Rhino Brief: IPZ

In a recent statement from our Environmental Minister Edna Molewa, the South African government has begun to put its Integrated Management Plan into effect in an attempt to curb the devastating rise in rhino poaching incidents in South Africa’s National Parks. One of these strategies is to move populations of rhino away from poaching hot-spots where they are being targeted severely into areas called IPZ’s or Intensive Protection Zones. These areas are heavily guarded and are geographically much easier to monitor for our brave anti-poaching teams. The locations are to be kept top secret as a matter of national security. In this week’s double bill of Rhino Brief, 50/50 travels to these undisclosed IPZ’s, to find out more about how this clandestine programme could be the key to winning the war against rhino poaching.

Danger Files: Hell hath no fury like a mother elephant annoyed

Has anyone has ever wondered who would win between a protective elephant mother and several tons of off road vehicle? This week on Danger files 50/50 meets an experienced guide and camera crew who meet an elephant cow with a severe dislike for the noisy metal object and its occupants, clearing up once and for all who is the king or queen of the bushveld castle.

Wildlife Wonder: Carnivore versus herbivore – the ultimate arms race

When watching a hungry predator stalk silently through the African bush, it seems rather unfair to the seemingly defenceless herbivores that are constantly on nervous high alert for an ambush attack from the shadows. As fierce and powerful as these carnivores may be, herbivores too have a couple of tricks up their proverbial sleeves, and are far more adept at avoiding death by pointy tooth as may first meet the eye. In this week’s instalment of Wildlife Wonders, 50/50 takes a closer look at the physical attributes that make carnivores and herbivores what they are, and how although these two groups of mammals differ vastly in diet, they are perfectly adapted to play their unique roles in the environment.

Biofuel: Up, up and away

Air transport moves over 2.4 billion passengers annually, dumping 677 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. While these emissions are small compared with other industry sectors, these industries have viable alternative energy sources. The power generation industry can look to wind, hydro, nuclear and solar technologies to make electricity without producing much CO2. Cars and buses can run on hybrid, flexible fuel engines or electricity. The primary objective of using bio fuel is to reduce emissions - Carbon Dioxide absorbed by plants during its growth is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon produced when the fuel is burned. This would allow biofuel to be carbon neutral over its life cycle. South African Airways is partnering with US aerospace giant Boeing and Amsterdam-based SkyNRG to make sustainable aviation biofuel from a new type of tobacco plant, in a pioneering project that could make aviation more environment-friendly while advancing rural development in southern Africa.

Veld Focus:

On the Veld Focus menu tonight we have all sorts of incredible animal behaviour to share with viewers. Animals of all shapes and sizes attempt to make meals of each other, sometimes with surprising results. Snakes are up to their usual tricks as they try swallow their food without chewing it, a leopard gives us a lesson in patience, and we meet an impala that is either very brave or very stupid.

This episode of 50/50 airs on Sunday, 15 March at 17:30 on SABC3.