Ian Michler, a top wildlife guide, photojournalist and naturalist, has spent the last decade documenting the major conservation challenges facing Africa. An author of 6 travel books on various African countries, his work is well known to readers of the award winning magazines, Africa Geographic and Africa Birds and Birding. Michler will be co-leading one of WILD’s latest field projects, In the Tracks of Giants; a 6 month east-to-west journey connecting major conservation nodes to promote a greater awareness of conservation, human community and leadership issues specifically relevant to southern Africa.
The WILD foundation is granted the rights to publish the attached article in any format (digital or print), free of charge, provided the credit lines are used.
Text & photographs by Ian Michler
First published by Africa Geographic www.africageographic.com
“African conservation is an industry involving researchers, NGOs, funders, private sector operators and parastatals, all with a single purpose: the protection of a continent’s wildlife and wild places. It is small when compared with commercial enterprises, but its stakeholders are dedicated and passionate and they’ve been at it for well over 100 years. Why then are wildlife numbers across the continent declining? Do we simply need more money, people and resources, or are we going about the business of conservation the wrong way? Ian Michler decides that it’s time to confront the elephant in the room.”
Download Ian Michler’s article, The Conservation Quandary