Africa

This is the first time that dwarfism has been documented in captive or wild giraffes.

Scientists Report First Instances of Dwarf Giraffes

Two individuals spotted in the wild seem to have classic long necks but unusually short, stubby legs

The team's findings reflect the toll of the ivory trade and habitat destruction.

Ivory From 16th-Century Shipwreck Yields Clues to African Elephants' Decline

Researchers extracted DNA from tusks found in the wreckage of the "Bom Jesus," a treasure-laden vessel that sank in 1533

The portal currently features 613,458 entries documenting the people, events and places involved in the transatlantic slave trade.

Who Were America's Enslaved? A New Database Humanizes the Names Behind the Numbers

The public website draws connections between existing datasets to piece together fragmentary narratives

Ranavalona III succeeded her great-aunt, Ranavalona II, in 1883.

The Little-Known Story of Madagascar's Last Queen, Ranavalona III

Artifacts linked to the royal are headed home following their purchase at auction by the African island's government

The giraffe's white color comes from a genetic condition called leucism.

World's Only Known White Giraffe Now Has a GPS Tracker

The young bull used to be one of a trio of white giraffes, but the two others were found dead in March

Learn about the underbelly of your neighborhood supermarket, 100-plus uses for beans and more in this year's top food books.

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2020

From cookbooks to grocery-store exposés, these new books will tempt palates and fuel curiosity

Artist's rendering of the Edo Museum of West African Art's exterior

A New Museum of West African Art Will Incorporate the Ruins of Benin City

Designed by architect David Adjaye, the museum will reunite looted artifacts currently housed in Western institutions

Two banded mongoose groups face off.

Warmongering Female Mongooses Lead Their Groups Into Battle to Mate With the Enemy

New research finds females of this species engineer conflicts with rival groups to gain sexual access to males outside their group and combat inbreeding

An overview of the Olorgesailie basin landscape, where the archeological site exists that contains stone weapons and tools

To Adapt to a Changing Environment 400,000 Years Ago, Early Humans Developed New Tools and Behaviors

When the East African Rift Valley transformed dramatically, new weapons arose and trade expanded

An African forest elephant makes its way out into the open.

How Humans Benefit From a Highway of Trails Created by African Forest Elephants

The paths the pachyderms make aid plants, other animals, and local people—whose way of life is threatened by the species’ decline

This illustration shows one of the newly described species of stilt mouse, Colomys lumumbai, wading at the edge of a stream.

Two New Species of Semi-Aquatic Mice Identified in East African Rainforests

Mice from the genus Colomys stand on kangaroo-like feet to wade in shallow water and use their whiskers to find prey

This image shows the stratification of Lake Kivu, with its lower, warmer waters separated from its higher, cooler waters.

The Explosive Hazard Hiding in an African Lake

Rwanda's Lake Kivu has dense depths packed with methane and carbon dioxide gas

Sarah Forbes Bonetta, as seen in 1856 (left) and 1862 (right). Hannah Uzor's new portrait is based on the 1862 photograph.

The Little-Known Story of Queen Victoria's Black Goddaughter

A newly commissioned portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta is now on view at the monarch's seaside house, Osbourne

The mud-brick buildings of Djenné, Mali, are among six at-risk African heritage sites spotlighted by a new study.

Study Suggests At-Risk African Heritage Sites Are Often Overlooked

Researchers cite a "total lack of quantifiable data on the impacts of climate change on heritage in sub-Saharan Africa"

Poachers are considered unlikely culprits because the dead elephants retained their ivory tusks, which fetch top dollar on the black market.

Toxic Algae Caused Mysterious Widespread Deaths of 330 Elephants in Botswana

Officials say the pachyderms were killed by blooms of the organisms, which polluted pools of drinking water with neurotoxins

A man in California found the logbook in his closet and reached out to a student at Georgetown University to facilitate the donation.

A Newly Digitized Logbook Documents Life and Death on a Slave Trading Ship

The "Mary" departed Africa in mid-June 1796 with 142 enslaved men, women and children on board

Researchers identified seven prehistoric human footprints at Alathar, a dried-up lake bed in Saudi Arabia.

Human Footprints Found in Saudi Arabia May Be 120,000 Years Old

If confirmed, the footfalls would represent the oldest evidence of Homo sapiens' presence on the Arabian Peninsula

The Meroe pyramids in northeastern Sudan sit about1,650 feet from the banks of the Nile. Now, the site's royal bath is at risk of damage from record flooding.

Record Flooding Threatens Millennia-Old Pyramids in Sudan

Rising water levels could damage ancient structures at Meroe and Nuri

The statues have stood outside of the Shelbourne Hotel since 1867.

Dublin Hotel Controversially Removes Four Statues of African Women

City officials say the Shelbourne, which moved the sculptures because it believed they depicted enslaved women, failed to follow proper procedures

To make up for some of the missing income, and to bring much-needed attention to conservation efforts right now, many safari companies have pivoted to virtual experiences.

Want to Support Wildlife Conservation in Africa? Start by Going on a Virtual Safari

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the beleaguered safari industry is livestreaming game drives to draw attention to its cause

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