When passionate people come together to fight against injustice, whilst speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves, great change can be achieved - that’s what I thought whilst perusing the pages of the latest wildlife photography masterpiece ‘Photographers Against Wildlife Crime’. The book is a collection of photographs from an international group of…
Tag: elephants
What is the Illegal Wildlife Trade?
The figures for the number of rhinos that were poached in South Africa in 2017 have just been released. With all of the increased awareness, education and understanding of just how few of these iconic animals the world has left, rhino poaching numbers should have decreased - right? Well, in fact they have - by…
#WorldElephantDay
It's #WorldElephantDay today - my favourite animal in the entire world and my spirit animal since birth! A lot of people adore elephants, and I think that one of the reasons why is because many people feel that they can relate to elephants due to their similarities to us, which is really wonderful when you think…
Wildlife charity saves elephant from a life of torture
Amongst all the horrific news about our ever-depleting wildlife, it is always heartwarming to hear about a positive story with a very happy ending. Couple that with the power of social media and an array of people with incredibly good souls and you will find a story that will restore a little bit of faith…
Continue reading ➞ Wildlife charity saves elephant from a life of torture
A pea in an elephant herd pod
Nature is full of unpredictable surprises. And there are few things more heart-warming to watch than the unlikely friendships and bonds of two completely different species in the wild. In 2014, two ostrich chicks were bestowed upon the world-renowned wildlife organisation The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. These two sibling chicks, a female named Pea and…
The new elephant: tuskless
During the current wildlife crisis, it is now becoming more common to see rhinos without their horns, due to the need to take extreme precautions during this desperate time, which means that cutting off a rhino's precious horn is seen as a necessary deterrent against poachers. However, are we now entering into a time where elephants…
Worth more alive
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…
A tear for a tusk
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.…
What wildlife are worth
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…
#jointheherd
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…
Paying to break the elephant’s spirit
Staring at the TV I can feel the anger rising inside of me as the news report unfolds. This is the story that no doubt many of you have heard about since it was first reported yesterday. A man was killed by an elephant in Thailand whilst his daughter watched. Having studied journalism I know…
Jessy’s 10K run for Kenya’s elephants
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…
Never the end of the road
I am so proud of myself. I passed all of my exams, practical assessments and presentations and am now officially a qualified nature guide! And so marks the end of my time at Nature Training in Zululand - It’s been an absolute rollercoaster and I’ve had some of the most incredible times of my life.…
A week unfenced
There is no other feeling in this world quite like falling asleep in a tent to the creaks and croaks of frogs and toads, watching the milkyway through your mesh window, knowing that there is the most dangerous animal in the world grazing right outside the zipper of your khaki home. True african bliss. 7am…
Africa, Two Years On
I cannot believe that it was exactly two years ago today that I first went to South Africa. It was two years ago today that I ventured out by myself, and travelled across the globe having no idea what to expect, and knowing there would not be a single person that I knew within 12,000km.…
Sally, My Gentle Giant
So I arrived back in London in the early hours of the English morning. The past month of my life in South Africa has been absolutely amazing and I would not change a single thing that happened. Aside from my previously posted experiences, obviously the primary reason that I went to the glorious Western Cape…