Patrick Lupuzi regularly visits the University of the Western Cape (UWC) campus to feed and care for local wild cats. These animals, numbering around 113 individuals, live alongside a dog named Meisiehond.
The UWC wild cat care project (TUFCAT) was founded in 1997 by Dr. Sharyn Spicer and the late Andre Oppelt. The project aims to ensure daily feeding of the cats, as well as providing them with sterilization, veterinary care, and necessary check-ups.
During the first cat audit in 1999, approximately 165 cats inhabited the campus grounds. Thanks to the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, the population gradually stabilized and decreased over time.
Lupuzi modified the enclosure entrances to prevent Egyptian geese from stealing food from the cats. He starts feeding the cats at 6:20 AM six days a week while the campus is quiet. On Sundays, Dr. Spicer takes on this responsibility.
The morning routine prompts the cats to leave their shelters, allowing Lupuzi to monitor their health and well-being. During feeding, Lupuzi moves between bowls, cleaning each one, and then replenishes dry food in selected bowls located inside the enclosures. He also refreshes water in 34 enclosures scattered across the campus. Some of these feeding points are far away, such as near Unibell and the Hector Pieterson Residence.
Most of the cats are very timid, but some are friendly and readily accept affection from passersby. The cats also benefit the campus by helping to prevent potential rodent problems.
Lupuzi admitted that he was not initially a cat lover, preferring dogs. However, over time, he began to love them, noting that caring for them serves as a huge stress reliever and brings him great pleasure. He emphasized that the way the cats look at him and wait for food is a very special experience.
TUFCAT receives support through donations and the sale of used books. The project is also featured on the Woolworths app, where supporters can select the UWC/TUFCAT Wild Cat Project as their 'My Cause'. A portion of purchases made using the MyDifference card is then directed to supporting this project. Additional information on how to support TUFCAT can be found on the website www.tufcat.co.za.
Mahseer, known as the 'river tiger,' is an iconic freshwater species of significant ecological and cultural importance across Asia. Despite high reverence for these giant fish, they face a serious crisis. A new study conducted in three Indian states—Karnataka, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh—revealed that while most participants want to conserve Mahseer, only a few believe they have the real capacity to do so.
Researchers from the University of Transdisciplinary Health and Technology Sciences (TDU) and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) found that the biggest obstacle to the survival of these species is the gap between the desire to help and the ability to take action. These species are approaching biological and social extinction.
The work focused on five specific Mahseer species: Tor khudree (Deccan Mahseer), Tor putitora (Golden Mahseer), Tor remadevii (Humped/Orange-spotted Mahseer), Tor mosal (Mosal Mahseer), and Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (Chocolate Mahseer). The research was carried out in three states known for Mahseer populations: Karnataka (Cauvery River basin), Assam (Brahmaputra system), and Uttar Pradesh (Himalayan mountain rivers).
The team conducted about 160 interviews and several focus groups with various groups of people, including local fishermen, tribal leaders, government officials, and scientists. Reflective thematic analysis was used to analyze the conversations. To understand the reasons for difficulties in conservation efforts, researchers integrated three conceptual frameworks: Conservation Planning Frameworks (CPF), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Social Values (SV).
CPF serves as the structural basis of the study, offering a phased approach to conservation management through three stages: situation assessment, decision-making, and implementation, as well as monitoring and evaluation. It focuses on 'what' and 'how' groups and institutions carry out conservation activities. TPB posits that for a person to perform an action, they must meet three conditions: have a positive attitude toward the goal, feel social pressure to act, and, most importantly, feel actual behavioral control, which includes access to time, resources, favorable conditions, and decision-making autonomy.
The Social Values framework defines the deeper normative foundations of human decisions regarding nature. The study showed that traditional conservation methods fail because they ignore the human factor. Surveys revealed a significant gap: local communities living near the rivers and best understanding the fish often feel alienated from centralized governance. Decisions were made in distant government offices without considering the opinion of those affected, leading to feelings of helplessness and sometimes open conflict between groups.
Currently, conservation efforts often concentrate solely on the biological needs of the organism, such as water quality, habitat, or breeding habits, using only CPF and ignoring the people who share this environment. By integrating TPB and the analysis of Social Values with CPF, researchers were able to reframe the problem more effectively. Instead of simply asking about people's sympathy for Mahseer, they studied the deeply rooted moral obligations and cultural identities associated with this fish. This approach allowed them to identify systemic issues, such as the lack of inter-departmental coordination, which prevented various government agencies from coordinating their actions.
Scientists argue that to save Mahseer, India must transition to a co-management model. This means moving away from a system where the government simply gives orders to a system where local and tribal communities are granted legal authority and resources to manage their own river sections. This bottom-up approach will transform local residents from passive observers into active protectors of the ecosystem. Furthermore, the study recommends changing communication, suggesting that conservation messages should be based on the local culture and traditions of each region, rather than using general scientific terminology that may not resonate with people on the ground.
Moreover, the integrated approach used in this study offers a more effective conservation tool than traditional methods. It provides a detailed understanding of the personal motives, cultural identities, and moral obligations behind individual behavior. Such a holistic structure can enable the development of technically sound interventions that are socially acceptable, promote coexistence between humans and wildlife, and are more likely to catalyze sustainable behavioral change.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS), comprising over fifty countries and territories, face unique socio-economic and environmental challenges that make them extremely vulnerable to climate change. Consequently, the report calls for increased support to enhance these nations' resilience to climate change.
According to the Lancet Countdown 2025 report on 'Health and Climate Change in Small Island Developing States,' the population of these countries continues to bear an 'disproportionate and growing health burden due to climate change.'
Data from the report shows that in 2024, the average number of hours of moderate risk of heat stress during light outdoor activities reached a record high of 3000 hours. Furthermore, in the same year, approximately 4.4 billion working hours could be lost due to intense heat, which is the highest figure since monitoring began in 1990.
Climate change also increases the risk of diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Prolonged drought has left over 2.7 million people in a state of moderate or severe food insecurity. In the oceans, warming continues to threaten fisheries, livelihoods, and marine food security across all island nations.
The report warns that adaptation efforts remain limited due to insufficient institutional capacity, fragmented climate financing, and a lack of investment in healthcare. Moreover, only 10 out of 58 SIDS have national plans dedicated to climate adaptation and health. Despite the difficulties, the report notes positive shifts: the capacity to use photovoltaic energy has more than doubled since 2020, and early warning systems are improving.
Researchers from NASA and the University of Lancaster have discovered evidence indicating that the impacts of the most severe solar storms have been underestimated. A study published in the journal Nature this Wednesday (15) raises questions about the existence of a maximum limit to the Earth's magnetic field response.
The investigation focused on analyzing data from electric currents in the upper atmosphere and solar winds to determine how the planet reacts to major space events. The scientists concluded that any observed stabilization in the effects could be a statistical artifact of the measurements, rather than a sign of natural protection against extreme phenomena.
The work was conducted by Nithin Sivadas, a researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Maria Walach from the University of Lancaster. The analysis points out that unusual solar storms have the potential to generate more intense consequences for navigation systems, satellites, and communications.
For many years, the scientific community believed that the influence of solar storms would have a saturation point. This belief was based on the observation that certain atmospheric electric currents seemed to cease increasing even when the solar wind became stronger. The new study proposes that this apparent saturation might be a result of the data collection methodology.
Much of the measurements of extreme events comes from probes located at Lagrange point 1, an area about 1.6 million kilometers from Earth toward the Sun. The researchers argue that the disparity between the strength of the solar wind measured at this point and what actually reaches the planet can distort the data. By aggregating these data in large volumes, more extreme values end up appearing less intense, creating the illusion of a limit to the Earth's response.
To test this hypothesis, the team examined over one million records of solar wind captured by NASA spacecraft in orbit near Earth. The findings demonstrated a direct correlation between the intensity of the solar wind and the increase in electric currents in the upper layer of the atmosphere. According to the authors, this conclusion fundamentally changes how risk scenarios for extreme space events should be assessed.
If there is no maximum limit to the planetary response, very powerful solar storms could cause technological damage greater than currently predicted. Geomagnetic storms are temporary variations in the magnetic field and plasma around the Earth. In severe cases, they can affect satellites, disrupt GPS and communication signals, cause failures in power grids, and increase radiation exposure for pilots and astronauts.
Despite being rare events, the researchers emphasize that the low frequency of these occurrences makes accurate large-scale predictions difficult. The team concludes that only new records will allow for a clearer understanding of Earth's behavior in the face of an exceptional solar storm.
