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editorial
I think that Thomas Peschak is one of the world’s most creative talents working in the exacting field of nature photography (see ‘Lost World’, page 48). From being enthralled by his images of the creatures of the sea, land and air, I immersed myself in the outcomes of the climate change conference held in Copenhagen in December last year. ‘Tom,’ I soon thought rather gloomily, ‘I hope that the title of your beautiful book is not prophetic.’
You see, I had just come across climate activist George Monbiot’s despairing
comments on the ‘chaotic, disastrous denouement of a chaotic and disastrous climate summit’. ‘Goodbye Africa,’ he lamented, ‘goodbye south Asia; goodbye glaciers and sea ice, coral reefs and rainforest. It was nice knowing you. Not that we really cared. The governments which moved so swiftly to save the banks have bickered and filibustered while the biosphere burns.’
As the weight of these words draped themselves heavily around my shoulders, my spirit slumped too. ‘Is Monbiot being overly pessimistic?’ I wondered. Maybe, but there is no doubt that despite the attempts at positive spin from world powers, feelings about the outcome of the Copenhagen climate conference in December centre around deep disappointment for those arguing strenuously for immediate and dramatic action on the climate change front.
Climate change sceptics, on the other hand, must be feeling rather pleased by the lack of global commitment towards concrete goals to cut carbon emissions.

competitions
CALLING ALL FIELD GUIDES  Enter our new photo competition aimed at rangers, safari guides and lodge staff and owners. Each month you could win a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS camera, and if your image is the overall winner, a Canon EOS 7D camera body with an
EF 100–400 mm lens will be yours.

WHERE AM I?  Guess the location and win a pair of Lynx Series-18 8x32 binoculars worth
R2 155.

Nikon Photographic Competition:  A range of high-value prizes can be won in this exciting competition. For rules and to view this month’s portfolio, go to www.africageographic.com

travel with us
Take your pick of some of the most exciting destinations in Africa.

Lost World

As chief photographer for the Save Our Seas Foundation, Thomas P. Peschak was asked to record the natural realm of Aldabra and the Seychelles. His images reveal the startling beauty of the archipelago’s wildlife against a dramatic background of sea and sky.

State Assets

Alone among the African countries that have substantial black rhino populations, Namibia loses few of these critically endangered animals to poachers – and,
in fact, rhino numbers are increasing. Tim Jackson investigates why.

A blizzard of bats

When Stephen Cunliffe announced that he was heading to Zambia’s Central Province to spend time with eight million straw-coloured fruit bats, the response was that he must be crazy. But what he discovered was one of Africa’s most awe-inspiring and least known wildlife experiences.

Fynbos phoenix

South Africa’s botanists were saddened when one of the fynbos domain’s most beautiful endemic species was declared extinct. But, as is its wont, the natural world had a surprise in store. Colin Paterson-Jones recorded the reappearance of Mimetes stokoei.

On the ivory trail

Limpopo Province in South Africa once reverberated with the sound of gunshots
as hunters followed elephant herds to harvest their precious ivory. Today the guns are silent and sanctuaries and reserves protect the region’s varied wildlife. Kate Turkington journeys along the old African Ivory Route.

All at sea

The annual movement of Madagascar’s Vezo fishermen in search of productive fishing grounds is one of the world’s most complex human migrations. But, faced with the dual menace of climate change and overfishing, many of the marine resources on which the Vezo depend are being pushed to extinction.