Main image above: A giraffe up close. Photo: Pixabay, Pexels.
As passionate travellers and conservationists, we are always looking for the latest updates from the natural world. However, with busy schedules, keeping up with all the information floating around the internet can be hard. Conservation Clips offers short conservation updates from South Africa and further afield.
These short pieces provide a basic overview of everything from new species discoveries to community conservation projects making an impact. We hope this will allow like-minded nature lovers to get their monthly dose of digestible conservation news. We condense the information into a summed-up, easy-to-digest format and include some sources for further reading.
Here are your Conservation Clips for December 2024/January 2025. Share your conservation news with us for consideration by clicking here.
Climate doom – baobabs here to stay
Despite concerning research suggesting Africa’s ancient baobab trees are dying due to climate change, new studies reveal a more hopeful story. Baobab ecologist Sarah Venter and her team found mortality rates remain very low, with only one tree dying in the past 17 years. While baobabs face threats like herbivore damage, waterlogging, and unsustainable harvesting, they have proven remarkably resilient over millennia.
Venter’s research showed baobabs easily withstand droughts and climate variability, which they have endured for thousands of years. Only young seedlings are vulnerable, while adult trees rarely die from environmental stresses. Many “dying” baobabs highlighted in earlier research have shown signs of regrowth. With local communities often protecting these cultural icons, the future looks bright for Africa’s enduring baobabs. Though not immune to human impacts, these remarkable trees have an unbreakable spirit – standing tall as symbols of resilience in a changing world.
Read a full article here
New baby for De Hoop Nature Reserve
De Hoop Nature Reserve recently celebrated the birth of a newcomer Cape mountain zebra baby. The species were once on the verge of extinction but made a comeback due to conservation efforts. Last year, CapeNature conducted an aerial game survey over De Hoop and the neighbouring Overberg Test Range (OTR) to assess population numbers. This survey was made possible through the generosity of Brian Blackstock of the Bateleurs – an organisation that supports environmental initiatives through aerial reconnaissance. The results of the survey were encouraging, with over one hundred Cape mountain zebra counted across the two properties, the majority of which were
While De Hoop’s landscape provides some suitable grazing for the zebras, the reserve has limited capacity to support a large subspecies population. Instead, CapeNature plays a strategic role in ensuring the genetic diversity of Cape mountain zebra by relocating excess individuals to reserves with more optimal habitats, where they can contribute to strengthening other populations.
Four giraffe subspecies confirmed
Researchers from the University of Cape Town and University College Dublin have conducted a study that confirmed four distinct species of giraffes in Africa. By examining over 500 giraffe skulls from across the continent, the team utilized advanced 3D scanning and geometric morphometric analysis to identify key differences in the skull and ossicone (horn-like structures) shapes among the various populations.
The findings revealed significant variations, which are believed to play a crucial role in individual recognition and mating success among males. The four confirmed species are the southern (Giraffa giraffa), Masai (Giraffa tippelskirchi), reticulated (Giraffa reticulata), and northern (Giraffa camelopardalis) giraffe each with unique characteristics.
This study provides crucial evidence to support the separation of giraffes into distinct species, essential for implementing targeted conservation efforts. The researchers strongly urge the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reassess the status of giraffes and recognise the four species individually, as some face more dire threats than others. Protecting the genetic diversity of these iconic African mammals is paramount to ensuring their long-term survival.
Read more here
Elephant wrinkles explained
Scientists have conducted a multidisciplinary study to understand the purpose of the wrinkles on Asian and African elephants. By observing zoo animals, examining museum specimens, and analyzing photographs, the researchers have uncovered new insights into the development and function of these distinctive features.
The study found that elephant wrinkles begin forming while the animals are still in the womb and become more pronounced as they age. These wrinkles serve a specific purpose on the elephant’s trunk, helping to facilitate shape-shifting and object manipulation. The wrinkles are more prominent on the side of the trunk the elephant habitually curls around objects, suggesting the wrinkles develop in response to the trunk’s “preferred” curling direction. This physical adaptation and shorter whiskers on the opposite side of the trunk, help elephants grip and manipulate objects with greater dexterity.
Read this article to find out more.
Rare Siphonophore found in False Bay
Scientists have documented the first sighting of the rare siphonophore Rhizophysa eysenhardtii in False Bay, South Africa. This remarkable discovery, published in African Invertebrates, extends the known range of the species by 450km and highlights the rich biodiversity of South Africa’s marine ecosystems, including the Great African Seaforest.
Siphonophores are colonies of specialised individuals, called zooids, that function as one organism. Freedivers observed the siphonophore’s translucent body and pink tentacles between June and September 2022. Its diet includes fish larvae and predatory marine worms, revealing fascinating insights into its biology.
Dr Jannes Landschoff of the Sea Change Project and co-author Dr Gill Mapstone from the Natural History Museum emphasise the ecological significance of siphonophores, which are rarely documented despite their importance. The discovery underscores the need for better biodiversity monitoring in the Benguela Ecosystem, where shifts in species distributions may signal environmental changes. Click here to read more.
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