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Major national parks and wildife reserves across Africa lost up to 60% of their lions, giraffes, buffalo and other large wild animals between 1970 and 2005, raising the spectre of wildlife on the continent soon being confined to isolated pockets dependent on international money for protection.
Researchers at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the University of Cambridge studied animal population changes at 78 protected areas across Africa and found the steepest falls in west Africa, where up to 85% of wildlife had been lost in the last 35 years, and in east Africa, where nearly half of all wildlife has disappeared. The research, which was collated from parks including popular tourist safari destinations such as the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania, and published last year, found increases only in southern Africa.
The cause of the continent-wide decline has been attributed mainly to the lack of money and people needed to police parks, as well as the encroachment of humans on animal habitats. In addition, war and the growing bushmeat trade is said to have decimated populations.
The numbers of elephants, hippos and other animals are believed to have also plummeted in southern Sudan, following years of war. The soon-to-be independent country has the world's second largest annual migration of large mammals and vast herds of gazelle and antelope, but these have been decimated by fighters hunting them them for their meat. While wildlife declines in protected areas were large, the researchers said the loss of large mammals outside parks and reserves was much worse with many species like rhino now practically extinct outside protected areas.
Kenya, one of the most popular places in the world for wildlife, has been hit particularly hard. A report commissioned in 2009 by the country's wildlife service said that the its lion population was declining so fast that they could be extinct there within 20 years
Researchers at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the University of Cambridge studied animal population changes at 78 protected areas across Africa and found the steepest falls in west Africa, where up to 85% of wildlife had been lost in the last 35 years, and in east Africa, where nearly half of all wildlife has disappeared. The research, which was collated from parks including popular tourist safari destinations such as the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania, and published last year, found increases only in southern Africa.
The cause of the continent-wide decline has been attributed mainly to the lack of money and people needed to police parks, as well as the encroachment of humans on animal habitats. In addition, war and the growing bushmeat trade is said to have decimated populations.
The numbers of elephants, hippos and other animals are believed to have also plummeted in southern Sudan, following years of war. The soon-to-be independent country has the world's second largest annual migration of large mammals and vast herds of gazelle and antelope, but these have been decimated by fighters hunting them them for their meat. While wildlife declines in protected areas were large, the researchers said the loss of large mammals outside parks and reserves was much worse with many species like rhino now practically extinct outside protected areas.
Kenya, one of the most popular places in the world for wildlife, has been hit particularly hard. A report commissioned in 2009 by the country's wildlife service said that the its lion population was declining so fast that they could be extinct there within 20 years
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Did you Know? Some interesting facts about African Wildlife
There are over 1,100 different species of mammals in Africa and over 2,600 species of birds.
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - fastest is the cheetah at 70 mph, wildebeest, lion and Thomson's gazelle all about 50 mph.
Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly in the world is found in South Africa. It is know as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly.
Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the worlds chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar.
Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
An elephant can weigh 6 - 7 tons and has no natural enemies.
An elephant drinks up to 160 liters of water per day.
An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually turn the pages of a book with it.
There are over 1,100 different species of mammals in Africa and over 2,600 species of birds.
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - fastest is the cheetah at 70 mph, wildebeest, lion and Thomson's gazelle all about 50 mph.
Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly in the world is found in South Africa. It is know as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly.
Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the worlds chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar.
Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
An elephant can weigh 6 - 7 tons and has no natural enemies.
An elephant drinks up to 160 liters of water per day.
An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually turn the pages of a book with it.
The Big Five
Best known are the mammals, and the best known of these are the famous Big Five: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Not that giraffe, hippo or whale are small ...
South Africa's bushveld and savannah regions are still home to large numbers of the mammals universally associated with Africa.
The Kruger National Park alone has well over 10 000 elephants and 20 000 buffaloes – in 1920 there were an estimated 120 elephants left in the whole of South Africa.
The white rhino has also been brought back from the brink of extinction and now flourishes both in the Kruger National Park and the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal. Attention now is on protecting the black rhino.
Both these parks are home to all of the Big Five, as are other major reserves in South Africa – such as Pilanesberg in North West province – and numerous smaller reserves and private game lodges.
Best known are the mammals, and the best known of these are the famous Big Five: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Not that giraffe, hippo or whale are small ...
South Africa's bushveld and savannah regions are still home to large numbers of the mammals universally associated with Africa.
The Kruger National Park alone has well over 10 000 elephants and 20 000 buffaloes – in 1920 there were an estimated 120 elephants left in the whole of South Africa.
The white rhino has also been brought back from the brink of extinction and now flourishes both in the Kruger National Park and the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal. Attention now is on protecting the black rhino.
Both these parks are home to all of the Big Five, as are other major reserves in South Africa – such as Pilanesberg in North West province – and numerous smaller reserves and private game lodges.