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Articles by Jo Bert
Rhino Peak Challenge 2026 — Conquering the ’Berg for Conservation | Endangered Wildlife Trust
In September, 30 trail, mountain and conservation enthusiasts made their way to the Drak Gooderson Hotel in the Underberg in cold, wet and windy weather, all a little unsure of what the weekend would hold. As was the case last year, we were again unable to reach the Rhino Peak because of dangerous weather and climbing conditions.
Hearing from our interns
Karen Chiro was a Conservation Intern with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), having recently completed her MSc in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town. As an avid conservationist, I have always admired the Endangered Wildlife Trust through its work on social media, so becoming part of the organisation was a dream come true. During my internship with EWT’s Birds of Prey Unit, I developed a deep appreciation for vultures and the vital role they play in our ecosystems.
Olifants River Survey Monitors Ecological Threats to the system
The Olifants River is one of the defining features of the Lowveld. Unfortunately, the last three decades brought with it extensive flood events that have had cataclysmic impacts on the river’s trees. In addition, opposing drought impacts, flow regime changes from water abstraction and damming, and chemical and pesticide run-off from mining and agriculture, have all threatened the natural functioning of this system.
A Race to Rescue Limpopo’s Vultures
Left: A Cape Vulture being transported to Moholoholo Rehab Centre by helicopter. Center: Moholoholo clinic team treated the vultures. On 28 August 2026, the EWT Birds of Prey Unit received an urgent notification that a number of vultures had been found unable to fly on a property in Limpopo. With the assistance of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, these birds were quickly collected and transported to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
From Participation to Ownership: KwaMkhize Community Leads the Way in community conservation
The last week of August marked a significant milestone for the KwaMkhize community and the partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the International Crane Foundation (ICF) with the launch of the KwaMkhize community’s second community-led spring project. For seven years, this partnership has focused on strengthening community resilience and self-reliance through an ecosystem goods and services approach.
Cheetah photographed during the Greater Kruger Cheetah Census 2026/27.
Everyone loves seeing a Cheetah in the wild, but did you know that behind every sighting lies an important scientific opportunity? A simple photograph can help us identify an individual, track its movements, and, when combined with thousands of other records, build a picture of an entire population.
Visiting Mozambique’s youngest national park
From mid-June to late-July 2026, the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Carnivore Conservation Unit, together with representatives from Catawba University in the United States, paid a three-week visit to Mágoè National Park in Mozambique. The primary goal was to determine whether large predators (particularly African lions) persisted in the landscape, although the opportunity was taken to conduct a general, rapid biodiversity survey at the same time.
Uncovering Hidden Biodiversity in Northern Malawi
Deep in the heart of Africa, situated between two major faults of the African Rift Valley – Lake Malawi and the Luangwa Valley – lies the Nyika Plateau. This is the largest montane complex in south-central Africa.
Gus Mills leaves an indelible mark on carnivore conservation
In July 2026, the Endangered Wildlife Trust joined conservationists and researchers worldwide in mourning the death of Dr Gus Mills, a renowned Brown Hyaena, Cheetah and African Wild Dog specialist, and author. Gus left an indelible mark on carnivore conservation in South Africa, and through a variety of international bodies on which he shared his expertise about nature’s apex predators, including canids and big cats.
Tuks Students reuse invasive alien species
A group of four University of Pretoria students recently visited the EWT’s Conservation Campus in Midrand to collect and process pieces of wood from invasive alien species that had been removed during rehabilitation of the natural environment on the property. The students – Declan McCullough, Sienna Govind, Palesa Mokoena and Lèhan de Villiers, cleaned pieces of tree of their remaining bark.
The EWT Embraces Mandela Day 2026
To honour the memory of Nelson Mandela, members of the Endangered Wildlife Trust pack across South Africa took part in local events, joining hands with stakeholders and communities to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Mandela Day is a call to action for all to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles, and to take meaningful steps to make a positive impact in their own communities. It is a day in which all are called to dedicate 67 minutes of service to their communities.
Release of two rehabilitated Vultures at Mokala National Park
At the end of March 2026 a White-backed Vulture landed at a home in in Keidebees, Upington. The owner of the house, Mike Knoetze, cared for the bird for a couple of days and fed it delicious steak while searching for someone to collect the bird. I was contacted about the bird and drove to Upington to fetch it. On 22 April Danielle du Toit, Field Officer for the Birds of Prey Unit, was contacted in Graaff-Reinet about a White-backed Vulture that was sitting on the roof of a local church.
Saluting rangers protecting wildlife and conserving nature
As nature’s guardians, most rangers are not only the first line of defence against wildlife crime, but also protectors of a fragile and changing environment. Working at the forefront of conservation of species and habitats, these passionate individuals often give up valuable personal time to ensure wildlife is protected from criminals, be they poachers or illegal harvesters of threatened plant species.
DNA HAS ITS SAY: COLOPHON BEETLE POPULATIONS MORE WIDESPREAD
Left: Intact Colophon beetle remains found on the second survey. Center: Colophon fragments found on the third survey. Right: Live Colophon larvae found on the first survey. Good news for a Critically Endangered Cape Stag Beetle: Recent DNA analyses of specimens from our high-altitude surveys of Cape Stag Beetles reveal that Nagai’s Cape Stag Beetle (Colophon nagai), is more widespread than we previously thought.
The passion and insights of EWT Youth about conservation
June 16, 2026, marked the historic 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising. This protest by youth was a defining moment in South Africa’s journey to democracy. While older South Africans remember the events of 16 June, not all of today’s youth are aware of its significance. At the Endangered Wildlife Trust, most of our youth work in the field as conservationists.
Pollination is the story of ancient partnerships between insects and plants
Left: Red Disa butterfly. Right: Red Shaggy Monkey Beetle (Anisonyx militaris) pollinating a daisy in the Tankwa Karoo. Photo by Cecile Roux. Interactions between plants and insects have evolved over the past 100 million years, resulting in the most fascinating and bizarre adaptations by both parties. Across South Africa, these intricate relationships play out every day, often unnoticed beneath our feet or high above our heads.
EVERY COUNT MATTERS: South African Crane Census
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and International Crane Foundation (ICF) partnership has been working on crane conservation alongside key partners such as Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, the KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation, and Eskom for the past 30 years. These collaborations have resulted in significant advances in crane conservation across South Africa.
Looking beyond the poacher: Are South Africa's courts recognising the true nature of wildlife crime?
When we think about wildlife crime, we often picture individual poachers operating alone. But a new study suggests that the reality is far more complex, and that South Africa’s courts may not always be recognising the full picture. The study, entitled “Missed signals?
A Roaring Success: Fourth Annual Copperleaf Golf Day Raises R350,000 for Conservation
Our 4th Annual Copperleaf Golf Day, proudly sponsored by the Ford Wildlife Foundation and supported by the Hatfield Motor Group, was nothing short of a roaring success. On a crisp Highveld morning in May, 120 enthusiastic golfers gathered, ready to register, connect, and support conservation while enjoying a game we all love.
Small Bodies, Big Impact: The Blue-footed Baboon Spider and the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Smaller Species
Image Credit: @tarantulas_glasgow Instagram Conservation stories on the illegal wildlife trade often focus on the animals everyone already knows: rhinos, elephants, pangolins, big cats and vultures. And while these species deserve attention, many of South African’s lesser-known creatures are equally targeted. Beneath rocks, inside silk-lined burrows and across small patches of specialised habitat, smaller species are also being collected, traded and overlooked.
Building Resilience through Succulent Safe Spaces in South Africa's Karoo
The Succulent Karoo Biome is home to a myriad of endemic succulent species which has captivated the imagination of people over time. But, but in recent years, this has resulted in overexploitation of endemic plant species. This is due to the uniqueness of the dwarf succulent plant species that have adapted to harsh environmental conditions allowing the plants to thrive with very limited water, while providing an impressive floral bouquet when conditions are favourable.
Silent Threats: The Fight Against Wildlife Crime in Medike Reserve
Conservation teams, member of the SA Police Service and local community policing forums are working together to address poaching, snaring, illegal fishing, and other wildlife offences in the Soutpansberg area of Limpopo. Wildlife crime remains one of the greatest threats facing protected areas across southern Africa, and the Medike Reserve is no exception.
Clive Walker’s Tuli Block memoir a tribute to titans
It took almost 60 years to write a memoir about the extensive work Clive Walker did in the Tuli Block as a trail guide, conservationist and mentor. Among the Titans of Tuli is a book which he says could not have been published 20 or 25 years ago. And, he is correct. Clive, a founder of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, describes Among the Titans of Tuli as a memoir. His friend, fellow conservationist and former EWT CEO John Ledger described it as an autobiography.
Rooted in resilience: Mud, muscle and making plans.
In the remote and rugged landscapes of the Soutpansberg, restoration work rarely follows a predictable plan. For the Restoration Ranger team, the first quarter of the year has been defined by less than ideal conditions, but by the team’s ability to adapt, persevere, and continue delivering meaningful conservation outcomes under pressure. From the outset, heavy January rains reshaped operational plans.
The Applied Conservation Genetics Unit (ACGU) – a collab between the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Stellenbosch University | Endangered Wildlife Trust
In January 2023, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and Stellenbosch University (SU) joined hands in establishing a molecular laboratory focused on applied conservation genetic research of threatened and endangered African wildlife. The Applied Conservation Genetics Unit (ACGU), led by Prof Conrad Matthee (SU) and I, employs the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect organisms in the wild and metabarcoding approaches to identify species, and map distributions.
Why the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment Matters
We can no longer afford to overlook nature on a continent where many economies are expanding, infrastructure investment is accelerating, and global markets are demanding stronger environmental performance across value chains. At the same time, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls on governments and businesses to take coordinated, transformative action to halt biodiversity loss while strengthening resilience and development outcomes.
Cross-border collaboration supports the rewilding of orphaned cheetahs
In conservation, success often depends on collaboration, careful planning, and the ability to respond quickly to unexpected events. Over the past year, the EWT, together with partners including The Bateleurs and the Ukuzwana Foundation, has been involved in a cross-border effort to give two orphaned cheetah cubs a second chance. What began as two unrelated incidents in Malawi and South Africa became a coordinated project to return both animals to the wild.
South Africa’s Managed Cheetah Metapopulation: A Collaborative Conservation Model
Once widespread across much of Africa and southwestern Asia, the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has experienced dramatic range contraction over the past century. Today, the species occupies only a fraction of its historical distribution, with most remaining populations confined to eastern and southern Africa. Globally, Cheetah numbers are estimated at approximately 6,500 mature individuals, and the population continues to decline.
Lion Population Survey in Kruger National Park shows continued species decline
The Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, spanning South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is one of the few remaining strongholds for Lions (Panthera leo) in southern Africa. Central to the cross-border conservation area is the Kruger National Park which serves as a key source population of Lion for neighbouring reserves.
Raptors in Decline: What One Researcher’s Roadside Observations Revealed
Left: Jackal Buzzards in Middelburg district. Right: Data tracking A study of long-term road surveys undertaken by Ronelle Visagie, field officer in the Birds of Prey Unit, has been referenced in a new research report revealing widespread declines in South Africa’s raptors and other large birds. Ronelle co-authored the report published by the University of Cape Town. How did the survey come about?
Breeding of Blue Cranes lower in intensive agricultural landscapes
Blue Cranes breed less successfully in the Western Cape Wheatlands than in their traditional range, highlighting a potential ecological trap for South Africa’s national bird. This is concerning for this stronghold of the Blue Crane (Grus paradisea) population, and might explain why numbers have been declining for the last decade, a paper entitled Reduced Blue Crane Grus paradisea breeding productivity in intensive agricultural landscapes, states.
Celebrating Africa’s Medicinal Plant Heritage
Africa’s landscapes are home to some of the world’s most powerful medicinal plants. The Pepper‑bark Tree, Wild Ginger, Fever Tree, and African Potato are just some of the many species within a rich African pharmacopeia that has evolved over thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and wisdom and shared across generations to support Traditional Health Practitioners to heal their patients. Today, human activities threaten the survival of hundreds of medicinal plant species worldwide.
Ringing Lesser Kestrels in the Karoo
Above: Lesser Kestrels in the mist net. During January a group of researchers from Italy, Spain and South Africa captured and ringed 90 Lesser Kestrels at the city hall in De Aar. Also captured and ringed were three juvenile Common Kestrels which breed on the roof of the city hall at De Aar. The birds were captured by using a 12 m high system with mist nets that could be hoisted to reach the height of the trees where the kestrels were roosting.
Searching for rare, threatened beetles on high-altitude mountain peaks
Boarding a helicopter to search for a beetle rarely seen by anyone besides keen mountaineers, has proven helpful in determining whether two species of these extraordinary insects continue to persist in the mountains of the Western Cape. Last year (2025), the EWT’s Drylands Conservation team, including myself, field officers Handré Basson and Esther Mathew and scent detection dog, Delta, took to several mountain peaks in search of two species of Cape Stag Beetles (Colophon eastmani and C.
The Kudu Connection: Surprising Diet Choices of Liwonde’s Carnivores
Large carnivores are usually able to co‑exist in a landscape by eating different prey species, being active at different times of the day, and inhabiting different habitats. Among these factors, diet is often the main indicator of which carnivore species is present in a particular landscape, as many carnivores have evolved to make the most of their preferred prey.
Cash, Corruption, and Creatures: The Hidden Economy of Wildlife Crime in South Africa
South Africa’s developed transport infrastructure, sophisticated financial system, and extensive wildlife resources make it both a prime source and a transit point for illegal wildlife trade (IWT). But poachers and smugglers are only one layer of a multi-billion-rand enterprise. Behind them are financiers, exporters, lawyers and money managers who ensure that illicit proceeds can circulate undetected through the legitimate economy.
From Red Lists to real action: How science shapes conservation
Conservation does not happen in isolation. Every decision about which species to protect, where to invest limited resources, and how to balance development with biodiversity rests on one critical foundation: evidence. When that evidence is outdated or incomplete, conservation action risks becoming ineffective, or worse, misdirected. In the face of an accelerating biodiversity crisis, acting on yesterday’s data can mean losing species forever.
Challenged by Dunes, Gates and Antbear Holes in the Kalahari: August 2020
“This is not going so well,” Ronelle laughed. We were in the since-retired EWT Mazda with over 400 000km on the odometer, held together by cable ties and no 4×4. This isn’t a problem unless you are halfway up a steep dune surrounded by thorny vegetation with no idea what’s over the crest. I looked over at Ronelle, my grip on the ‘Oh Hell!’ handle above the window tightening.
A New Chapter for Pilanesberg’s Cheetahs
In November, our team successfully relocated two young male cheetahs from Pilanesberg National Park to Shambala Private Game Reserve, a move designed to strengthen the genetics and long-term health of Pilanesberg’s thriving cheetah population. The EWT has a proud, long-standing partnership with Pilanesberg, collaborating across numerous conservation projects. Cheetahs have long captured the hearts of visitors here, especially the beloved Rain, introduced in 2014.
In Memorium: The EWT bids a fond farewell to Trustee, friend and Board Member Michael Esterhuysen
Mike Esternhuizen, a much-loved member of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Board of Trustees since 2001, passed away after a long battle with cancer on 4 October 2025. He was 77. Mike’s relationship with the EWT began when he offered the pro bono services of his advertising and marketing agency, Lesoba, to support the organisation’s marketing and communications, says his widow, Michelle.
Making our mark at the Underberg Agricultural Show
The African Crane Conservation Programme, this year, showcased the work we have been doing in the Southern Drakensberg at the Underberg Farmers Association agricultural show held at the beginning of October.
Timing is everything - how cheetahs outsmart the seasons
For female mammals, the breeding season is the most energetically demanding time of the year. Each phase of reproduction (namely conception, gestation, lactation, and weaning), carries its own metabolic cost. To meet these demands, females must optimise their foraging and hunting strategies to align with the availability of accessible prey, which fluctuates throughout the year.
Population genetics using faecal samples provides insights for conservation of the Critically Endangered Riverine Rabbit
The value of genetic data is becoming increasingly recognised in the development of conservation management programmes. Population genetic data can improve our understanding of the genetic relationships between extant populations, and may provide insights into the genetic responses of these populations to habitat fragmentation, range restriction and the potential migratory routes between isolated habitats.
Turning around the threat of extinction, one species at a time
Since our founding in 1973, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has established itself as a leader in wildlife conservation, focusing on the African species under greatest risk of extinction. Over the decades, so-called “species conservation” became frowned upon, with a view that only ecosystem and large habitat conservation is worth the funding, focus and energy.
World Ranger Day celebrated at the EWTs Medike Nature Reserve
The drive from South Africa to Botswana felt like one long ribbon of tarmac stretching into forever, but the moment we rolled into the Okavango Delta, all thoughts of the road melted away. Our base for the start of the trip was the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) camp, where we stayed in permanent tents. It was the kind of setup that instantly reminds you that you were properly in the bush, with just enough comfort to make you smile at the adventure ahead.
EWT Conservation Canines show their worth during police operations
The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Canine Conservation Unit recently showed their worth during a joint security operation in the Western and Northern Cape to address the illegal plant trade. Between 24 June and 12 July, EWT dog handlers Shadi Henrico, Cliantha (Known as Cat) Kay and Esther Mathew, accompanied by five working dogs—Ike, Reaper, Kisha, Mufasa and Delta—supported the SA Police Service, the Border Management Agency, provincial environmental departments and Green Scorpions in operations.
Rugezi Marsh Report shows importance of scaling up transformational conservation Interventions
Efforts by the International Crane Foundation, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (ICF/EWT) and Rwanda Polytechnic – Kitabi College (former IPRC Kitabi) to ensure the conservation integrity of the Rugezi marsh in Rwanda have shown the importance of transformational conservation interventions.
First Conservation Servitude Wholly Initiated by the EWT Registered in the Northern Cape
The first Conservation Servitude initiated by the Endangered Wildlife Trust has been registered in the Northern Cape. The registration of the Lokenburg Conservation Servitude is to ensure the long-term protection of, particularly the Speckled Dwarf Tortoise, its habitat and the associated biodiversity on a farm that has been occupied by the same family for six generations.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust mourns two former colleagues
Endangered Wildlife Trust staff this month mourned the passing of two former colleagues who had played an important role not only in their personal development as conservationists, but also within their respective fields of expertise. Dr Paul Bartels was considered a leader in the use of assisted reproductive technology for wildlife conservation.
Unsustainable anthropogenic mortality threatens the long-term viability of lion populations in Mozambique
Mozambique, home to Africa’s seventh largest lion population with an estimated 1,500 mature individuals, faces a critical challenge: its lions are being pushed towards an unsustainable future. A recent study by Almeida et al. (2025) highlighted the escalating threat of human-induced mortality to lion populations across Mozambique.
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