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The Congo Basin represents the world's largest tropical carbon store; its forest expanse stretches across almost the entire African continent and covers an area larger than India. Despite its colossal importance, very little is known about it.

Currently, about 200 scientists comprising the Congo Basin Scientific Group are making efforts to change this situation. The panel presented its first report in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, in May, aiming to attract funding to train thousands of doctoral students over the next decade.

Experts note that intensifying scientific research is necessary to understand and protect this vast territory. The forest regulates the climate of an entire continent, is home to one-fifth of the world's species of living organisms, and absorbs as much CO2 as Germany emits annually. However, the forest is threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture, deforestation, mining, and the demand for charcoal used by growing populations for cooking.

The panel's Special Envoy, Lee White, a zoologist born in the UK and formerly Minister of Environment of Gabon, stated: 'We need investment in better understanding the Congo Basin and in creating a generation of Congo Basin scientists who will protect the ecosystem. I am convinced that if we lose the Congo Basin, Africa will become uninhabitable.'

These efforts echo the work conducted by Brazilian researchers over the last three decades in the Amazon Basin, significantly expanding knowledge of tropical forests. According to surveys, about 120 scientists from Congo Basin countries publish on issues related to this forest, which is a small fraction of the thousands of researchers studying the Amazon.

White noted: 'It is quite disheartening. That is why we know much more about the Amazon than we do about the Congo Basin.' The panel is appealing to potential funding sources, such as the African Development Bank and the Hassoplatner Foundation, established by co-founder of German software giant SAP SE, to support this initiative, which White estimates will cost tens of millions of dollars. Currently, the UK government has provided £9 million ($12.1 million), enough to fund up to 30 master's and about 15 doctoral degrees.

Universities in Congo Basin countries often suffer from resource shortages, and local scientists have limited career opportunities. Bila-Isia Inogwabini, a professor of biodiversity at the Catholic University of Congo in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, said: 'When people get doctorates in the Congo Basin, they go into ministries doing administrative work; they leave the scientific field. Or they stay in the Western world, where they are offered better jobs. Many people I studied with in the UK consider me crazy for coming back.'

White and the scientists, including Inogwabini, argue that partnerships must be established between wealthier universities in places like Europe and the US and institutions in the Congo Basin, which stretches from the Cross River in Nigeria to the Rift Valley in East Africa. Panel scientists teach at universities in Cameroon and Gabon, as well as in the US, UK, and the European Union.

Emma Torres, Strategic Coordinator of the Amazon Science Group, reported that support from the Brazilian government was vital for a similar initiative in the Amazon, which launched its scientific panel in 2019. She emphasized that the continuity of this support across different political cycles played a key role.

Central Africa is home to some of the poorest countries in the world, which limits state support for scientists and generates stigmatization, despite significant achievements in nature conservation. White stated: 'There is a negative perception that this is the heart of darkness in the Congo Basin, and that little can be achieved. I clearly disagree with this. If you look at the results of the Congo Basin in terms of establishing new protected areas and so on, they are probably world leaders in progress.'

This stigma has also affected the careers of scientists from the region. Lydie-Stella Kutika, a soil scientist from the Republic of the Congo and one of the three co-chairs of the scientific panel, shared: 'I received my doctorate on the Amazonian Brazilian ecosystem. So it's quite funny. I saw the Amazon forest before I saw the forest ecosystem in the Congo Basin.'

There are three elephants at the Johannesburg Zoo—Lemi (47 years old), Ramadiba (28 years old), and Mpani (26 years old)—who are the last elephants in a traditional South African zoo. These animals have become the focus of ongoing litigation as animal welfare organizations insist on their relocation to a reserve instead of keeping them in the zoo environment.

The three elephants entered their enclosure in a line, with fruits and vegetables scattered on the ground to stimulate natural foraging. For visitors to the popular Johannesburg Zoo, this was an opportunity to see Africa's largest land animal live. However, for animal activists, this scene represents cruelty that they are trying to stop through legal action demanding the trio be freed to live in a rewilding reserve.

In May, the campaign presented the court with observational data indicating that Lemi, Ramadiba, and Mpani show signs of stress and depression. The parties behind the case stated: 'These elephants possess high intelligence, a complex social structure, and are sentient beings living in conditions that harm their well-being, resulting in distress.' They argued that the court should 'allow their immediate release into a suitable reserve... where they can recover.'

Megan Carr, a senior researcher at EMS Foundation involved in the filing, reported that a decision is expected in the coming weeks. She emphasized that these three elephants are the only ones remaining in the urban zoo setting on the continent. Carr noted: 'They are the last three elephants presented within the exhibition framework of a traditional zoo setting in South Africa and Africa.'

This legal initiative followed the success of activists who managed to secure the release of a 42-year-old elephant from the Pretoria National Zoo into a private reserve in 2024 after years of negotiations with the South African government. This individual animal spent 40 years in the institution.

When the AFP team visited the Johannesburg Zoo, a group of small children approached the viewing platform, shouting, 'Elephant! Elephant!', while the three animals moved through their enclosure. Lemi, who is solely focused on food, was born at the zoo, which is one of the few cases in South Africa among numerous state and private reserves or game reserves. Ramadiba and Mpani arrived in 2019.

A representative from the Johannesburg City Parks, Jenny Mudli, reported that the trio of elephants is under good care and recently underwent a clean medical examination. According to the official, who declined to speak to the media, the facility can accommodate up to five elephants, and each animal receives attention from two keepers, while food is hidden throughout the enclosure to encourage walking and foraging.

The administration of the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo does not wish to release the elephants, arguing that they are adapted to captivity, especially Lemi, who has never lived elsewhere. Tunduksol Mendreu, the managing director, stated in documents submitted to the court following failed negotiations that if the animals are relocated, the zoo will lose the ability to provide important research and public education opportunities. He added that having animals in the zoo program allowed schoolchildren, especially from less affluent backgrounds, to see them live.

Carr countered this position by asking, 'Why show a compromised elephant to a child when it is much easier for them to watch elephants on video or television?' She stressed that 'they require vast space to remain healthy and strong, and no enclosure can offer that to an elephant.'

According to activists, the elephants spend the night in two communal bomas or enclosures, each measuring 160 square meters, which is smaller than a medium tennis court. During the day, they are allowed to move freely in an unenclosed area, which is significantly larger, approximately the size of a football field. The government reported last August that there are about 44,000 African savanna elephants in South Africa, of which about 6,000 belong to private individuals or communities.

In a special edition of the CGTN series 'Inside El Niño,' a report was presented on the state of Bahia in Brazil, which is a historical center for cocoa cultivation. Producers are closely monitoring the development of a strong El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean after a previous major event led to crop destruction due to severe drought.

On traditional farms where cocoa has been cultivated for generations under the Atlantic Forest, the sensitivity of this harvest to drought periods means that any disruption during the long production cycle can sharply reduce yields and seriously undermine farmers' livelihoods.

Although the industry continues to cope with the aftermath of past fungal outbreaks, which previously significantly reduced production, researchers are working on developing drought-resistant varieties and considering a shift to drier territories as a long-term strategy for ensuring crop security.

As Brazil aims to supply high-quality specialty cocoa and chocolate to growing markets such as China, the stakes extend beyond local plantations, affecting global supply chains and the economic sustainability of communities dependent on this climate-vulnerable crop.