So much hope rests on those wobbly legs. It’ll take at least 10 years for this elephant to reach maturity. Ten long years where the youngster may encounter shrinking habitats, altered landscapes, and malicious humans. If the calf makes it, he’ll have an important role to play in helping nurture the next generation of elephants – a generation that may face even greater threats. These giants need safe space to roam in protected landscapes where they can live in harmony with humans.
@DereckJoubert and I recently hosted a number of speaking events in Florida where our goal was to share the urgent need to protect wild spaces and species and safeguard them for future generations. An African savannah without elephants is something we cannot fathom.
Visit www.greatplainsfoundation to find out more about what we are doing to protect our planet and how you can get involved.
#wildlifeconservation #elephants
There’s a special elegance and grace reserved for giraffes. That silhouette, unmistakable against a golden sky, floats with purpose and poise across the savannah. Their unique form has awed visitors to Africa for centuries, but like so many other species, giraffes are in trouble. Populations have plummeted by 40% in just the last 30 years, and there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild. We know what must be done to save them: prioritise conservation efforts, safeguard habitats, address threats like illegal hunting. If we don’t act now, we stand to lose these iconic creatures forever.
#giraffes #giraffeconservation #wildlifeconservation
There’s a special elegance and grace reserved for giraffes. That silhouette, unmistakable against a golden sky, floats with purpose and poise across the savannah. Their unique form has awed visitors to Africa for centuries, but like so many other species, giraffes are in trouble. Populations have plummeted by 40% in just the last 30 years, and there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild. We know what must be done to save them: prioritise conservation efforts, safeguard habitats, address threats like illegal hunting. If we don’t act now, we stand to lose these iconic creatures forever.
#giraffes #giraffeconservation #wildlifeconservation
There’s a special elegance and grace reserved for giraffes. That silhouette, unmistakable against a golden sky, floats with purpose and poise across the savannah. Their unique form has awed visitors to Africa for centuries, but like so many other species, giraffes are in trouble. Populations have plummeted by 40% in just the last 30 years, and there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild. We know what must be done to save them: prioritise conservation efforts, safeguard habitats, address threats like illegal hunting. If we don’t act now, we stand to lose these iconic creatures forever.
#giraffes #giraffeconservation #wildlifeconservation
I’ve always been in awe of the sheer power and presence of elephants. While spending time with these giants you learn to appreciate the delicate application of that immense strength. A carefully directed blast of water from a trunk provides relief from the scorching African sun, while pillar-like legs are used to dig into the sand when rivers run dry. Their movements are purposeful and intricate fuelled by an intelligence and social cohesion that we are yet to fully understand. Although, we don’t speak their language and can only deduce the motivations for their behaviour, we can respect and admire their sentience. And do everything we can to protect them.
#elephant #nature #wildlife
Trees are more than just resting spots for leopards; they provide cover from danger and a safe place to stash a kill where it’s beyond the reach of eager scavengers. This cat hastily hauled her warthog kill into the safety of the boughs, but kept a lookout for any rivals on the horizon. Competition for food is tough in the African bush, and wily predators like leopards are only too aware of the looming threat of losing a meal.
#bigcats #bigcatsofinstagram #leopards
A lion’s roar commands attention. Specially adapted vocal folds allow these cats to muster up a reverberating bellow that can be heard from kilometres away. If you’re close enough, you’ll feel the vibrations of the call rolling through your bones and likely triggering the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up straight. It’s a sound we’ve come to love and appreciate during our time documenting these apex predators. Sadly, we have also witnessed this iconic sound fading from more and more corners of the African wild. We stand to lose so much more than just a roar if we allow these cats to vanish.
#lions #bigcats #bigcatsofinstagram #bigcatconservation #wildlife #wildlifelovers #conservation #nature
Sunday mood. Lions are not avid tree-climbers – their size and heavy set bodies are not ideally equipped for leaping through the branches. Like all cats, however, they can’t seem to resist the urge to investigate and explore, especially if their efforts end with a comfy snooze. Young cats are more adept at scaling the branches and this one seemed to be channeling his inner leopard as he rested, draped over a branch in a state of total relaxation.
#wildlife #lion #bigcats
Open mouth, insert foot.
This young male was surprisingly tolerant of the rough-and-tumble games initiated by the pride’s smallest members. For the cubs, playtime – which is most of the time – is an opportunity to learn and discover. For this subadult male who became the unwilling victim of their exuberant pouncing, it’s a lesson in patience.
#lion #wildlife #nature #bigcats #bigcatsofinstagram
Open mouth, insert foot.
This young male was surprisingly tolerant of the rough-and-tumble games initiated by the pride’s smallest members. For the cubs, playtime – which is most of the time – is an opportunity to learn and discover. For this subadult male who became the unwilling victim of their exuberant pouncing, it’s a lesson in patience.
#lion #wildlife #nature #bigcats #bigcatsofinstagram
It’s astonishing to witness the speed and agility of hippos. Although they spend the majority of the daylight hours basking, semi-submerged, in rivers or ponds, hippos venture out of the water at night or when the weather is cooler to feed on grass. Those dainty ankles are carrying around a ton and a half of territorial hippo and, despite his size, he can turn on a dime. Deeply scarred from territorial disputes – the wounds of which were likely made more severe by opportunistic oxpecker birds that feast on blood and parasites – this male clearly means business. Hippos are famously possessive over their pools and will aggressively defend them, sometimes even charging at innocuous animals like impalas. A herd of buffalo ventured a bit too close, and the enraged hippo voiced his displeasure at their presence. Although buffaloes can definitely hold their own against an aggressive hippo, this herd thought better of taking on the challenge and instead watched the angry behemoth from a distance.
#HippoDay #WorldHippoDay #hippo #Okavango #wildlife
While filming in the Mara we watched as this cub – the more adventurous of the four that we documented for our film The Way of the Cheetah – clambered into the branches of a tree and almost completely disappeared in the dappled foliage. We’re thankful for every moment we share with the world’s most charismatic and threatened species and are constantly reminded of the delicate balance of the natural world and the role we play in its preservation. Our inspiration comes not only from the wild spaces where we are most at home, but also from other passionate conservationists who have dedicated their lives to protecting our planet.
I’m thrilled that this photo could be included in a campaign honouring Dr Jane Goodall and the massive contribution she has made to science and conservation. Today, she celebrates her 90th birthday and can look back on an incredible legacy of advocacy, compassion and stewardship that is felt across the globe.
In her honor, @vital.impacts is partnering with @janegoodallinst to shine a spotlight on the breathtaking work of 90 remarkable women photographers that Jane has inspired. Each image tells a story of resilience, beauty, and the urgent need to protect our planet.
Please dive into this stunning gallery and keep a look out for more photos that will be showcased in the coming weeks: bit.ly/celebratejane90
#JaneGoodall #cheetah #wildlifeconservation #HappyBirthdayJane
While filming in the Mara we watched as this cub – the more adventurous of the four that we documented for our film The Way of the Cheetah – clambered into the branches of a tree and almost completely disappeared in the dappled foliage. We’re thankful for every moment we share with the world’s most charismatic and threatened species and are constantly reminded of the delicate balance of the natural world and the role we play in its preservation. Our inspiration comes not only from the wild spaces where we are most at home, but also from other passionate conservationists who have dedicated their lives to protecting our planet.
I’m thrilled that this photo could be included in a campaign honouring Dr Jane Goodall and the massive contribution she has made to science and conservation. Today, she celebrates her 90th birthday and can look back on an incredible legacy of advocacy, compassion and stewardship that is felt across the globe.
In her honor, @vital.impacts is partnering with @janegoodallinst to shine a spotlight on the breathtaking work of 90 remarkable women photographers that Jane has inspired. Each image tells a story of resilience, beauty, and the urgent need to protect our planet.
Please dive into this stunning gallery and keep a look out for more photos that will be showcased in the coming weeks: bit.ly/celebratejane90
#JaneGoodall #cheetah #wildlifeconservation #HappyBirthdayJane
For zebras, life in the herd is not always peaceful. Zebra societies are defined by strict hierarchies and these social systems can be intricate and complex. A single dominant male usually reigns over family groups called harems that are made up of mares and their recent offspring. Alpha stallions are highly protective of their harems and will readily take on challenges from competing bachelors. This can sometimes lead to fierce clashes between males that involve a lot of biting and kicking. If a challenging bachelor wins one of these showdowns, the loser must relinquish his harem to join a bachelor herd, along with other ousted males and young stallions that are yet to rise through the ranks.
#zebra #wildlife #nature
For zebras, life in the herd is not always peaceful. Zebra societies are defined by strict hierarchies and these social systems can be intricate and complex. A single dominant male usually reigns over family groups called harems that are made up of mares and their recent offspring. Alpha stallions are highly protective of their harems and will readily take on challenges from competing bachelors. This can sometimes lead to fierce clashes between males that involve a lot of biting and kicking. If a challenging bachelor wins one of these showdowns, the loser must relinquish his harem to join a bachelor herd, along with other ousted males and young stallions that are yet to rise through the ranks.
#zebra #wildlife #nature
Spotting a pangolin in the wild is rare. In all our years documenting wildlife, often spending weeks embedded in the bush, we’ve only seen a handful of these elusive mammals in the wild. They’re often more active at night, shuffling through the undergrowth in search of termites, ants and larvae, which they dig out of nests and burrows using their impressive claws. Once they’ve carved an opening in the dirt, a long sticky tongue goes to work sucking up insects en masse.
They are profoundly unique animals. But they are also under threat. All eight species of pangolins found throughout the world are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade and populations are rapidly declining. Despite their shy nature, they remain one of the most trafficked mammals in the world and are illegally trapped in their thousands to feed a growing demand for their scales and meat. Without strict regulations and enforcement, these remarkable animals may be pushed to extinction. This #WorldPangolinDay, let’s join forces and pledge to never let that happen.
#pangolin #PangolinsDay #wildlife #nature #wildlifeconservation
Silhouetted in a band of golden light stretched between the horizon and the clouds, this eland’s cow-like stature and distinctive dewlap make her instantly recognisable. Despite her colossal size, she is surprisingly agile and can leap great distances and accelerate rapidly to escape an attack from an ambitious predator (of which there are few that would attempt the challenge). If cornered, she’ll turn on her attackers, using her strength and tightly spiralled horns to see off the threat.
#wildlife #eland #sunset #silhouette
Love can take many forms, each of them embodying devotion and kindness. Our greatest passion has always been for the African continent with its magnificent wildlife, vast spaces and undeniable beauty. This Valentine’s Day – like many before it – we’re sending our love to the landscapes, people and places that have given us so much. The things we love, we cherish and protect.
#ValentinesDay #bigcatconservation #leopard
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” – Rachel Carson
#wildlife #nature
Nightfall in the African bush triggers a transformation. The air feels electric, buzzing with the pulse of nocturnal species that emerge from their hiding places to forage and hunt. With the evening sky burning in an orange-amber glow, set on fire by the vanishing sun, a pair of spotted hyenas skulk across the horizon. At home in the darkness, this is their time to thrive.
#wildlife #nature #hyena
Wildebeest may not be the most conventionally handsome antelope, but catch them in the right light – their beards glowing red in the afternoon sun – and they take on a certain distinctive quality. These somewhat ungainly animals are hardy survivors. They face an onslaught of threats during their annual migration across the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti and, for many, its sheer resilience and mettle that see them through the journey.
#wildebeest #wildlife #nature
#Repost from @natgeo
Intensely focused, this cheetah gives a piercing gaze across the plains of Kenya’s Masai Mara. Among Africa’s iconic big cats, cheetahs stand out as perhaps the most stark example of threats converging to imperil a species—from shallow gene pools to habitat loss to the illegal trade. New and emerging issues, including some related to climate change, are adding to the pressure—and often unfolding in unexpected ways. Recent research, for example, shows that rising temperatures are pushing cheetahs to shift their hunting habits to the cooler night hours, a behavior that not only complicates their survival strategies but also intensifies competition with other carnivores. In the face of these complex challenges, it is crucial for us to recognize the urgency of conservation efforts for both cheetahs and precious ecosystems like the Masai Mara.
Come behind the lens with photographer @BeverlyJoubert as she shares her experiences documenting the life of cheetahs and their families.
Beverly Joubert is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. She has specialized in African photography for nearly 35 years, with images in a dozen or more National Geographic Magazines, in more than12 books, and thousands of articles around the world.
Browse her print and others at the link in bio! Proceeds support the photographers and the incredible work of the @JaneGoodallInst.
#CelebrateJane #conservationphotography #Africa #cheetah #womeninstem #wildlifephotography #printsale #fineart
Come behind the lens with photographer @BeverlyJoubert as she shares her experiences documenting the life of cheetahs and their families.
Beverly Joubert is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. She has specialized in African photography for nearly 35 years, with images in a dozen or more National Geographic Magazines, in more than12 books, and thousands of articles around the world.
Browse her print and others at the link in bio! Proceeds support the photographers and the incredible work of the @JaneGoodallInst.
#CelebrateJane #conservationphotography #Africa #cheetah #womeninstem #wildlifephotography #printsale #fineart