Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe shot dead a large crocodile that strayed into the northern town of Hwange and blocked entry to a hospital, an official said Thursday. The crocodile took up position outside the main gate to St Patrick’s hospital and charged at anyone trying …
Read More »Sudan, the last male northern white rhino in the world, dies
Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Dvur Kralove Zoo have announced the death of Sudan, the last male northern white rhino in the world. Sudan was being treated for age-related complications that led to degenerative changes in muscles and bones combined with extensive skin wounds, …
Read More »Uganda’s tourism revenue figures
Separating fact from fiction Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | According to official figures, tourism contributed up to US$1.35 billion into Uganda’s export basket in 2016, and was the single highest foreign exchange earner; contributing 23.5% of total exports. Based on those figures, the tourism lobby; which has advocates on …
Read More »Sh459 billion approved for new Nile bridge, electricity power line
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has approved government borrowing of up to Sh459 billion from Japanese and European banks meant for the completion of construction of the new bridge across the River Nile. The other loan is meant to finance the Masaka-Mbarara power transmission line. The loans were …
Read More »Four arrested with Pangolin scales, Hippo teeth
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Police with the help of Natural Resource Conservation Network (NRCN) has arrested four people in possession of pangolin scales and hippo teeth in Kasese and Kampala. Ivan Tuhaiirwe and Davis Kateregga were arrested in possession of 50 kilograms of pangolin scales worth Sh7million which they …
Read More »Woman killed by lion at S.Africa game lodge
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A 22-year-old woman was mauled to death by a lion on Tuesday at a private game lodge close to South Africa’s capital Pretoria, local media reported. The victim was attacked by the lioness near Hammanskraal, roughly 45 kilometres (30 miles) north of Pretoria around …
Read More »Today’s elephants don’t interbreed like ancient species
Miami, United States | AFP | Ancient species of elephants and mammoths interbred, swapping genes that helped them adapt to new habitats and climates, a practice that is lost among modern-day elephants, researchers said Monday. Today, the two kinds of living elephants in Africa — savanna and forest elephants — are …
Read More »TOURISM EXPO: Is that a Lion or Leopard?
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The zoo section at the ongoing The Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) is the most visited area, but the various questions the wildlife wardens face and the discussions that are going on there, explains why officials decided to put more emphasis on …
Read More »Busy skies over Kigali
RwandAir spreads its wings across Africa Kampala, Uganda | INDEPENDENT TEAM | The New Year 2018 has kicked off in high gear for RwandAir, the national carrier of Rwanda with launches of new routes. The latest news is the now scheduled May 16 launch of its new Kigali-Harare-Cape Town route. RwandAir …
Read More »New take on real-life hijack drama in ‘7 Days in Entebbe’
Berlin, Germany | AFP | The counter-terrorism plot seems more far fetched than many action thrillers, yet “7 Days in Entebbe”, which premiered at the Berlin film festival Monday, depicts a real-life airline hijack drama. The movie recounts what is often called the most audacious hostage rescue mission ever staged, …
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