South Africa

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Chimps Maul US Student at Goodall Sanctuary

Texan loses fingers, part of his ear in South Africa

(Newser) - An American grad student is in critical condition after being attacked by chimpanzees at Jane Goodall's sanctuary in South Africa. The student from the University of San Antonio, Texas, was guiding a group of tourists at the sanctuary for abused chimps when two large males pulled him under a...

Transgender Pageant Winner Murdered in South Africa

Young activist killed, mutilated after argument about sexuality

(Newser) - The horrific murder of a young man in South Africa has left gay activists in the Northern Cape region living in fear. Thapelo Makhutle, 24, a gay man who had recently begun identifying as transgender and who won the local Miss Gay pageant, was found murdered at home with his...

'Obscene' Zuma Painting Case Heads to Court

It 'presents me as a womanizer, philanderer,' says South African president

(Newser) - The ruling South African party is heading to court today to support President Jacob Zuma's demand that an "obscene" painting of him be censored. The painting, which was vandalized earlier this week at a Johannesburg gallery, features Zuma with his genitals exposed. It's "rude, crude, and...

Leopard Plays Gently With Baby Steenbok ... Before Dinner

Safari spots tender, cruel interaction

(Newser) - Hunger finally won out over cross-species maternal instinct in a heart-breaking South African scene captured by safari participants. Witnesses were transfixed when a female leopard grabbed a newborn steenbok, but stopped from eating almost every time the baby cried. The leopard handled it tenderly several times over a period of...

Twitter Squad Foils Carjacking
 Twitter Squad Foils Carjacking 
Apr 10, 2012 1:00 AM CDT

Twitter Squad Foils Carjacking

Tweeters track cell phone of driver shut in trunk

(Newser) - An army of helpful tweeters helped save the day when a hapless car owner nearly lost his vehicle—and his life—to a pair of carjackers in South Africa. The armed thugs forced the driver into the trunk of his Volkswagen Golf. Luckily, they didn't take his cell phone,...

Mandela, 93, Home After Surgery

Nobel laureate doing 'as fine as can be at his age'

(Newser) - Nelson Mandela has been released from a South African hospital after a laparoscopy "did not indicate anything seriously wrong" with the 93-year-old democracy icon, President Jacob Zuma said today in a statement. Mandela was hospitalized yesterday with an abdominal complaint, but the AP notes that Zuma's statement says...

Nelson Mandela Hospitalized
 Nelson Mandela Hospitalized 
Feb 25, 2012 5:28 AM CST

Nelson Mandela Hospitalized

93-year-old may have had surgery in South Africa

(Newser) - Nelson Mandela, whose public appearances have become increasingly rare, is back in the hospital. The 93-year-old had an unspecified stomach ailment, reports AP , while the BBC thinks he had surgery in a Pretoria military hospital to correct it. "I can assure you that the former president is in good...

Amazing Race Producer Poisoned in Africa

Jeff Rice dead in Uganda following failed shakedown by thugs

(Newser) - An American Amazing Race producer was found dead of poisoning in an African hotel following a failed shakedown by local thugs, Fox News is reporting. Freelance producer Jeff Rice's assistant was also discovered critically ill from poisoning in the same Uganda hotel after the pair refused to comply with...

Lion Kills S. African Zookeeper
 Lion Kills S. African Zookeeper 
Feb 15, 2012 1:00 AM CST

Lion Kills S. African Zookeeper

Employee came out of retirement because of staff shortages

(Newser) - A Johannesburg Zoo employee who came out of retirement because of staff shortages was killed by a lioness at a breeding facility outside the city. The 63-year-old, who had nearly 40 years of experience working with animals, was attacked while feeding the lions, the BBC reports. An enclosure was found...

Rhino Dies in Anti-Poaching Demonstration

Spencer couldn't be revived after sedation

(Newser) - A demonstration of a new anti-poaching procedure came to a tragic end in South Africa yesterday. A white rhino that had been sedated in order for veterinarians to implant a tracking device in his horn—and inject it with dye and a pesticide toxic to humans—died under anesthesia in...

Shark Kills Another Swimmer on 'Most Dangerous Beach'

6th victim in 6 years in South African spot

(Newser) - Yet another swimmer has been killed by a shark on a South Africa beach considered the most dangerous in the world. The victim this time was a 25-year-old swimmer who was standing up to his waist in water at a beach in Port St. John's. The shark nearly severed...

South African Farmer Marius Els Killed by Pet Hippo
 Farmer Killed by Hippo 'Son' 
Nov 15, 2011 12:36 AM CST

Farmer Killed by Hippo 'Son'

Dangerous pet turns on South African

(Newser) - They tried to tell Marius Els that a hippo couldn't be domesticated. Unfortunately for the South African farmer, they were right. The 40-year-old army major was killed by Humphrey, a 6-year-old "pet" hippo he considered one of the family, the Guardian reports. The 2,600-pound animal bit Els,...

Zulus Urged to Switch to Fake Fur

Biologist looks to save endangered leopards with synthetic pelts

(Newser) - A leopard can't change its spots, but can South Africa's Zulus trade their traditional leopard-pelt adornments for a cheap knockoff? For the sake of protecting the country's dwindling population of the big cats, conservation biologist Tristan Dickerson hopes they can. Dickerson has created a fake version he...

Record Number of Rhinos Killed in S. Africa

Meanwhile, Interpol joins effort to save Asian tigers

(Newser) - Two stories of note on the wires about animal conservation:
  • Rhinos: Poachers have killed a record 341 rhinos this year in South Africa, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The horns fetch big money on the black market for use in traditional medicine or as ornamental daggers, reports the BBC
...

South Africa Blocks Dalai Lama Visit

Desmond Tutu slams ANC after visa denied

(Newser) - The Dalai Lama helped in the fight against apartheid but now South Africa won't even allow him in, a furious Archbishop Desmond Tutu charged yesterday. The Tibetan spiritual leader canceled a planned trip to South Africa this week after it became apparent that he would not receive a visa...

Old Racist Photo Stirs New Facebook Furor

Hunter photo a fake, but authorities worry about hate groups

(Newser) - A 4-year-old racist photo on Facebook, ostensibly of a white hunter standing over a dead 3-year-old black boy, has ignited a media frenzy following a report by South Africa's Sunday Times . Although the pic was quickly found to be an fake—the "hunter" paid the boy to pose...

Grandpa Wakes Up Screaming in Morgue

Needless to say, the South African man was not actually dead

(Newser) - A South African grandfather is apparently just fine after spending 21 hours inside a morgue—but we're guessing family dinners are going to be awkward for a while. His family assumed he was dead when they were unable to wake him up, and called for an undertaker. But he...

'Bladerunner' Pistorius Shatters Personal Record

'Bladerunner' Oscar Pistorius headed to world championships

(Newser) - Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius achieved a career goal by qualifying for the world championships yesterday, fulfilling a five-year-long quest to compete at the highest level against able-bodied athletes. Pistorius said his achievement still felt "weird" and "surreal" and hadn't sunk in yet; he clocked 45.07...

'Jaws' Leaps Into Research Boat

It takes crew more than an hour to get killer back where he belongs

(Newser) - A great white shark proved a bit too cooperative, and leaped into a boat full of researchers who were luring the killer creatures off South Africa by throwing bait into the water. "Next thing I know I hear a splash, and see a white shark breach out of the...

Foodies, Meet Your New Obsession: Rooibos Tea

South African import has lots of buzz and the requisite health claims

(Newser) - Move over quinoa and acai berry. The next big thing in the culinary world just might be rooibos (roy-boss) tea. "It's a robust herbal tisane (not technically a tea), and its flavor has an almost tobacco-like, nutty quality," writes Jessica Grose at Slate . Full of antioxidants, the...

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