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Wildlife ACT

@wildlife_act

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African #wildlifeconservation organization working to protect endangered & priority species. WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards winners🏆

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An early-morning surprise on the way into Eastern Shores. There are some wildlife sightings you expect, and then there are the ones that completely catch you off guard.

This Honey Badger was making its way along the road as Big Cat Field Technician, Savannah Reichert, was servicing camera traps , completely focused on wherever it was going and in no particular hurry.

Honey Badgers are highly adaptable, resourceful, and famously fearless. Despite their tough reputation, they remain an elusive species, which makes encounters like this one all the more special.

Moments like these are a privilege, and a reminder of what is at stake in protecting wild places. Keeping landscapes like these intact gives species like the Honey Badger the space they need to move, forage, and live wild.

Sometimes the best part of heading into the bush early in the morning is simply not knowing who you might meet along the way.

Post and video by Big Cat Field Technician: Savannah Reichert

#WildlifeACT #Zululand #HoneyBadger #Conservation by @wildlife_act

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16 hours ago

Heading into the bush with Wildlife ACT? Swipe through for our top 10 field essentials, from the torch that gets you through the early starts to the layers that keep you warm on the open vehicle. We send a full packing list before you arrive, so think of this as your sneak peek at the bush essentials.

Which item can't you live without in the bush? Tell us in the comments!

Ready to join us in the field? Tap the link in our bio to volunteer.

#WildlifeACT #Zululand #ConservationVolunteer #PackingList by @wildlife_act

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2 days ago

If Vultures disappeared tomorrow, here is what it would mean for people and the environment.

Carcasses would pile up. Vultures rapidly consume dead organic waste, and without them carrion would build up across the landscape.

Disease risk would rise quickly. Rotting carcasses are ideal places for deadly bacteria and pathogens to accumulate and spread between wildlife, livestock, and people.

More scavengers would move in. Rats, domestic dogs, and jackals would exploit the extra food, and carcasses would be disposed of less efficiently and less safely. Vultures have highly acidic stomach acid, so deadly pathogens and bacteria end with them. Other scavengers lack this adaptation, which allows those pathogens to spread.

Insect populations would increase. Decomposing matter is an ideal breeding ground for flies, maggots, and other insects, which could raise disease-vector populations.

Ecosystems would be under pressure. Without nature's clean-up crew, fewer nutrients would be efficiently recycled, and a main function of the ecosystem would be lost.

You can help protect them. Volunteer with our Southern Drakensberg Conservation Program and work with Vultures in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park. Apply at wildlifeact.com.

Post and Photographs by Southern Drakensberg Project Coordinator: Lexi Theocharopoulos

#WildlifeACT #Vultures #VultureConservation #SouthernDrakensberg #VolunteerWithWildlifeACT by @wildlife_act

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3 days ago

The story of the Southern White Rhino is one of conservation's most remarkable recoveries, and it begins right here in KwaZulu-Natal.

By the late 19th century, uncontrolled hunting had pushed the Southern White Rhino to the edge of extinction. A small population of fewer than 50 individuals was discovered in what is now Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, leading to the proclamation of the protected area in 1895 and the beginning of one of the most significant wildlife conservation efforts the world has seen.

Through decades of dedicated protection and management by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and its predecessors, that population recovered to the point where Southern White Rhino could be translocated to protected areas across Africa and beyond.

That legacy carries an enormous responsibility. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi remains home to one of the most important Rhino populations on the continent, and the threat of poaching means the work of protecting them is as urgent today as it has ever been.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park K9 Unit is part of that ongoing commitment, working to ensure that what was saved against such odds remains protected.

With thanks to Hill's Pet Nutrition for supporting the unit that helps protect this irreplaceable heritage.

Photo: @caseyprattphoto / @loveafricamarketing

@ezemvelokznwild @hillspetfoodsa #HillsPetSA #HillsTransformingLives by @wildlife_act

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3 days ago

Conservation looks different up close. This course gives you a realistic, professional introduction to how the work is done, taught by the people who do it every day.

Whether you’re a student, a graduate, a nature enthusiast, or thinking about a career in conservation, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of what field-based conservation involves and where you might fit. Learning happens in the classroom and in the field, so what you study is put into practice.

Life at camp is shared and simple, and the group works as a team. Fieldwork follows conservation needs, so every course unfolds a little differently.

Book now for 2027, as spaces fill up fast. Find out more and download the brochure at wildlifeact.com, or email info@wildlifeact.com with your questions. by @wildlife_act

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5 days ago

Seven colours of the Southern Drakensberg, one photograph for each colour of the rainbow.

This is where Wildlife ACT volunteers spend their days, supporting conservation monitoring in one of South Africa's most striking landscapes. Volunteer with us in the Southern Berg and spend your days in this landscape. Tap the link in our bio to learn more about the Southern Drakensberg Conservation Program.

Photo credit: Casey Pratt, Love Africa Marketing

#SouthernDrakensberg #VultureConservation #VolunteerSouthAfrica #WildlifeACT by @wildlife_act

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6 days ago

There is something that lets my heart going and feeling are love the same time , the mother of me seeing these small creatures going out to find their way as my kids did and my photography person to “ catch” the moment ! Gives me shivers . by @wildlife_act

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6 days ago

Finding a (grey) needle in a 45,000ha haystack. Post-release monitoring is vital to a successful black rhino translocation. A huge thank you to Hector Medina (@rdlodeizen) for the drone support in Botswana, helping the team find our grey needles after release.

The team found it most efficient to get a bearing through the rhino's VHF tracking device and send the drone along the bearing. @wildlife_act 's @anel0_wildlife was extremely accurate with her bearings often no more than 2 to 5 degrees off the actual line to the rhino.

1) Thermal and real-time image of a rhino
2) Hector Medina and his trusty DJ Mavic at work
3) Rhino monitors checking drone images
4) It's not all serious all the time!

📸 Hector Medina & Ursina Rusch/@wwfsouthafrica

#blackrhino #rhino #monitoring #wildlife #botswana by @wildlife_act

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7 days ago

AND THE ANSWERS ARE.. B. B, A, B, C ✅ well done to those who got them right!⭐️

Quiz time! Test your species knowledge.

Swipe through five images of species caught in our camera traps and choose from options A, B, or C. Comment your answers below! We will post the correct answers on this post at the end of the week.

These images come from the long-term remote camera trap survey run by Wildlife ACT's Southern Drakensberg Conservation Project, alongside Vulture nest monitoring and the management of a Vulture safe feeding site. The project is a collaboration between Wildlife ACT, the Drakensberg Conservation Initiative, and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Volunteers work alongside our field monitors on data collection and camera trap maintenance, and volunteer fees fund this conservation work. Volunteering is open year round.

Find out more about our Southern Berg programme and apply here: https://www.wildlifeact.com/volunteer/program/vulture-conservation-south-africa

#QuizTime #CameraTrap #SouthernDrakensberg #WildlifeACT by @wildlife_act

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7 days ago

"Dung beetles have right of way."

You may have seen these signs in protected areas and wondered what makes these small insects so important. Dung beetles are easy to overlook, but they play a major role in healthy ecosystems.

The next time you see one, stop and watch. You may be seeing part of its life cycle unfold.

For ball-rolling species, the male and female meet at a fresh dung pile and work together to roll the dung into a brood ball. They roll it away from the pile and eventually bury it. In some species, the male does most of the pushing while the female travels with the ball. Once they find a suitable spot, the ball is buried underground and the female lays her eggs there. The dung then feeds the developing larvae.

Strategies differ between species. Some bury dung directly beneath or near the pile, and others live and reproduce within the dung.

Post and Photograph by Priority Species Monitor: Laura Bakker

#WildlifeACT #DungBeetles #WildlifeConservation #SouthAfrica by @wildlife_act

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8 days ago

Zululand is unlike anywhere else in Africa, home to some of the continent's most significant conservation history and a hub of monitored endangered species. Few places in Africa hold this much biodiversity in one stretch of land.

You can make an impact here, too. Join our Endangered Species Volunteer Program and work alongside our Priority Species Monitors, making a real impact for conservation efforts in our procted areas.

Tap the link in our bio to learn more about our volunteer programme. by @wildlife_act

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9 days ago

The Bearded Vulture has been named Bird of the Year for 2027 by BirdLife South Africa!

The Bearded Vulture (Regionally Critically Endangered), is the only known vertebrate that feeds almost entirely on bone. It swallows smaller bones whole and drops larger ones onto rock slabs to reach the marrow, a skill young birds take several years to learn.

The whole southern African population lives in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, and the species is rare. It matures late and raises very few chicks, so the loss of a single breeding adult is significant. Poisoning, power line collisions, and disturbance at nest sites are among the main threats.

Wildlife ACT monitors Bearded Vultures in the Southern Drakensberg with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Drakensberg Conservation Initiative. You can support this work by visiting, volunteering, or donating.

✅Visit the Mzimkulu Vulture Hide near Underberg, where Bearded and Cape Vultures are seen almost daily. Book at www.saveourvultures.com

✅Volunteer with us in the Southern Berg and help monitor nests from safe vantage points. www.wildlifeact.com/volunteer/program/vulture-conservation-south-africa

✅Donate to sponsor GPS tracking units and poisoning response. www.wildlifeact.com/donate

Photograph: Wildlife ACT Southern Drakensberg Vulture Project Coordinator Lexi Theocharopoulos by @wildlife_act

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10 days ago