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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Facebook has battled a wildlife trafficking problem on its platform for nearly a decade.</li><li>Despite efforts to moderate sales of endangered animals and ivory, sellers are easy to spot.</li></ul><p>Turns out, you really <em>can</em> find anything on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook">Facebook</a>.</p><p>Used lawn furniture, homemade baked goods… <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-illegal-wildlife-trafficking-2016-9">endangered species</a>.</p><p>It's not a new phenomenon. Outlets have been reporting on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-tried-smuggle-22-snakes-chameleon-luggage-plane-officials-2023-5">wildlife trafficking</a> on Meta's massive social media platforms for years, and Facebook has been working with the World Wildlife Fund since 2016 to cut down on the prevalence of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/animals-suitcases-bangkok-airport-wildlife-trafficking-2022-7">illegal trade of wildlife</a> and rare animal products like ivory.</p><p>But despite efforts to moderate the content away, the sellers remain remarkably easy to spot.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://undark.org/2024/03/05/social-media-wildlife-trafficking/?mc_cid=888b095156&amp;mc_eid=1b17105ade">Undark Magazine</a>, an award-winning independent science and culture publication,<strong> </strong>this week reported on a surging market on Facebook for distinctive bowmouth guitarfish horns, sold as jewelry and other accessories, contributing to the demise of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wildlife-filmmaker-malaika-vaz-on-environmental-and-biodiversity-conservation-interview-2021-5">critically endangered</a> fish.</p><p>In 2022, Vice News reported it took less than 24 hours to arrange the sale of an endangered tiger.</p><p>Though <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta">Meta</a>, Facebook's parent company, was a founding member of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online in 2018, it might be even easier now to find these illegal offerings than years ago, Business Insider found.</p><h2>20 minutes to monkeys</h2><p>It took BI less than two minutes to identify Facebook accounts selling the bowmouth guitarfish horns. Within 20 minutes of browsing various groups on Facebook, BI identified endangered <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mystery-dallas-zoo-2-monkeys-missing-after-leopard-dead-vulture-2023-1">squirrel monkeys</a> for sale, as well as various exotic birds, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-volunteer-big-cat-rescue-carole-baskin-2020-6">caracal cats</a>, and several species of turtles, in addition to more traditional pets and livestock, including puppies, guinea pigs, and chickens.</p><p>Some of the groups had more than 10,000 members.</p><p>Representatives for Meta, Facebook's parent company, pointed BI to the platform's internal policy regarding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/policies_center/commerce/animals">Land, Animals, and Animal Products,</a> which indicates that listings on the platform may not promote the buying or selling of animals, animal products, or land in ecological conservation areas.</p><p>Pages identified by BI as violating the policy were removed, a spokesperson for Meta confirmed after a review of the content.</p><p>Meta representatives did not respond to questions from BI regarding how posts that violate this policy are moderated or whether groups and posts in languages other than English have the same moderation practices.</p><h2>How social media drives exotic species sales</h2><p>Crawford Allan, the senior director of wildlife at World Wildlife Fund-US, told BI that since the pandemic, social media platforms have seen an explosion in exotic pet species sales online, with the illegal traders ranging from ill-informed sellers to organized crime groups. </p><p>"It's difficult for online companies to keep up with the enormous volume of pet listings and the cunning methods criminals are using to avoid automated filters on social media," Allan said, adding that the biggest challenge is keeping ahead of the crime groups as they adapt.</p><p>World Wildlife Fund has for years provided companies in its anti-trafficking coalition, like Meta, data to help identify new keyword search terms that illegal sellers are using, as well as images of illicit products and suspicious listings they detect so they can be removed. The 47 major tech companies in the coalition pledged to use WWF's insights to remove 80% of wildlife trafficking content from their platforms by 2020.</p><p>However, research published that year by the <a target="_blank" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e3a7fb845f8c668df48d437/t/5f8d9d26b6b09842cbd7eca7/1603116334186/ACCO+2+Clicks+Away+Wildlife+Sales+on+Facebook+Oct+2020+FINAL.pdf">Alliance to Counter Crime Online</a> found that despite conservationists' assistance, Facebook had "failed to keep its promise."</p><p>"In just two mouse clicks, our researchers could locate substantial wildlife trafficking content," researchers behind the ACCO study wrote. "Mimicking the search process an average Facebook user might employ when looking to buy illegal wildlife products, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-bans-ivory-trade-to-help-end-horrendous-elephant-poaching-2017-10">ivory</a> or exotic pets, we found that traffickers are easily and openly operating on the platform."</p><h2><strong>The economic ripples of extinction</strong></h2><p>In addition to the climate crisis, wildlife trafficking is a substantial contributor to the rate at which we are losing species worldwide, according to the global nonprofit environmental organization<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://rare.org/blog/how-does-wildlife-trafficking-impact-people-environment/">Rare Conservation</a>, which points to critically endangered creatures like the black rhino, African elephant, and Amur leopard as species that are near extinction due to their popularity in the wildlife trade.</p><p>An ACCO expert in ape trafficking reported more than half of the world's trade of apes occurs on social media, with young primates fetching upwards of $20,000 for sellers. The group found that roughly 75% of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.counteringcrime.org/online-crimes/online-wildlife-markets-are-wiping-out-animals">illegal online trade of cheetahs</a> occurs on Meta's platform Instagram.</p><p>"Illegal wildlife trade is the second most significant threat to endangered species after habitat loss," Allan of WWF<strong> </strong>told BI, adding that social media platforms are now the dominant market for the illegal trade of endangered wildlife. "Thousands of species are exploited, with many populations being pushed to the brink of extinction to meet global demand."</p><p>It isn't just the animals that suffer when they're trafficked to the brink of extinction — it hurts agriculture, destabilizes the markets around the industry, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/1-million-species-could-go-extinct-un-report-2019-5">risks global food security</a> by demolishing ecosystems, according to reporting by the United Nations.</p><p>One study published in Global Environmental Change estimated the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378014000685">economic benefits</a> we enjoy from our environment range from $125-145 trillion a year globally. Jill Atkins, chair in financial management at Sheffield University Management School at the University of Sheffield, told finance news outlet <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investec.com/en_za/focus/beyond-wealth/to-bee-or-not-to-bee-species-extinction.html">Investec</a> that while the impact caused by extinction is hard to calculate, the loss of a single key species could cost a significant portion of that $125-145 trillion — or wipe it out entirely.</p><p>"Facilitated by transnational organized crime networks, with links to drug, human, and weapon trafficking, illegal wildlife trade threatens not only wildlife populations,"<strong> </strong>Allan told BI. "But our global security, human health, the livelihoods of local communities, and legitimate business operations."</p><p><em>Correction: March 23, 2024</em><strong><em> </em></strong><em>— An earlier version of this story misstated the number of tech organizations that have signed WWF's anti-animal trafficking pledge. There are 47, not 30.</em></p>

You can buy an endangered monkey on Facebook in 20 minutes

<br /><ul><li>The <keyword id="9285192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="saharan-cheetah">Saharan cheetah</keyword>, also known as the world’s most elusive cat, has been spotted for the first time in a decade, according to national park authorities in Algeria. </li><li>The last time it was officially caught on camera was in 2010.</li><li>Estimates by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (<keyword id="6395707" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="iucn">IUCN</keyword>) indicate that only 37 Saharan cheetahs remain worldwide.</li></ul>The Saharan cheetah is the world’s most elusive cat and it hasn’t been seen in over ten years, until now. Salah Amokrane, a national parks official, told the local news, that the cheetah was spotted in Algeria’s Hoggar Mountains — a highland region in the world’s largest desert.<br /><br />The last time the Saharan cheetah was seen was in 2010 by a <a href="https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/01/28/in-search-of-the-elusive-saharan-cheetah/">team of researchers</a> travelling through the Ahaggar Cultural Park in Algeria, looking for signs that the Saharan cheetah still existed. Luckily, they were able to spot five mature individuals using camera traps. <br /><br />This may be the first time in 10 years that park officials have spotted the elusive wild cat, however, in 2015, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Zoological Society of London also shared a picture, seen above.<br /><br />But since, there has been silence — until now. The images of the cheetah will be shown in a documentary released on the work of the scientists in the national park. They show the Saharan cheetah in the Atakor volcanic field, which includes peeks that approach heights of 3,000 metres. <br /><br /><strong>Only 37 Saharan cheetahs remain<br /></strong>The Sahara desert may look like an empty expanse of extreme climate encompassing nearly ten million square kilometres as it stretches across the African continent, but it’s actually full of rare animals. Not just the Desert Monitor or the Scarab Beetle, as often depicted in Hollywood films, but also the Saharan cheetah. <br /><br />The Saharan cheetah is different from its other counterparts with a paler colour and shorter coat. It's more nocturnal and occurs at much lower densities than than other cheetahs in Africa. Only 37 individuals are estimated to be in existence with isolated pockets across the Sahara and Sahel, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The area stretches from Mali in the west to the Central African Republic in the east.<br /><br />The cheetah, at large, is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List with only around 6,600 present worldwide. For them, Africa is home. However, many have been driven to the edge of extinction by hunting, trapping, war, civil unrest and other man-made threats.<br /><br />Similar threats also face other endangered species in the Sahara desert including the Desert Antelope, the Addax, and Dama. The Sahara’s once vibrant wildlife has been a dramatic dip in as the 20th century unfolds.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-finds-hyperactive-particles-in-antarctica-that-defy-physics/articleshow/75882395.cms">NASA finds hyperactive particles in Antarctica — they officially defy all known rules of physics</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/international-day-for-biological-diversity-theme-and-quotes/articleshow/75882773.cms"><strong>Here’s why we celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity every year on May 22</strong></a><br />

World’s most elusive wild cat spotted for the first time in a decade in Algeria

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cheetahs are being reintroduced to India after being declared extinct in the country in 1952. </li><li>The reintroduction effort is aimed at creating a viable population of wild cheetahs.</li></ul><p>In mid-September, eight African cheetahs were airlifted from Namibia and brought to India, marking the first time the big cat stepped foot in the wild in the country since being declared extinct more than 70 years ago.</p><p>The reintroduction, which was years in the making, was celebrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on whose 72nd birthday the cats arrived, as well as by other cheetah advocates and scientists.</p><p>"When the cheetah will run again … grasslands will be restored, biodiversity will increase and eco-tourism will get a boost," <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/cheetahs-reintroduced-to-india-after-going-extinct-in-the-country-70-years-ago">Modi</a>, who released the cats into their temporary enclosure, said, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/world/asia/cheetah-relocation-india.html">adding</a>: "Along with these cheetahs, the nature-loving consciousness of India has also awakened with full force."</p><p>However, some big-cat experts told Insider while they support the idea of reintroducing wild, free-ranging cheetahs to India, the current effort seems more like a marketing stunt — one that's not sufficiently based in science.</p><h2>Saving cheetahs from extinction</h2><p>Cheetahs, the world's fastest land animal, were once widespread in India. They were declared extinct in the country in 1952 as a result of hunting and habitat loss.</p><p>"It is the only large mammal that India has lost," S.P. Yadav, secretary of India's National Tiger Conservation Authority, said, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/world/asia/cheetah-relocation-india.html">The New York Times</a>. "It is our moral and ethical responsibility to bring them back."</p><p>Cheetah populations worldwide are also on the decline, with the total number in the wild estimated to be about 6,500, according to the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/219/124366642">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>. The big cats now occupy just 9% of their historical range. The vast majority of the remaining cheetahs are in Africa, while a small amount of the <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-asiatic-cheetahs-environment-/31646781.html">critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs</a>, the same subspecies that used to prowl India, remain in Iran.</p><p>"To save cheetahs from extinction, we need to create permanent places for them on Earth. India has areas of grassland and forest habitat, which are appropriate for this species," Laurie Marker, founder of the <a href="https://cheetah.org/">Cheetah Conservation Fund</a>, which has helped coordinate the reintroduction, told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/17/india-cheetahs-kuno-namibia/">The Washington Post</a>.</p><p>The relocated cheetahs include five females and two males between the ages of two and six. The eight cheetahs were dropped off at Kuno National Park, south of New Delhi, where they are being quarantined and observed. The plan is to release the cheetahs into the larger national park, where they can prey on animals like deer and antelope, within a matter of months.</p><p>The <a href="https://wii.gov.in/images//images/documents/publications/action_plan_cheetah_introduction_jan_2022.pdf">reintroduction plan</a>, which is estimated to cost about $11 million, aims to establish a viable, free-ranging population of cheetahs. The <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1788373">plan</a> involves ultimately relocating around 50 cheetahs to the country in the coming years.</p><div type="image" title="Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi watching a cheetah after it was released in an enclosure at Kuno National Park, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022." height="2925" width="1777" msid="94743678" hostid="261" sizebytes="305334"></div><h2>A 'larger version of a zoo'</h2><p>There are major challenges with reintroducing a large predator to an ecosystem it has been absent from for decades. The cheetahs could face conflict and competition for food with other predators, like leopards, and there may not be enough natural prey to sustain the planned population size.</p><p>Arjun M. Gopalaswamy, a wildlife and statistical ecologist who researches big cat and large mammal ecology, told Insider that as the plan currently stands, there's not enough space for the cheetahs.</p><p>Gopalaswamy noted a paper he published in the journal Ecography in 2020 that found the density of a cheetah population, or the number of cheetahs per the amount of space, to be one per 100 sq km. The amount of space set aside for India's cheetahs is 750 sq km. With those numbers, the area would be large enough for only 7-8 cheetahs, not the dozens that are planned.</p><p>"This simply means that the Cheetah Introduction Action Plan has overestimated the number of cheetahs India's reserves can hold by several fold," Gopalaswamy, who is the founder and chief scientist of Carnassials Global, which provides science consulting to governments and NGOs, said. </p><p>He added that he supports reintroduction efforts, but that the current plan in India "appears to rely almost completely on the cheetahs and their charisma" and that instead, he would like to see "a fully science-based approach."</p><p>K. Ullas Karanth, the emeritus director of the Bangalore-based <a href="https://cwsindia.org/">Centre for Wildlife Studies</a>, agreed that the current plan was not grounded in science and told Insider it "will not lead to a restoration of a viable population of wild cheetahs, sustaining itself naturally in the long run."</p><p>Karanth said the population would be augmented by bringing in additional cheetahs and other animals in order to boost the supply of available prey. Such a system, he said, "cannot be called reintroduction at all."</p><p>"That would be simply a captive population of cheetahs in a larger version of a zoo," he said, calling it "largely a gimmick and a colossal waste of money."</p><p>Karanth noted that cheetahs have naturally low reproduction rates and even in the best habitats in Africa the vast majority of cheetahs die before reaching breeding age. He said in India the cheetahs will face denser populations of humans and livestock, dogs, and predators like leopards, making their survival even more challenging. </p><p>"I think the Indian bureaucracy and the 'foreign experts' have sold a 'creaky used car' to the gullible Indian public, media, and political leadership," Karanth said.</p><p>Some conservationists have also noted that effort would be better spent trying to first save cheetah populations where they are already established but on the decline, before focusing on reintroduction.</p><p>Still, proponents of the project are optimistic. Yadvendradev V. Jhala, dean of the Wildlife Institute of India and the lead scientist of the reintroduction effort, pointed to the success India has had in boosting other big cat populations, such as <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-019-03267-z">tigers</a>.</p><p>"The cheetah is a magnificent animal, it's a big magnet for ecotourism," Jhala told <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fanimals%2Farticle%2Finside-the-controversial-plan-to-reintroduce-cheetahs-to-india">National Geographic</a>. "If you bring in cheetah, the government will put funds into rehabilitating and rewilding these systems, and all the biodiversity will thrive."</p><p>Marker, the founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, believes that despite potential challenges, she believes the big cats can adapt, <a href="https://cheetah.org/press-releases/cheetah-conservation-fund-and-namibian-government-to-send-eight-cheetahs-to-india-for-introduction-on-17-september/">noting</a> her group has spent 12 years consulting with the Indian government on how to reintoduce the cheetahs.</p><p>"Cheetahs are very adaptable and [I'm] assuming that they will adapt well into this environment," she told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/17/india-reintroduces-cheetahs-to-wild-after-big-cats-airlifted-from-namibia">AFP</a>. "So I don't have a lot of worries."</p><p><em>Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at </em><a href="mailto:kvlamis@insider.com?inline-read-more"><em>kvlamis@insider.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>

India reintroduced 8 cheetahs after the big cats were wiped out 70 years ago — but some scientists say it's more of a PR stunt than a conservation effort

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Saudi royal family gave President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword> robes made of fake cheetah and tiger fur in 2017.</li><li>The New York Times uncovered the robes as part of an investigation into foreign gifts.</li></ul><p>The ultrawealthy Saudi royal family gave President Donald Trump and his team luxurious cheetah and tiger robes that federal inspectors later determined to be fake, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/politics/trump-gifts.html">The New York Times reported on Monday</a>.</p><p>The Times uncovered the robes, which were among over 80 gifts the Saudis lavished on Trump during his first visit to the country in 2017, as part of an investigation into the Trump administration's practices of accepting and disclosing gifts from foreign leaders and nations.</p><p>Initially, The Times reported, White House lawyers said that if the fur were indeed real, the White House would risk violating the Endangered Species Act, an environmental-conservation law.</p><p>But instead of giving them up, the White House simply didn't disclose the robes and held on to them for almost four years, The Times said.</p><p>It wasn't until January 19, 2021, the last full day of Trump's presidency, that the White House handed the robes over to the General Services Administration.</p><p>The Times said that when it learned of the robes and asked the GSA about them, the agency alerted the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which took the robes from a Virginia warehouse for analysis over the summer.</p><p>Once the robes made their way to the proper agency for inspection, they were determined to be imitations, The Times reported, adding that it was unclear whether the Saudis were aware the fur was dyed.</p><p>"Wildlife inspectors and special agents determined the linings of the robes were dyed to mimic tiger and cheetah patterns and were not comprised of protected species," an Interior Department spokesman, Tyler Cherry, told The Times.</p><p>The inspectors also examined a dagger with what appeared to be an ivory handle that was also given to Trump during that 2017 visit. The Interior Department said the handle "appears to possibly contain tooth or bone of some variety" but couldn't immediately determine a species, the report said.</p><p>The Times found that the Saudi royals also gave Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and White House advisor who maintained a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-royal-family-gave-jared-kushner-over-47k-in-gifts-report-2021-10">several items, including two swords and a dagger</a>, valued at nearly $48,000. Kushner eventually paid the US government back for the items, the report said.</p><p>US officials <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2021/08/06/taliban-on-afghan-provincial-capital-capture-we-have-to-take-it-493889">told Politico</a> in August that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-of-items-missing-from-state-departments-gift-vault-politico-2021-8">at least 20 kinds of gifts</a> - making up an unknown number of items - had gone missing from the State Department's vault during the transition between administrations.</p><p>The department's inspector general continues to investigate some of those disappearances.</p><p>The watchdog is investigating a mysterious case <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/us/politics/pompeo-japan-whiskey.html">of a missing $5,800 bottle of Japanese whiskey</a> that was intended for Secretary of Mike Pompeo but that Pompeo says he never received, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/state-dept-probing-if-trump-officials-stole-g7-gift-bags-report-2021-10">whether Trump appointees stole gift bags</a> intended for foreign leaders at the 2020 G7 summit, which was canceled over COVID-19, The Times reported.</p>

The Saudi royal family gave Trump and his team robes made of fake tiger and cheetah fur, report says

<b><br /></b><ul><li><strong>The new system used over 3 million images for training.</strong></li><li><strong><strong>This <keyword id="6355999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ai">AI</keyword> system has a 99.3% accuracy.</strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Over 50,000 humans volunteered for the project.</strong></li></ul><keyword id="107950" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence">Artificial intelligence</keyword> (AI) is all around us from word suggestions to flying planes. And now researchers have <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/technology/artificial-intelligence-system-can-count-identify-wild-animals-in-natural-habitats/1195432/">developed</a> an AI model which can automatically identify, count and describe animal activity in their natural habitats.<br /><br />The new system uses deep neural networks, loosely inspired by how animal brains perceive the world. Such systems require vast amounts of training data for accuracy, and the data must be correctly labelled (like if the image is a positive or negative). Necessary data for this project was obtained from Snapshot Serengeti, which is a science project that has installed a large number of motion-sensor cameras in Tanzania that collects millions of images of animals in their natural habitats, such as deers, lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants.<br /><br />The system was trained using more than 3.2 million images which were captured using these cameras. The images were hand labelled by more than 50,000 humans over several years.<br /><br />The result is that now the system can automatically identify animals in images with an accuracy of more than 99.3% while a crowdsourced team of human volunteers have an accuracy rate of 96.6%.<br /><br />These performance results won't just help us improve our ability to study and conserve wildlife but also would save more than eight years of human labelling effort for each additional 3 million images.<br /><br />As of now, the system can identify 48 different animal <keyword id="6388594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="species">species</keyword> in an image and can also give the count of each species present. The system also can tell what the animals are doing like - if they are eating, sleeping or if babies are present etc.<b><br /></b>

Researchers have developed new AI model that can identify and count animals in their natural habitat

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Rogan Ward/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A black rhinoceros grazes in a private game reserve north of Durban, South Africa</p></div><p></p></div></div>The earth is currently in the midst of a mass extinction.</p><p>Experts suggest that by the middle of the century, as many as two-thirds of the planet's species <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/two-thirds-of-the-worlds-wildlife-will-have-been-wiped-out-by-2020-2016-10">could be extinct</a>. The most likely cause of this sobering phenomenon is climate change, which is throwing off the balance of natural ecosystems and forcing animals to migrate or adapt to changing weather conditions.</p><p>Despite these facts, Republican leaders in the US have signaled that they intend to <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c4809b5e9f4641ffa45e09b390030293" target="_blank">roll back the influence of the Endangered Species Act</a>, claiming it is not being used as Congress intended when it passed the law in 1973. An Australian professor has suggested a different approach to the problem: privatizing wildlife.</p><p>George Wilson, an adjunct professor at the Australian National University, recently published <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12313/full" target="_blank">a paper</a> in the journal Conservation Letters proposing that his country take a page from southern Africa by giving private landowners authority over the wildlife on their property - in a limited trial.</p><p>Since the late 1960s, the nations of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa have - at various times and to varying degrees - granted people who own land that's home to wildlife full legal control over the animals on that property. That means that instead of the government taking the lead in regulating hunting, eco-tourism, or conservation programs, that power is handed over to land owners.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Russell James Smith/Flickr</span></p><p class="caption">Giraffes in the Scotia Safaris Private Game Reserve in South Africa</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The underlying philosophy behind these policies is the concept of tragedy of the commons. The logic goes like this: When wildlife is considered a public good, and the government takes on the duty of protecting it, humans don't have any incentive to help in that effort - and might even resent the regulations enacted in order to protect animals (as GOP lawmakers seem to). But if land owners are given control over the animals on their property, and are even offered ways to profit from tourism or hunting, then they'll have a reason to invest in growing and maintaining the animal populations.</p><p>Since such policies were instituted in Africa, a few studies have shown that wildlife privatization likely contributed to a boom in tourism. An <a href="https://cei.org/studies-issue-analysis/private-property-rights-wildlife-southern-africa-experiment" target="_blank">article published in 2000</a> estimated that as many as 20% of all the ranches in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa at the time were managed at least in part for wildlife tourism. The paper also suggests that in Zimbabwe, an estimated 63% of giraffe and 56% of cheetah were found on commercial ranch properties.</p><p>In South Africa today, Wilson notes in his paper, high-value wildlife species are traded to help land owners populate and restock their properties and establish new populations. There are also wildlife auctions in which national parks and others sell animals, which helps parks get funding. These policies, Wilson suggests, have meant that southern Africa has more wildlife than 100 years ago, unlike other parts of the continent where populations of animals are declining.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>South African Tourism/Flickr</span></p><p class="caption">Elephants at Botlierskop Game Reserve in South Africa</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There are plenty of arguments against this practice, however. Animals owned by individuals aren't free or in their natural habitat, of course. And <a href="http://goodnature.nathab.com/privatizing-wildlife-dangerous-trend-or-economic-necessity/" target="_blank">critics also suggest</a> that privatization could allow people to create hunting grounds full of captive animals, and point out that it could <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2145066/should-we-rent-out-endangered-species-one-percenters-maybe" target="_blank">create an economic incentive</a> for wealthy people to hoard animals of a certain species and demand high prices from those who want to visit them. </p><p>The reality, however, is that rising temperatures mean there simply might not be any way to reverse the extinction that's already underway. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stem-cell-tech-save-white-rhinos-animals-extinction-endangered-2016-5">Researchers want to try a cutting-edge technique to save rhinos from extinction</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="0yMmhjMzE6adnPL0RknzdV0VqBo0G9Fm" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Researchers are debating whether to privatize endangered species

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Saudi royal family gave <keyword id="12110143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jared-kushner" source="Orion">Jared Kushner</keyword> nearly $48,000 worth of gifts, the NYT reports. </li><li>Kushner ended up paying for the value of the gifts, which included two swords and a dagger. </li></ul><p>The Saudi royal family gave Jared Kushner nearly $48,000 worth of gifts including two swords and a dagger, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/politics/trump-gifts.html">The New York Times reported Monday. </a></p><p>Kushner ended up paying the US government the full $47,920 value that the gifts were worth after he left the White House, The Times said. The value of the items far exceeds <a href="https://ethics.od.nih.gov/foreign_gift">the maximum of $415 worth of gifts</a> that US officials are allowed to accept and keep from foreign entities and governments under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act. </p><p>The swords and dagger were among over 80 presents and tokens the Saudis lavished on Trump and his delegation upon their first visit to the country in 2017, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/politics/trump-gifts.html">The Times uncovered as part of a broader investigation</a> into the Trump administration's practices of accepting and disclosing gifts from foreign governments. </p><p>The Times also found that the gifts from the Saudi royals <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-royal-family-gave-trump-fake-tiger-cheetah-fur-robes-2021-10">included robes which appeared to made from real white tiger and cheetah fur</a>, sparking a warning from the White House counsel's office that keeping them could violate the Endangered Species Act. </p><p>The existence of the robes, which the White House didn't disclose until Trump's last day in office, were eventually taken in for inspection by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in summer of 2021, and found to be dyed to look like real cheetah and tiger fur, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/politics/trump-gifts.html">the Interior Department confirmed to The Times.</a></p><p>Men in <keyword id="11894587" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="saudi-arabia" source="Orion">Saudi Arabia</keyword> and Yemen have traditionally worn daggers at their waist. Known as <a href="https://www.atharna.com/journal/janbiya-dagger-making-in-najran">jambiya</a>, the daggers carried in belts typically have a curved blade and a decorated hilt, and are often passed down to young men by older male relatives.</p><p>Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House advisor, took the lead on shaping and executing the White House's Middle East policy with a particular focus on Israel-Palestine relations. </p><p>The Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/middleeast/donald-trump-saudi-arabia.html">took a decidedly more friendly approach</a> towards Saudi Arabia than its predecessors under former President Barack Obama. Saudi officials <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/world/middleeast/saudi-mbs-jared-kushner.html">devoted significant resources to courting Kushner,</a> given his focus on the Middle East, as an ally to promote their strategic interests and get the White House on their side in disputes in the region. </p><p>Kushner himself developed a close relationship with the powerful and ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS. Kushner got on a first name basis with the Prince Mohammed, with the two frequently messaging and calling eachother on WhatsApp in direct interactions that concerned US national security officials, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/world/middleeast/saudi-mbs-jared-kushner.html">The Times reported in 2018. </a></p><p>In one fall 2017 trip that Kushner took to Saudi Arabia, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/the-saudi-crown-princes-risky-power-play/2017/11/05/4b12fcf0-c272-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.97ef9ff5ec8d">the Washington Post's David Ignatius</a> wrote that "the two princes are said to have stayed up until nearly 4 a.m. several nights, swapping stories and planning strategy." <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/03/21/jared-kushner-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/">The Intercept subsequently reported</a> that Prince Mohammed bragged to the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates that he had Kushner "in his pocket." </p><p>Kushner maintained the relationship and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kushner-mbs-suspected-khashoggi-killing-made-missteps-but-good-ally-2020-7">was one of Crown Prince's most powerful defenders</a> after US intelligence concluded he directly ordered the 2018 assassination of exiled Saudi journalist and Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. In <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2020/07/24/exclusive-jared-kushner-gets-candid-about-struggling-trump-campaign-mideast-peace-more-1518952.html">a 2020 interview with Newsweek</a>, Kushner said the Prince had made "a couple of missteps" but was still a "very good ally." </p>

The Saudi royal family gave Jared Kushner gifts worth over $47,000 including 2 swords and a dagger, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Trump White House did not provide information about foreign gifts received in 2020, the <keyword id="11899384" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="state-department" source="Orion">State Department</keyword> said.</li><li>The department said it could not compile a complete list of foreign gifts because of the missing data.</li></ul><p>The Trump administration did not provide information about gifts from foreign governments in 2020 received by former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword>, former Vice President <keyword id="12069606" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mike-pence" source="Orion">Mike Pence</keyword>, and other White House officials, the State Department said on Friday.</p><p>As a result, the department <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-07641.pdf">said</a> it could not compile a complete and accurate accounting of gifts received by Trump, his family, and other officials during his final year in office.</p><p>Under federal law, government employees are required to disclose any gifts from foreign governments with a value of over $415 to prevent bribery and undue influence.</p><p>The Trump administration's failure to provide the information is the latest example of its tendency to flout rules and norms.</p><p>"It's flagrant, and it looks terrible," Richard W. Painter, the former top ethics lawyer for George W. Bush's administration, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/08/us/politics/trump-foreign-gifts.html">The New York Times.</a> "Either it was really stupid or really corrupt."</p><p>Although foreign trips were limited in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper noted that Trump visited Switzerland and India, where he <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/donald-trump-appreciated-simple-lifestyle.html">received gifts</a> including a bust of Gandhi, a marble sculpture of Gandhi's famous "three monkeys" metaphor, and a spinning wheel.</p><p>The White House was also visited by foreign leaders from at least a dozen countries.</p><p>The State Department's Office of Protocol made the revelation about the missing data in the footnotes of <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-07641.pdf">a partial list of gifts</a> received by US officials in 2020, published on Friday. While run by a Trump appointee, the department said its Office of the Chief of Protocol did not submit the request for data, and the White House did not provide it.</p><p>The State Department said it has since attempted to collect the missing information from current authoritative sources but was told that "potentially relevant records" are not available because of "access rules for retired records."</p><p>It also noted that there had generally been a "lack of adequate record-keeping pertaining to diplomatic gifts" during Trump's time in office.</p><p>Ethics expert Richard W. Painter told The New York Times that by failing to disclose the gifts, the Trump White House violated the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution, which makes it illegal to take gifts from foreigners without permission from Congress. </p><p>However, the clause has no criminal or civil penalties, which he said makes it extremely difficult to hold former officials accountable.</p><p>Trump officials had a history of poor record-keeping. </p><p>Federal authorities are investigating whether Trump aides improperly removed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-investigating-how-classified-info-in-mar-a-lago-reports-2022-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">15 boxes of classified documents</a> and gifts from the White House to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.</p><p>During his chaotic move out of the White House, Trump's aides reportedly worried about official gifts given to Trump in office <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-aides-worried-of-gifts-being-packed-up-during-white-house-move-out-wapo-2022-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">inadvertently being mixed in with his personal belongings</a>.</p><p>It was also previously revealed that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-of-items-missing-from-state-departments-gift-vault-politico-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">dozens of items went missing</a> from the State Department's gift vault during the transition from the Trump to Biden administrations, including a $5,800 bottle of whisky given to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by the Japanese government.</p><p>Trump officials also kept <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/politics/trump-gifts.html">robes made of tiger and cheetah fur </a>and an ivory dagger gifted by the Saudi royal family, despite a White House lawyer determining that the items most likely violated the Endangered Species Act. The furs were fake, it was eventually revealed.</p><p>Trump aides were also investigated by the State Department over allegations that they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/state-dept-probing-if-trump-officials-stole-g7-gift-bags-report-2021-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">stole goodie bags</a> meant for foreign dignitaries attending the 2020 G7 summit that was canceled due to the pandemic.</p>

Records of foreign gifts given to Trump and Pence in 2020 are missing, State Department says

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Elephants are easy to spot -&#xa0;if you're in the right area.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>On a recent five-day <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/safari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safari</a> in Tanzania, I witnessed the Great Wildebeest Migration as well as numerous lions, elephants, and giraffes.</strong></li><li><strong>I was incredibly lucky: My guide, Charles Nnko of Tanzania Experience, told me that many safari-goers don't see half as much on safaris that are twice as long.</strong></li><li>My "luck" was helped considerably because we visited three different parks, each with different climates and habitats supporting different animals.</li><li>By visiting all three, <span>my guide put me in the places where animals are likely to be so that we'd have a high probability of seeing them.</span> </li></ul><p>Like most people who go on safari, I wanted to see <em>everything</em>. I'm talking lions, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, leopards, and the Great Migration, where<span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYM6LqDJLiM">1.5 million wildebeest migrate annually on a nearly 2,000-mile cycle</a><span> </span>in search of new grass, fresh water, and a place to birth their calves.</p><p>That is difficult to accomplish. No matter how much money you spend on a safari, seeing everything comes down to probability and luck. The best way to improve the probability that you'll see everything you want to see is by going on a longer safari or by visiting more places. As I didn't have the option of taking longer than a five-day safari, I opted to visit more places.</p><p>Over five days, I visited the Serengeti, 12,000 miles of grasslands, forests, swamps, and woodlands teeming with wildlife; Ngorongoro, a 3,202-square-mile conservation area with a volcanic crater filled with wildlife; and Tarangire, a national park typically filled with thousands of migrating elephants.</p><p>Each of those destinations was picked by my guide,<span> </span><a href="https://www.tanzania-experience.com/company/meet-the-team/">Tanzania Experience's Charles Nnko</a>, for a specific reason.</p><h2>Visiting more parks will increase your chances of seeing different species</h2><p>Tarangire, for example, is known as the best place to observe elephants, as thousands of them live there. It's easy to get close to them; the elephant in the photo at the top of this article was grazing a few feet from our truck.</p><p>Meanwhile, the volcanic crater of Ngorongoro, <span>a </span>100-square-mile basin filled with 25,000 large animals, is one of the only places to spot the critically endangered black rhino in the world. Because the rhino is frequently targeted by poachers, the number of rhinos in the crater is kept a secret.</p><p>Nnko <span>spotted a pair of rhinos a mile or so in the distance when we visited. Through binoculars, I watched them munch grass.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">A pair of rhinos are visible in the distance on the center right of the frame, below the shadow.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>While no giraffes can be found inside the volcanic crater, the highlands surrounding the crater are one of the best habitats to spot them: They love to eat the species of trees in the area.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Giraffes in the highlands of Ngorongoro Conservation Area.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Further north, we reached the Ndutu area of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Though the Great Migration happens year-round, when I visited in February, the wildebeests and zebra were in the midst of calving season. During calving season, the animals migrate from Kenya south into Tanzania towards Ndutu in order to find a suitable place to give birth.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/serengeti-travel-tip-packed-during-peak-safari-season-reality-check-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I took 2,000 photos during a 5-day safari in Tanzania, and 1 of those photos is an important reality check for anyone thinking about going on a safari</a></em></p><p>On the days I was visiting, much of the 2 million-strong herd had already passed out of the Serengeti and into Ndutu, where we were able to watch thousands of wildebeest stampede by. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">The Great Migration of wildebeest in the Ndutu area of Ngorongoro Conservation Area.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Lastly, we visited the Serengeti, the most famous of Tanzania's parks and a bucket-list destination in itself. The Serengeti is likely as famous for its landscape as for the animals that live there. The name comes from the Maasai word "serenget," which means endless plains.</p><p>While the Serengeti is a poor place to see elephants or giraffes, who have little to eat in the habitat, it is the best place to see large predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, or hyenas. Such predators love hiding in the grasses and stalking the zebra or antelopes that walk unknowingly on the flat ground.</p><p>In the course of a single day in the Serengeti, I saw a lion lunching on a wildebeest, a pack of hyenas tracking prey in the distance, a leopard napping in a tree, and a pair of mating cheetahs.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">A pride of lions in the Serengeti.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Nnko told me throughout the safari how lucky I was. Most people who go on safaris for twice as long see half as much, he said.  </span></p><p><span>By the end, I knew that my "luck" was really about my guide putting us in the places where animals are likely to be so that we'd have a high probability of seeing them.</span></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><strong>More <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> tips from Business Insider's international correspondent:</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burj-al-arab-dubai-worlds-most-luxurious-hotel-2018-12" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I didn't think the $1 billion hotel considered 'the most luxurious in the world' could possibly live up to the hype. I was very wrong.</a></li><li><div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-couchsurfing-app-to-meet-locals-traveling-2018-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Couchsurfing has a hidden feature that helped me have the wildest night in Tokyo partying until sunrise</a></div></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I found out the hard way that one of the best strategies to save money on flights can end up costing you big time</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-travel-advice-skip-attractions-that-dont-interest-you-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The single best piece of advice I can give you for any trip you take</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-advice-biggest-travel-mistakes-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I've traveled to more than 30 countries, and here are the dumbest mistakes I made on the road that I'll never make again</a></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doomsday-prepper-million-dollar-condo-converted-missile-silo-2019-3">Take a look inside a $3 million doomsday condo that can sustain 75 people for 5 years</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

On my 5-day safari, my guide said we saw more animals than most people do on 10-day trips. It's all because of a simple planning strategy all safari-goers should follow.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Pro tip: Do not forget the binoculars.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>On a recent five-day safari in Tanzania, I visited the Serengeti, <span>12,000 miles of grasslands teeming with wildlife, and witnessed</span></strong><strong> the Great Wildebeest Migration.</strong></li><li><strong>Animals on a safari are much further away than you might expect. I nearly ruined my trip by forgetting to bring binoculars or a telephoto lens for my camera. </strong></li><li><strong>Some animals, like rhinos and leopards, are nearly impossible to spot without such visual aids. Thankfully, my safari guide brought extra binoculars. </strong></li></ul><p>On a recent trip to Tanzania, I had planned a five-day safari to the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire - the three parks that dominate Tanzania's popular Northern Circuit.</p><p><span>My main goal was to see the Great Migration, where </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYM6LqDJLiM">1.5 million wildebeest migrate annually along a nearly 2,000-mile cycle</a><span> in search of new grass and fresh water, but I hoped to see cheetahs, leopards, and lions too.</span></p><p><span>On the night before my safari started, an administrator at <a href="https://www.tanzania-experience.com/">Tanzania Experience</a>, the safari company I'd hired, came to my bed &amp; breakfast to go over the logistics for the week. About halfway through, he stopped. "You brought binoculars right?" he asked.</span></p><p><span>I hadn't. </span>So ensued a mad scramble on his part to ensure my guide, Charles Nnko, had an extra pair available for the trip.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong></em>: <em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/serengeti-travel-tip-packed-during-peak-safari-season-reality-check-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I took 2,000 photos during a 5-day safari in Tanzania, and 1 of those photos is an important reality check for anyone thinking about going on a safari</a></em></p><p>One thing no one tells you about going on safari: Some of the most interesting animals are often as far as half a mile away - or more. The only way you will see them is through binoculars or a telephoto lens, a camera lens designed to photograph from very far distances.</p><p>When you go on safari, you aren't entering a zoo. You are entering the wild. And animals know you don't belong. If you rumble too close in your jeep, they scamper away. </p><p>One of the great sights of the Great Migration in mid-February is calving season, when wildebeests and zebra migrate in order to give birth to new calves. If you want to see a calf up close, binoculars are your only option. And if you are wondering, I did also forget that I might need a telephoto lens. I had to jury-rig the binoculars to the front of my camera to catch this sight:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/goinganniewhere/">Annie Zheng/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">A zebra and her calf.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>This pool of hippos was visible to the naked eye, but when you look through the binoculars, you can see a whole new set of details - like the two hippos jawing at each other in the back.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">I didn't need binoculars to see these hippos - but they did open my eyes to a whole new set of details.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Occasionally, a pair of binoculars isn't even enough to get a very close look. </p><p><span>On the final day of my safari, we visited Ngorongoro, a </span>100-square-mile crater filled with 25,000 large animals. It is one of the only places to spot the critically endangered black rhino in the world. Because the rhino is frequently targeted by poachers, the number of rhinos in the crater is kept a secret.</p><p>In the afternoon, <span>my guide</span><span> spotted a pair of rhinos a mile or so in the distance. </span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">A pair of rhinos are visible in the distance on the center right of the frame, below the shadow</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Truthfully, I have no idea how my guide spotted them. Even through the binoculars, the rhinos looked like ants munching grass. </span><span>Without binoculars, I never would have seen the sight.</span></p><p><span>I was just frustrated that I didn't have the camera lens to properly photograph them.</span><span></span></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><strong>More <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> tips from Business Insider's international correspondent:</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burj-al-arab-dubai-worlds-most-luxurious-hotel-2018-12" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I didn't think the $1 billion hotel considered 'the most luxurious in the world' could possibly live up to the hype. I was very wrong.</a></li><li><div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-couchsurfing-app-to-meet-locals-traveling-2018-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Couchsurfing has a hidden feature that helped me have the wildest night in Tokyo partying until sunrise</a></div></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I found out the hard way that one of the best strategies to save money on flights can end up costing you big time</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-travel-advice-skip-attractions-that-dont-interest-you-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The single best piece of advice I can give you for any trip you take</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-advice-biggest-travel-mistakes-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I've traveled to more than 30 countries, and here are the dumbest mistakes I made on the road that I'll never make again</a></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pi-day-math-important-eugenia-cheng-2017-3">A mathematician gave us the easiest explanation of pi and why it's so important</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

I forgot to pack 2 obvious accessories when I left for a 5-day African safari, and the mistake nearly ruined the entire trip

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div>When I was younger, my family moved to Zurich, Switzerland for five years because of my dad's job.</p><p>Not only was Switzerland <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-switzerland-is-a-great-place-to-be-an-expat-2015-3">a great place to be an American expat</a>, it was also a great home base for all the traveling my family did both <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/15-places-in-europe-that-are-worth-seeing-2015-2">in Europe</a> and in other continents.</p><p>Out of all the amazing trips we took, there is one that really sticks out in my mind: our two-week trip to <strong>South Africa</strong>.</p><p>This is one of the only trips my family ever planned with the help of a <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> agent. It was an investment, but a worthwhile one, because the trip left me with countless memories that I'll hold onto forever.</p><p>South Africa is a diverse country with so much to offer. There are larger cities to visit such as Johannesburg, Capetown, and the capital, Pretoria. Then there's Kruger National Park, which is a must for adventurous travelers hoping to experience a safari. There are beaches for surfers or sunbathers, and vineyards for wine aficionados. <strong><br /></strong></p><p>Here are the highlights from my family's visit.</p><h3>Johannesburg</h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>We started our trip with two days in Johannesburg. Because we were short on time, we didn't see a whole lot of the city.</p><p>We did go to one of Johannesburg's many flea markets though, where you can find all kinds of unique arts and crafts that are handmade by South Africans. Bargaining is a must at these markets. I walked away with a beautiful painting that is still hanging in my room today - for a fraction of its original price. Besides artwork, you can find everything from jewelry to clothing to fresh produce from local farmers. They're a great place to look for a gift for someone back home or a souvenir for yourself.<strong><br /></strong></p><p>Some of Johannesburg's best markets include the Rooftop Market in Rosebank, the Bryanston Organic &amp; Natural Market in Bryanston, and the Hillfox Market in Weltevreden Park.<strong> </strong>Click here for a <a href="http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=181&amp;Itemid=9">full list</a>.</p><h3>Kruger National Park</h3><p>We then took a short flight to Kruger National Park, a large game reserve in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>After a seemingly endless bumpy ride in a van along a dirt road we arrived at the <a href="http://www.newmarkhotels.com/accommodation/game-reserves/motswari-private-game-reserve/">Motswari Private Game Reserve</a>, the resort we stayed at during our five<strong> </strong>days in Kruger National Park. We slept in private bungalows that were fully equipped with a large bed and bathroom. A bungalow for two runs around $670 per night; if you book three nights, you'll get a discounted rate of $570 per night.</p><p>Resorts like Motswari are built right into the wilderness, which is why you shouldn't be surprised if you run into a family of warthogs on your way back to your bungalow from breakfast (yes, that happened to me). Watching the sunset is breathtaking, as is the unobstructed view of the stars at night.<strong><br /></strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>During our stay we went on multiple safaris and were lucky enough to see four out of <a href="http://goafrica.about.com/od/africanwildlife/ss/The-Big-5-Images-Facts-And-Information-About-Africas-Big-Five.htm">South Africa's "Big Five</a>:" a lion, a leopard, an elephant, and a rhino (the only one we didn't see was a cape buffalo). Besides those four we also saw zebra, giraffe, a hippopotamus, and an impala.</p><p>Our safari guide took us through the park in an open jeep. The guide sits in the jeep, and then there's also a patroler who sits in a seat up front built outside of the car with a gun, just in case. This isn't your average trip to the zoo. You're seeing these animals in their natural habitat and you're getting close enough to actually touch them.</p><p>On our first trip, our guide instructed us to always keep all limbs in the vehicle, and to not make any sudden movements or loud noises. You're never permitted to leave the vehicle - although my dad did lean pretty far out once to snap a picture of an elephant. The goal is to avoid scaring off any animals, or worse, frightening them, which depending on the animal, can cause them to charge the vehicle (hence the patroler with the gun).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It's hard to describe the adrenaline rush you feel when a rhino jumps out of the bush directly behind your vehicle, or when your eyes meet those of a lion mother laying with her cubs. It's just something you have to experience for yourself.</p><h3>The Wine Route</h3><p>With a unique climate that's like the Mediterranean, South Africa has multiple <a href="http://www.winesofsa.co.uk/visiting-sa/">wine routes </a>that weave through its scenic wine lands and vineyards. The wine routes are all pretty much within an hour of Cape Town, and the vineyards along them not only offer beautiful scenery, but sophisticated wine and delicious food. The country's signature variety is known as pinotage, a red wine grape that was bred as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut. Some of South Africa's best wines include the <a href="http://www.broadbent.com/sadie-family/">Sadie Family</a> Columella, the <a href="http://mullineuxwines.com/mullineux-wines">Mullineux Wines Granite Syrah</a>, and the <a href="http://www.kanonkop.co.za/product/paul-sauer/">Kanonkop Paul Sauer</a>.</p><p>My family drove what's known as the Garden Route. We started in Oudtshoorn, made our way down south to Plettenberg Bay and the Cape Agulhas, then drove north to Gansbaai, continued to Stellenbosch, and ended our route in Cape Town. It took us a total of five days. During our drive we stayed at some beautiful guest houses, and made multiple stops for activities.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>One of my favorite guest houses that we stayed in was the <a href="http://www.rosenhof.co.za/">Rosenhof Country House</a> in Oudtshoorn. The rooms were luxurious and elegant, and they looked out onto the Rosenhof's impeccably maintained garden and pool. With only 12 rooms and 2 executive suites, the hotel is small. A luxury double room for two people is around $190 per night.<strong><br /></strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>My family visited an ostrich farm while we were in Oudtshoorn, which gave my sister and me the opportunity to actually ride an ostrich. I can't remember the particular farm we went to, but the <a href="http://www.safariostrich.co.za/">Safari Ostrich Show Farm</a> and the <a href="http://highgate.co.za/">Highgate Ostrich Show Farm</a> are both good options.</p><p>It was a thrilling experience - they're a lot faster than you would think! Even though they're not particularly friendly, I thought the ostriches were adorable, so I was more than upset when my dad ordered ostrich for dinner that night. I refused to try it, but he said it was delicious, and it's a common dish in South African cuisine.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>We also stopped at the <a href="http://www.cango.co.za/index.php">Cango Wildlife Ranch</a>, which is basically South Africa's version of a zoo complete with cheetahs, lemurs, tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. During our visit, my dad suggested we take a family photo all holding a huge boa constrictor. My dad and I thoroughly enjoyed it, my sister was petrified, and my mom basically stopped talking to my dad for the rest of the day because she was so mad at him for suggesting it.<strong><br /></strong></p><p>We took a look at the <a href="http://www.faceadrenalin.com">world's highest bungee jump</a> (Bloukrans Bridge) - unfortunately we didn't actually try it - and saw the Cape Agulhas, which is South Africa's southernmost tip and the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.</p><p>Just before we made it to Cape Town, we stayed at <a href="http://www.grootbos.com/en/home">Grootbos Private Nature Reserve</a> in Gansbaai. The luxury eco-lodge describes itself as a "floral and marine eco-paradise." At Grootbos, guests can do anything from a nature walk to horseback riding to whale watching to shark cage diving. There's also a spa.</p><p>My mom and sister opted for the nature walk, while my dad and I went whale watching and horseback riding. We saw both whales and seals, and witnessed some shark cage divers. We only stayed there for a few days, but we probably could have stayed there for our whole trip and not run out of things to do. Grootbos' room rates are seasonal; in the high season - September through April (when my family was there) - a one bedroom luxury suite goes for $428 per night.<strong><br /></strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><h3>Cape Town</h3><p>Cape Town was the last stop on my family's South Africa trip. We were only there for a couple days, so we didn't get to see all that much. One of the city's most popular attractions is Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town and provides great views. Unfortunately it was extremely foggy when we were there, so it wasn't worth taking a trip to the top. You can take a cable car up the mountain, or take a helicopter ride which provides stunning views of both the mountain and city itself.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Instead, my family explored the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Besides the waterfront, Cape Town is home to many visitor attractions. You can take a trip to <a href="http://www.robben-island.org.za/map/">Robben's Island</a> to see the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela served 18 years, lounge on Beta Beach or Oudekraal (both just 10 minutes from Cape Town's center), see endangered penguins at the <a href="http://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/tourism/attractions.php#boulders">Boulders Penguin Colony</a>, and of course sample some mouthwatering seafood at restaurants all over the city.</p><p>I made the decision to get my whole head braided, which in retrospect, was not my best idea. After four very painful hours at a local salon, my family headed back to our hotel and flew back home the next day. Let's just say the flight was anything but comfortable.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-earth-would-look-like-if-ice-melted-world-map-animation-2015-2">Animated map of what Earth would look like if all the ice melted</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5xam5iczrSx4Ibx8MvarDsu3zOG88omE" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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