Don Pinnock

Cape Town

Writer and Photographer at Freelance

Freelance writer and photographer. Former editor of Getaway magazine, naturalist and photographer

Articles

Renosterveld new nature reserve declared

5 days ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

You’ve probably never heard of Haarwegskloof but it’s the new jewel in the fynbos crown. The largest remaining connected stretch of Renosterveld, it has officially been declared a nature reserve. The Renosterveld is good at keeping secrets. A passing glance gives you rolling hills of grey, roundish and rather boring bushes that makes it clear why it was named after a nose-down rhino. At the right time of the year, however, it explodes into colour as hundreds of geophyte bulbs burst into flower.
NSPCA files criminal charges against Daybreak Farms directors

5 days ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

ANIMAL CRUELTY On Wednesday, 30 April 2025, the NSPCA was alerted that 200,000 birds at a Daybreak contract grower were without feed for days, resulting in mass cannibalism. (Photo: NSPCA) The National Council of SPCAs has filed criminal charges against the board of directors of Daybreak Farms, following what it describes as one of the largest and most disturbing cases of animal cruelty in South African history. More than one million chickens died or suffered prolonged distress at Daybreak...
Environment Minister Dion George delivers a refreshing message

5 days ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

100 DAYS REPORT Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George.
Legal battle erupts over control and conduct of NSPCA

1 week ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

Two local SPCA societies are taking the national body to court with a list of serious allegations. The NSPCA says it’s about personal grievances and not animal welfare.
MPs slam North West officials over crisis

2 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

More than 1,000 starving elephants may have to be culled. Parliamentarians demand answers by tomorrow (Friday). In a scathing parliamentary session on Tuesday, 10 June members of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment accused North West officials of gross mismanagement and evasion of responsibility for the ongoing elephant crisis in the Madikwe Game Reserve.
Nigeria’s Wildlife Protection Bill set to disrupt global trafficking networks

2 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

GAME-CHANGER Wildlife veterinarian Dr Mark Ofua helped draft Nigeria's Wildlife Protection Bill.
How leopards are being killed off by the world's top trophy hunters

2 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

IN THE CROSSHAIRS Many studies have identified trophy hunting as a key driver of the decline in the number of leopards.
MPs join NSPCA in demanding end to captive lion breeding in South Africa

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

ANIMAL CRUELTY Captive lions found in shocking condition.
Forget cats and traps — bring in the puff adders

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

Africa’s coolest pest control agents have fangs, no overheads and a killer instinct. Enter the puff adder (Bitis arietans) — nature’s unassuming, cold-blooded rodent regulator. A new study by Professor Graham Alexander at the University of the Witwatersrand has revealed just how spectacularly efficient these snakes are, offering compelling evidence that they might be the farmers’ unsung ally.
Conservation world mourns loss of visionary leader Sharon Haussmann

3 weeks ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Don Pinnock

Sharon Haussmann, a trailblazer in the field of conservation and the CEO of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation, has died. Her death last weekend has sent ripples of grief across the conservation community, where she was widely admired for her relentless drive, strategic brilliance and deep love of wildlife. Haussmann was more than a CEO – she was a connector, mentor and fierce protector of South Africa’s natural heritage. Don't want to see this?