Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 14 May 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Farmers across South Africa are adapting livestock to climate extremes through selective breeding, regenerative practices, and water-smart systems. According to the Journal of Animal Breeding, selective breeding improves efficiency and resilience. In Limpopo, breeders cross indigenous sheep for resilience, while goat farmers focus on disease resistance and meat yield. In the Karoo, farmers reduce herd sizes and diversify income. In the Western Cape, systems combining shade, solar power, and enhanced feeding reduce water use, ensuring livestock thrive in harsh conditions.

# The elusive Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew has been found in the Western Cape for the first time in 46 years. Conservationists from CapeNature discovered the critically endangered mammal during an expedition. Using pitfall traps airlifted by helicopter, the team captured, recorded and released the tiny 13.7-gram creature. First described in 1979, the shrew is found only in the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area. Genetic analysis and further research will follow to understand its status and ecology.

# And finally: The International Atomic Energy Agency says with nuclear power expanding in Africa, it is supporting countries in the development of the necessary infrastructure for safe and secure nuclear energy. South Africa, which operates the continent’s only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, plans to add two-thousand-500 megawatts of new capacity. Egypt is building its first plant, comprised of four large reactors. The agency says as countries seek clean and reliable solutions to their energy and development challenges, they are increasingly looking to nuclear energy as an option.

Stay tuned for more news………….