Author: Jon Stevenson

One of the Most Dangerous Jobs in the World!

On By Jon Stevenson2 Comments

By Dick Houston

A wounded ranger is pictured after a recent encounter with a gang of poachers. Fortunately it was only a flesh wound. But a WAG ranger was killed by a poacher a few years ago and another ranger was recently killed by an elephant while a third was gored by a cape buffalo. A forest ranger’s job is one of the most dangerous in the world. About 150 rangers worldwide die each year protecting wildlife according to the Thin Green Line (TGL) Foundation, an international charity.

Conflicts with poachers are responsible for 50 to 70% of ranger deaths on the job, according to data from TGL. The rest are attributed to daily challenges such as hazardous environments and dangerous animals – especially elephants and Cape buffalos.

Africa is know for its vast nature reserves, ecotourism and educational approach to conservation. Unfortunately, armed poachers and militant gangs are targeting African rangers. In Africa, an astounding 82% of rangers said they have faced a life-threatening situation in the line of duty.

WOULD YOU TAKE ON THIS JOB FOR $3 A DAY? This is why Elefence, in partnership with Malawi’s Wildlife Action Group (WAG), works to find financial support for the 51-man strong team of rangers. Elefence and WAG initiated a Ranger Cash Reward Program for various rangers who’ve shown meritorious work in the field protecting elephants and other highly endangered wild animals.

Keep in mind, these men struggle to feed their families while they are on patrol in the forest 25 days a month living in primitive conditions with no access to emergency medical care. If badly wounded in the field their chances of survival are slim. There are no medics on the patrol teams. ( Our pioneer Elefence trustee, Max Seymour, was a battlefield medic in Viet Nam, and knows well how crucial immediate emergency care is in the field.) {see Elefence team bios on our website, http://www.elefence.org.}

Elefence has just given the 51 rangers Christmas bonuses of $10 each. It is humbling and emotionally gripping to see these men so thrilled to receive such a modest amount. We wish it could be more , but we can only give what is contributed since Elefence and WAG are small organizations, continually and frustratingly, challenged to find funding. Sad that in a world run by billionaires these brave rangers who work to save fragile ecosystems and wildlife for the world’s future, scramble for crumbs.

Without funding, the rangers of Thuma and Dedza-Salima forest reserves will not be able to continue their work. If you are interested in helping these brave men, please contact us directly or make a contribution directly on the Elefence website. If you have donated recently we thank you -and be assured that donations go directly to our efforts in Malawi. Elefence International Inc. is a USA registered 501(c)3 charity and all contributions are tax-exempt.

Please remember to frequently check our blog for more stories about the rangers and their ongoing work to protect the forest and its wildlife

Merry Christmas everyone from ELEFENCE and WAG. Thank you for reading.

Lynn Clifford, WAG Field Officer Of Thuma and Dezdza-Salima Forest Reserves, is seen surrounded by her brave anti-poaching rangers who have recently expanded to 51 members. Thanks to Lynn and her team the Thuma Forest Reserve is now the most protected forest in Malawi. Work continues in the Dedza-Salima Reserve.

Poaching is on the increase in Malawi

On By Jon Stevenson3 Comments

By Lynn Clifford, WAG Field manager

Poaching incidences are on the increase in Thuma Forest (Malawi) especially poacher hunting with dogs, bows, arrows and spears! Last week two suspects were arrested and this morning our brave anti-poaching rangers arrested 3 more, one being one of the most notorious poachers from dedza who has been a very large thorn in our side all of this year! A second offender! All suspects have been handed over to the police for prosecution. Another win for our rangers!!

On average this year the hunting and killing of wildlife by men with dogs is extremely high, they are aggressive and rangers are assaulted in the course of their duty! These rangers only make $3 bucks a day. That is why we rely on generous donors to keep these men in the field. Otherwise poachers would overrun the forest and kill more and more wild animals to oblivion.

Why do poachers use dogs? The dogs track, hunt and catch the animal quickly which is then hacked and or speared to death by the poachers. On average a team of poachers can kill up to 3 animals each time they hunt ! A huge loss for the Malawian government and the countries prospects of being a tourism destination!

All of these animals — whether elephants, warthogs, kudus, duikers, and more — are killed for commercial gain NOT subsistence. It’s greed for profit.

This is the 11th dog poacher team arrested since September 2024 thanks to our courageous rangers. We can win this war on wild animals with your support.

Ranger injured while capturing poachers.

Thanks for reading.

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Dick Houston and Conrad Froehlich

Martin and Osa Johnson. The FIRST motion picture explorers in history. In this photo, Martin and Osa film the Samburu warriors in northern Kenya, 1920s.

Martin and Osa Johnson were a swashbuckling husband-and-wife filmmaker team who “invented” the first non-hunting wildlife movie documentaries in history — long before Animal Planet.

PART ONE:

In a previous Elefence Blog post, we presented a video about Martin and Osa Johnson called “Wings Over Tanzania.”

One of the most unique museums in the world preserves the lost wildlife and tribal worlds of the Johnsons: the MARTIN AND OSA JOHNSON SAFARI MUSEUM.

The Museum is based in Chanute, Kansas — OSA’s hometown.

The Museum’s Director, Conrad Froehlich, is an Honorary Trustee of Elefence International.

Note: parts two, three, and four will follow in subsequent posts.

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum is the epicenter of the motion picture history of pioneering African safaris, Borneo, and South Sea Island adventures in the early 1900s.

In the 1920s and 30s, Martin and Osa Johnson were household names as recognizable as Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Amelia Earhart.

The Johnsons pioneered flights over Africa — some 60,000 miles over the Dark Continent of unexplored jungles. They used two Sikorsky amphibious planes, necessary to land on rivers and lakes since there were still few wilderness airstrips in Africa in the early 1930s.

They barely survived some harrowing near-death-defying experiences in flight. At that time, there was no radar, no airfield radio communication in remote Africa locales — flying blindly into horrific rain storms with ZERO visibility. One can only imagine the terror — and the guts it took to do that. As a result, they preserved aerial images of once pristine landscapes that no longer exist.

No wonder their motion pictures were always box office hits on Broadway — and at hometown theaters across America and around the world. The Johnsons also pioneered the first all-talking sound motion pictures in Africa.


Please stay tuned for Parts two, three, and four in succeeding posts. We’ll tell the fascinating story of the Johnsons in a little more detail. And how their historic photographic record is preserved — including their one-of-a-kind original artifacts of exotic travels — at the award-winning Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum.

And learn how the facility is a living museum today for research — and creates awareness for preservation of endangered elephants and Africa’s shrinking wild places.

TOAST

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Nic Polenakis

There are few places on earth where one can walk with wild elephants. Mana Pools in northern Zimbabwe is one such place.
 
When approaching elephant bulls while walking, it is important to remain downwind undetected (the elephant’s scent is blowing towards you) as most animals are instinctively fearful of man on foot.

Some bulls in Mana Pools can be extremely relaxed and accepting of humans. The trick is finding out which ones are ‘friendly’!

I was walking with some of my guests when I spotted this young elephant bull eating fallen pods from a winter thorn tree. This tree has extremely nutritious, protein-rich pods and are sought after by many animals in Mana, especially elephant. 

We slowly approached to within a safe distance, where I purposely now allowed our scent to waft upwind toward the elephant! I didn’t want to surprise him. Elephants have an incredible sense of smell and could have picked up our scent from a huge distance away. I watched for his reaction. This is a simple way of gauging how receptive an elephant is to one’s presence.

It was at this time that I recognized the young bull as an elephant we called Toast — named after his habit of stealing toast off the camps’ breakfast tables! And I knew him well as a very calm bull.

I decided it was safe for us to edge ever closer to him. It was breathtaking as we stood under a tree and watched as he calmly walked around picking up the pods unperturbed by our presence.

As he ambled around the tree he slowly made his way towards us. This is when I placed myself in front of my guests. I then stood next to some of the delicious pods and knew he would soon approach, of which he did not disappoint!

Toast walked closer and closer and looked at me carefully, trying to ensure I was a friend and not a foe. After a few tense moments, he walked even closer till he stood right in front of me! Then he continued eating the pods.

He stood with me for some time investigating my scent with his trunk — and then suddenly turned and continued his search for more pods.

You can see why I love elephants. Their intelligence for sizing up a situation never ceases to amaze me.

Nic Polenakis
Safari Guide and Elefence trustee

Elefence addendum: Nic is a certified professional guide who was named by National geographic as one of the top ten safari guides in Africa. He has the uncanny ability to read wildlife, especially elephants, which is how he is able to get so close as pictured above. He is not a hunter, but is required to carry a rifle in order to protect his clients in an emergency. Check his website http://www.myprivateafrica.com

The Language of Elephants

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Jon Stevenson & Dick Houston

At one time there was a theory put forth that elephants were telepathic. They seemed to be able control their actions when they could not see one another and neither did they make any noise. A herd would be spread out foraging when they would all stop and come together and move off in one direction. If there was a predator in the area they would gather and circle their babies to protect them. Well, we know now that they are not telepathic but they do communicate in ways we are only recently beginning to understand.

When Paula and I were on safari with Dick a few years ago, we were in a blind watching a small group of bulls at a water hole. We were within 15-20 feet of them which was exciting on its own but we could hear this low rumbling coming from different individuals. I asked our guide if that was their stomach growling and he replied “No, they are talking to one another”. I have learned since that elephant researchers have recorded these sounds and when played back they noted a reaction from specific individuals. They conclusion was that the sounds made related to a specific individual much like calling our someone’s name to a group.

Elephants are also known to communicate seismically – vibrations produced by impacts upon the earth. Foot stomping or false charges produce tremors which can be felt by other elephants up to 20 miles away.

Surprisingly, elephants produce Ultra Low Frequency sounds that are below the range of human hearing. ULF sounds can travel long distances, up to 10 miles under the right conditions, both through the air as well as the ground. Other elephants can hear and interpret these sounds. Researchers have used special equipment to record these ULF sounds and have logged over 100 different sounds and combination of sounds made by elephants. We don’t know what they are saying yet, but there is no doubt that elephants do communicate.

Before there was an Animal Planet there was Martin and Osa Johnson

On By Jon Stevenson2 Comments

by Dick Houston

I’m often asked what led me to go to Africa to operate safaris, and years later create Elefence International with its Founder, Bruce Lowe of Taft Law in Cleveland.

The story all started in an Ohio hometown theatre —which I wrote about decades later for a SMITHSONIAN magazine feature as follows in the intro…

“When I was a kid in Ashtabula, Ohio in the 1950s, Hollywood was churning out one African movie after another — everything from King Solomon’s Mines and The African Queen to Mogambo and The Roots of Heaven. My own favorite adventure films in those days were reruns of creaky documentaries about Africa that had been produced in the 1920s and 30s by Martin and Osa Johnson, a swashbuckling husband and wife team from Kansas. The Johnsons’ storylines were episodic, but their film formula was irresistible: mount an elaborate safari, improvise various situations as you go along and film them on the spot….”

Decades later the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Kansas assigned me the task of finding and identifying the lost films of the Johnsons stored in an old vault at the Library of Congress.

The following video shows some of the lost footage now brought to light for the first time.

https://www.haleyjackson.com/wingsovertanzania/

Thanks for reading and watching.

Dick Houston
President of Elefence International. Website: elefence.org

dhoustonelefence@yahoo.com

( Dick is an Honorary Trustee of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum,
Chanute, Kansas )

Note: Conrad Froehlich, the Director of the Museum, is an Honorary Trustee of Elefence International. Museum website: safarimuseum.com

What Makes A Great Bush Guide

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

Part two by Dick Houston
WHAT MAKES A GREAT SAFARI GUIDE?


Nic Polenakis with friend Dick Houston of Elefence at a waterhole
with unexpected thirsty guests. Hwange National Park,
Zimbabwe


Part Two:


Later having sundowners by a waterhole in Hwange park, Nic and
I start our stories regarding our separate experiences on
operating safaris all over Africa. Nic has a quick wit and keen
sense of humor, and we laugh a lot. We talk long into the night…
Relaxed around safari fires with drink in hand, you can talk freely
and be yourself. You really listen and get to know people. Nic is
one of the most unassuming and honorable men I’ve ever known.
Over the years I’ve seen he’s a devoted family man. I know his
lovely wife Tracey and his animal-loving 13-year-old son Chris
(who has an ever-grumbling Jack Russell named Grumpy, and a
cool pet rooster named Mister Cheep Cheep!)


I ask Nic what first inspired him to live and work in the bush — and
what he had to do to make his dream come true as a non-hunting
safari guide. Nic thinks a moment and then tells his story to me…
“You know, Dick, being trained as a professional guide in
Zimbabwe, where I was born, is extremely arduous. And is
arguably Africa’s toughest and most rigorous professional guides
examination process.


I served my 3 year apprentice on a rhino conservancy under a
fully qualified professional guide where I mastered the basics of
bush lore, tree identification, animal behavior, mammals, birds,
arthropods, star gazing, general knowledge, shooting, safety,
advanced first aid, spoor and skull identification, mechanics and
much more.


During this learning period I had many exciting forays. I lay in
ambush against poachers, climbed trees to escape black rhino,
was charged by elephant, stood face to face with 3 black
mambas! Then, of all things, I had a close shave with a domestic
Brahman Bull! Yes you heard right! I will never forget being told to
go and destroy a Brahman bull that escaped its pen, and was
running wild and could not be captured.


I couldn’t believe this easy task; I mean if it was a Cape buffalo it
would be one thing but a domestic bull?! This was surely no
challenge at all…


I finally located the ‘’wild animal’’ and after setting up an ambush I
stood on a path and waited for it to approach. The huge Brahman
bull ambled towards me, raised his head and charged! I was
taken totally by surprise and raised my rifle and fired in time,
dropping him only feet from me! This was nearly an embarrassing
situation, one in which I don’t think my fellow colleagues would
have let me off so lightly!


After passing the stringent professional guides written exam, I
was invited to the shooting practical exam where shooting both
moving and fixed targets set at varying distances, where speed,
accuracy, weapon handling and safety were paramount. This is a
crucial aptitude when you are responsible for the safety of your
clients on walking safaris into the bush.


Years earlier and after making my mind up that I was going to be
a professional guide, I purchased a .458 Winchester mag and
took it to the range to try it out. Sitting on the ground I raised my
rifle, took aim at the target and slowly squeezed the trigger. After
the dust had settled and my ears normalized, I sat there in total
disbelief and shock!! My shoulder felt like it was broken, and I
think I missed the target all together! What came to my mind was
how on earth was I to one day become proficient at shooting this
thing?


After passing the shooting exam, I was invited to the next step: a
daunting oral interview where one sits in front of his peers and is
bombarded with questions. This is then followed by the dreaded
‘nature table’ where one has to identify skulls, tree pods,
arthropods, bird feathers, nests and seemingly endless ‘artifacts’.
Only candidates whom the panel deem competent, and ready for
the last hurdle, are invited to the final practical exam.


This one-week-long practical exam is legendary, and not for the
faint-hearted. Here, a total of 20 plus aspiring professional guides,
are broken into groups of 4 to 5 hopefuls. They are expected to
set up their tented camp and host some of the examiners. There
is no place to hide and you are expected to excel. It is grueling,
tiresome and nerve-racking where one is examined on everything
and anything!


When I took the learner’s examination there were over 200
candidates. By the time the practical exam arrived 3 years later,
there were about 20 of us left — of which only 4 passed. I was one
of them.…”

Saving pangolins in Thuma forest

On By Jon Stevenson2 Comments

Pangolins, or scaly anteaters as they are often called, are one of nature’s oddest creatures. They have a small compact body covered with scales made of keratin which is the same material as our human fingernails. Pangolins are found in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. They feed exclusively on ants and termites and roll up in a ball to protect themselves if they are threatened by a predator.
 


Pangolins are the most trafficked wild animals in the world, and are endangered due to poaching.  Deforestation has also impacted their numbers. They are sold mainly into China where their scales and meat are touted to be a cure for everything from arthritis to warts. Their meat is consumed and the scales ground into a powder both of which bring very high prices on the black market.
 


When captured pangolins are intercepted by rangers and customs officials the pangolins are often undernourished and in poor condition due to injuries, With these problems they cannot be returned to the wild as they would not survive. Enter Elefence’s partner in Malawi, Wildlife Action Group which is an authorized pangolin rehab center. Any wounds are treated but the problem is how to feed them. Purina does not make pangolin chow.
 


The solution to getting them food is to take them into the bush and find rotten logs filled with ants and termite mounds. Dick and I were fortunate to go on one of the feeding sessions. A ranger put a blanket over his shoulder and draped the pangolin on it. In addition to the keeper there was a ranger who kept track of the pangolin feeding and another ranger to watch for elephants or Cape buffalos — two of the most dangerous animals in Thuma, especially when surprised on a forest trail. The rangers locate a rotten stump and set the pangolin in front of it. The pangolin immediately knew what to do and tore into the stump with their powerful front feet and long claws. They used their long sticky tongue to gather the insects and quickly bring them into their snout. After several feeding sessions the animal was returned to the WAG office where it would curl up and sleep off its meal.
 
Elefence is proud to be a partner and supporter of WAG in their efforts to protect the two forest reserves and the animals which live in it.

Mourning a Matriarch

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

One of the trail cameras at Thuma Forest Reserve in Malawi caught a tragic incident. A matriarch of an elephant herd had been killed for her tusks. In the video link below you will see the reaction of her loyal herd. Despite this tragedy, there’s good news. Elefence recently funded the completion of the solar electric fence surrounding Thuma Forest. The purpose is twofold: safeguard the people from crop raiding elephants: and safeguard the elephants from ivory poachers. Today, there is ZERO poaching of elephants at Thuma Forest. And Zero human-elephant conflict of the surrounding villages of Thuma. The video is only 2 1/2 minutes long but contains a powerful message.

Introducing Nic Polenakis

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Dick Houston

ELEFENCE International is proud to introduce our newest Trustee to our elephant conservation foundation: Nic Polenakis.

Nic Polenakis, ELEFENCE Trustee and Owner of My Private Africa, based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Nic is one of only a handful of professional specialist guides qualified to work throughout most of Africa. His field guiding has been extensive in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Congo. He operates his own safari company My Private Africa in which he guides international guests all over the continent. National Geographic Traveler named Nic one of the best guides in Africa. He is committed to wildlife preservation and village community conservation projects in Africa as a Trustee of ELEFENCE.

Dick writes about his exciting bush experiences with Nic in Africa:
ELEFENCE International is proud to introduce our newest Trustee to our elephant conservation foundation: Nic Polenakis

Nic is one of only a handful of professional specialist guides qualified to work throughout most of Africa. His guiding has been extensive in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Congo. He operates his own safari company My Private Africa based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. National Geographic Traveler has named Nic as one of the best guides in Africa.  

I believe there’s no such thing as coincidence. Some people’s paths are destined to cross. This was certainly true when I first met Nic years ago at a safari camp in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. 

I was there to initiate an Elefence conservation partnership with African Bush Camps Foundation to help fund solar-pumped waterholes for elephants, and for a local village community bordering the park.   

Nic and I hit it off immediately since we both share a passion for safari adventures, wildlife conservation — especially elephants.  

When I first arrived in Hwange, it wasn’t long before Nic took me on a walking safari into the bush. I marveled at Nic’s encyclopedic knowledge of every animal track and insect. He could identify every bird sound and what it was communicating. Quite remarkable considering there are over 420 species of birds in Hwange!   
  
One of the highlights of my bush treks with Nic was following the tracks of an old lone bull elephant which we thought was solitary. The day was to have many surprises. For safety, Nic carries a large caliber .458 Winchester. He is so good at anticipating wild animal behavior — whether elephant, lion, or Cape buffalo — that he’s never had to fire a shot!    

While following the tracks, we had not yet seen the elephant. Nic suddenly waved his hand palm down to stop. Not more than a hundred feet ahead, seen just above a clump of bushes, was the back end of the old bull! Then Nic started pointing excitedly to his left. He grinned. I gulped. There was another old bull just now emerging through the thorn brush lumbering toward his 7-ton friend! I looked around. Is there a tree to climb? 

Nic’s confidence quickly puts you at ease. There’s no macho swaggering to take needless risks. This guy knows what he’s doing. And he’s been doing it for 27 years in the bush. He reaches down to grab a handful of powdery dust to sift through his fingers to test the wind. Safe. We’re downwind. We trek on. The two bulls are now walking side by side, almost leaning into each other. Old buddies. 

Our chuka boots step into monster tracks as the bulls head for shade. It’s noon with the sun directly overhead. Insects whine around our sweat-soaked shirts. We keep our hundred-feet distance. The bulls find two tall trees to rest under. One bull leans against a thick bole of a tree, it creaks as he falls fast asleep. The other bull stands still, eyes shut, trunk hanging straight down. We move within 50 feet and stop. They look bigger. T.Rex size. My heart’s hammering. Amazingly the bulls have absolutely no idea we’re there. We’re both grinning. Feeling really alive. One with the bush.

Nic puts you in the moment.