Tag Archives: Africa

RSPO member SIAT leaves Nigerian farmers without food. Leases their illegally taken land for €1.23 Euros per hectare, per year

A 5-month investigation by Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi and Kevin Woke of Sahara Reporters reveals how RSPO member SIAT Nigeria Limited is involved in human rights abuses and land-grabbing on host communities’ lands. Journalists Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi and Kevin Woke also discovered that palm oil company SIAT who illegally took their land are leasing it for a mere 600 Naira (N600) per hectare annually – the equivalent of €1.23 Euros per year to lease it.

River pollution by pesticides and restriction by the company to land, where locals can grow food has meant that their food and water supply is contaminated – starvation is now an urgent problem.  

All of this occurs under the guise of “sustainable” palm oil pushed by the RSPO to consumers. SIAT’s palm oil is used in consumer products by PZ Cussons (source), Nestle (source) and Danone (source). This is wh you should #Boycottpalmoil

Story via Sahara Reporters. Additional info: Chain Reaction Research

Butterfly Viper Bitis nasicornis

Although they possess one of the most potent venoms of all snakes in Africa, Butterfly Vipers are surprisingly placid and won’t attack unless provoked or threatened. They are known by several common names: Rhinoceros viper, River Jack, the Rhinoceros horned viper and the Horned puff adder. They are appreciated for their vividly coloured markings that keep them camouflaged on the forest floor.

September 21st: International Day of Struggle Against Monoculture Plantations

Today is ‘International Day of Struggle Against Monoculture Tree Plantations. World Rainforest Movement have produced a powerful video to highlight the Ugandan people’s struggle against BIDCO an international company partly owned by global palm oil giant Wilmar, who are taking land by force from locals by making false promises and using coercion and violence. They do so under the greenwashing protection of the RSPO

Chimpanzees once helped African rainforests recover from a major collapse

Most people probably think that the rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest in the world, has been around for millions of years. However recent research suggests that it is mostly just 2,000 or so years old. The forest reached roughly its modern state following five centuries of regeneration after it was massively fragmented when the dry season suddenly became longer some 2,500 years ago. Help #chimpanzees to survive and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop

Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius Extant (resident) Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d’Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Malawi; Mali; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of;Continue reading “Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius”

The people versus Feronia: Fighting palm oil agrocolonialism in the Congo

This incredible comic was created by Didier Kassai with research by Judith Verweijen and Dieudonne Botoko Kendewa of the University of Sussex and the University of Sheffield. The comic was originally posted by Cartoon Movement. The comic is based on field research conducted around the Feronia palm oil plantation in Tshopo province in north-east DR Congo.Continue reading “The people versus Feronia: Fighting palm oil agrocolonialism in the Congo”

Research: Small room for compromise between oil palm cultivation and primate conservation in Africa

Research by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission found that although oil palm cultivation represents an important source of income for many tropical countries, its future expansion is a primary threat to tropical forests and biodiversity. In this context, and especially in regions where industrial palm oil production is still emerging, identifying “areasContinue reading “Research: Small room for compromise between oil palm cultivation and primate conservation in Africa”

Contagious yawns show social ties in humans and bonobos

Penny Orbell, The Conversation Most of us have experienced the overwhelming urge to yawn in response to another person yawning – but we’re not the only species to do this. Research published in PeerJ today shows bonobos – our closest evolutionary cousins – also experience “yawn contagion”, and, as in humans, the effect is influencedContinue reading “Contagious yawns show social ties in humans and bonobos”

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis Critically Endangered Extant (resident): Angola; Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, Côte d’Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Sudan; Togo Extinct: Gambia Rapid land use change, including palm oil plantations across their range is driving the direct loss andContinue reading “African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis”

Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii

Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii Vulnerable Extant (resident): Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Central African Republic; Chad; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe Possibly Extant (resident): Congo Possibly Extinct: Eswatini The Temminck’s pangolin is a secretive, primarily nocturnal, mammal that is covered in overlapping plate-like scales,Continue reading “Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii”

Black-Throated monitor Varanus albigularis microstictus

The Black-Throated Monitor is a mighty and large lizard reaching over 2 metres long. They are threatened by agriculture deforestation and #hunting for their leather and meat in Tanzania, Africa. Help them every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla Critically Endangered Angola (Cabinda); Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Equatorial Guinea (Equatorial Guinea (mainland)); Gabon; Nigeria Habitat loss is emerging as a major threat to Western Gorillas. Other threats include disease and poaching. As oil-palm plantations in Asia reach capacity, Africa is becoming the new frontier for this crop, offeringContinue reading “Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla”

Golden Monkey Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti

The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Rwanda; Uganda Endangered Golden Monkey Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti The Golden monkey Cercopithecus kandti are Old World monkeys that live nestled deeply into the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa. They are found in four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga,Continue reading “Golden Monkey Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti”

Southern Patas Monkey Erythrocebus baumstarki

Southern Patas Monkeys have a lanky and long-limbed appearance. Juveniles possess a reddish-brown crown which may become grey in adults. Their back and flanks are covered with shaggy reddish fur with their bellies are white or cream. There are sex differences and males are on average twice as large (4-7 kilos) as females. Southern Patas Monkeys are predominantly omnivores and feed on pods, seeds, gall, gum, flowers and young leaves acacia trees.

Golden-bellied Mangabey Cercocebus chrysogaster

Golden-bellied Mangabeys are only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo in tropical rainforests. They are known for their striking bright yellow and gold bellies which is easily distinguishable from their orange fur. They breed once per year, giving birth to one offspring that will not be fully independent until they are 4 to 5 years old. They are a nomadic, social species that travel in groups from 8 to 30 individuals. They have pouches in their cheeks which allow them to transport food.

Saker Falcon Falco cherrug

The Sager Falcon is a majestic and powerful birds of prey that have a wide range throughout much of Southern Europe, the Middle East and parts of Africa. Their plumage ranges from chocolate brown in colour to a pale sandy with brown bars or streaks and can be snow white and off-white.

Drill Mandrillus leucophaeus

According to National Geographic, Drills are shy creatures that live in one small and remote area of Africa. Their faces aren’t as colourful as another species in their genus the Mandrill. Yet Drills still possess a dramatic appearance with pitch-black faces surrounded with a white fringe. Males have fatty cheek pads and a splash of red under their lower lips gives them the appearance of having broken into a makeup cabinet.

Four-horned Chameleon Trioceros quadricornis

The main threat to this species is deforestation. Agricultural development extends as high as 1,700 m asl. near Nsoung village on Mt Manengouba (Gonwouo et al. 2006), and forest on the mountain’s southeast slope is rapidly disappearing (Gonwouo et al. 2006).

Tana River Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus

Tana River Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus Kenya Critically endangered Tana River Mangabeys live in the flood-plain forest, riverine gallery forest, and the adjacent woodland and bushland of Kenya (Wieczkowski and Butynski 2013). Their abundance is highly correlated with the spatial characteristics of the forests (Wahungu et al. 2005). They are semi-terrestrial monkeys that can travel upContinue reading “Tana River Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus”

Dalida Innes: Wildlife photoj0urnalist and animal advocate

My name is Dalida Innes, I am from France originally and I live in Sydney, Australia. I love wildlife, landscape, travel photography and everything between. I am self-taught with a sincere passion for all things photographic

Adventurous spirit with camera in hand, I try to capture moments of wonder and serenity. For me, capturing images is like freezing the time and I can go back to it whenever I want. Trying to get that precise moment that your eye doesn’t have time to memorise or to remember.