Expedition Project Blog

Wildlife Conservation in South Africa (Online Conference)

Welcome to a limited blog series in which I will introduce you to a conference that The Expedition Project will be hosting in collaboration with the UK universities Nottingham, Edinburgh, and RVC over the weekend (date TBC) in 2021.

This blog will provide you with information about the speakers and some of their research and will signpost you to opportunities to engage with them through The Expedition Project. I will also keep everyone updated over the course of the weekend and our group of ambassadors will personally reflect on the talks when they take place.

Balance In The World Of Conservation

February 2021 blog by Yashaswini Modak, third-year vet student at the Royal Veterinary College.

World Renown Wildlife Vet, Dr Peter Rogers

With over 30 year’s experience, Dr Peter Stewart Rogers is considered one of the most experienced wildlife veterinarians in the world. He specializes in the capture and veterinary care of some of South Africa’s most endangered species, including the southern white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African elephant, cheetah, African wild dog, African Lion, Temminck’s ground pangolin and many other species.

Online Courses: Your Opportunity to Protect Conservation in Africa

Covid-19 travel restrictions have had a devastating impact on conservation in South Africa. Most reserves rely heavily on tourism revenue to protect wildlife and sustain ecosystems. Some even depend on a steady supply of student volunteers from abroad. We wanted to respond to this challenge. So we teamed up with South African conservation projects and international ambassadors to create online courses. These raise funds for our partners through our Conservation Collaboration Fund. is our response to this challenge. Available through our Project Shop, they present opportunities to learn about African wildlife and help us to protect it.

How to Grow A Food Garden in your Apartment

Just like our favourite community gardener, we believe that every home needs a food garden. Yes, that includes apartments! Rooftops, balconies and even windowsills can become farming spaces.

Being a Conservation Ambassador

A blog by Nirvana Leaver, final-year vet student at the Dick Vet Veterinary College, Edinburgh.

What Drives the Massive Illegal Wildlife Trade in Africa?

The Novel Coronavirus and the belief that it originated in the illegal wildlife trade, has highlighted this burning issue. Wildlife organisations have called for total bans on the trade; governments have made a range of announcements. But how effective have trade bans been in the past? And what are the market demands that sustain the trade? Can the steady supply be arrested at its source?

The Wildlife Vet Online Course: My Experience’

November 2020 blog by Yashaswini Modak, third-year vet student at the Royal Veterinary College.

New Concerns as Studies Reveal that Climate Change can Hurt Elephant Conservation

Botswana’s elephants made headline news across the world recently when hundreds died mysteriously. The first carcasses were spotted in the Okavango Delta in March. By the end of June, 330 had died. In this article, we discover the cause of the mystifying deaths and what it means for the future of elephant conservation in Africa.

Hope for Pangolin Conservation: Rare Species Returns to Zululand

The African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) returned a young female pangolin to the wild in KwaZulu-Natal recently. “The Temminck’s pangolin has not roamed Zululand for nearly 70 years so this is a historic moment for us and an incredible project of proactive conservation of an extremely endangered species,” said Frances Hannah, project coordinator at the Zululand Conservation Trust. The trust has given high priority to pangolin conservation, allocating funds to protect, rehabilitate and monitor these amazing animals.

Rhino Conservation, Covid-19 and How to Help

The Covid-19 pandemic has reached into every area of life, shaking our sense of security. The field of wildlife conservation has not been immune. In May, South Africans welcomed the news of a dramatic drop in rhino poaching incidents. But it seems that short term gains could fade in the face of long term effects.

Cheetah Conservation in SA: Growth in Populations Inspires Hope

There are fewer than 7,100 adult cheetahs left in the wild, and their numbers keep decreasing. In fact, this cat has vanished from 90% of its range in Africa. But there has been significant population growth in South Africa, home to 18 percent of the world’s remaining cheetahs. The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s cheetah conservation project played a big role in this triumph. The project has almost doubled cheetah numbers in less than a decade.

In this article, we investigate this success story and consider some of the complexities of cheetah conservation.