Tag Archives: Africa

Views: Lives Of The Super-Rich In Congo, Africa

Many millionaires live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the world’s poorest countries. This film depicts some of those who have made fortunes amid the chaos, including musicians, mining bosses, entrepreneurs and preachers. The DRC is rich in raw materials, but only a few profit from its natural resources.

While 60% of Congo’s inhabitants live on less than $1.25 per day, businessmen, artists, former rebel leaders and evangelists are reaping the rewards of economic growth. In the capital, Kinshasa, these new rich live in safe and luxurious enclaves, while children toil in coltan mines in the eastern part of the country. Fally Ipupa has made his money with music.

Others rely on their business acumen, like Patricia Nzolantima, who founded a taxi company and aims to give more opportunities to women. With 3,000 mine workers, Cooperamma is the largest employer in North Kivu, in the east of the DRC. Managing director Robert Seninga says his coltan mines are extremely well-run, yet safety standards are poor. Coltan, a globally coveted mineral, is used in cell phones and other devices. It’s both a blessing and a curse for the Congo. It makes some rich, but for others it means death. The region still suffers from ethnic and factional conflicts, with money from illegal coltan smuggling financing new violence. It’s a vicious cycle.

Nature Views: ‘Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa’

Filmed in the Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa.

Cape Floral Region Protected Areas

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004, the property is located at the south-western extremity of South Africa. It is one of the world’s great centres of terrestrial biodiversity. The extended property includes national parks, nature reserves, wilderness areas, State forests and mountain catchment areas. These elements add a significant number of endemic species associated with the Fynbos vegetation, a fine-leaved sclerophyllic shrubland adapted to both a Mediterranean climate and periodic fires, which is unique to the Cape Floral Region.

The concrete jungle and the rat race suck up our time and energy. Our lives revolve around paying bills and staring at a computer screen. We feel stressed and anxious, and we don’t know what’s wrong. What we are truly lacking is a connection with the wild world and its rhythms. Grant takes us out into the Cape Floral Kingdom, where we kick off our shoes and walk barefoot on the earth, touch the bark of a tree, watch a spider spin a web, listen to the birds singing in the branches above. We reawaken our senses. So no matter where you live, get out there and be wild every now and then. You’ll find connection again.

Featuring Grant Hine – Ecotherapist and Guide (www.zenguiding.com)

Safari Views: ‘Lions & Cheetahs’ – MalaMala Reserve, South Africa

We start off with members of the Kambula pride and a Gowrie male on our airstrip. Then later we find three cheetahs in the same area. … From MalaMala Game Reserve to wherever you are in the world, we’ll bring you moments from our daily safaris in one of Africa’s most iconic private game reserves. This is essentially a continuation of our ‘Rangers in Isolation’ series which was filmed during the national Lockdown.

Wildlife: ‘Leopards’ – Top Moments From BBC Earth

We’ve dug into the BBC Earth archive to bring you the top 5 Leopard moments released on the channel to date. Let us know in the comments which is your favourite!

The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in small parts of Western and Central Asia, a small part of European Russia, and on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia. 

Africa Views: ‘A History Of Mozambique’ (Video)

Mozambique is a southern African nation whose long Indian Ocean coastline is dotted with popular beaches like Tofo, as well as offshore marine parks. In the Quirimbas Archipelago, a 250km stretch of coral islands, mangrove-covered Ibo Island has colonial-era ruins surviving from a period of Portuguese rule. The Bazaruto Archipelago farther south has reefs which protect rare marine life including dugongs. 

Wildlife Views: ‘Giraffe – A Silent Extinction’ (Video)

The giraffe is an icon of Africa, thousands of tourists travel around the globe every year to see them in the wild, yet in the last century giraffes have gone extinct in 7 countries and their numbers continue to fall dramatically. Since the mid-eighties, giraffes have been on a steady decline. Population numbers have dwindled by 40%, leaving less than 70,000 adults in the wild. That is just one giraffe for every five African elephants, yet very few people are aware of their situation. Over the course of a year the film crew travel across the continent to join the fight to save these gentle giants, bringing awareness to their plight and ultimately, helping to prevent its silent extinction.

Economics Of Nature: ‘Mapping The Ecosystems Of Liberia, Africa’ (Video)

NASA is working alongside Conservation International and the Liberian Government through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pilot an innovative and replicable approach to more accurately map ecosystems to support effective planning and sustainable decision-making. NASA’s satellite data and expert analysis will provide a country-wide picture of Liberia’s hardwood forests, mangroves, and other ecosystems; Conservation International and the Liberian Government through the EPA will augment that data with their expertise in ecosystem accounting, field studies, and local knowledge to quantify the value of the country’s natural resources and related ecosystem services.

Liberia is a country in West Africa, bordering Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. On the Atlantic coast, the capital city of Monrovia is home to the Liberia National Museum, with its exhibits on national culture and history. Around Monrovia are palm-lined beaches like Silver and CeCe. Along the coast, beach towns include the port of Buchanan, as well as laid-back Robertsport, known for its strong surf. 

Read more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/…

Safari Views: ‘Lions Of The MalaMala Game Reserve’ In South Africa (Video)

MalaMala Safari Moments: Episode 63. We spend some time with the Torchwood pride who had killed two young buffalo. From MalaMala Game Reserve to wherever you are in the world, we’ll bring you moments from our daily safaris in one of Africa’s most iconic private game reserves. This is essentially a continuation of our ‘Rangers in Isolation’ series which was filmed during the national Lockdown.