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Nathan Edmondson is a writer and President of EDGE, an ambitious counter-poaching and conservation organization devoted to the innovative preservation of African wildlife. They bring new technologies and US special operations tactics and expertise to develop counter-poaching initiatives. Bridget and Nathan discuss media coverage of extinction events, how he became involved in the conservation movement, and why increased cancer rates in south-east Asia have led to an explosion in rhino horn poaching. He explains that there’s a ticking clock on rhino extinction, which is absurd because it’s a solvable problem, how EDGE is involving local communities on the ground, and what you can do to help. Nathan describes bringing African rangers to train in the US for the first time in history, how they were able to see their actions through the eyes of the world and experience people looking at them as heroes. He talks getting the next generation into a conservationist mindset, making animals ambassadors for their species, and tells the story of his most terrifying moment in Africa. You can support EDGE here.
If you’re an animal rights activist, you’ve had some high profile wins lately. In March, three years after the highly-critical documentary 
Several years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a photo safari in Tanzania. I took nearly 1,500 photos, mostly of animals on the Serengeti, and I periodically scroll through my photo files, marveling at the grandeur of Africa. By far, the most majestic and awe inspiring animals that we encountered were the elephants. We were fortunate to get up close and personal with the herds and — on one occasion — our vehicles were challenged by a huge bull who was not amused by our presence.
