the first ever #yearoftheelephant. As the human race are responsible for the decline of elephants, from 1.3 million just 40 years ago in Africa to only 400,000 left…
The more time that I spend with Africa's elephants, the more I fall in love with them and the more that my admiration grows as I discover new things that make these creatures such beautiful souls that I feel connected with. And so I will be running 10km to raise money for the protection of…
Prominent American television network MSNBC is set to premiere previously mentioned canned hunting exposé Blood Lions on the 7th of October. Blood Lions follows the journey of environmental journalist, Ian Michler, and American hunter, Rick Swazey, as they expose the multi-million dollar canned hunting industry. Despite the worldwide outrage following the death of Cecil the lion, I was…
According to Jess 