It’s a case of life imitating art ― wildlife, that is. Nature photographer Dafna Ben Nun was in Zimbabwe when she saw something straight out of a movie: “The Lion King,” to be exact. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw an adult baboon holding a baby, looking exactly like Simba in ‘The Lion King,’” she told Caters News Agency. “It was just a split second, but it was fascinating to watch.” Nun said the baboons were all in the same group, so no harm was done to any of them. She posted the photo Wednesday on Facebook. To read more on this story, and see the video, click here: Baboon In Zimbabwe Holds Infant Just Like Rafiki In ‘Lion King’ It’s The Circle of Life
Photographing wildlife in Namibia isn’t easy. It’s fraught with challenges, hardships, setbacks and stress. But the southern African nation’s peaceful landscapes, majestic animals and kindhearted people always make it worth the trouble. A recent two-week trip to Namibia, my third, was plagued by an unending series of mishaps, but it left me with a mountain’s worth of memories and thousands of photographs. When things weren’t going well, I couldn’t help but think of how much easier life is back home in New York. Now that I’ve returned, I can’t help but think about the photographic opportunities that abound in the harsh but beautiful deserts of Namibia. Among the nations of sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia is visited less often by Americans than countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. Namibians are more accustomed to travelers from Germany, France, Britain or Belgium and were slightly surprised to learn I had come from the United States. But they always greeted me warmly. The nation is bordered by Angola to the north, South Africa to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Botswana to the east. A panhandle in the country’s northeastern corner, called the Caprivi Strip, stretches toward Zambia and Zimbabwe. To read more on this story, click here:The Deserts of Namibia: Life and Photography on Nature's Terms
Photographing wildlife in Namibia isn’t easy. It’s fraught with challenges, hardships, setbacks and stress. But the southern African nation’s peaceful landscapes, majestic animals and kindhearted people always make it worth the trouble. A recent two-week trip to Namibia, my third, was plagued by an unending series of mishaps, but it left me with a mountain’s worth of memories and thousands of photographs. When things weren’t going well, I couldn’t help but think of how much easier life is back home in New York. Now that I’ve returned, I can’t help but think about the photographic opportunities that abound in the harsh but beautiful deserts of Namibia. Among the nations of sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia is visited less often by Americans than countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. Namibians are more accustomed to travelers from Germany, France, Britain or Belgium and were slightly surprised to learn I had come from the United States. But they always greeted me warmly. The nation is bordered by Angola to the north, South Africa to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Botswana to the east. A panhandle in the country’s northeastern corner, called the Caprivi Strip, stretches toward Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Deserts of Namibia:Life and Photography on Nature's Terms
Trump’s overturning of the Obama administration ban on elephant trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia being imported into America sparked outrage from animal rights activists. Ellen used her talk show yesterday to proclaim her love for elephants and detail her shock at the Trump’s administration’s decision. She said: ‘I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love them too.’ To read more on this story, click here:Ellen DeGeneres Launches Campaign to Save Elephants After Trump Ends Trophy Ban
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WASHINGTON — In the face of widespread public backlash, President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he has suspended his decision to reverse an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts,” he posted to Twitter. He adding that the issue has been “under study for years” but that he would soon provide an update. As HuffPost reported Wednesday, the administration decided to lift the ban after determining that sport hunting in those African countries will help conserve the species, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed. To read more on this story, click here:Facing Public Outrage, Trump Puts Elephant Trophy Decision ‘On Hold’
WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - The Trump Administration plans to remove an Obama-era ban on importing elephant head trophies. That means big game hunters could soon bring their elephant head trophies into the U.S. if they were killed on legal hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia. For decades, African countries have struggled to save elephants. An estimated 30,000 are slaughtered by poachers every year for their ivory tusks. In the 1970s, Africa had an estimated 1.3 million wild elephants. Now only a half a million remain. But a statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says legal, well-regulated sport hunting of elephants can help save the animals by giving local communities a financial incentive to protect them. To read more on this story, click here:Hunters Will Soon Bring Elephant Head Trophies Into U.S.
A young bull elephant killed professional hunter Ian Gibson early on Wednesday as he tracked a lion for an American client in a rugged part of north-east Zimbabwe. Mr. Gibson, 55, one of Zimbabwe's best known big game hunters, died scouting for prey in the Zambezi Valley after a young bull elephant charged, then knelt on him and crushed him to death. "We don't yet know the full details of how 'Gibbo' as we called him, died, as the American client and the trackers are still too traumatized to give us full details," said Paul Smith, Managing Director, of Chifuti Safaris' which employed Mr. Gibson for the hunt. The American hunter was on his first trip to Zimbabwe, and only has one leg, but was "fit and strong" and had already shot a leopard. Mr. Gibson was scouting for lions when he encountered the elephant. Mr. Gibson's trackers said the young bull had been in a musth period, which means it was producing much more testosterone then usual. "We know 'Gibbo' shot it once, from about 10 yards away, with a 458 rifle. He would never have fired unless he had no alternative. He was a hunter, yes, but he was also a magnificent wildlife photographer and conservationist. "He was so experienced and this is a most unexpected tragedy." Mr. Gibson was accompanying his client in an area known as Chiwore North, in the southern part of the Zambezi Valley, which Mr. Smith said is overpopulated with elephants.
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