The Klein Swartberg Mountain towers above the town of Caledon in the Western Cape of South Africa amidst a field of agricultural development. This lone mountain is home to the only known populations of the Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List 2016) Rough Moss Frog, a minuscule amphibian species that requires moist mountain seeps to breed.
The second African Conference for Linear Infrastructure and Ecology (ACLIE), co-hosted by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT), and Ewaso Lions (EL), took place between 12 and 17 August 2021.
Despite our relatively recent urbanised society, most human beings still feel an innate need to immerse themselves in nature. To marvel at the magnitude of mountains, to feel the still, earthy air of a dense forest, to listen to the gentle trickle of a mountain stream – these are experiences that add value to our lives and provide us with space to think and feel.
Vultures are an important component of an effective scavenger guild and have evolved a number of adaptations that allow them to locate and dispose of carcasses quickly and efficiently.
While this may be true, climate change, natural disasters, and the rapid loss of biodiversity have forced a growing consciousness of the impact of our actions on the Earth and all who inhabit it. Humans have been forced to listen.