Humans have hunted Africa’s animals since the dawn of time, but the arrival of European guns in the 17th century changed the scale of predation.

I was shocked to read about the sudden closure of a well-known luxury safari operation in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania. My dismay was not only because I personally know the owners of this wonderful operation and know what a terrible blow this must be to them.

Strange is a springbok. She leaps rather than runs. Her stripes and hues stand her apart from other species, her cousins of the arid plains. Her colours and patterns soothe the artist’s eye, inspire the poet. When on safari, it’s her we most want to see when combing the veld for antelope; we appreciate the others, the mighty kudu with horns fashioned by an artist, the blesbok with that flash of white, the

Somewhere on the plains of the Serengeti, a cheetah sprints after her terrified prey.

The painted wolf (Lycaon pictus) has many names, and is also commonly known as the African wild dog and Cape hunting dog.

How many white rhinos are there in Africa? And why are they so special?