Victoria Falls Rainforest Reopens After Elephants Force Temporary Closure

Paul Zinyoro, iHarare (Zimbabwe), July 22, 2026

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reopened the Victoria Falls Rainforest after a brief safety closure. Officials closed the popular attraction after elephants entered the area. The precaution lasted about two and a half hours. During that period, ZimParks prioritised the safety of visitors, staff and wildlife. Spokesperson Luckmore Safuli said rangers closely tracked the elephants before safely escorting them away from the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more (1 min) (ZBC News) (The South African) (New Zimbabwe)

In Kenya, beekeeping and agroforestry combine to protect Taita-Taveta

Irina T., Capmad (Madagascar), July 22, 2026

RFI's Afrique économie programme highlighted beekeeping and agroforestry initiatives in Taita-Taveta County where rural communities are testing honey as both an economic lever and a tool to protect ecosystems at the edge of wildlife zones. The region, adjoining major wildlife parks in Kenya's south-east, hosts elephant, zebra and giraffe populations whose coexistence with farmers fuels recurrent conflict over crops and access to water. Locals describe the development of community apiaries and the planting of shade and nectar trees as a way to turn part of the agricultural margins into agroforestry landscapes.

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Kenya elephant calf once thought dead reaches a hard-won bottle-feeding milestone

Aaron Goldstein, The Cool Down (U.S.), July 22, 2026

An orphaned elephant in Kenya once so weak that rescuers initially thought she was dead is now showing off a hard-earned milestone, mastering bottle-feeding. The latest update on Sholumai the elephant shows just how dramatically wildlife rehabilitation can change an animal's future. A recent update from the Kenya-based Sheldrick Wildlife Trust shows Sholumai calmly using her trunk to handle a bottle and drink on her own, demonstrating what the group called "a much-vaunted skill amongst our orphans."

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Ivory and a rhino skull among 5,800 items handed to RVO

Dutch News (Netherlands), July 22, 2026

Some 5,800 prohibited objects including elephant ivory have been anonymously handed in to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) over the past year, a more than fivefold increase on the previous year. “Never before has so much been handed in,” says The Hague-based RVO, including “moving boxes with a thousand [pieces of] ivory jewellery, a rhino skull with a gunshot wound, crocodile leather bags, musical instruments and an elephant’s leg.”

Read more (1 min) (NL Times)

CITES Chief Commends Ethiopia’s Leadership in Protecting Wildlife and Combating Illegal Trade

Fana Media Corporation (Ethiopia), July 21, 2026

Ethiopia’s growing role in global wildlife conservation has drawn fresh international recognition, with the head of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) citing the country as an increasingly influential partner in protecting endangered species, combating illicit wildlife trade and advancing cross-border conservation cooperation. CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said Ethiopia has steadily expanded its contribution to global conservation efforts since joining the convention in 1989.

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