Eco Minute

BULLETIN 25 July 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The beloved and well-known five-year-old female cheetah of Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria, Njozi, is currently receiving specialised care at the wildlife clinic of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort. This follows signs of lameness in her right forelimb. Radiographs revealed that Njozi had previously fractured two bones in her right forelimb. Specialist small animal surgeon, Adriaan Kitshoff, says Njozi underwent surgery on Tuesday and is being monitored by the team of wildlife veterinarians and students at the clinic.

# The City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management branch has successfully relocated a hippo bull from the False Bay Nature Reserve to a reserve in Plettenberg Bay. Hippos are very sensitive animals, and notoriously difficult to capture and transport because of their size, strength, potentially dangerous nature and sensitivity to stress. Deputy mayor, Eddie Andrews, says that over the past ten-years, the metro has successfully translocated three hippos as part of ongoing wildlife management efforts:

# And finally: Known for its exquisite gardens, Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West, Cape Town, is sure to delight flower lovers. A half-hectare of orange and yellow Namaqua daisies creates a colourful floral carpet near the Stables Restaurant. These cheerful flowers should bloom until the beginning of next month. Only 39 International Camellia Gardens of Excellence exist worldwide, and Vergelegen is home to the only one in Africa. August is the ideal time to appreciate these breathtaking pink, white, and crimson blossoms.

Stay tuned for more news………….