Conservation through education – sustainable & conscious living
A few years ago I wrote an article for the Elephant Journal on the reality of and our reliance on social media and how damaging it can be. I want to talk about that again and be as open, honest and raw as I can be, because I feel like it's something that's currently really…
I recently attended one of the most inspiring events that I’ve ever been to. It was the launch of Remembering Rhinos, a collaboration in book form of some of the world’s best wildlife photographers with the collective goal of raising much needed funds for rhino conservation. Not only is the book a stunning collection of…
It's #WorldLionDay today - a celebration of the kings and queens of the animal kingdom, the most socially big cats in the world, and a perfect opportunity to spread awareness about the plight of one of Africa's most iconic species. Today, on this special day of appreciation for lions, please help me to spread awareness by…
Following the devastating news of the recent poaching attack on the orphaned rhinos at Thula Thula in South Africa, a similar tragedy has just occurred, only this time in a place that perhaps most would not expect. Reports have just come in claiming that a rhino has been murdered at a zoo in France, with poachers…
Continue reading ➞ Poachers target captive rhinos in brutal killing
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…
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 brought incredible news for the critically endangered, and most illegally traded animal in the world, the elusive pangolin! The majority of people have never even heard of this mammal, and many of those who have think that it is an armadillo. But pangolins are in fact the most illegally traded animal in the entire world,…
The Tree of Life. The Mother Tree. The Listening Tree. It is said that Kai, the bushman creator of all things, gave the seeds of this tree to the hyena, to plant all around Africa. But hyenas are lazy. And in his indolence, he did not take the task upon himself, and this is why…
So what is wildlife conservation and how can we know if our money is going to the right place? With social media being at the forefront of most people's focus these days, it almost seems as if people are doing things with the sole initial intention of being able to upload the proof onto their social media…
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…
As I gazed at the young tawny lioness I saw how innocent she was. I saw that the world had not yet shown her all of its beauty, nor its potential dark side. I was watching her pad through the long, pale grass so carefully and silently, when suddenly a South African quail flew up…
http://www.igobyplane.com/2015/06/19/where-can-i-pet-a-baby-lion-tiger-cheetah-big-cat/ I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that reading this article got my blood boiling to the highest degrees - so much so that I had to take a walk outside before angrily bashing the keys to write this post. Aside from the fact that this guy is illiterate, he is absolutely the…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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.…
I doubt there is a single person reading this post that hasn’t heard about the unlawful killing of Cecil the lion. As we await the outcome of the trial of the hunters, here are 10 things that you should know about the majestic king. Cecil was 13 years old and Zimbabwe’s most famous lion –…
Continue reading ➞ 10 things you need to know about Cecil the Lion
I am an animal lover therefore I am a hunter. I just enjoy watching things die and having fun killing a lion. Back in May this year I attended a talk in South Africa by environmental journalist Ian Michler about his new documentary ‘Blood Lions’. The documentary follows on from the topics discussed in my…
Continue reading ➞ I am an animal lover, therefore I am a hunter
After revealing the truth behind my lion selfie, I received a fantastic following of over 320,000 people from all around the world. I now want to take this opportunity to set a few things straight from my previous article, and give you more of an insight into my experiences undercover, and what you can do…
According to Jess 