70 South African white rhinos relocated to Rwanda
It was the largest ever relocation of rhinos, which can weigh up to two tonnes, Rwandan officials said.
Once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa, rhino numbers have dramatically fallen due to hunting by European colonisers and large-scale poaching.
The animals were transported in two loads of 35 -- first aboard a Boeing 747, then by road -- from South Africa's Munywana Conservancy to Akagera National Park in Rwanda, or about 3,000 kilometers as the crow flies, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
A "dedicated veterinary team will closely monitor their health and behaviour for several weeks to ensure proper adaptation to their new environment and management of any stress associated with the move", it said in a statement.
The move was part of African Parks' Rhino Rewild Initiative, supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and aims to support population growth and secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda.
According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by four percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023.
The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as "near threatened", with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The northern white rhino has all but vanished, with only two females left alive.
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Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
South Africa's earliest newspapers made money from slavery — new book offers evidence
New research has revealed that for four decades before slavery was abolished in 1838, printed publications enabled slavery in the Cape colony. In a recently published book, Reconsidering the History of South African Journalism: The Ghost of the Slave Press (2025 Routledge), author and journalism professor Gawie Botma explores the gap in the country's understanding about the complicity of South African journalism in slavery. He spoke to The Conversation about what he found. Slavery and journalism: what's the connection? In the US and Britain a few newspapers have issued apologies for their complicity in the slave trade. These include the Hartford Courant in Connecticut, considered to be the oldest continuously published publication in the US. In 2000 it apologised for its complicity in the slave trade nearly two centuries earlier. In 2023 The Guardian in the UK apologised for the fact that its founders had had links to the transatlantic slave trade. The South African media have remained silent about their historical role in Cape slavery. Slavery in the country lasted for more than 170 years between 1652 and 1838. Precise numbers are difficult to calculate. But according to the historian Robert Shell, about 63,000 enslaved people were imported to the Cape from four main areas: the rest of Africa (26.4%), India (25.9%), Indonesia (22.7%) and Madagascar (25.1%). About 37,000 were emancipated in 1838. The first newspaper in the Cape colony – including parts of what are now the Western and Eastern Cape – appeared in Cape Town four decades before slavery was abolished in 1838. No other publishing activities existed in what is now South Africa. The Cape, then a colony of the British Empire, was the only formal European settlement and only a few printing presses operated at scattered mission stations in the interior of southern Africa. What I found during my research was the sobering fact that several of the owners, editors, publishers and printers of about 16 early newspapers and magazines between 1800 and 1838 were slave owners themselves. In addition, the publications they were involved in regularly published advertisements and notices to enable the slave trade as well as to recapture enslaved people who had absconded. These facts are omitted or underemphasised in academic and popular accounts of how South African journalism was founded. Instead, the focus is often on the establishment of press freedom through the heroic efforts of a few white (British) men. Who were the early players in the newspaper space? British slave traders Alexander Walker and John Robertson founded the first newspaper, The Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser/Kaapsche Stads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter (CTG/KSC), in 1800. According to historian ACG Lloyd in his book, The Birth of Printing in South Africa, Walker and Robertson were 'men of many interests, who in addition to being wholesale merchants on a large scale, were slave-dealers dealing in as many as six hundred slaves in a single consignment'. The public received their first copies on Saturday, 16 August 1800. Separate, identical editions in English and Dutch were produced. Even the advertisements were translated. The format, which became a template for future newspapers, was a mixture of official government news, commercial advertising and public announcements, and snippets of international and local news. Enslaved persons worked as assistants of the press. Twenty-four years later the second paper, The South African Commercial Advertiser, was founded under the editorship of immigrants George Greig, Thomas Pringle and John Fairbairn. The latter two displayed entrepreneurship as well as idealism about the role the press can play. As part of this, they rather gradually positioned themselves against slavery. Opposition to 'liberal' ideas inspired the founding of De Zuid-Afrikaan in 1830. The newspaper reported in detail about slavery from the perspective of slave owners. Several prominent individuals involved with this newspaper were the owners of multiple enslaved people. They included the editor (after emancipation) Christoffel J Brand. After he retired from the editorship in 1845, he became the first speaker of the Cape parliament in 1854 and was later awarded a British knighthood. Printed press's relationship with slavery South African media historiography often cites The South African Commercial Advertiser as the first journalistic enterprise in the country. It also positions the paper as being a 'liberal champion' of its time. But on close inspection, this newspaper's positioning towards slavery is much more complex. My research shows that the paper actively contributed to the slave trade by allowing the publication of slave advertisements from the start. It continued to do so until slavery was abolished in 1838. The founding owner and editor-printer, Greig, owned at least one enslaved person. In the telling of the history of the time, comparisons are often made between the first two endeavours. On the one hand, the CTG/KSC is more generally described as being an outlier as 'a slave press' founded by a few 'bad apples'. The South African Commercial Advertiser is positioned as being a liberal champion of the 'free press' and founder of South African journalism. Media historian Wessel de Kock, in his book The Origins of the Press in South Africa, makes the following comment: 'What manner of free press would have emerged from the grubby commercialism of Walker and Robertson instead of the fiery idealism of Pringle and Fairbairn remains an intriguing question.' But should the 'grubby commercialism' of the CTG/KSC be regarded as an outlier in the history of the early colonial press? Or did it set a trend that was followed by contemporaries and influenced the development of South African newspapers for decades and perhaps even centuries to come? The old dictum that the press promotes the views of those who own and support it was as true during slavery and apartheid as it is now. Past evaluations of De Zuid-Afrikaan as one-sidedly reactionary should probably also be revisited. For one, slave ownership also existed among other English newspaper pioneers like William Bridekirk, printer and editor of several publications, including The South African Chronicle and Mercantile Advertiser, and Louis Henri Meurant, founder of The Graham's Town Journal, the first newspaper outside Cape Town. This too has been largely ignored in established journalism history as the focus for involvement in slavery often remained on the 'conservative' Cape Dutch. The result is that a simple dualistic view of South African newspaper history has been passed down. The two poles are then seen as representative of, respectively, Afrikaans and English journalism as it developed in the 19th and 20th centuries. What's the legacy? Some elements in the developing press in the Cape colony certainly played a role in the demise of slavery by frequently publishing government announcements, news, editorial and readers' comments about slavery. They enabled a public debate and the development of a measure of consensus that slavery indeed should be abolished. Nevertheless, all the papers made compromises as they juggled interests, including political and economic factors. These decisions often worked against liberation. In that case the press was often following and not leading the momentum towards greater civic freedoms. This was generated elsewhere, such as in the British parliament, where the campaign to abolish slavery finally succeeded after decades of struggle. DM First published by The Conversation. Gawie Botma is an associate professor of journalism at Stellenbosch University. This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
Daily Maverick
08-08-2025
- Daily Maverick
Eggs-istential Guilt Be Gone — here's how not to waste them
Waste not, want not. Once you've used yolks for mayonnaise, transform leftover egg whites into marvellous macarons. I make a lot of mayonnaise. Which is wonderful except that the recipe requires egg yolks, and not whites. I feel guilty throwing away the leftover whites, so this epicurean inequality has turned me into an inveterate egg white hoarder. My freezer plays host to many, many teeny tiny plastic packets. Within each one is the aforementioned low fat, high protein, translucent substance. This is not in and of itself a problem — according to Chef's Resource properly stored egg whites can be frozen for up to six months — some other sources say longer. My issue is that I struggle to use them all, and consequently I have amassed significant viscous reserves. Food waste is not okay, which is why I asked my fabulous friend Adele Stiehler-van der Westhuizen, Managing Director of the Prue Leith Culinary Institute, for a macaron recipe. Making these elegant puffs of egg white, sugar, almond flour and air has helped me clear my freezer and be the change I want to see. At least that is what I tell myself… I suspect that I am not alone. If you, too, are an egg white hoarder, keep a copy of this macaron recipe and refer to it regularly. If you do not have this particular problem, you will need to start from scratch. First, make my mayonnaise and then bake a batch of macarons. Either way, egg-induced happiness awaits. Anna's mayonnaise recipe (Makes 300ml) Ingredients 1 egg yolk (room temperature)1 big pinch salt15ml (1 Tbsp) Dijon mustard15ml (1 Tbsp) of white-wine vinegar or lemon juice250ml light olive, sunflower or other neutral oil (NB this is one of the rare occasions when you should not use extra virgin oil as its taste is too strong and your mayonnaise will be bitter)25ml extra-virgin olive oil Optional additions to taste: You can customise a basic mayonnaise with crushed garlic, herbs, lemon zest, finely chopped capers or anything else that takes your fancy — I like a few drops of Rwandan Akabanga chili oil. Method Ensure that all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Cold eggs and oil can cause mayonnaise to split, so take your eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start beating. Put a damp cloth under a medium-sized bowl. This will anchor it when you start to whisk. Add the egg yolk and salt and whisk until the yolk has started to thicken (about a minute), then add the mustard and beat again. Slowly drizzle in the acid, whisking constantly for about another minute. Whisking can be done by hand or with an electric beater. Now slowly add the oil. I mean very, very slowly, drop by drop, whisking all the time. Remember to use the light olive oil or a neutral oil for this stage. As you whisk and pour, the mayonnaise will start to thicken. Once you have added all the light oil, gradually add the more flavoursome extra virgin oil. You should have a glossy buttercup yellow cloud of bliss. You can add a little water or some more acid if you feel the texture is too thick. Season to taste. In an ideal world you will have added the oil in such a slow and steady stream that perfection has been achieved, but since life is not always perfect, it is good to know that a split mayonnaise can be rescued by cracking another egg yolk into a fresh bowl and slowly beating your split mayonnaise into the new egg. Prue Leith Culinary Institute Parisian Macarons (Yield: about 45 macarons) Ingredients 150g icing sugar 150g ground almonds 55g egg whites (A) (an average egg white is 30-33g but you must weigh them) 75g water 150g granulated white sugar 55g Egg whites (B) Colouring as desired Tools Sugar thermometer, stand mixer, metal spoon. Metal spoons are thinner so folding in ingredients works better, and they also are easier to clean so that there are absolutely no impurities. Egg whites are notoriously fussy about impurities and will refuse to whip well if they suspect the slightest taint. Method Preheat the oven to 140˚C. Mark out evenly spaced circles onto silicone baking mat/baking paper Combine the icing sugar and ground almonds together in a bowl with a metal spoon, making sure they are combined well. Pass the icing sugar and almond mixture through a sieve (ideally a tamis-type drum sieve) making sure to press all the ground almonds through so as to create what pastry chefs call 'tant pour tant' — a fine, even texture where both elements are equally distributed throughout. Combine the sugar and water together in a small saucepan. Start the syrup on a medium heat until all the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and bring the mixture to 116˚C, remove the pot from the heat and allow the bubbles to subside. While the sugar is boiling place the (B) egg whites into a (Kenwood-type) stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment and whisk until medium peak; gradually pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl while whisking on medium speed. Whisk until the meringue is cool. The bowl should not feel warm to the touch. Mix the (A) egg whites together with the tant pour tant using a metal spoon. The mixture should resemble a thick paste that can be spread with a spoon. Add the colouring until the desired colour is attained; remember that the meringue that you are still to add will lighten the colour of the mixture. Fold the meringue into the tant pour tant, and continue folding the mixture until it becomes a loose and shiny mixture. Place the mixture into a piping bag with a size 7/8 round nozzle. Piping nozzles come in different sizes — the size is generally stamped onto the metal. Pipe out the mixture into evenly sized circles. Once all the macarons are piped, hit the tray on the counter to release the air bubbles. This is important to prevent the macarons from cracking. Before you bake the macarons, allow the piped rounds to air dry for 20-30 minutes until they form a crust. When pressed with your finger the shell must feel dry to the touch. Bake until crisp and dry, about 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of the circles. Be careful not to colour the macarons. Cool on the trays until the macarons come away easily from the baking paper. Match like-sized macarons into pairs and sandwich together with a filling of your choice. Either buttercream or ganache will be deeply delicious. DM
TimesLIVE
07-08-2025
- TimesLIVE
Would you donate your pet? Danish zoo slammed for requesting animal donations to feed its carnivores
Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has ignited fierce debate after it appealed to the public on social media to donate their healthy but unwanted pets to feed the zoo's carnivores. Some of the animals allowed for donation include chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and even horses. The zoo defended the practice as part of its mission to maintain the natural behaviours and dietary needs of its predators such as tigers, lions, polar bears and lynx. 'Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs make up an important part of the diet of our predators - especially the European lynx which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild,' said Aalborg Zoo. 'In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity.' The post explained that donated animals are 'gently euthanised by trained staff' before being used as food. 'That way, nothing goes to waste and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and wellbeing of our predators,' said the zoo. On its website the zoo said their policy also accepts live horses as donations. The zoo said animals must meet strict health and transport conditions including having a horse passport and being off any medical treatments for at least 30 days and that there may be a waiting list for such donations. The zoo said it does not pay for the animals but allows donors to claim a tax deduction of DKK 5 (about R13) per kilogram of the horse's weight if they provide their personal tax number. 'If you do not wish to provide your CPR number to obtain a tax deduction, we are still happy to accept the horse,' said the zoo. For smaller animals like chickens and guinea pigs, the zoo said it accepts up to four at a time on weekdays between 10am and 1pm and that bulk donations require appointments. While some praised the zoo's initiative as a pragmatic and ethical approach to waste and wildlife care, others were horrified by the idea of pets ending up as predator meals. Facebook user Sandy Hsiao said: 'How is putting a dead pet on a plate for a caged animal anything close to re-enactment of the nature.' Another Facebook user Eva Høgh defended the idea as a humane solution. 'Good initiative rather than being thrown in the trash when they are not cute any more, or the neighbour is tired of your hens suddenly getting roosters that are noisy and illegal within the city limits,' said Høgh. This isn't the first time zoos have turned to the public for help with feeding carnivores. The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico for example accepts donations of dead livestock or animals that need to be humanely euthanised, noting it's better than 'having to dispose of the deceased in a landfill'. The Alaska Zoo recently put out a call for frozen meat and fish donations.
