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<p>In the wake of the death of Sudan, the world&#8217;s last male Northern rhino the role and challenges faced by conservationists in what is turning out to not only be an important but frustrating job of protecting wildlife has been brought to light through film. Following the journey of two young rangers, Kifaru is a movie set out to shed more light on poaching and the need to protect Africa&#8217;s wildlife. M.D of Ol Pejeta Rangers, Richard Vigne joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Nature conservation brought to light through award-winning film, Kifaru

<p>JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; Diamond producer De Beers said on Monday it was relocating 200 elephants from its private reserve in South Africa to neighbouring Mozambique, part of wider efforts to restore wildlife populations ravaged by conflict there.</p>
<p>The Anglo American unit said its 32,000-hectare )80,000-acre) Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve could support around 60 elephants but now had 270, causing “extensive damage to an ecosystem that must sustain a diverse wildlife population.”</p>
<p>The world’s largest land mammals have a jumbo-sized impact on their terrain and in many South African parks, which are fenced to contain them, populations have reached levels where the vegetation cannot support their numbers.</p>
<p>De Beers said the elephants would be moved 1,500 km (1,000 miles) to Mozambique’s Zinave National Park, which has over 400,000 hectares and an elephant population of only 60.</p>
<p>Mozambique’s wildlife numbers were badly hit by a 15-year civil war that ended in 1992. In more recent years, its remaining elephant populations have been targeted by ivory poachers.</p>
<p>The operation is being conducted with the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) conservation group, and De Beers said it was providing it with $500,000 to support anti-poaching efforts.</p>
<p>“Ecosystems require a range of fauna and flora to stay balanced. If you remove one species, such as elephant, it has a ripple effect on the whole system,” said Werner Myburgh, the chief executive of the PPF.</p>
<p>“The reintroduction of elephants to Mozambique will bring us one step closer to achieving our dream of restoring the landscape.”</p>
<p>Elephants are extremely social animals and family groups will be kept together for the translocation, a huge logistical undertaking that will include darting operations and the movement of tranquilised animals over long distances by road.</p>
<p>Editing by James Macharia and Robin Pomeroy</p>


Here’s why De Beers is moving 200 elephants from South Africa to Mozambique

<p>Under the shadow of a snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, hundreds of Maasai boys brave the morning chill to take part in a ritual that marks their coming of age.</p>
<p>But those vying to become a &#8216;moran&#8217;, or warrior, in the biennial &#8216;Maasai Olympics&#8217; were not there to hurl their spears at lions as their ancestors did.</p>
<p>Instead, the would-be morans, their cheeks smeared with ochre, hurled their javelins deep into the veldt in the Sidai Oleng Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya&#8217;s southern Rift Valley.</p>
<p>With a throw of 55.7 meters, the competition was won by 20-year-old Tipape Lekatoo from Mbirikani Manyatta village.</p>
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<p>&#8220;The prize money won&#8217;t pay for my tourism management education, but I am grateful that (efforts to raise awareness) of negative vices within the community are bearing fruit,&#8221; said Lekatoo.</p>
<p>For Maasai boys on the cusp of manhood, killing lions was a rite of passage that turned them into warriors.</p>
<p>Launched in 2012, the event is held to encourage communities to stop the killing, as hunting has brought lions to the brink of extinction in this territory at the foot of Kilimanjaro.</p>
<p>Across Africa, the lion population has shrunk from 100,000 a few decades ago to less than 25,000 today, conservation groups say.</p>
<p>David Rudisha, a two-time 800 metres Olympic gold medalist and arguably the most famous Maasai, said the tournament was an important step in the battle to save Kenya&#8217;s dwindling lion population.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have already seen a lot of responses. Every year, big numbers of lions were being killed but because of this event the numbers have dropped and that is a great achievement,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are looking forward to continuing until there is zero killing of wildlife.&#8221;﻿</p>
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Wildlife

Nature conservation brought to light through award-winning film, Kifaru

Here’s why De Beers is moving 200 elephants from South Africa to Mozambique

Kenya's Maasai break tradition to save the lion

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Wildlife

Nature conservation brought to light through award-winning film, Kifaru

Here’s why De Beers is moving 200 elephants from South Africa to Mozambique

Kenya's Maasai break tradition to save the lion

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