Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 4 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Recent tests have shown fluctuating E. coli levels in the Vaal River, with some areas posing a high risk for stomach illness. A sample near Village Manor recorded 72-thousand-700 counts per 100 millimetres, though lower than last week’s 111-thousand-990. Rand Water has assured residents, however, that the drinking water remains safe as it is sourced from the Vaal Dam, not the river. Blue-green algae levels also vary, highlighting ongoing water quality concerns despite improved Vaal Dam levels at 61.3-percent capacity.

# Scottish ministers are being urged to investigate cats’ impact on wildlife which could see pets banned from areas where endangered species live. If implemented, residents in those zones could be forced to keep their pets indoors or banned from getting them in the first place. According to the report by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, containment areas have been set up in several states in Australia, with a round-the-clock cat curfew in some places and restrictions after dark in others. The only exceptions are for enclosed outdoor runs or pets walking on leads.

# And finally: More than 30 endangered froglets have been born at London Zoo after a dramatic eleven-thousand-kilometre rescue mission. The Darwin’s frog, named after Charles Darwin, faces extinction after the introduction of a deadly fungus to their habitat. However, bringing the endangered amphibians to the UK was no easy task, requiring a trip to Chile and a painstaking hunt for the tiny creatures, with the fully-grown fathers coming in at less than three centimetres. The 33 froglets were carried and brooded by 11 of the male frogs, until they were ready to be born.

Stay tuned for more news………….