AfricaLive

A conservation programme in five Botswana villages has reversed a decade of lion killings — and its success could determine whether ancient wildlife migration routes, blocked since the 1950s, are ever reopened. What You'll Learn By 2013, farmers in northern Botswana had poisoned or shot more than half the Okavango's lion population in a single year. Today, lion numbers are up 50%.

By Innovation Report  |  February 2026. Reported in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and the Rwanda Development Board. Key Points ✓ Environmental DNA technology detects species through genetic traces shed into water and soil, without disturbing wildlife or requiring direct observation.

by AfricaLive . February 24, 2026 Understanding how traditional medicine demand is driving an extinction crisis for indigenous plants—and why one successful recovery effort reveals the immense challenge ahead. Key Points ✓ More than 3,000 plant species in South Africa face elevated extinction risk, with 182 medicinal plant species on the country's IUCN Red List.

by AfricaLive . February 24, 2026 For years, the dominant concern in conservation circles has been disturbance: that human presence in wild spaces, even benign presence, sends animals into a sustained state of vigilance that costs them feeding time, energy, and ultimately fitness. Wildlife managers have restricted access to sensitive areas, capped tourist numbers, and designed buffer zones on the assumption that any human in the landscape registers as a threat.

by AfricaLive . February 24, 2026 Understanding how traditional medicine demand is driving an extinction crisis for indigenous plants—and why one successful recovery effort reveals the immense challenge ahead. Key Points ✓ More than 3,000 plant species in South Africa face elevated extinction risk, with 182 medicinal plant species on the country's IUCN Red List.

by AfricaLive . February 24, 2026 Understanding how traditional medicine demand is driving an extinction crisis for indigenous plants—and why one successful recovery effort reveals the immense challenge ahead. Key Points ✓ More than 3,000 plant species in South Africa face elevated extinction risk, with 182 medicinal plant species on the country's IUCN Red List.

Support grassroots conservation directly. Subscribe to AfricaLive's newsletter at africalive.net. The platform connects with grassroots conservation projects across the continent, creating visibility for organisations like Sustaining the Wild Coast, PAMS Foundation, and Ecological Balance that maintain biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. Choose tourism that supports community conservation.

by AfricaLive . February 1, 2026 What is Tiger Bone Wine and Why Does It Now Threaten African Lions With Extinction? Reporting for this article draws from peer-reviewed research published in Conservation Letters, field investigations by National Geographic, TRAFFIC, and WildCRU at Oxford University. Key Points ✓ Tiger bone wine—an alcoholic beverage produced in China for approximately 1,500 years—has driven wild tiger populations from 100,000 a century ago to fewer than 4,000 today.

Patricia Wright, primatologist and founder of Centre ValBio, on establishing one of the world's most important tropical research stations Dr. Patricia Wright has dedicated nearly four decades to conservation in Madagascar Finding an "extinct" lemur and discovering a new species When I first arrived in Madagascar in 1986, I had one mission: determine whether the greater bamboo lemur (Hapalemur simus) was truly extinct.

Using technology in routine healthcare delivery has isn’t without its downside. Shutterstock Oluwamayowa O. Ogundaini, Cape Peninsula University of Technology Information and communication technologies can dramatically improve healthcare delivery. They can make communication and exchange of information between healthcare professionals easier. And patients can consult doctors remotely.