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The woman brokering peace between elephants and humans

The woman brokering peace between elephants and humans

VITALIO ANGULA, BIRD STORY AGENCY DR Audrey Delsink has always been saddened by the plight of animals at the hands of humans. However, her interest in elephants started later on in her career.  Upon completion of her graduate studies, she worked as a field guide and game ranger at Manyeleti Game Reserve, south of the Kruger National Park in South Africa where she crossed paths with elephants who were not used to vehicles and people. “I was actually very scared of elephants but when I moved to another private game reserve, much smaller than Manyeleti, I encountered a completely different…
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Suspended over a wildlife river, South African hotel train defies lockdown odds

Suspended over a wildlife river, South African hotel train defies lockdown odds

BACK in 2020 when South Africa went into a strict COVID-19 lockdown, a local company pressed on with opening a hotel with a difference in a tourism hotspot - and two years later that gamble is paying off. The hotel is a near 100-year-old train that sits on the Selati suspension bridge, which spans a river in the heart of the Kruger National Park. Lovingly restored, it offers 24 full-carriage rooms against a spectacular natural backdrop, a wildlife viewing deck and even a swimming pool jutting out beyond the tracks. "I thought we were taking a very big risk. I…
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South African albino elephant beats odds to thrive among herd

South African albino elephant beats odds to thrive among herd

KIRTHANA PILLAY FOR Khanyisa life was difficult from the start. Born as an albino, at four months old she got caught in a poaching snare in South Africa's Kruger National Park that cut through her mouth. Trapped for four days, dehydrated and unable to eat because of her wounds, she was rescued and taken to a sanctuary in Mpumalanga, north east of Johannesburg. She was later transferred to Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD), where she now lives with a herd of elephants led by patriarchal bull, Jabulani. Adine Roode, HERD founder, said snaring is on the rise due to…
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