Culture

Two African lions make record-breaking swim in crocodile-infested river in Uganda

Published

4 months ago

July 14, 2024

Two African lions, Jacob and Tibu, have made history by swimming at night to break the record for the longest swim in predator-infested waters, attempting to cross the Kazinga Channel in Uganda.

According Alexander Braczkowski, from the Griffith University’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security who led a team that used high-definition heat-detection cameras on drones to film the two male lions crossing the river at night, the feat was even more remarkable as Jacob made the 1 kilometre-long swim with only three legs, having lost his fourth in a poaching incident when he was caught in a steel trap.

“This swim across a channel filled with high densities of hippos and crocodiles is a record breaker and is a truly amazing show of resilience in the face of such risk,” Dr Braczkowski said.

“Jacob is Africa’s most resilient lion and he is a cat with nine lives given the adversities he had overcome.

“Jacob has become famous for surviving a multitude of life-threatening incidents, including being gored by a buffalo, having his family poisoned for the lion body part trade, and escaping after being caught in a poacher’s snare.

“The fact that he and his brother Tibu have managed to survive as long as they have in a national park that has experienced significant human pressures and high poaching rates is a feat in itself,” Dr Braczkowski said.

In an article published in the recent edition of Ecology and Evolution, Braczkowski said the two lions showed strong their determination to find females by ploughing on through waters teeming with crocodiles and hippos and arrived at the opposite bank, some 1.5 kilometers later.

“So, from a behavioral standpoint, it’s fascinating to see them cross such a large water body and over such a long distance.

“I think it’s also a testament to a much larger problem, and it’s a symptom of a much larger problem. And that’s why animals are having to take much bigger risks in a human-dominated world,” he adds.

Braczkowski believes Jacob and Tibu were forced to make the swim due to a lack of females in the national park.

“Female lions are more susceptible to being killed by farmers in retaliation for the killing of cattle and this has led to males outnumbering lionesses.

“A healthy lion population should have a ratio of two females to one male, but in Queen Elizabeth National Park, those numbers have been reversed, and there are twice as many males as females,” says Braczkowski.

Related Topics:Featured Jacob Lions Record Swimming Tibu Uganda

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Culture

South African DJ Black Coffee bags World’s Best DJ 2024

Published

16 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African disc jockey, DJ Black Coffee, has been named the World’s Best DJ 2024 at the Golden Moon Awards.

Reporting on the award, prominent South African tabloid, IOL, wrote:

“All hail Black Coffee from South Africa, winner of the Golden Moon award for the World’s Best DJ 2024! Black Coffee has taken the global stage by storm, blending his unique Afro-house sound with deep, soulful grooves that resonate with audiences worldwide.

“A pioneer, a visionary, and a cultural ambassador, Black Coffee continues to inspire millions, pushing boundaries and connecting the world through his music. A truly deserving icon of this prestigious honour!”

DJ Black Coffee whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, was not the only local South African entertainer who was recognised at the awards as rising star, Palesa Desiree Shilabje, popularly known as DESIREE, was also named the World’s Breakthrough Artist 2024.

On DESIREE, the tabloid said:

“DESIREE’s rise to prominence comes from her ability to craft electrifying DJ sets that seamlessly blend genres—African-inspired house, deep house, techno, and soulful rhythms.

“Her passion for diverse sounds has landed her on some of the world’s most respected stages, like DC-10, fabric, and Hï Ibiza, bringing her deep African influences to a global audience.

“Beyond her music, DESIREE proudly represents the intersex community, using her platform to inspire and educate about her experience. A truly groundbreaking artist, DESIREE is already leaving an unforgettable legacy.”

The Golden Moon Awards are held every year to select the best 100 clubs in the world and to award prizes in different categories to the major players in nightlife, individuals, clubs and associations.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.