50|50 Episode 32 Season 7: 22 September 2016

Wilde bure: Lizards

It’s not only the big or unusual animals that deserve our attention, the smaller ones that live right under our noses, also have a story to tell. Lizards are this week’s “Wilde Bure”. With most people living in close proximity to a lizard of some description, we explore not only their incredible physiological adaptations, but their important role in the ecosystem.

World rhino Day: My Planet Fund

Today is World Rhino Day, an event initiated by the WWF in 2010. It has since become a global phenomenon bringing people across the globe together to raise awareness, and funds, to save the planet’s five species of rhino – all of which are under threat from the illegal rhino horn trade. We take a closer look at one initiative that is helping to curb the illegal poaching of SA’s rhino, with the help of ordinary citizens and committed individuals of both the human and the canine variety.

Guard Alpacas:

We meet a rather family orientated animal that is not too fussed about who joins their family, prepared to defend their adopted charges with vigour. While the animal is mainly prized for its soft wool, it turns out there is another ingenious purpose to these comical creatures, one that may just be a game changer for conservationists working to alleviate conflict between farmers and stock-thieving predators.

Wonderwêreld: Owls

The show just wouldn’t be the same without a dose of Wonderwêreld. The stage belongs to owls tonight; remarkable winged, night hunters with a multitude of adaptations in their arsenal.

VeldFokus:

As the season of plenty continues, the animals of SA are making the most of the warm weather, and young animals are beginning to emerge in all shapes and sizes. A new born elephant takes its first shaky steps in search of milk, while in the bird world, a Whydah is shaking his tail feathers to impress a mate.