PETER CHADWICK - African Conservation Photography

A portfolio of favourite images by Peter Chadwick detailing his conservation photography work

In the last decade over 8000 White and Black Rhino have been lost in Africa to unscrupulous poaching fro the rhino's horn. Counter-poaching and conservation efforts for the rhino have therefore become a priority with dehorning and translocation to safer areas being part of a suite of mitigation measures used to try and save the rhino.

The Pangolin is the worlds most illegally trafficked animal

With less than 7000 cheetah left in the wild, cheetah conservation is critical and various breeding and rewinding programs are underway to improve genetic strength of this cat and with the aim of expanding its range and population through meta-population management

Cheetah are captured from the wild illegally as cubs and are then transported to the United Arab emirates as pets for the wealthy

Africa's rangers form the frontline of conservation and in recent years have had to face increasing risk as a result in an escalation in wildlife and environmental crime.

In the fight against rhino and elephant poaching in Africa, dogs are being used more and more as an effective tool in catching poachers. The dogs are highly effective in tracking and attacking poachers when needed.

Poaching of Africa's wildlife resources goes beyond the rampant poaching of elephant and rhino. Dogs, in many cases, are used by poachers to hunt down antelope and millions of snares lie in the bush as a silent killer of wildlife. Rangers fighting this poaching work under extremely difficult conditions to curb this.

At home in the jungles of Central and West Africa, the African Grey Parrot has become a prime target of the wildlife crime trade for its popularity as a pet. Wild populations have plummeted as a result of this rampant crime.

The Karoo is a semi-arid to arid landscape that extends across the western and south-eastern parts of South Africa. It is a harsh yet stunningly beautiful landscape that is a biodiversity hotspot with many unique species. Conservation efforts are focussing on restoring it back to its original wildness with lion once again roaming the area after an absence of two hundred years.

Game capture forms part of a suite of conservation actions to spread and re-introduce species to new protected areas and private game farms.

The African Elephant is one of the icons of Africa and a member of the Big Five. It is facing immense threats from poaching for ivory.

Africa is home to both the Black and White Rhino. Numbers of both are plummeting as a result of unprecedented levels of poaching for the horn.

The incredible diversity of birds draws our immediate attention through their wonderful colours and amazing behaviour

Though never plentiful, African black oystercatchers suffered a worrying population decline during the 1970s and 1980s due to off-road driving on beaches and disturbance by dogs and walkers at their nest sites. At one point, only 4,500 birds were left. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population now stands at about 6,000 individuals.

The African Penguin is the only penguin species to breed on African shores and it is largely found along the cold waters of the southwestern coastline. Mostly breeding on the scattered offshore islands of South Africa and Namibia, there are also two mainland breeding colonies at Boulders Beach in Simonstown and at Stony Point at Bettys Bay. Today the population stands at around 175 000 birds and populations are still sadly decreasing with the bird now been listed within the Red Data Book.

The Cape Gannet breeds on the near-shore islands off the South African and Namibian coastlines. Populations have decline by over 50% in the last five decades as a result of anthropogenic causes.

A gallery of images depicting the biology and adaptability of Kelp Gulls

Birdlife South Africa, with funding from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, initiated a project in southern Africa with a focus on Mozambique to develop the area as a birding tourism destination. Birdlife South Africa has assisted in founding the “Associação Ambiente, Conservação e Educação Moçambique”. AACEM is a bird conservation orientated organization based in Maputo, Mozambique. By focusing on birds, and the sites and habitats on which they depend, AACEM is working to improve the quality of life of birds, biodiversity and people. 

South Africa’s suite of offshore islands that lie between Lamberts Bay and Algoa Bay are largely unknown beyond their managing authorities. They are critical biodiversity hotspots protecting unique habitats and species and are in many cases the last breeding strongholds for our endemic seabirds that include the African Penguin, Cape Gannet, cormorants and terns.

More and more countries are starting to realize the importance of proper management of marine resources, with South Africa being at the forefront of developing long-term strategies for the conservation of marine resources. One of these strategies is to make use of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The implementation of marine protected areas is a management strategy that has been employed worldwide, not only to address many of the threats to marine and coastal ecosystems, but also to meet a wide range of human needs, such as; education, fisheries management, recreation, income generation and research. Broadly defined, a Marine Protected Area is an area of sea and/or coastline that is especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biodiversity and natural and cultural resources through being managed in a structured and legal manner.

Estuaries are vital ecosystems that link through to the sea and act as important nursery grounds for many fish species. Their ecological integrity is extremely important. This gallery showcases a number of South African estuaries

The oceans gallery depicts life in the deep seas where commercial fishing takes place and where marine seabirds and mammals may be found

This gallery depicts landscape images both from a terrestrial and coastal perspective

Water is life, without it, the human race could not exist! It makes Earth unique amongst the celestial bodies and amazingly even though our planet is covered with water, only 1% of it is potable, with 97% being salty and the remaining 2% trapped in the polar ice-caps.

Although being the smallest of the six floristic regions of the world, the Cape Floristic Kingdom is the most diverse with over 9600 plant species having been recorded to date. 69% of these species are endemics and the sheer diversity and abundance of the fynbos together with its outstanding ecological processes rightly justify this incredible area as a World Heritage Site!

The arid west of South Africa hosts incredible floral and species diversity, while also being under threat from habitat destruction and climate change. This gallery showcases the diversity of the region.

The grasslands of South Africa stretch across Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal and extend from the Drakensberg escarpment down through to the coastline. This gallery depicts the various grassland types and species associated with the grasslands.

Forests are important biodiversity hotspots that contain trees that in many cases are hundreds of years old and that in turn support numerous lifeforms. They are at extreme risk of deforestation for development and agricultural lands

Mangroves are a critical habitat often found within estuaries and atolls. They are facing increased threats through habitat destruction. This in turn increases the risks of climate change to coastal areas as the mangroves form buffers to increasingly violent storms

The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest floral kingdom in the world but contains well over 9000 species with many of these being located in extremely isolated pockets. This gallery mainly showcases the floral diversity as well as showing fire management of the fynbos.

Agricultural and livestock farming are a corner of the economy. This gallery depicts agricultural and livestock management practices.

Small-scale Fisheries in South Africa are non-commercial and are critical for sustaining many small coastal communities.

The Dubai Fish Market is a central off-loading point within the UAE for fish catches and especially sharks.

This Gallery Collection contains a selection of images showcasing insects in general as well as butterflies, spiders and scorpions

The Chobe River separates Botswana and Namibia and is a wildlife hotspot, particularly for African Elephant

The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa and is situated in West Africa. it is dominated by the River Gambia that tends for over 200kms upstream from the coast. The Gambia is host to unique biodiversity and is a birdwatchers paradise

Kenya is a favored destination for travelers within East Africa

Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya forms part of the Rift Valley and is a conservation stronghold for many mammal and bird species, including hundreds of thousands of Flamingoes and other waterbirds.

Marataba Game Reserve is situated in Limpopo Province of South Africa and forms part of the Waterberg and contains the Big Five as well as an excellent diversity of birdlife

Reunion Island is situated in the southern Indian Ocean and showcases incredible scenery and a diversity of species.

Cousin Island is a special nature reserve within the Seychelles and is an important site for bird conservation.

D'arros Island and St Joseph Atoll are located in the Amirantees of the Seychelles. The are possibly to be designated Marine Protected Area status

This gallery of images showcases the natural heritage of Swaziland and Big Game Parks

Zakouma National Park in Chad is situated in the Sahel region northern Africa and is a haven for wildlife and an incredible diversity and quantity of birdlife.

This gallery contains images from Mutare and the Bvumba with a focus on the birds found there

The Zambezi Valley lies below the escarpment on either side of the Zambezi River that is the international boundary between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is an important conservation area protecting numerous threatened species and habitats.

Images contained in this gallery feature work taken either from a helicopter or gyrocopter. All images have been taken in the Southern and Western Cape

As the human footprint expands and places increasing pressure on ecological systems, freshwater becomes increasingly important. This gallery showcases images that depict our relationship and dependance on water

Fire plays a crucial role in the Fynbos with many plants relying on fire for germination. However increasing fire rates are now placing the Fynbos at risk.

Pollution, waste and rubbish are having and increasing negative impact on the environment

Africa’s iconic wildlife is facing an unprecedented onslaught of carnage by well-organized global criminal networks. Amongst an endless list of illegal trade, rhino horn has become far more valuable on the black market than gold. A wide range of actions are being undertaken to reduce the risk and impacts of this wildlife crime. At the frontline of this conservation war are the rangers that have to do battle with the poachers and the corrupt and regular shootouts are leaving a swath of wounded and dead on both sides. Many of these rangers are poorly trained and equipped and have to work under extreme conditions with minimal support. Rising incidents of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder and burnout fatigue are just some of the effects rangers have to endure as a result of this on-going fight against the poachers and the corrupt. For these rangers, their greatest fear is not that they might be wounded or killed themselves, but rather they worry about what the future holds for their families if they themselves were wounded or killed. In Africa, at least 57 rangers have lost their lives over the last 12 months. This then leaves destitution and trauma for the ranger’s families as in most cases the rangers are the only breadwinners for their large and extended families.