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South Africa’s endangered African wild dog packs are going to get a boost from a breeding programme using artificial insemination. Because the packs are isolated in separate reserves, their genetic diversity is low, making them susceptible to disease. But improvements in sperm freezing techniques will now allow frozen sperm to be transported to the packs to introduce disease-resistant genes. Damien Paris tells us more about the African wild dog sperm
bank.
It may look rather beautiful and striking, but the bright green plant that’s blanketing parts of South Africa’s Vaal River is bad news for the river’s ecosystem. That “blanket” is created by water lettuce, an invasive plant that causes major damage wherever it grows. Luckily, those fighting the invasion have a small but potent weapon to hand: a weevil species with an impressive track record of bringing water lettuce invasions under control. Julie Coetzee explains.
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Anna Weekes
Environment + Energy Editor
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Damien Boyd Bertrand Paul Paris, James Cook University
The African wild dog has been left without habitat to naturally disperse and breed. Scientists will set up the first-ever sperm bank to inseminate wild dogs and ensure that the species survives.
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Julie Coetzee, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Water lettuce forms dense mats on the water surface. This can reduce light penetration and oxygen levels in the water, negatively affecting all aspects of aquatic life.
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Business + Economy
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Kai Koddenbrock, Bard College Berlin
Never before have four governments, including one of the regional leaders, Senegal, been simultaneously eager and ready to get out of the neo-colonial stranglehold of the CFA franc.
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Robert Paarlberg, Harvard University
Coastal fishing communities in west Africa face increased poverty as fish stocks decline.
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Science + Technology
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Sandiso Mnguni, University of the Witwatersrand
This is one of the first fossil rove beetles ever discovered on the continent and in the southern hemisphere more broadly.
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Politics
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Nancy J. Jacobs, Brown University
In a matter of days, one Kenyan’s intervention helped give South Africa a peaceful transition to its first post-apartheid government.
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Walter Dorn, Royal Military College of Canada
Many believe that the international community could have acted earlier, to prevent the genocide before it started.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Thabo Leshilo, The Conversation
The first episode of What happened to Nelson Mandela’s South Africa?, a three-part podcast series on The Conversation Weekly. Featuring interviews with Steven Friedman and Sandy Africa.
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Arts, Culture + Society
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Josh Opoku Brew, University of Pittsburgh
The viability of any music culture depends on the availability of musicians.
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Education
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Renson Muchiri Mwangi, KCA University; Judy N. Muthuri, University of Nottingham; Mohsen Gul, University of Cambridge
Significant numbers of young people remain unemployed or underemployed, despite being educated.
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Pearl S. Kyei, University of Ghana
Children benefit enormously from regular, cognitively stimulating interactions with their caregivers.
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Environment
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Ifedotun Aina, University of Cape Town
The tunnel bringing millions of litres of water from dams in Lesotho to South Africa is to undergo a six-month repair. This could leave residents of Gauteng in South Africa short of water.
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Health + Medicine
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Anthony Idowu Ajayi, African Population and Health Research Center; Elita Chamdimba, University of Malawi
Emotional, violent and sexual abuse are rife at an age when victims are scarred for life.
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19 April 2024
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Cape Town
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26 April 2024
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Cape Town
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4 May - 22 June 2024
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Cape Town
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6 - 24 May 2024
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Cape Town
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It’s free to republish, here are the guidelines.
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