Milestone for captive bred Lions
Lion Breeder found guilty In a precedent-setting ruling, captive Lion breeder Gert Claasen was found guilty on contravention of The Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. Although only sentenced to a fine of R4000 or 12 months imprisonment, this is the first successful case relating to the welfare of captive bred Lions in South Africa. […]
Vanishing Giants – KNP Rhinos headed for Extinction
For years, Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation has been working to raise the awareness about the merciless slaughter of these Vanishing Giants, strengthening their protection, and caring for the survivors. Has it all been in vain? It certainly seems like it’s over for the Rhinos in the Kruger National Park. We are customizing an expensive hydraulic […]
50 #FunFacts about #AfricanWildlife:
50 #FunFacts about #AfricanWildlife: 1. Elephants have a specific alarm call that means ‘humans’. 2. Rhinoceros horns consist of keratin – just like your fingernails and hair. 3. Giraffes make almost no sounds. Scientists believe that their necks are too long for the airflow across their vocal cords to result in any sound being made. […]
WHWF Statement on Giraffe attack
Issued by Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation Management 22 Oct 2022 at 11h30 As reported, a child was killed and her mother gravely injured during an attack by a giraffe at Kuleni Game Park in KZN, on Wednesday. On Thursday it was widely stated in the International media that the Giraffe had been euthanized. We published […]
In the Presence of a Giant
On the R71 outside Gravelotte (Between Gravelotte & Tzaneen), Limpopo, South Africa, you will find the Leydsdorp Baobab. Advertized as being more than 2000 years old, this ancient giant is an impressive sight to behold. R20 per person gets you into the embrace of this magnificent tree, after completing a simple attendance register. You have […]
New Gate for Kruger National Park
New gate for KNP raises eyebrows: The news that a new Entrance Gate and Entertainment Hub, named Shangoni, is to be built in the Kruger National Park, has been met with mixed responses. The gate is planned for the North-West of the KNP, between Giyani and Malulele. Shangoni is a Venda word meaning โof or […]
Rhino Numbers in Kruger National Park to dip below 3000
The Rapid Slide into Extinction: The most devastating news, as we still reminisce about #WorldRhinoDay2021. The Daily Maverick reports: “The new CEO of South African National Parks, said there may be fewer than 3,000 rhinos in the Kruger Park for the first time โ despite the park authority spending millions on rhino protection.” In January […]
Fun Facts about Rhinos by #WHWF
If you want to learn more about Rhinos, read on! Did you know? The name Rhino is the short form of โRhinoceros, which means โNose Hornโ There are five different species of rhinoceros, three native to southern Asia and two native to Africa. They are the Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros and […]
African Acacia Trees – Learn More!
Few trees are as iconic as the flat-topped Acacia on the plains of the African Savannah. On par with the Big 5, these trees instantly evoke nostalgia in those who know them, and will forever be associated with the African Safari. Whatโs in a name? The botanical names of African Acacia trees have been changed […]
Fun Facts about Elephants
Did You Know? #FunFacts about #Elephants! A Baby Elephant weighs about 210 lbs (or 95kg) at birth. Elephants are pregnant for almost two years! At 22 months, that is longer than any other animal. Asian Elephants are bigger at birth, but African Elephants are bigger as Adults! The typical lifespan of an Elephant is 70 […]
Draft Policy on Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Elephant Released
BREAKING NEWS – Draft Policy on Iconic Species Management Released The South African Government (Minister Barbara Creecy of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment – DFFE) has released the Draft Policy Document for the Conservation and Management of Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Elephant. (Full PDF document available for Download here:ย Iconic Species Management) […]
Freedom for a Rescued Duiker
Illegal Wildlife Trade and Keeping – an injustice to our Wildlife: The Illegal Wildlife Trade is carrying on right under our noses. In South Africa it is illegal to keep a wild animal without a permit. Especially in semi-urban areas (such as on small-holdings) it is becoming a real problem, because only a handful of […]
Southern Africaโs Ivory
The values of Zimbabweโs and Namibiaโs ivory stockpiles have been grossly overstated, and their proposed sale would lead to another poaching epidemic. Last year the world reacted in shock when Namibia announced plans to auction off 170 live elephants to the highest bidder. Despite criticism, the plans have continued to move forward โ and that […]
Breaking News: Captive Lion Breeding to be Cancelled
Landmark Move to End Captive Lion Breeding: In an unprecedented move, Minister Barbara Creecy revealed that the Captive Lion Breeding Industry will be shut down. Minister Creecy’s delivered her Statement in response to a 582-page High Level Report. This document originates from the work of a Panel of Experts. It scrutinizes the Wildlife Management of […]
Donation Tax Benefits for South African Tax Payers
Looking for a Good Cause to Support and pay less Income Tax in the Process? Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation is a Registered NPO and PBO. All Donations by South African Corporates and Private Taxpayers are eligible for a Section 18(a) Tax Certificate, which will assist in reducing the income tax payable to SARS. Department of […]
Skukuza’s Specialist Anti-Poaching Court to stay Open
After a drawn-out legal battle spearheaded by Naomi Engelbrecht, President of Mpumalanga Regional Court, the High Court has ruled against appeals to enforce the closure of the Court based in Skukuza, in the Kruger National Park. The Skukuza Court handled the bulk of Rhino Poaching cases until an abrupt announcement in 2017 resulted in Engelbrecht […]
Flap-necked Chameleons: Tiny “Ground Lions”
Have you ever been lucky enough to witness one of these beauties cross a road unharmed? Or spotted them in your garden? As with everything fragile, these chameleons are silently becoming more rare, as humans continue to fragment their habitat. The Flap-Necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) is native to Sub-Saharan Africa, and is the biggest of […]
Shocking new Statistics indicate the true extent of Rhino Poaching in the Kruger National Park
Anyone who is a regular visitor to the Kruger National Park would be able to tell you about the Rhinos they are increasingly NOT seeing, compared to previous years. Every Wildlife lover knows that Rhino Poaching is unlikely to ever be eradicated completely. But some bought into the illusion that we are successfully reducing Poaching. […]
Update: Suspect Arrested! Rhino Poaching – 17 Rhino Horns Confiscated
Update: 25 January 2021 – Suspect Arrested! Kempton Park, South Africa: The Hawks arrested a 36-year-old man in Gauteng at the weekend for being a suspected rhino horn dealer. Kelvin Chigwede was arrested on Saturday after being found in possession of R500,000, suspected to be proceeds of illegal rhino horn dealings. Investigations led authorities to […]
Wry Face – Incredible Survival of Giraffe with Malformed Face
Giraffe with Wry Face Congenital Defect Survives to adulthood! Wry Face or Wry Nose is a congenital condition (birth defect) which affects certain species of animals, and is most obvious in species with long faces, such as horses and cattle. The condition is normally associated with a cleft palate, which makes suckling a huge challenge […]
WHWF 6th Annual Xmas Support – The Rhino Orphanage
Xmas Happiness for the Rhino Babies and their Carers: As always, we do our best to make Christmas extra special for the #WildBabies and caring Staff at The Rhino Orphanage. This year was our 6th Annual Xmas Supply Drop. With the loving care and help of our local community and our valued donors, we were […]
Harpo the Harties Hippo โ Countdown to a Cull?
Rumours are increasingly gaining substance that the famous Harpo, the resident Hippo at Hartebeespoort Dam, is in line to be culled (shot). According to the Kormorant Newspaper, reliable sources have indicated that a permit for the killing of Harpo has been issued by the North-West Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDECT). Harpo has become […]
Paradise is closing down – Fracking and Oil Drilling in Okavango Delta
The ghastly spectre of oil drilling and fracking in fragile Okavango Delta For a distance of some 150km, Canadian company ReconAfricaโs oil and gas prospecting concessions border the Kavango River, a crucial source of water in a semi-arid area and the lifeline for one of Africaโs greatest concentrations of wild species in the Okavango Delta […]
Rarest of Scavengers – The Brown Hyena
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐๐บ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข (๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐) ๐ช๐ด ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข “๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ง” ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฌ๐ข๐ข๐ฏ๐ด (๐๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ง); ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด, ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ง๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ. ๐๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ญ๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐บ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข. Brown Hyenas occur in the southern African sub-region: Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa and Namibia. The […]
WHWF Limited Edition 2021 Calendar
Now Available! Be one of the lucky few to proudly display this beautiful Wildlife Calendar in your Home or Office. Only available in South Africa, printing has been limited to 100 Calendars. The WHWF 2021 Big 5 Calendar is A3 size, 7 beautiful full-colour pages, Wire-bound with hanging hook. All photographs in the Calendar were […]
How to help Rhino Orphans this December – Updated
Little Falls & Surrounding Areas, Roodepoort: Our Local Community has been invaluable in their support to help us do what we do best – Helping the Animals most at Risk. If you’re a local resident and passionate about our Wildlife, see below how you can help right now! “During the Covid19 Pandemic Lockdown, WHWF has […]
Captive Lion Breeding Damages SAโs Tourism Reputation
Despite overwhelming worldwide opposition, including aย parliamentary resolutionย to close down the captive lion breeding industry, SAโs government is ignoring red flags that the industry is damaging the countryโs reputation and deliberating a 2020 annual trade quota for the export of lion bones. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) said in April that the decision […]
Rare Win for Rhinos โ Justice for Poached Animals
Three convicted poachers of the notorious Ndlovu gang failed in their bid to appeal their 25 year sentences. ย The High Court in Makhanda (Grahamstown) dismissed their appeal on all counts on Tuesday, 24 November 2020. Conservationists and Wildlife lovers are celebrating this win for the Rhinos the world over. In April 2016, Jabulani Ndlovu, Sikhumbuzo […]
Life 4 Lions
#Life4Lions #Life4Lions Our comprehensive, ongoing #Life4Lions Project will run for the next several months, as we await permission from the Government to move through each stage. The attached pictures and video show the latest completed section of work. Please continue to support this endeavour – we have a long road ahead of us, with extensive […]
Emergency Wildlife Rescue Fund
Emergency Wildlife Rescue Fund needs a Boost! Our WHWF Emergency Wildlife Rescue Fund needs a Boost! The ability to be able to act quickly when confronted with a Wildlife Emergency, is invaluable. At Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation we have, over the past few years, successfully completed numerous Wildlife Rescues, often without having adequate resources. […]
2 August 2020 Primate Rescue & Rehabilitation
2 August 2020: Focus Area: Primate Rescue & Rehabilitation Another successful #WHWF Project completed! When we received a call from Bambelela to help with food and meds for the rescued monkeys in their care, we immediately jumped into action. Home to almost 400 Vervet Monkeys being rehabilitated for freedom and wild living again, Bambelela was […]
13 May 2020 Primate Rescue and Rehabilitation
13ย May 2020: Target Area: Primate Rescue and Rehabilitation #Rescued #VervetMonkeys get Emergency Food during COVID-19 #LockDown: At Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation, we strive to always help where we can, and we’ll never ignore an animal in need. With the Covid-19 #LockDown entering its 7th week in South Africa, the future is looking very bleak […]
Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation Blog
WILD HEART WILDLIFE FOUNDATION BLOG & NEWS
African Wild Dogs – Spotted Phantoms
Highly Endangered โ Effective Predators โ Stunningly Beautiful The African Wild Dog, Lycaon pictus (means โwolf-like, paintedโ), is without a doubt one of the most fascinating animals that roam the African wilderness. They are highly endangered, with only around 450 truly free-roaming (wild) animals in South Africa today. Sadly, they have disappeared from most of […]
Pangolin, The most Trafficked Animal in the World
Pangolins are officially the most-trafficked animal in the world. In October of 2016 at the CITES convention held in Johannesburg, South Africa, all eight species were upgraded to Appendix 1. This means that international trade in animals is strictly prohibited. In addition to this there are some amazing people working tirelessly to save this exceptional […]
Raising Awareness For African Wildlife In Picture Quotes, by Wild Heart.
A collection of photography and picture quotes created by Wild Heart that highlight African wildlife and our willingness to save its beauty. “We must be the voice of the voiceless”.. ย ย ย ย ย
A KING WITHOUT A COUNTRY
In 1975 there were an estimated 250,000 Lions on the continent of Africa. In 2014 the numbers of these gracefully majestic African lions, have plummeted down to an estimated 25,000 on the whole African continent, A loss of 225,000 in only 39 years. The estimatedย 2,500 Lions that areย left in the wild in South Africa does […]
One Elephant killed every 15 minutes
Poachers have killed over 100,000 Elephants in three years. The insatiable demand for ivory is causing a dramatic decline in the number of African elephants. Poachers are hunting the animals faster than they can reproduce. In the early 1970s, demand for ivory rocketed with 80% of traded raw ivory coming from poached elephants. A ban was […]
Trading Rhino To Extinction
Rhino Horn is not medicine nor a status symbol for the wealthy. The removal of rhino horn powder from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the 1990’s had largely reduced demand. During this period, horns sold for very little on the illegal black market, and on average, only around 15 rhinos were poached in South Africa each year from […]
“The Big 5” Is “Big Money”
“THE BIG 5โณ is โBIG MONEY” and WORTH FAR MORE ALIVE. South Africaโs Big Five is much better for the country than previously thought. A leopard that lives for 15 years contributes more than R85 million to the state coffers. Thatโs the finding of a study conducted by the research institute Tourism Research, Economics, Environment and Society […]