October 31, 2022
Congo-Brazzaville: Wild Chimpanzees and Gorillas Can Form Long Friendly Associations That Last Decades - New Research
To survive, animals compete for resources, be it food, mating partners or territory. But a ground breaking recent study shows chimpanzees and gorillas form friendships, some… Read more »
October 26, 2022
Africa: South Africa's Wildlife Ranches Can Offer Solutions to Africa's Growing Conservation Challenges
Designated protected areas for wildlife - such as national parks - are the world's principal conservation strategy. But this model to conserve wildlife in Africa is increasingly… Read more »
October 19, 2022
Africa: How Do Fishes Scratch Their Itches? It Turns Out Sharks Are Involved
Imagine you're a big yellowfin tuna, miles from shore out in the blue, swimming around carefree, until you start to feel a little itch near your eye. Maybe it's just a scratch… Read more »
Africa: 3-D Techniques Shed Light On What Makes a Bird's Lungs So Efficient
Birds are profoundly important animals. As predators, pollinators, seed dispersers, scavengers and ecosystem bioengineers, the world's 11,000 species of birds play critical roles… Read more »
October 12, 2022
Africa: Animal Friendships Are Surprisingly Like Our Own
When you think of friendship, what comes to mind? Is it a phone conversation that lasts late into the night? Watching a movie and sharing a pizza? Enjoying some laughs over a beer?… Read more »
October 16, 2022
Africa: Elephant Conservation May Be Undermined By Twitter Users Who Overlook Main Threats
The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) are all highly threatened species. The… Read more »
October 09, 2022
Africa: From Coelacanths to Crinoids - These 9 'Living Fossils' Haven't Changed in Millions of Years
We see evolution all around us, constantly, in every living thing. Yet in the deep oceans we find a number of "living fossils" reminiscent of creatures from prehistoric times. Read more »
September 27, 2022
Africa: Sex and Power in the Animal Kingdom - Seven Animals That Will Make You Reconsider What You Think You Know
It's easy to assume all animals have a neat dividing line between the sexes because the differences in appearance between males and females can be so striking. But the more… Read more »
September 23, 2022
Africa: How Money and Technology Are Militarising the Fight Against the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Thousands of animals and plants are bought and sold each year globally as food, medicine, clothing and furniture - even in the form of musical instruments. Wildlife, it seems, is… Read more »
September 19, 2022
Africa: Young Cold-Blooded Animals Are Suffering the Most As Earth Heats Up, Research Finds
Climate change is making heatwaves worse. Many people have already noticed the difference - and so too have other animals. Read more »
September 01, 2022
Africa: Seahorse Fathers Give Birth in a Unique Way, New Research Shows
In seahorses and pipefish, it is the male that gets pregnant and gives birth. Seahorse fathers incubate their developing embryos in a pouch located on their tail. Read more »
September 05, 2022
Africa: The PPE Used Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic Is Getting Tangled Up in Wildlife
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, masking has been one of the key public health measures put in place to combat the disease. Since March 2020, billions of disposable surgical masks… Read more »
August 23, 2022
Africa: Dolphins Use Signature Whistles to Represent Other Dolphins - Like the Way Humans Use Names
Bottlenose dolphins' signature whistles just passed an important test in animal psychology. A new study by my colleagues and me has shown that these animals may use their whistles… Read more »
August 10, 2022
South Africa: Flipper Traces Reveal the Presence of Ancient Seals On South Africa's Coast
The world's largest and heaviest living carnivore is not a big cat, a bear or a wolf: it's the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina). Bulls of this species can be 5 metres long… Read more »
August 01, 2022
Africa: Penguins Adapt Their Voices to Sound Like Their Companions - New Study
We've all known a friend who came back from holiday with a French lilt in their accent. Or noticed an American twang creeping into our voice during dinner with a friend visiting… Read more »
July 25, 2022
Africa: Why Do Hammerhead Sharks Have Hammer-Shaped Heads?
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Read more »
July 28, 2022
South Africa: Shining Fluorescent Light On Bee Sperm Could Help Explain Colony Survival
Form follows function. This is the principle that the design or shape of something - whether made by humans or in nature - should serve a purpose. Read more »
July 21, 2022
East Africa: Saving East Africa's Wildlife From Recurring Drought
Over the past two decades, the Horn of Africa - specifically Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya - has experienced more intense and frequent droughts. Read more »
July 11, 2022
South Africa: Caracals Are Exposed to Harmful 'Forever Chemicals' Through Their Diet
If you live near or have visited Cape Town's urban edge - where urban and natural areas meet - you may have been lucky enough to spot a caracal. These adaptable, medium-sized wild… Read more »
July 06, 2022
Kenya: Why U.S.-Kenya Cooperation On Wildlife and Drug Trafficking Matters
Kenya and the United States have worked very closely against terrorism since the targeting of the American embassy in Nairobi in 1998 by Al-Qaeda. But much less debated is US-Kenya… Read more »
March 26, 2021
Africa: Africa's Elephant Species Are Both Endangered, Due to Poaching and Habitat Loss
Humans have been over-exploiting African elephants for centuries. More than 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire's demand for ivory led to the extinction of genetically distinct… Read more »
January 15, 2017
Tanzania: Coral Reefs Off the Coast Are Being Destroyed, Most Beyond Repair
If current trends continue and countries fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, nearly all of the world's coral reefs will suffer severe bleaching on an annual basis, according… Read more »