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27 June 2018 Photo Supplied
Kovsie netball out to break drought
Former South African Under-21 representative in her fourth year as Kovsie player, Lefébre Rademan, is the new Kovsie captain for the upcoming national student champions
The Kovsie netball team is out to claim back its title at the University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament in 2018. 

The tournament takes place from 2 to 6 July 2018 on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). It has been exactly 20 years since the event was last staged in the City of Roses. The last time the Kovsies were able to win the trophy was in 2013. Tanya Mostert, Kovsie netball goal defender who will play her sixth USSA tournament this coming July, is the only remaining member from the previous squad.

The Kovsie netball squad field a strong team comprising 12 players who have represented the province, and they are also considered the strongest contenders in the upcoming championships. The Free State Crinums are the only university team to field 12 players with senior provincial experience. Khanyisa Chawane, who was named Player of the Tournament at the conclusion of the Premier League, recovered sufficiently from her ankle injury and has been appointed as the team’s vice-captain.

Taking the reigns as the new Kovsie netball team captain is the versatile Lefébre Rademan.
 
The six teams in the Super league will compete from Monday 2 July to Wednesday 4 July, with the semi-final and final matches following on Thursday 5 July and Friday 6 July 2018.

The following players will form the team for the USSA tournament: Alicia Puren, Ané Retief, Gertriana Retief, Jana Scholtz, Khanyisa Chawane, Khomotso Mamburu, Lefébre Rademan (captain), Marétha van Heerden, Marna Claassens, Meagan Roux, Sikholiwe Mdletshe, Tanya Mostert.

News Archive

Researchers reach out across continents in giraffe research
2015-09-18

Dr Francois Deacon and Prof Fred Bercovitch
busy with field work.

Researcher Dr Francois Deacon from the Department of Animal, Wildlife, and Grassland Sciences at the University of the Free State is conducting research with renowned wildlife scientist, Prof Fred Bercovitch, from the Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology, Kyoto University Primate Research Institute in Japan.

Dr Deacon’s ground-breaking research has attracted international media attention. Together with Prof Nico Smit, he equipped giraffes with GPS collars, and conducted research based on this initiative. “Satellite tracking is proving to be extremely valuable in the wildlife environment. The unit is based on a mobile global two-way communication platform, utilising two-way data satellite communication, complete with GPS systems.”

Prof Bercovitch was involved with GPS tracking from elephants to koala bears.

Some of the highlights of the joint research on giraffes by Dr Deacon and Prof Bercovitch focus on:
 
• How much time do certain giraffes spend with, and away from, one another
• How do the home ranges of herds and individual giraffe overlap
• Do genetically-related animals spend more time together than non-genetically-related animals
• How much time do the young bulls, adult bulls, and dominant bulls spend with cow herds
• Herd interactions and social behaviours of giraffe
• The role of the veld and diet on animal behaviour and distribution

 

Their research article, “Gazing at a giraffe gyroscope: Where are we going?”, which was published in the African Journal of Ecology, assesses recent research by exploring five primary questions:

- How many (sub) species of giraffe exist?
- What are the dynamics of giraffe herds?
- How do giraffe communicate?
- What is the role of sexual selection in giraffe reproduction?
- How many giraffe reside in Africa?

They conclude this article by emphasising that the most essential issue is to develop conservation management plans that will save a wonderful species from extinction, and which will also enable scientists to conduct additional research aimed at answering their five questions.

In addition, they are working together on a grand proposal to get National Geographic to cover their work.

 

 

 

 

 

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