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The Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Penguin poop is creating more clouds. Here's how
There is no shortage of penguin poop in Antarctica. In fact, you can see it from space, if you know where to look. Researchers often use satellite observations to study Adélie penguin populations and changes in their diet. The most widespread penguin species, there are currently an estimated 10 million Adélie penguins, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The penguins themselves are too small to see from above, but their excrement is not. Also known as guano, the old bird poop builds up on rocky and icy surfaces over time. It can be seen in shades of white, red, and pink. The color that is expelled depends on what these flightless birds eat. With a krill diet, for example, turns it out pinker. Whereas, a largely fishy diet turns their poop whiter. But, the color isn't the only magic associated with Adélie penguin poop. Researchers say that ammonia released from the guano could help to protect them from the increasingly dangerous effects of human-caused climate change. The sea ice Adélie penguins rely on to survive is dwindling, as it is increasingly threatened by climate change. However, ammonia released from their poop may be contributing to increased regional cloud formation that halts ice loss and protects their habitat. 'There are connections between things that happen on our natural planet that we just don't necessarily expect,' Matthew Boyer, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Helsinki, told The Washington Post. 'And this is one of them.' Boyer was the lead author of the related research, which was recently published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Ammonia, which is a naturally occurring chemical compound often used in disinfecting products, can ramp up cloud formation when it chemically interacts with gases that contain the smelly element sulphur. This reaction increases the creation of particles in the air that give water vapor — water in its gaseous form — a surface to condense upon: changing it into a liquid. That's how clouds are formed. Ammonia clouds have been found on Jupiter, and over Southeast Asia. The resulting clouds can serve as insulating layers in the atmosphere, as well as help to reduce surface temperatures and keep the surrounding sea ice from melting. Last year, the sea ice extent in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica was the second smallest on record. This March saw Antarctic sea ice plunge, as well. The sea ice, which is more reflective than water, plays a significant role in keeping polar regions cool. 'We can hypothesize that there will be a cooling effect from the clouds because, in general, that is the most prominent effect of clouds in the atmosphere,' Boyer explained. To reach their conclusions, Boyer and his colleagues measured the concentration of ammonia in the air at a site near Marambio Base in the winter of 2023. They were downwind of the colony of 60,000 Adélie penguins, and their poop. When the wind blew from that direction, they found the concentration of ammonia in the air increased to more than 1,000 times higher than the baseline level. Furthermore, it was still more than 100 times higher than the baseline after the penguins had migrated from the area by the end of February. To confirm that this was the direct result of the guano's ammonia, they took several additional atmospheric measurements on a single day, finding that the number and size of particles at the site sharply increased when the wind blew from the colony. Just three hours later, they observed a period of fog that they say was likely the result of the increased particles. Although the specific interaction between penguins and the Antarctic climate is currently poorly understood, Antarctic ecosystems are facing significant pressures because of human-driven climate change that is driving sea ice loss as global warming continues. Warmer waters may mean less of the phytoplankton that krill and fish eat, reducing the penguins' food supply. The researchers say that their conclusions emphasize the importance of protecting penguins, which play a vital role in balancing their ecosystems. Although these birds may only be just over two feet tall, their contribution may be massive. 'The oceans and the penguins are influencing the atmosphere and actually influencing the local climate in Antarctica,' said Boyer. 'The local changes in Antarctica will have an impact on global climate.'
The Independent
18-05-2025
- The Independent
Zimbabwe has a deadly elephant problem
Capon Sibanda races against time, his bicycle a blur against the backdrop of Zimbabwe 's landscape. His mission: to warn villagers near Hwange National Park of approaching elephants. Armed with GPS-triggered alerts from a new tracking system, Sibanda disseminates warnings through WhatsApp groups and pedals to remote areas where phones and internet access are scarce. This innovative system, launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, tracks elephants fitted with GPS collars. The goal is simple but crucial: prevent dangerous encounters between humans and elephants. These encounters are becoming increasingly frequent as climate change exacerbates competition for dwindling resources like food and water. 'When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal,' said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians. For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people. Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 'trouble' animals during that period. 'Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest,' said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program. Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land. At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged. 'We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people,' Tshipa said. 'This allows us to give more resources to particular areas." The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. 'Within a blink,' alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said. His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data. Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that 'conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data.' Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly.' Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. 'Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?' she asked. 'We have too many elephants anyway.' Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased. The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities. Botswana 's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could 'have a taste of living alongside elephants.' Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains. In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch. Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears. 'Every second counts,' said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Zimbabwe is full of elephants and conflict with villagers is growing. A new approach hopes to help
HWANGE, Zimbabwe (AP) — When GPS-triggered alerts show an elephant herd heading toward villages near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda springs into action. He posts warnings in WhatsApp groups before speeding off on his bicycle to inform nearby residents without phones or network access. The new system of tracking elephants wearing GPS collars was launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It aims to prevent dangerous encounters between people and elephants, which are more frequent as climate change worsens competition for food and water. 'When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal,' said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians. For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people. Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 'trouble' animals during that period. 'Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest,' said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program. Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land. At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged. 'We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people,' Tshipa said. 'This allows us to give more resources to particular areas.' The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. 'Within a blink,' alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said. His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data. Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that 'conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data.' Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly.' Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. 'Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?' she asked. 'We have too many elephants anyway.' Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased. The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities . Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could 'have a taste of living alongside elephants.' Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains. In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch. Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears. 'Every second counts,' said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Arab News
16-05-2025
- Arab News
Zimbabwe is full of elephants and conflict with villagers is growing. A new approach hopes to help
HWANGE: When GPS-triggered alerts show an elephant herd heading toward villages near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda springs into action. He posts warnings in WhatsApp groups before speeding off on his bicycle to inform nearby residents without phones or network access. The new system of tracking elephants wearing GPS collars was launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It aims to prevent dangerous encounters between people and elephants, which are more frequent as climate change worsens competition for food and water. 'When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal,' said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians. For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people. Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 'trouble' animals during that period. 'Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest,' said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program. Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land. At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged. 'We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people,' Tshipa said. 'This allows us to give more resources to particular areas." The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. 'Within a blink,' alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said. His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data. Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that 'conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data.' Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly.' Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. 'Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?' she asked. 'We have too many elephants anyway.' Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased. The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities. Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could 'have a taste of living alongside elephants.' Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains. In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch. Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears. 'Every second counts,' said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Zimbabwe is full of elephants and conflict with villagers is growing. A new approach hopes to help
HWANGE, Zimbabwe (AP) — When GPS-triggered alerts show an elephant herd heading toward villages near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda springs into action. He posts warnings in WhatsApp groups before speeding off on his bicycle to inform nearby residents without phones or network access. The new system of tracking elephants wearing GPS collars was launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It aims to prevent dangerous encounters between people and elephants, which are more frequent as climate change worsens competition for food and water. 'When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal,' said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians. For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people. Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 'trouble' animals during that period. 'Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest,' said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program. Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land. At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged. 'We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people,' Tshipa said. 'This allows us to give more resources to particular areas." The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. 'Within a blink,' alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said. His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data. Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that 'conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data.' Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly.' Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. 'Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?' she asked. 'We have too many elephants anyway.' Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased. The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities. Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could 'have a taste of living alongside elephants.' Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains. In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch. Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears. 'Every second counts,' said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
