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

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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.

Culture

Please forgive me, I’m now a child of God,’— Nigerian singer Portable begs for slapping pastor (Video)

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Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okiliola, popularly known as Portable, has pleaded for forgiveness following an incident where he allegedly slapped a pastor who went to preach at his bar.

The drama was ignited last week on Monday, September 9, when the street-wise singer was seen in a viral video slapping a man of God who had gone to preach at his bar in the Sango area of Ogun State.

The incident generated a lot of criticism from Nigerians including fellow pastors with some giving Portable an ultimatum to apologize or face their wrath.

In an apparent turn around, the street-pop Monday, tendered an apology and begged for forgiveness from the pastor and Nigerians in general.

Making the apology in a video the singer explained that he attacked the preacher because he thought he was there to cause him spiritual harm.

While begging God for forgiveness, Portable said:

“My fans, community issues are different from that of the street. May God forgive me. I didn’t know he was a genuine man of God. If I knew I wouldn’t have slapped him.

“I’m also a child of God. I’m human, I’m not perfect. I am an orphan. They have harmed my sister through this same strategy,” he said.

Watch the video below:
‘Please forgive me, I’m now a child of God,’ –Nigerian singer Portable begs for slapping pastor (Video)

Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okiliola, popularly known as Portable, has pleaded for forgiveness following an incident where he allegedly slapped a pastor who went to preach at his bar.

The drama was ignited last week on Monday, September 9, when the street-wise singer was seen in a viral video slapping a man of God who had gone to preach at his bar in the Sango area of Ogun State.

The incident generated a lot of criticism from Nigerians including fellow pastors with some giving Portable an ultimatum to apologize or face their wrath.

In an apparent turn around, the street-pop Monday, tendered an apology and begged for forgiveness from the pastor and Nigerians in general.

Making the apology in a video the singer explained that he attacked the preacher because he thought he was there to cause him spiritual harm.

While begging God for forgiveness, Portable said:

“My fans, community issues are different from that of the street. May God forgive me. I didn’t know he was a genuine man of God. If I knew I wouldn’t have slapped him.

“I’m also a child of God. I’m human, I’m not perfect. I am an orphan. They have harmed my sister through this same strategy,” he said.

Watch the video below:

https://x.com/TeniolaYBNL/status/1835560801693823300

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Culture

World-famous Sierra Leonean ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29

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World-famous Sierra Leone-born ballerina, Michaela DePrince, has died at the young age of 29.

A statement released by her family said DePrince who was the principal soloist at Boston Ballet, passed away on Friday.

“With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond,” the statement said.

“Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us.

“She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places. Though her time with us was far too brief, her brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come. Love and prayers go to her chosen family, friends, and those who loved her.”

Born Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 1995, DePrince lost both parents tragically died in the country’s civil war and was adopted by an American family at the age of four.

In various interactions with the media, DePrince had credited her years in an orphanage, where she found a magazine featuring the photo of a ballerina, as what led her on the path to becoming a professional dancer.

DePrince grew up in an orphanage, where she was cruelly mistreated and mocked for her vitiligo.

“They thought of me as a devil’s child. They told me every day how I wasn’t going to get adopted because nobody would want a devil’s child,” she told the BBC in 2012.

However, she and another girl named Mabinty, who now goes by Mia, were adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince in New Jersey in 1999.

DePrince became a world star and barrier-breaking ballerina after appearing on “Dancing With the Stars” and in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” film when she was just 17.

After fixating on an image of a ballerina in a magazine, DePrince enrolled in ballet school in Philadelphia and performed at the Youth America Grand Prix. She was one of six primary subjects in the 2011 documentary First Position, trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet in New York, and appeared in an episode of Dancing With the Stars the same year.

She went on to join the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company and later became second soloist for the Boston Ballet.

She rose to fame after graduating from high school and made history as the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

A dedicated humanitarian, DePrince also advocated for children affected by conflict and violence.

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