Articles by Val Jiwa

2 Successful Cheetah Conservation Projects

Projects are working to conserve the few remaining cheetahs. Mara cheetah project and Cheetah conservation fund are the two cheetah conservation projects. The objective of Mara cheetah project is to identify the threats faced by cheetahs, establish the number of cheetahs and, where possible, mitigate the risks. The project uses a research-driven approach. On the other hand, Cheetah conservation fund was founded by Dr. Laurie Marker to save the cheetahs. The organization has created a set of integrated programs using its research aimed at addressing the threats not only to cheetah and its ecosystem but also to the human populations.

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9 Fun Facts About Cheetahs In Kenya

Doing a wildlife safari in Kenya is the best way to witness cheetahs. They occur in the vast plains and savannahs of Kenya. Their nonchalant manner in which they carry themselves has always marveled safari travelers. But their ferocity at the time of hunting and killing belies this nature. Any wildlife safari traveler to Kenya would concur that these magnificent cats exemplify beauty, grace, agility and savagery, all in equal measure. But there are some fun facts that they probably did not know about cheetahs in the Kenyan wild. Here are some 9 fun facts about the cheetahs in Kenya.

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Africa Beckons All Cheetah-Lovers

A team of field researchers, biologists, and scientists conducted a study in Kenya’s Maasai Mara using GPS collar data to document interactions between male cheetahs. Among many other things, the results of these interactions were investigated to determine mortalities as well as spatial and movement behavior. Here are some interesting details and facts that emerged out of that in-depth study. However, despite the clear patterns, there are several caveats to the quantity and quality of the data set of the study. Therefore, the results are likely to be on the cautious side and future studies should use higher resolution data.

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4 Less-Known Facts About Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus weighs around 8,000 pounds making it the second largest land animal after the elephant. Biologists compare its weight to that of the Indian rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros. Because of its physique, people falsely believe that the hippopotamus is a sluggish and slow animal. On the contrary, it is quite ferocious that can kill anyone in sight almost instantaneously. In fact, records indicate that hippopotamuses kill more people than any other animal. Interestingly, there are incidents from field researchers’ reports of hippos attacking boats mistaking them for crocodiles. However, four fascinating things about these fearsome-looking quadrupeds are less known.

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6 Wild Carnivores Of Kenya

Typically, all carnivores in the world are ferocious predators. They chase and kill other animals in the forest for their food. For this, they use their power and force to their advantage. Kenya is full of such predators that live in the wild savannah and plains of the country. The 6 wild carnivores of Kenya are the leopard, wild dog, hyena, serval cat, genet and jackal. An encounter with any one of these vicious and violent animals can be deadly even to human beings. Hence, having any one of them as a house pet is probably not a good idea.

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