Great news from Zambia! We just completed 29 hours of intensive aerial surveys over the Kafue Flats, and our preliminary estimate of the number of Wattled Cranes is more than 2,300 – the largest population of Wattled Cranes in the world and the highest count anywhere since the 1980s!
Category: Sub-saharan Africa
Travels with George: Ethiopia 2015
While vociferousness is typically associated with cranes – “the trumpet in the orchestra of evolution” to quote Aldo Leopold – one of the largest of the 15 species, the Wattled Crane of Africa, is usually silent. Occasionally one might hear a piercing high-pitched Guard Call or Flight Call and on extremely rare occasions a short duet or Unison Call by a mated pair that lasts but a few seconds. If you are close to a pair or family of Wattled Cranes, one can frequently hear the low burr-like Contact Call, perhaps an expression of proximity and assurance.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust Responds to Blue Crane Mass Poisoning Allegations in South Africa
Earlier this week, media coverage of the possible poisoning of 200-1,000 Blue Cranes over a three-year period by a farmer in the Northern Cape of South Africa made headlines within the conservation community. ICF’s South Africa based partner The Endangered Wildlife Trust responded immediately to these allegations by contacting the agency responsible for the official investigation and is assisting wherever possible in the investigation.
ICF Colleague Receives Rolex Award for Grey Crowned Crane Conservation in Rwanda
A single individual can make a difference, and the International Crane Foundation and our major partner in Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, congratulate wildlife conservationist and veterinarian, Olivier Nsengimana, for receiving the 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise for his work to protect Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda.
ICF Partners with American Bird Conservancy to Protect Grey Crowned Cranes
Rhinos and elephants aren’t the only animals threated by wildlife trafficking – illegal capture and trade is also causing the Endangered Grey Crowned Crane to disappear from Africa.
ICF Receives Disney Conservation Grants
ICF has been awarded two $25,000 grants from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). The conservation grants recognize ICF’s efforts to protect critical habitats for threatened cranes while engaging local communities in Vietnam and South Africa.
Visualizing Conservation through GIS
This summer, ICF received an in-kind donation from the ESRI Conservation Program of over $9,500 that allows us to maintain our GIS (Geographic Information System) software and provides technical support when we need it most.