50|50 Episode 30 Season 7: 8 September 2016

In Die Spervuur: Sea horses

With marine fish and mammal populations diving to dangerously low levels, it is obvious that something has to be done to change this tide. Typically the bigger, more obvious animals get the attention but small creatures need help too. Seahorses range in size from as tiny as a pine nut to as large as a banana, and while they seem to be something right out of a storybook, fairy tales may be all that’s left of this animal if we’re not careful.

Zambia part 2: Bangweulu Wetlands Park

Last week we brought you the first part of Bertus’ adventures in the Bangweulu Wetlands Park, one of Africa’s most spectacular wetland systems located in north-eastern Zambia, and a stronghold for threatened endemic Black lechwe that grace the plains in their masses. But Bangweulu is also home to a most unusual and hard-to-find bird called a Shoebill – named for its enormous, ungainly beak. After traveling for more than 4 days to get to this remote corner of Zambia, Bertus was determined to track down this rare species that skulks secretly and quietly in the swampy mazes, a proverbial needle in a haystack.

Wonderwêreld: Hyena

Vilified by children’s movies and story books, the poor old spotted hyena really has had a particularly bad run in the press. But in this instalment of Wonderwêreld, we show you that there is more than one side to these super-effective predators. Hyenas have extremely powerful jaws and are deadly hunters as well as efficient scavengers, but they are also gentle, caring mothers and loyal clan members that live in a female dominated society.

VeldFokus:

With the spring breeze now blowing throughout SA, much of our wildlife is getting ready to breed, resulting in some fabulous photographs and videos! A mother hare gives birth to 2 perfect replicas of herself, while in the toad family, tadpoles take a little longer to gain a family resemblance.