Featured Research: Animals

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A cross section through a tusk

It might sound strange at first to hear of a professor in human oral pathology who researches animals, but Prof Erich Raubenheimer has spent over a quarter of a century studying the great African Elephant (Loxodonta africana). What started as a challenge by an American researcher to bring something unique to the international research community, soon became so much more than science and one of...

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Minimally invasive methods make surgery safer for Africa's big cats

In most medical success stories, one would expect to hear about procedures first being successfully tested on animals before they are applied in the human realm of medicine.

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Understanding the intricacies of rhino immobilisation

The reality of rhino poaching has made us all too aware of the fragility of the species. It is with growing frequency that veterinary professionals are required to work on these animals in an attempt to save them.

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Scientists use statistics to differentiate African dolphin 'dialects'

Understanding how and when animal species use their environment is a fundamental ecological question and one that can be surprisingly difficult to answer, particularly when working in the marine environment.

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Electric fences and small animals - a deadly combination

In the last 15 years, electric fences have become a popular choice for the control of animal movement on game reserves, private game farms and commercial farms – ensuring livestock and wildlife stay in the confines of the farm and unwanted predators and people stay out.

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Lethal dehydration - a ticking clock for desert birds

While political leaders deny climate change, mass deaths of desert birds resulting from escalating temperatures are becoming a frequent occurrence.