KOSH P04 11 April 2014, PLATINUM WEEKLY, Tel: 014 592 9686, Fax: 011 252 6669, E-mail: [email protected]

van Weldon en geoloog van Swede, Weldon sê die Afrika-brulpadda hiberneer vir Peter Bergman, het hulle onlangs be- tot elf maande van die jaar ondergrond en is soek om hand by te sit met die fynere slegs vir sowat ‘n maand (gewoonlik Novem- Skaaphondjie opleiding van Jessie. ber/ Desember) bogronds om te broei en ei- Bergman se eie hond, ‘n Duitse her- ers te lê as dit genoegsaam gereën het. “Dit opgelei om derhond, is opgelei om met minerale maak dit dus uiters moeilik om die paddas die eksplorasie te help. res van die jaar op te spoor. Este sê hulle het twee weke gelede Daar is ‘n nood om die brulpaddas op te brulpaddas met haar opleiding begin en is baie spoor voordat ontwikkeling plaasvind, anders verras oor hoe vinnig sy gevorder het. kan dit gestaak word en ontwikkelaars miljoe- Hulle het aanvanklik met biltong in ‘n ne rande kos.” TE HELP houer begin en later ‘n teemengsel Die doel met Jessie se opleiding is om die aangemaak en dit stelselmatig ver- brulpaddas betyds uit te snuffel om die spesie BEWAAR dun tot daar net een persent tee in te help bewaar en om die ekologie rondom die mengsel oor was. Jessie kon dit hulle habitat te ondersoek. Weldon sê dit sal steeds uitruik. Hulle het toe met pad- ook help om ‘n buffer-area rondom die habitat davel-reuk begin om te voorkom dat te bepaal, want kennis oor die gedrag van die sy skrikkerig sou wees tydens eerste jong metamorwe is nie bekend nie. kennismaking met ‘n lewendige pad- Weldon sê Jessie sal later ook opgelei word da. om padda-siektes uit te snuffel om hulle in die Este sê Jessie kan nou al een tot 100 diagnostiese fase te help. Tans word paddas 000ste van die reuk in ‘n houer onder gevang en duur en langsame molekulêre die grond uitruik. “Dit is net fenome- toetse moet in laboratoriums gedoen word om naal en ons het geen idee hoe sensi- vas te stel of die paddas sekere vel-infeksies tief haar reuksin is nie.” het. Die swamme op die vel gee ‘n eiesoor- Potchefstroom – ‘n Jong skaaphondjie word Jessie se eienaar, Esté Matthew, vertel sy Jessie is eers in laboratorium toes- tige reuk af en met Jessie se sensitiewe neus tans opgelei om die Grootbrulpadda uit te het met die idee vorendag gekom en ná ‘n tande opgelei, later na ‘n gekontroleerde tus- sal sy dit moontlik kan uitruik. snuffel as deel van ‘n meestergraad student gesprek met haar studieleier, prof Ché Wel- senstadium (mesokosm) in die buitelug en Hy sê Este fokus tans met haar MSc op die se navorsing aan die Noordwes-Universiteit don, het hulle ‘n program uitgewerk waarmee die volgende stap sal wees om haar veld toe brulpadda, maar sal in die volgende fase se Potchefstroom kampus. Die ses maande Jessie kan help met Esté se M-studie in dier- te neem na areas waar hulle weet brulpaddas uitbrei na ‘n PhD-studie om te help om be- oue Jessie het pas met haar opleiding begin kunde. voorkom. dreigde spesies uit te snuffel. om dié paddas onder die grond te kan uit- Jessie kom van twee werkende ouers op ‘n Weldon sê die opleiding word op ‘n weten- Jessie, met haar wakker ogies en waaiende ruik. Die Grootbrulpadda is tans ‘n beskerm- skaapplaas naby Bloemfontein af. Sy woon skaplike, betroubare wyse uitgevoer en die- stert, kan nog ‘n waardevolle instrument word de spesie in Gauteng aangesien sy habitat by ‘n vriendin van Esté, aangesien sy in Wag- selfde toets word tot veertig keer herhaal ten om meer inligting oor paddas te bekom om geleidelik krimp weens verstedeliking. ‘n-Bietjie-koshuis woon. ‘n Navorsingskollega einde ‘n betroubare resultaat te lewer. die spesies beter te beskerm.

Allen Dingle

Ikey Tigers break North West hero of the National Nedbank Cham- pionships for the physi- NWU-Pukke hearts cally disabled in Stellen- bosch, walked away with three gold medals in the Hierdie is die Dux-leerders van Laerskool power-lifting open cat- Meiringspark(Klerksdorp) in elke graad vir die egory. With Allen is his eerste kwartaal van 2014. Vlnr: Lillian Maritz guide, Mpho. (Gr4), Corno van Zyl (Gr5), Danelle Pretorius (Gr6), en Frans van der Merwe (Gr7). The spoor of Potchefstroom – In a thrilling FNB fighting and playing”, adding that University Cup final presented by “Finals are often decided by the last Steinhoff International last weekend, play of the game, so no matter what – Ikey Tigers scored three tries in the never give up. Good teams don’t lose the Trek-ox last five minutes of the game to stun they just run out of time and that’s the NWU-Pukke and their supporters what appeared to happen with us un- Hartbeespoort Dam – Come and spend a gold in 1881. It became a cultural icon and into submission at the Fanie du Toit til that drop goal was charged down, nostalgic evening in the company of Pro- symbol, but without the power of a team of Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom. and then 13 of our players handled fessor Erik Holm, well-known entomologist a dozen or fourteen oxen harnessed to the Fighting their way back from the sev- the ball before Nathan Nel scored that of the University of , at the Meerhof wagon in pairs, we might still have been liv- enth-place finish last year, the Ikeys’ beautiful Cup winning try.” Lodge at Hartbeespoort Dam, and learn ing in the Cape! 39-33 victory had the capacity crowd These sentiments were echoed by more about the sturdy, dependable, clo- You are invited to come and Stoepsit@ on their feet, and on arrival at the UCT captain Liam Slatem who said International Airport on his side’s character is what guar- ven-footed creatures that tirelessly pulled Meerhoflodge with Prof Holm on Friday, Tuesday afternoon, the UCT team re- anteed their success. He also had their wagons across our country in days 25 April 2014, when he will be presenting ceived a heroes’ welcome for bringing praise for their substitutes who played gone by. a talk in Afrikaans on the deep spoor these the trophy back home. brilliantly and contributed to the whole relied on trek-ox technology animals left in our history, language and NWU-Pukke seemed to have the squad’s amazing team performance. for three hundred years. Without the oxen culture. game wrapped up when Michael The home side had all of the momen- teams pulling the traditional four-wheeled Drinks will be served from a cash bar on Botha, Dean Grant and Nathan Nel tum and looked invincible despite cen- ox-wagons of our ancestors, it is difficult the terrace from 18:00, with dinner follow- scored classic tries to have the visi- tre receiving a yellow to imagine how the pioneers of yester- ing at 19:00. The show starts at 20:00 and tors earn their title in the most dra- card just before half-time, and made year would have been able to open up the ends with questions about an hour later, matic style. a determined start to the second half, FNB UCT coach Kevin Musikanth hammering away at their opponents’ country for development, as all transport, after which coffee, tea and biscuits will be said, “This Ikey Tigers team refused defence. Up to the last moments the agriculture, building projects and dam con- served. to give up throughout the campaign; NWU-Pukke looked to have the game struction was done with oxen. The show will be repeated in English the scoring tries at the death against in the bag, but the Ikeys refused to Ox-wagons carried the Voortrekkers inland following night, Saturday 26 April, at the NMMU, Tuks, Maties in the round give in and were rewarded for their from the Cape Colony in the 1830s and same time. The cost is R150 per person robin game, and lastly in the final. So hard work throughout the season 1840s and about forty years later brought and includes dinner and the show. what the final revealed was the will- by plucking the title from under the supplies from the then Lourenço Marques For bookings call Mike at 071 382 5905 ingness of the boys to always keep Pukke noses. to the Barberton area after the discovery of or [email protected]