Latest news with #Baobabs
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Hyderabad nature group counts 37 African Boababs in the city
The African Boabab tree is under increasing abiotic stress across the world. A paper in 'Frontiers in Forests and Global Change' noted how: 'The heightened disturbance predicted from increased climate variability, hot droughts and landfalling tropical cyclones magnifies mortality risk for, 'Africa's favourite tree,'' This is true for some of the baobab trees even in Hyderabad. One of them found just off the PVNR Expressway has collapsed exposing the inner hollow trunk. While the tree has survived, the surrounding area is being encroached with building debris being dumped to block the pathway for worshippers from reaching the tree that is near the ancient Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple. 'Loss of habitat is one form of climatic stress that is affecting the baobab trees in Africa. But in India, this is not a factor. The trees are mostly found in western ghats, peninsular India and central India where the rainfall is for a short duration,' says Sangram Chavhan, Senior Scientist at the National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management. However, a nature group from the city now says that they have a count of 37 boababs in and around Hyderabad. The number includes a group of seven trees in the Aramghar area with two of them inside the Jamia Islamia Darul Uloom and three inside the Zilla Parishad High School in Aramghar with one of them with a girth of approximately 45 feet. 'Baobabs have so much going for them that it's a pleasure to discover that Hyderabad is home to so many. The amazing bottle-shapes, massive size, myriad uses and stories about Baobabs made them exotic curiosities of the plant world. When I came to Hyderabad almost 40 years ago I heard about the legendary Hathiyan ka jhaad of Hyderabad which has stood for more than 4 centuries, whose huge girth and hollowed centre lends credibility to some entertaining historical facts,' says Kobita Das, a nature watcher and activist, referring to the change from one tree inside the Naya Qila area of the Golconda Fort to now. A number of mapping efforts have been made earlier in Hyderabad for the exotic and sometimes storied trees that landed in India due to pre-modern global trade. 'Equally fascinating is the genealogy of the trees and how they came to certain areas in India along with Arab traders at first, and later with slaves brought by colonisers like the Dutch, the Portugese and the British,' says Ms. Kobita Das. An earlier study had noted how the African Boabab inside the Naya Qila is the biggest outside Africa with the oldest part of the tree estimated at 484 ± 50 yrs using radio carbon dating. The tree's girth was measured at 25.48 metres or about 83.5 feet.
The Star
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Champs Crinums bounce back with commanding win over Flames in Telkom Netball League
Rowan Callaghan | Published 3 hours ago Defending champions the Free State Crinums bounced back quickly from their only loss so far of Power Week 1 of the Telkom Netball League (TNL), with a 68-45 win over the North West Flames on day six. The Golden Fireballs had handed the log leaders a shock 50-45 loss in their top-of-the-table clash. The Crinums were back to their imperious best with a commanding performance against the Flames at the Sun City Superbowl in Rustenburg, North West. The team's dominance was evident throughout the game, with the Flames struggling to keep up. The Crinums' attack was relentless, with 80 attempts compared to the Flames' 53. The Crinums' defence was solid, forcing three held balls and eight interceptions. This strong defensive display was a key factor in their victory. Coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm said: 'I'm very proud of the girls, it was a big win for us, we needed it.' She also highlighted the importance of giving fringe players opportunities, allowing them to feel the pressure of playing against a big team. The Flames seemed to lose momentum after the first quarter, allowing the Crinums to take control of the game. Coach Elsunet du Plessis acknowledged that her team were inconsistent, but saw positive aspects of their performance. She said: 'I think we were too inconsistent... but still there were passages of play that were very good and we can build on that.' She emphasised the need for her team to refocus and come back stronger. The Gauteng Jaguars, who have won the tournament six times, are slowly finding form after a poor start. They outclassed the Baobabs 65-38, after seeing off the Zambezi Eagles 56-49. The team's early dominance of the Baobabs set the tone for the rest of the game. They pounced on every opportunity with 11 interceptions, shot attempts, and favourable circle feeds. Stand-out performers included Ine-Mare Venter with 49 goal attempts, and solid defensive plays from Jamie Williamson, Zane Bodenstein, and Lungile Mthembu. However, the team faced some setbacks, with Janie van Wyk being temporarily replaced by Jamie Williamson due to concussion protocols. Alice Kenon also sustained an injury. Coach Rozanne Matthyse of the Jaguars said: 'A lot of our players are coachable, and that's important. They know what they want from this competition, and they are always focused on our process.' The Jaguars' mini-revival will face another stern test with a clash against the Flames. Baobabs coach Emily Mathosa reflected on her team's struggles, saying: 'We did not start well, and I think that's why the score went up. 'If we had maintained our own centre passes, the score would never be like this... I am actually happy that we were able to improve in the second and third quarters.' The Baobabs were able to quickly put the disappointment behind them with a narrow 48-47 win over the Aloes on Friday morning. Nokwanda Khumalo scored the winning goal for the Baobabs at the final buzzer in a dramatic end-to-end clash. The first round of Telkom Netball League matches will end on Sunday. Power Week 2 takes place from June 13-17.
