Tindleve ta Ndlopfu
Tindleve ta Ndlopfu means "elephant ears" in the Xitsonga language. It is a weekly short radio series about some of the research, people, and wildlife that live in and around Kruger National Park, South Africa. Hosted by USU PhD student and Fulbright grant recipient Ryan Helcoski, Tindleve ta Ndlopfu is made possible by funding from the Utah State University Ecology Center.
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Savannahs are characterized by their shifting dominance of grass and trees. Though fire is believed to give grass a boost over slower growing plants, it turns out we know little about their roots. -
Africa baobabs are distinctive, long-lived trees with essential ecosystem roles. However, their populations are in decline due to increasing herbivore populations. -
Despite their branding as pests, termites have an astounding impact on ecology. However, their contribution to ecosystem resilience is still being explored. -
Four species of bass, all native to North America, have been introduced to South Africa since the 1920s. Now these species are reducing native biodiversity. -
This week, Ryan meets with Barbara van Asch, a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University, to discuss the mopane worm, whose genetic diversity has been recently uncovered. -
The southern ground hornbill is a large charismatic bird that really stands out in the savanna. Though their population within Kruger is stable, the same cannot be said for most of their range. -
Kruger boasts remarkable high bird diversity, with more than 500 bird species listed. But the relative parasite count within those birds was unknown until a new study revealed that their diversity is also quite high. -
The elephant population in Kruger has drastically risen in the last century. Park managers must now contend with an over-abundance of intelligent, endangered, ecosystem engineers. -
Outside of comfortable camps, researchers looking to work in Kruger National Park are required to do so with a certified game guard to protect them from possible danger. -
Fire can be a destructive force, but an essential and natural driver of ecosystem functioning in the African savanna. It turns out the savanna both shapes and is shaped by fire. But such a process is difficult to untangle.
