Mapping deaths caused by big game in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, around 83% of all human deaths caused by big game are the result of attacks by Nile crocodiles and African elephants. Data collected between 2016 and 2022 show that 165 people died within or outside of protected areas following crocodile attacks, and 103 people after elephant encounters. Fatalities linked to these megafaunal species seem to be on the increase, says a study in Scientific Reports.1
“In contrast, fatalities involving lions, hyenas, hippos, and buffaloes showed no significant increase,” adds lead author, Blessing Kavhu, from the University of California in the United States, and Stellenbosch University, in South Africa.
Based on verified records of human-wildlife conflicts kept by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), hippopotamuses caused the death of 20 people, buffaloes 19, and lions 9.
A map shows that most fatal incidents occurred around the Kariba, Binga and Hwange districts in northern and western Zimbabwe, where communities live in or near wildlife habitats or protected areas.
The research team say that data-driven, species-specific strategies can play an important role in fostering greater coexistence between wildlife and humans and improve conservation outcomes.
Digging into the history of Sahara’s ancient lakes
Wide and steep dry craters are all that is left of the deep, high-altitude lakes that were once found in the Tibesti Mountains – the largest and highest mountain range in the Sahara Desert. To find out more about how these lakes were originally formed, German scientists delved into central Sahara’s geological past.
Their Nature Communications2 study found that the Tibesti Mountains received significantly more water than their surrounds during the mid-Holocene period because of strong orographic uplift — the rising of moist air when it hits a mountain. To their surprise, the research team found that moist air was brought in by north-easterly winds from the Mediterranean, not by the stronger West African monsoon from the south.
The findings are based on sedimentary data, high-resolution paleoclimate simulations and water balance modelling of the Sahara and Sahel region.
The researchers say their findings can improve scenario planning for the Sahara. Because of higher CO2 levels, current climate models predict a wetter and greener Sahel and Southern Sahara. These simulations, however, do not take into account the effect of the Tibesti’s steep slopes on atmospheric circulation, and so are likely to underestimate the potential future water sources of the Sahara, as well as the risk of extreme hydrological events and their consequences for mountainous terrain.
Dried fish valuable as part of a healthy diet
An analysis published in PNAS3 of 19 common freshwater and coastal fish species showed that small portions of dried fish are enough to contribute 15% of a person’s recommended intake of dietary nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and D.
Based on large-scale survey data from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda, it was found that an estimated 36% of households of all income levels across East and West African countries consume dried fish. As many as 54% more people tend to eat dried fish more regularly than fresh fish.
The international research team, including scientists from Ghana and Kenya, says that dried fish should more readily be considered as part of complementary feeding and malnutrition treatment products, school feeding programmes, and national food aid programmes.
