Bat season is fast approaching at Kasanka National Park. In less than two months these amazing creatures will be arriving, having migrated from across central Africa, to congregate at a small patch of swamp forest in the centre of the park. These African straw-coloured fruit bats fly in, in their millions, to feed on the abundant fruits in the surrounding woodlands. Their arrival every year plays a hugely significant role in keeping the park’s environment and biodiversity flourishing.
In anticipation of this year’s visit, The Kasanka Trust is running their Bat Season 2020 T-Shirt Design Contest. You are invited to create an image, along with a slogan, for this year’s visitor T-shirts. Your design will showcase how you feel that the bat season best represents the park.
The winner wins two nights, for two people at Wasa Lodge – including a guided bat experience, Wasa Walk and canoe trip.
To enter submit your creative design and winning slogan in PDF format to marcom@kasanka.com. Deadline for entries is the 15 September 2020. After judging, the winning artwork will then be printed onto this year’s Bat Season 2020 T-shirts.
So why not get drawing and you could also be flocking to Kasanka to visit one of the world’s most spectacular mammal migrations!
For more information about the African straw-coloured fruit bat migration and visiting Kasanka National Park go to www.kasanka.com
Catch up with the Women for Conservation’s most recent online event as they discussed and shared their experiences on how to successfully work during this pandemic.
The spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a lot of changes in our daily routines. As women working in conservation, either in the field or in an office, in Zambia or elsewhere in the world, it has affected so many aspects of our lives. It has changed the way we do a lot of things – from how we work to how we spend our free time. Many companies and organisations have had to make some tough decisions, including letting their staff work remotely. It is not surprising that these changes come with their own challenges, but also, they come with unique opportunities.
Women for Conservation understands the need to share experiences and to provide advice. Their team hosted a panel of four brilliant women in conservation who discussed today’s unique problems, along with the opportunities, that we all now face under the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Panelists and Their Advice:
Priscilla Sichone – Senior Ecologist with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Zambia
“Focus and celebrate the small things”
Rufo Roba – Conservation enthusiast working with the Northern Rangelands Trust in Kenya
”the pandemic is here to stay and we need to learn how to live with it, let us adapt new tricks and skills”
Michelle Moeller – Technical specialist for biomonitoring with Fauna and Flora International based in Cambridge, UK
”Think everything through, plan your day well and what it consists of”
Carol Aslin – Professional artist specializing in Counselling and Communication
“Mindfulness is a big part of surviving this, question and avoid negative energy, let us introduce this into our daily lives”
As well as a new species of bat, Wilson’s Long-fingered bat (Miniopterus wilsoni), being discovered on Mount Gorongosa in Mozambique, two more mammal species have recently been found in Djibouti and Madagascar.
Somali Elephant Shrew Rediscovered
A tiny Somali elephant sengi, or elephant shrew, (Elephantulus revoilii), thought to be extinct, has been rediscovered in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa. The last scientific sighting was 50 years ago.
A recent scientific expedition set more than 1,000 traps at 12 locations in Djibouti, baiting them with a mixture of peanut butter, oatmeal and yeast. They caught the sengi in the first trap they set in the dry, rocky landscape. During the expedition they saw 12 sengis, obtaining the first ever photos and video of live Somali elephant shrews for scientific documentation
Elephant sengis have distinctive trunk-like noses, which they use to feast on insects. Worldwide there are 20 species of sengis, with the Somali sengi being one of the most mysterious. It was thought to only be found in Somalia, hence its name, although it has been found to range into Djibouti and possibly into Ethiopia.
Steven Heritage, a research scientist at the Duke University Lemur Centre in Durham, US, and a member of the expedition to the Horn of Africa in 2019, said he was thrilled to put the species “back on the radar“.
In an interview with the BBC he said “we were really excited and elated when we opened the first trap that had an elephant shrew in it, a Somali sengi… For Djibouti this is an important story that highlights the great biodiversity of the country and the region and shows that there are opportunities for new science and research here.”
New Species of Mouse Lemur Discovered
In north-eastern Madagascar, scientist have discovered a new species of mouse lemur – named Johan’s mouse lemur (Microcebus johani). The little primate was discovered during a nine year survey during which 117 mouse lemurs were captured, with DNA samples being taken, before they were released back into the wild.
The team of biologists found sufficient genetic diversity, as well as distinctive physical characteristics, to conclude that Johan’s is a separate species. It is one of the large mouse lemurs, having a prominent white stripe running down its nose, reddish-brown fur and the typical large eyes of this nocturnal genus. It measures around 26cm from nose to tail and weighs only 60 grams. The new species was named after Professor Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a respected Malagasy primatologist.
There are over 100 endemic lemur species in Madagascar, with the full extent of their species diversity currently being studied. Mouse lemurs are the smallest of all primates, but sadly, almost as fast as new species are found, their survival becomes endangered. Recently the IUCN revealed that 31% of all lemur species in Madagascar are now listed as critically endangered and 98% of them as threatened. This is mainly due to deforestation and the illegal trade in bush meat. You can find out more at www.iucn.org.
Professor Ute Radespiel, of the Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, explained that “this study with the description of a new mouse lemur species demonstrates that the unique biodiversity of Madagascar is far from being understood. Many of the recently described species have only small distributions, which puts them at high risk, since the remaining forests of the island are under acute pressure from habitat destruction and fragmentation. Major and immediate conservation efforts will be needed to ensure their long-term survival during this critical period.”
Dr Piotr Naskrecki of Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park recently announced the discovery of a new bat species found on Mount Gorongosa. It has been named Wilson’s Long-fingered bat (Miniopterus wilsoni) in honour of Professor Edward O. Wilson and his long term support of biodiversity.
To find out more about Gorongosa National Park and its unique biodiversity check out their Facebook Page.
Today’s Bats Without Borders Webinar
This afternoon’s Bats Without Borders webinar continues the theme Bats and wind energy. This Webinar reflects the growing wind industry in South Africa and the lessons that they are learning. The speakers are Ms Kate MacEwan & Mr Jonathan Aronson.
To pre-register or if you have missed this Webinar, or any of their previous ones, then you can watch them again on their website at www.batswithoutborders.org
Have you ever wondered how a pangolin defends itself in the wild? Pangolins grow between 30cm to 152cm long and they usually weigh up to 33kgs. They are pretty light and small in size. The fact that they are nocturnal and solitary animals, with poor eyesight, makes them vulnerable to predators. Besides humans, the pangolin’s main predators are lions, tigers, and leopards.
One of the most interesting facts about pangolins, apart from the fact they are the world’s only scaly mammals, is how they behave when they feel threatened. Pangolins tend to roll themselves into an impenetrable tight ball like an armadillo. This makes it harder for attackers, like lions, to eat them, but unfortunately it makes it quite easy for poachers to pick them up and capture them. They also release a stinky fluid from a gland at the base of their tails – as a defense mechanism and they use it for marking their territory.
There are still many mysteries about this odd-looking scaly anteater’s behavior and habits with research being ongoing.
See more in this short video of a lion playing with a rolled up pangolin – Lions Attack Pangolin
