Humpback whales, elephants and penguins show conservation gains in Africa
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Photographers Chris and Monique Fallows observed a supergroup of nearly 300 humpback whales off the coast of South Africa, and the research platform Happywhale identified 299 individual whales, the largest gathering the platform has ever recorded in a single day.
Humpback whale numbers have risen from under 10,000 due to protection measures enacted in the 1960s and a whaling pause in 1986, now exceeding 100,000 individuals and allowing for these supergroups to reappear around 2012.
In Tanzania, a 2024/2025 census counted 66,714 elephants, an increase of over 20,000 from 2014, which officials link to stronger anti-poaching patrols and management practices, making Tanzania the third-largest elephant population holder in Africa. Further south at Boulders Beach in South Africa, researchers counted 790 breeding pairs of African penguins in 2026, a rise of 92 pairs from 2025, bringing the total penguin population at the site to around 2,528, representing 8 to 9% of South Africa’s total.
Conservation groups and South African National Parks attribute the penguin increase to habitat management, rehabilitation efforts, and disease monitoring. In West Africa, Ghana designated the Greater Cape Three Points area as its first marine protected area, covering 703 square kilometers and including a no-take core zone and areas with managed fishing rules.
Namibia also saw success with rhino conservation, recording only 41 poached rhinos in 2025, down from 83 in 2024, the lowest number since 2014, thanks to intelligence-led operations and collaboration between government agencies, law enforcement, and local communities.
