Features Overview
Forest Explorers: Unraveling the Mysteries of Juvenile Orangutans
In the Kluet Peat swamps in North Sumatra is the Suaq Balimbing Orangutan Monitoring Station, where Emma Lokuciejewski conducts her research. Encircling the station are humid peat swamps filled with rot-fallen trees, tall grass, and liana vines that climb their long, flexible fingers towards the forest canopy. The difficult-to-traverse forest is an ecosystem with rich biodiversity, made more impressive by its resident orangutan population. Herein lies the purpose of the conservation biologists in these swamps: to monitor and research the orangutans in their native waterlogged home, and it is here that Emma pursues her passion for investigating orangutan behaviour.
A journey to rhino preservation at Kruger with Zoe Nhleko
Through South Africa’s Kruger National Park, Zoe Nhleko explains to us the importance of understanding the effects poaching has on the rhino population.
Over 500km from Johannesburg, in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa, through various towns and hours of bushland, is Kruger National Park. The two-million‑hectare reserve in the low-lying savanna is one of the largest in Africa and offers a diverse range of wildlife, including the big-five game animals; lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalos, and rhinos, which in Kruger makes up almost 50% of South Africa’s rhino population. The reserve welcomes many adventurous visitors hoping to encounter the reserve’s wildlife. Yet, curious tourists are not the only guests; the park is also home to the scientists who help preserve the wildlife population. We spoke to wildlife ecologist Zoe Nhleko about her extensive experience studying the impact of climate and poaching on Kruger National Park’s rhino population.
Flying high in the Himalayas, with Sahas Barve
In this article we take a journey into the Himalayas though the eyes of researcher Sahas Barve. We learn of the complex nature of high altitude birds and what it takes to study them.
In the Indian state of Uttarakhand, nestled at the base of the Himalayas and surrounded by snow-clad mountains, is the breathtaking Chamoli district. Alpine forests and crisscrossing rivers form the landscape throughout Chamoli, providing a home to an abundance of flora and diverse wildlife, from the common Langur monkey to the elusive Leopard. The biodiversity in the Chamoli district is strongly shaped by its stratification across different elevations from sea level, with animals adapting within specific altitudes. This is especially true for Himalayan birds. We spoke to ecologist Sahas Barve, who conducted his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary biology at Cornell University to further understand such altitude-specific adaptations.
Remnants of ancient life in sumatran caves
In this article, we follow research Holly Smith as she travels into Sumatran caves in search for ancient artefacts.
In West Sumatra, Indonesia, the Padang Highlands is surrounded by kilometres of thick rainforest with a rich and diverse population of animal species. Among the dense foliage is an abundance of natural caves. During the Pleistocene epoch, these caves and their surroundings were teeming with biodiversity, resulting in a wealth of material for palaeontological research. The abundance of fossils in the caves throughout West Sumatra drives scientists, such as Palaeontology PhD candidate Holly Smith, to venture into the Padang Highland's rugged terrain. After completing her Masters at Durham University, UK, Holly made the cross-globe move to Brisbane, Australia, where she is currently a member of the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University. We had the opportunity to interview Holly and delve deep into the nature of her work.
