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News24
3 days ago
- Health
- News24
Five ‘lost' species that have been recovered in SA
In recent years, South African researchers have rediscovered several lost animal species, some of which had not been seen for decades. Some of these species include the Blyde River flat gecko, Branch's rain frog, orange-tailed sandveld lizard, Pennington's blue butterfly and De Winton's golden mole. Rediscovering these species is essential for their conservation. For climate change news and analysis, go to News24 Climate Future. In recent years, South African organisations have rediscovered 'lost' animal species in the country, many of which occur nowhere else. According to the Endangered Wildlife Trust's (EWT) conservation and data scientist Oliver Cowan, South Africa is vast, and the environment is changing. As a result, species may remain undetected either because they have gone extinct or because no one has found them in recent years. He said rediscovering them was an essential first step in their conservation. Learn more about the five species recovered recently in SA: Blyde River flat gecko In April 2025, two researchers from EWT, Darren Pietersen and John Davies, rediscovered the Blyde River flat gecko that had last been seen 34 years previously by scientist Niels Jacobsen. According to Cowan, the Blyde River flat gecko is less than 10cm long and flat, allowing it to access rock crevices. Its large eyes, excellent night vision, and colour enable it to blend into the rock surfaces upon which it moves. 'Flat geckos do not have eyelids but a permanent transparent membrane protecting their eye. To keep this membrane clear, geckos are often observed using their tongue to clean their eyes,' Cowan said. The Blyde River flat gecko feeds on insects. According to the EWT report, Jacobsen collected two males in 1991 from a nearly unreachable, isolated hill in the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga, but the gecko was not observed again until early 2025. As the species had not been recorded for more than 10 years, Re:Wild, an international organisation that supports conservation, classified it as a 'lost' species. In April 2025, Pietersen and Davies visited the Blyde River Canyon area to determine whether the gecko still inhabited the same isolated hill. After securing the required permits to visit the site, which took two years, the researchers were able to access the area with a helicopter and found the species. Branch's rain frog Branch's rain frogs are different from most species of frogs as they do not have a tadpole phase, said Cowan. Instead, they emerge from eggs fully formed, even though tiny. The species has a 'grumpy' face. It feeds on moths, beetles, and insect larvae. A single specimen of the rain frog was originally found before 2008 in Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape. The species was officially identified by scientist Alan Channing in 2012. It was rediscovered in 2023 through a survey led by EWT. Its habitat is subject to alluvial diamond mining and extreme weather events, and gathering more information on its distribution will help us protect its natural habitat. Oliver Cowan Orange-tailed sandveld lizard Chad Keates/Supplied The orange-tailed sandveld lizard is about the size of a ruler, characterised by its long orange tail. They eat invertebrates such as termites, grasshoppers, and beetles. Cowan stated that the lizard was captured once in 2005 near Lambert's Bay and again was coincidentally photographed on a camera trap in 2011. He said the habitat where the species occurs has undergone substantial historical transformations, primarily due to agriculture. 'In more recent years, a slew of mining developments has occurred along the West Coast,' Cowan stated. A two-week targeted survey by a team of herpetological (reptile and amphibian) experts rediscovered this species in 2022. 'The species will be uplisted to an endangered threat category as a result of the information gathered, which will ensure it is accounted for during future proposed developments within its habitat,' Cowan said. Pennington's blue butterfly Andrew Morton/Supplied Pennington's blue butterfly is scientifically known as Lepidochrysops penningtoni. Its wingspan is between 3cm and 5cm. 'The upper parts of the Lepidochrysop males have a slightly pale, pearlescent, blue or blue-violet sheen, [while] the females are a duller brown,' Cowan explained. He said this butterfly species was rediscovered in 2021 by the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa in the Northern Cape and was last recorded in 1968. They have a fascinating relationship with ants. Some live in ant nests, where the ants tend to them. Others have evolved to exploit ants, using them for shelter, food, or both. They feed on the flower buds or developing seed ovules of their host plants. De Winton's golden mole JP le Roux/Supplied The De Winton's golden mole got its name from its shiny coat. Unlike mole rats, which eat plant roots and make large mole hills, they are not destructive. Cowan said an interesting fact about the golden mole is that it is more closely related to elephants than normal garden moles, and it is blind. De Winton's Golden Mole is listed as critically endangered as its habitat has been significantly transformed, predominantly due to mining activities. Oliver Cowan The De Winton's golden mole was rediscovered in 2023 by researchers from the EWT who employed thermal detection, a sniffer dog, and eDNA analysis in targeted surveys after it had last been spotted 86 years ago. eDNA is genetic material that organisms shed and leave in their environment, such as skin cells, hair, or excretions. Soil samples from underground tunnels were tested to detect the golden mole's DNA successfully.
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Science
- IOL News
'Lost' Blyde River Flat Gecko rediscovered after 33 years
Two Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) researchers have rediscovered a gecko species that had not been seen for over 33 years - the Blyde River Flat Gecko. Image: Endangered Wildlife Trust A gecko species that had not been seen for over three decades has been rediscovered by two researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), bringing renewed hope for the conservation of South Africa's lesser-known species. The Blyde River Flat Gecko (Afroedura rondavelica), first discovered in December 1991 by Dr Niels Jacobsen in the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga, was only known from two male specimens. Since then, no other sightings were recorded, sparking debate about its taxonomic validity and concerns about its possible extinction. In April 2025, EWT's Dr Darren Pietersen and John Davies accessed the remote site, a nearly inaccessible inselberg by helicopter after a two-year process to secure permits. Their successful expedition confirmed the gecko's continued existence and its taxonomic distinctness. 'This brings to four the number of 'lost species' that the EWT has rediscovered as a result of its increased focus on locating and conserving elusive, less charismatic, but critically important wildlife that is often overlooked and at risk of slipping into extinction unless urgent action is taken,' the EWT stated. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Flat geckos are known for their micro-endemism, occurring only at one or a few localities. The Blyde River Flat Gecko is perhaps the best example, with its known range restricted to a single rocky outcrop in the canyon. Its classification as a 'lost species' by re:Wild, along with its listing as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, reflected the lack of data and uncertainty surrounding its survival. With the rediscovery, the EWT confirmed that 'the morphological and therefore taxonomic distinctness of the species' was validated. Tissue samples were collected to conduct genetic analyses that will further confirm its classification and help guide conservation planning. 'The ecological and population data that they collected will allow this species' conservation status to be re-evaluated, moving it out of the Data Deficient category,' the EWT added. The EWT expressed gratitude to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) for issuing the necessary permits and pilot Jana Meyer of Hope for Wildlife for navigating the challenging helicopter journey to the inselberg. Financial support from the Anglo American Foundation and Global Affairs Canada made the expedition possible, it said. THE MERCURY
Mail & Guardian
09-05-2025
- Mail & Guardian
Mass vulture poisoning in Kruger triggers historic wildlife-rescue operation
A total of 116 vultures were found dead. (Photo: SANParks) At least 123 A joint team of The incident marked one of the largest mass poisoning events ever witnessed in the Kruger. A total of 116 vultures were found dead at the scene in the Mahlangeni section, the EWT and SANParks said in a joint statement on Thursday. The EWT's pioneering wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system triggered an alert at 6:05am on Tuesday. The SANParks and EWT team arrived on site by 8:20am where they made their grim find. The elephant carcass was laced with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides by poachers to harvest body parts for the The initial responders — six SANParks rangers and two EWT officials — found two vultures alive roughly 500m from the carcass. They were immediately treated with atropine, activated charcoal and fluid. Reinforcements were swiftly deployed, the organisations said. Support teams from the This was the first time SANParks helicopters were used in a wildlife poisoning rescue of this scale. What followed was a coordinated, high-intensity rescue of 84 vultures, including white-backed, Cape and hooded vultures. Forty-five of the birds were transported by the EWT's Eighty-four vultures were found alive. (Photo: SANParks) Thirty-nine vultures were airlifted by helicopter to the SANParks K9 facility in Phalaborwa for immediate monitoring. A final group was transported later that night to Moholoholo for continued intensive care. Teams, including vets from WildScapes and Briner Veterinary Services, as well as the Moholoholo team, worked through the night to stabilise each bird and keep them alive. A remarkable 96% survival rate was achieved, with only five of the vultures found alive dying. As of Thursday, 83 vultures are still alive and recovering. 'It's probably one of the best survival rates ever,' said John Davies, the EWT's Birds of Prey programme project coordinator: raptor conservation and research. 'Obviously we're not at the point to 100% say we're out of the woods yet; you kind of want to wait maybe a few days before we can be really confident about that. 'We've separated the birds into batches … this afternoon we're going to start moving them into flight enclosures — the ones that are almost showing no signs of poisoning anymore.' This would provide a better opportunity to assess how they are doing and to ensure they are eating well before release. 'So far, all the birds that arrived alive at the [Moholoholo] rehab centre are still surviving, which is fantastic.' Martial Rappo, the manager of the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, said the surviving vultures were being monitored around the clock, 'giving them fluids and keeping them hydrated, monitoring their temperature and constantly attending to them'. The scale of the poisoning is 'staggering', SANParks and the EWT said, noting that 123 vultures were found dead at the scene — 102 white-backed vultures, 20 Cape vultures and one Lappet-faced vulture — which are all listed as endangered or critically endangered species. 'This marks one of the largest vulture poisoning events in Southern Africa and the most extensive coordinated response effort and rescues to date,' they said, noting that more than 20 people from the conservation, veterinary and enforcement sectors played a role in the rescue and response. Increased use of poisons This incident is part of a broader crisis in Southern Africa: the escalating use of poison in wildlife poaching. 'Poachers increasingly use agricultural toxins to target high-value species — not just vultures, but also lions, whose body parts are in growing demand for traditional medicine or muti,' the EWT and SANParks said. The poisoning is a setback to the vulture population in the Greater Kruger landscape, which is trying to recover from similar incidents in the past. SANParks is collaborating with various agencies and institutions to address the current increase particularly in poisoning incidents. 'The latest operation highlights the importance of partnerships in addressing this problem. The recovery and treatment of the live vultures would not have been possible if such partnerships were not in place.' Davies said GPS tracking technology is crucial in saving vultures in poisoning incidents in remote protected areas. 'We use GPS tracking in a very significant way throughout Africa on vultures. The previous evening, we got an alert from two of our [tracked] birds, saying 'suspected mortality'. When that happens, obviously that requires an accelerated response and that's why the next morning people managed to fly and confirm.' Vultures fly vast distances, he said. A white-backed vulture will quite easily cover 120km to 150km every day on foraging. 'They encounter feeding sites and carcasses all the time and if any of these birds die at the site, and the poisons are very fast-acting so they do kill them pretty rapidly, it means yes, unfortunately a bunch of birds have been affected, but it allows you the opportunity to find these poaching events as they occur, rather than a month later.' He said multiple veterinarians had given significant input on treatment protocols. 'Now, we've refined and simplified them so the survival rate is typically around 95% to 98% if we can find birds that are alive. Using GPS tracking technology means we can find these in pretty remote protected areas throughout the continent.' Such vulture poisonings are not restricted to the Kruger or South Africa, he added. 'They have been happening for years and years. It does seem to be accelerating over time or it may be an end result of just more birds being tracked and finding more of these locations.' Davies said that throughout Africa the number of vultures that are being poisoned is astronomical. 'The estimates for all human-induced mortalities for vultures, 90% of that is down to wildlife poisoning and every other threat collectively only contributes about 10% of these mortalities.' SANParks and the EWT commended every individual who responded to this tragedy. 'Their courage, skill, and relentless commitment transformed a potential extinction-level event into one of the most successful vulture rescues ever recorded.' The operation saw helicopters making multiple trips between the incident site and Phalaborwa throughout the day to assist with the movement of the vultures. 'We are so fortunate in that there are so many people that are just willing to jump in and be a part of it,' Davies said. 'Obviously, the great thing from SANParks — I'm sure everyone understands they are under a lot of pressure with poaching — but their response is really commendable. 'We kind of felt there might be an issue at this location the previous evening and spoke to the section rangers and at first light the next morning, they were already flying with a fixed wing to confirm what was happening. Even from the air, we already had the first confirmation that we need to get there and from the point where we got the first message, I think we had the first person rehabbing birds in an hour and 32 minutes.' This accelerated response in quite remote areas of the Kruger was fantastic, Davies said. 'From SANParks side, being able to contribute a helicopter for the entire day, which is not a cheap undertaking, and a lot of birds being shuttled from the air. 'We also had a really great pilot from the Lowveld in a separate helicopter — Jana Meyer from Hope for Wildlife — she was using the other helicopter, just moving birds and finding additional birds. It really was an incredible effort with a lot of veterinarians involved.' He said that 'loads of volunteers' chipped in too. 'Even when the birds arrived here [at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre], they helped treat and hold the birds. It's very time consuming and the more people the better.' Rappo added: 'On the one hand, it's obviously very sad for us to see how many birds have passed and it's quite a tragedy. On the other hand, for us as a rehabilitation centre, we would never have been able to get all of these birds through to where we are at this stage without the help of all the organisations. 'It's very discouraging to see what's happening and at same time, it's encouraging if a lot of people work together, a lot of organisations and SANParks, how much one can achieve to at least stop it or at least fight against it. We hope that we will continue; that these vultures stay alive and will soon be able to return back into the wild and hopefully stay safe there.'
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- The Citizen
More than 100 vultures killed in Kruger National Park
Graphic content warning: Not for sensitive readers. A poisoning incident in the Kruger National Park (KNP) resulted in the death of more than 100 vultures. A further 84 were rescued by a joint team of South African National Parks (SANParks) rangers and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) officials. Lowvelder reports that this incident is one of the largest of its kind recorded in the park, according to Isaac Phaahla, the KNP's spokesperson. He says the poisoning, which occurred in the Mahlangeni Section of the park, was detected when the EWT's wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system triggered an alert at 06:05 on Tuesday, flagging suspicious activity in a remote section of the park. 'Within hours, a joint SANParks and EWT team mobilised, arriving at the site at about 08:20. There they discovered a grim reality – a mass poisoning involving hundreds of vultures, the result of an elephant carcass laced with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides, laid by poachers to harvest body parts for the illegal wildlife trade,' Phaahla says. A total of 123 vultures were found at the scene. Of the 102 white-backed vultures, 20 Cape vultures, and one lappet-faced vulture – all listed as endangered or critically endangered species – 116 were already dead when the team arrived. The initial responders, six SANParks rangers and two EWT officials, found another two vultures alive, but severely affected, roughly 500m from the poisoned elephant carcass. 'This marks one of the largest vulture poisoning incidents in southern Africa, and the most extensive co-ordinated response effort and rescues to date. Over 20 individuals across conservation, veterinary and enforcement sectors played a role in the rescue and response. Without the rapid detection by the EWT's wildlife poisoning detection and surveillance system, and the unprecedented co-operation between NGOs, rangers, vets and SANParks aerial and ranger units, many more birds would have been lost.' 'Those that were found alive were immediately treated, using emergency vulture first aid – atropine, activated charcoal and fluid therapy. Reinforcements were swiftly deployed. Support teams from the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Briner Veterinary Services and Wildscapes Veterinary Services mobilised within hours, while SANParks activated ranger and aerial support, including the Hope for Wildlife helicopter and additional logistics support, making this the first time SANParks helicopters were formally used in a wildlife poisoning rescue of this scale,' says Phaahla. A remarkable 96% survival rate was achieved among those found alive. Phaahla adds that this horrific incident is part of a broader crisis unfolding across southern Africa – the escalating use of poisons in wildlife poaching. Poachers increasingly use agricultural toxins to target high-value species, not just vultures, but also lions. The body parts are in growing demand for traditional medicine or muthi. This incident is a setback to the vulture population in the Greater Kruger landscape, which is trying to recover from similar incidents in the past. To curb poisoning of vultures, SANParks is collaborating with various agencies and institutions to address the current increase in incidents. The latest operation highlights the importance of partnerships in addressing this problem. The recovery and treatment of the surviving vultures would not have been possible if such partnerships were not in place. 'We commend every individual who responded to this tragedy. Their courage, skill and relentless commitment transformed a potential extinction-level event into one of the most successful vulture rescues ever recorded. The operation saw helicopters making multiple trips between the incident site and Phalaborwa throughout the day to assist in transporting the vultures,' says Phaahla. How the vultures were saved 84 vultures, including the white-backed, Cape and hooded vultures, were rescued. 45 were transported by the EWT's vulture ambulance, a specialised mobile unit designed to stabilise poisoned birds en route to treatment facilities. 39 others were airlifted by helicopter to the SANParks K9 facility in Phalaborwa for immediate monitoring. A final group was transported later that night to Moholoholo for continued intensive care. Teams, including vets from Wildscapes and Briner Veterinary Services, as well as the Moholoholo team, worked throughout the night to stabilise each bird and keep them alive. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Time of India
More than 120 endangered vultures killed in South Africa poisoning
In a shocking incident in South Africa, over 120 endangered vultures were poisoned after consuming a tainted elephant carcass (Image: AFP) More than 120 endangered vultures died after eating an elephant carcass poisoned by suspected poachers in South Africa in one of the single largest such spiking in the region, wildlife officials said Thursday. Another 84 vultures were evacuated by road and helicopter for treatment and monitoring after the poisoning in the Kruger National Park early this week, the park and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said in a statement. Operation Sindoor 'Op Sindoor's precision & execution was unimaginable': Rajnath Singh Operation Sindoor: India repels drone, missile attack across LoC Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list "The scale of the tragedy is staggering: 123 vultures were found dead at the scene," the statement said. The dead birds of prey included white-backed vultures, Cape vultures and a lappet-faced vulture, which are all listed as endangered or critically endangered species. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Poachers had laced the elephant carcass with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides in a method increasingly being used to target species such as vultures and lions, whose body parts are in demand for traditional medicine, the statement said. It was the biggest single such poisoning since 2019 when more than 500 endangered vultures died in Botswana after eating elephants whose carcasses were poisoned by poachers, EWT birds of prey programme manager Gareth Tate told AFP. Poachers who use poison either lace a dead animal with a toxin or snare one to use as bait, he said. "We have seen a massive spike in poaching for lion parts, for which sometimes vultures are the unintended victims," Tate said. In some cases birds of prey are "maliciously targeted" by poachers because they are natural sentinels and can give away the location of the poaching of other animals, he said.
