686 Briefly AFRICA
Conservation collective launches campaign to save African penguin TheSouthAfricangovernment is facingpres- sure to take actionto protect theAfricanpen- guin, following direwarnings that the species could be extinct in thewild by 2035 if current trends continue. Dramatic declines in local food sources, fuelled by competition from commercial fishingpractices close tothepen- guin breeding colonies, has led to a sharp
dropinthepopulation.Thenumberofbreed- ing pairs has fallen below 10,000 for the first time. Rates of survival and breeding success have dropped dramatically in recent years, leading to the loss of 97% of the species’ wild population. To reverse these trends, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds has, together with BirdLife South Africa and the ocean conservation charity Blue Marine, taken legal actionagainst theSouthAfricangovern- ment in the pursuit of more impactful mea- sures that better align to the penguin’s feeding habits and the areas from which its food is sourced. Source: Oceanographic (2024)
oceanographicmagazine.com/news/ conservation-collective-launches-mission- to-save-african-penguin
Nearly 1,000 rescued lemurs and tortoises to return to Madagascar International cooperation has led to hun- dreds of threatened animals being repa- triated to Madagascar after being seized by police in Thailand. The groundbreaking repatriation effort, involving nearly 1,000in- dividual animals belonging to rare, endemic species such as radiated tortoises, spider tortoises and ring-tailed lemurs, was an- nounced in November 2024 by Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and En- vironment. The animals were rescued by Thai police in May 2024. A total of 1,117 ani- mals, both alive and dead, were confiscated. Thailand is heavily involved in wildlife trade, being the biggest legal importer and exporter of CITES-listed wildlife from Madagascar within Southeast Asia. Over 90% of Madagascar’s biodiversity is found nowhere else, and illegal wildlife trade threa- tens to drivemany of these natural treasures to extinction. But seizures and repatriations like this offer hope, underscoring the impor- tance of robust enforcement and cooperation among nations to protect threatened species. Source: TRAFFIC (2024)
traffic.org/news/ conservation-success-madagascar- welcomes-home-1-000-rescued-lemurs- and-tortoises
Giant African rats trained in the fight against illegal wildlife trade Rats could be the latest weapon deployed in the fight against wildlife trafficking, accord- ing to a study of rodents trained to sniff out pangolin scales, rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks and hardwood. Researchers trained eight African giant pouched rats to sniff out the contraband, even when it was hidden among items commonly used to hide traf- ficked goods, including peanuts, leaves, wigs and washing powder. The rats were studied by scientists at Apopo, a Tanzania-based NGO, whose rodents also sniff out land- mines and tuberculosis. The animals were initially rewarded with a food pellet if they held their nose for three seconds over a sam- ple of pangolin scale, wood, rhinoceros horn or elephant ivory. The rats were able to per- fectly detect pangolin, wood and rhinoceros horn after 8 months of not smelling them, suggesting that rats could remember smells for as long as sniffer dogs. Sources: Frontiers in Coservation Science (2024)
doi.org/n3jk & The Guardian (2024)
theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/ 31/rats-trained-to-sniff-out-smuggled- rhino-horn-and-pangolin-scales
Climate-induced poisoning likely the cause of elephant deaths The . 350 elephants that died in mysteri- ous circumstances in 2020 probably drank toxic water, according to a new study that warns of an alarming trend in climate- induced poisoning. The deaths in Botswa- na’s Okavango delta were described by scientists as a conservation disaster, with elephants of all ages seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. The research- ers suggest the elephants were poisoned by water that contained toxic blooms of blue- green algae, or cyanobacteria. The climate crisis is increasing the intensity of harmful algal blooms. Researchers used satellite data to analyse the distribution of the carcasses relative to watering holes. They believe the elephants generally walked just over 100 km from the waterholes and died within 88 hours of drinking. In total the team examined 3,000 waterholes; those with increased cyanobacteria blooms in 2020 had high concentrations of elephant car- casses. It is possible other wildlife died after drinking from the waterholes, but bodies may not have been spotted from aerial surveys, and smaller carcasses could have already been taken by scavengers. Sources: Science of the Total Environment (2024)
doi.org/n4nx & The Guardian (2024)
theguardian.com/environment/ 2024/nov/29/mystery-mass-die-off-deaths- elephants-toxic-water-botswana
Mau Forest in Kenya is disappearing The 2,700 km2 Mau Forest is considered the most importantwater catchment in western Kenya, providing water to millions of peo- ple. But recent satellite data reveal that Mau is continuing to lose its vital forest cover. Although most of Mau Forest is formally protected, it lost c. 25%of its tree cover dur- ing 1984–2020. Satellite data from Global ForestWatch show forest loss dropped dra- matically in 2021 and 2022 before increasing again in 2023. Preliminary data and imagery indicate parts of Mau Forest have been ex- periencing another major bout of defor- estation in 2024. Mountain forests play a critical role in capturing and recycling water, and tree loss disrupts local climate patterns. Reduced rainfall and drying rivers are already affecting crop yields in the sur- rounding communities, according to local residents. In addition to regulating the re- gional climate, Mau Forest provides im- portant habitat to species such as the African elephant, the African golden cat and the bongo, as well as many rare plants and birds. The primary driver of defor- estation is agricultural expansion, includ- ing cattle grazing and crop cultivation. Source: Mongabay (2024)
news.mongabay. com/2024/11/western-kenyas-most-important- water-capturing-forest-is-disappearing- satellites-show
First photograph of rare bird in Itombwe Mountains In December 2023, a team of scientists from the USA and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) embarked on an expe- dition to the Itombwe Mountains in the eastern DRC. Their journey led to the first confirmed sighting of the yellow-crested helmetshrike Prionops alberti since 2007. This elusive bird, characterized by its bright yellow crest, yellow eyes and pink-red legs, was observed in a small flock of six to eight individuals. Michael Harvey, an orni- thologist and assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, managed to capture the first-ever photographs and audio recordings of the species. The dis- covery provides valuable insights into the species’ behaviour and habitat. The birds were previously thought, for example, to live and feed in the branches and canopies of tall forest trees. However, the team’s observations suggest they may instead pre- fer mid- or understory trees, as they were always seen 1–15 m above the ground. The little-known species is threatened by habi- tat destruction and climate change. Source: Mongabay (2024)
news.mongabay. com/2024/09/dream-birds-in-the-mist- first-photo-of-lost-bird-in-drc-mountains
Oryx, 2024, 58(6), 683–688 © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605325000195
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