Wildfile

Remarkable relearned behaviour shows the resilience of Namibia’s quite remarkable desert-adapted big cats. By Philip Stander. Image above by Carel Loubser, Shutterstock The image of a lion walking along an isolated beach has captured the imagination of many filmmakers,...

Never again ignore this busy opportunist of the bush, for its presence usually reveals something intriguing going on. By Mike Unwin. Image by Paco Como, Shutterstock Yip, yip, yip! It was a jackal that announced my very first leopard...

Impress your guide with your expert knowledge Ostriches have the biggest eyes of any land mammal – almost 5cm across – and three sets of eyelids. The size of their eyes helps them to easily see predators like lions...

As far as extraordinary sightings go, this is pretty darn unusual High on the bucket list of many avid safarigoers is a serval, but spotting them is tough: they’re shy, secretive cats that tend to live in tall grasses...

We have more in common with these lesser-known apes than we might assume, and we should do more to look out for them, says Jacqueline Conciatore Among our closest genetic relatives, the bonobo should be as familiar and iconic...

Seeing is believing: Mike Unwin cherishes the fly-by of his high-speed fisher friend “Chip-chip, chip-chip.” A high-pitched, yapping call heralds a familiar evening fly-past. I look up to see four birds appearing around the bend, their long, elastic wings...

Seeing is believing: Mike Unwin falls for the tempting twitter of the greater honeyguide It’s early morning in Kafue National Park, Zambia, July 2008. I’m one of six on a guided morning walk, and our guide is a bird....

Seeing is believing: Mike Unwin takes a closer look at the African wildcat Shhh! There’s a predator approaching the waterhole. Through binoculars you can just make out see-saw shoulders in the grass and two ears trained on the drinking...

Understanding elephant behaviour, by Audrey Delsink, extracted with permission from the new 480-page book The Last Elephants. Elephants are intelligent and emotional and they want to be left in peace. Like humans, they have a personal space which they...

Seeing is believing: Mike Unwin pursues the African finfoot What is it about the African finfoot that gets birders so excited? Granted, finfoot is a catchy name. To me, at least, it has always suggested a Marvel Comics aquatic...

Seeing is believing: Mike Unwin admires the collective spirit of the banded mongoose Pandemonium on the savannah. A martial eagle grabs a mongoose. Swooping in from nowhere, the huge raptor snatches up the hapless creature in its talons and...

The pangolin is in grave danger of extinction, in part because people believe the myth that pangolin scales can cure diseases. Megan Berman of African Wildlife Foundation reports The world’s most trafficked mammal may vanish before many people have...

Ann and Steve Toon reveal the top spots to see suricates in southern Africa Whether you’re eight or you’re 80 on holiday in southern Africa nothing quite compares to the experience of going nose to snout with a beady-eyed...

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Ann and Steve Toon pay homage to a few of Africa’s marvellous animal mums Protecting, nurturing, teaching, building a close bond, then letting go when the time comes; such skills are not simply the preserve...

Always one for a dramatic bird of prey, Mike Unwin casts his binoculars in the direction of this great showman Eagles tend to attract grandiose descriptions: ‘deadly assassin’, ‘master of the skies’, you know the kind of thing. But...

It’s early evening in a rural Swazi village. A brown bird cruises low overhead in buoyant, unhurried flight. At its sharp kek-kek call, an elderly gent looks up and tuts in disapproval. Thekwane is not welcome here. Birdwatchers might...

They’re unlikely to be helpful at your next quiz night, but could come handy during campfire chat on your next safari 1. The word ‘porcupine’ means ‘quill pig’ in Latin. However, porcupines have no relation to pigs: they are...

Trot, trot, trot. Stop, sniff, spray. Trot, trot, trot… There’s no mistaking a foraging jackal. Restless and relentless, it jogs purposefully through the bush, its canine radar attuned to every rustle in the grass and scent on the breeze....

Tan-tan-tara! It seems fitting that a trumpet fanfare should herald the arrival of this most regal-looking bird. To be honest, the trumpet sounds a little out of tune – more Scooby Doo than Miles Davis. But that deep, honking...

1 Mountain gorillas This enormous ape is a high-altitude race of the eastern gorilla. Just over 1000 remain in the wild, according to census figures this year. They are best seen in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park or Uganda’s Bwindi...