Enviro Health

I want a tiger cub too!
Panjo the tiger's AWOL adventure has caught the attention of animal lovers everywhere. However, it has also raised the question: should people be allowed to keep wild animals?

The habit of killing
Customs like bull-killing aren’t just hard luck for animals. Hanging on to old outdated ways can be very bad for us too.

Wildlife trade spurs disease
International trade in wildlife raises the risk of animal-human infection, and could lead to more disease outbreaks in the near future.

How to avoid shark attacks
There's no reason to let shark attack fears spoil your summer. Just take a few basic precautions, and, if you spend a lot of time in the sea, maybe consider getting a Shark Shield.

Wild calling
They get called bunnyhuggers, but they’re also frontline medics in the war on the environment. A look at the work of wildlife rehabilitators.

The bang and the whimper
You feel like a spoilsport denying the excitement of fireworks to kids. But is a brief moment of fun really worth the risk?

Seal strandings
If you come across what appears to be a stranded seal, but it shows no sign of injury or distress and isn't entangled, then it's generally best to leave it alone.

Don't let the bed bugs bite!
Experts warn of a global resurgence in bed bugs. Here’s how to avoid an infestation of these unwelcome little guests.

Eaten alive by maggots!
Occasionally stories surface about people being eaten by maggots. Just another internet hoax. Or is it?

No flies on you
It's not just that flies are annoying, they're germ-laden. This summer, strike them off your guest-list.

Sting of death
'Crocodile hunter' was stung in the heart by a stingray. What are these creatures and how can you protect yourself against them?

Save the pigs!
People are looking at pigs in the same suspicious way they looked at cows and chickens. But if we didn’t eat so many animals, we wouldn’t have so many infectious diseases.

Fear and loathing in Kommetjie
An account of the mass beach stranding at Kommetjie, 30 May 2009.

Shark attacks on the increase?
There seems to have been a steady increase in shark attacks in South Africa's waters, but is it the fault of humans or sharks?

12 extremely dangerous animals
In the world we live in, we sometimes forget that we aren’t always on top of the food chain.

5 bugs we love to hate
Health24 set out to find out which bugs we could wish extinction on. Which bugs, we wondered, have no useful role to play?

Zombie bees
Ever wondered why honey bees are disappearing off the face of the earth? Well, a researcher may have stumbled on one of the many possible answers for the rapid decline of bees.

Animal sacrifice
Millions of animals have suffered and died in the name of research and the betterment of humankind. Please note: these images are not gruesome, but they may be disturbing.

Your home: a roach motel?
Even the cleanest houses can sometimes have cockroaches. Here's how to make your home an unattractive prospect for them.

Bird people risk parrot fever
Coughing, tight chest, fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches? If you keep or work with birds, these might be symptoms of a potentially fatal infection: parrot fever.

Scorpions
There’s something about that viciously efficient combination of grasping pincers and curved sting that sparks terror in the human brain.

Charming snakes
It’s a peculiar way to spend a weekend perhaps, but snake handling has some unexpected health benefits.

Cool snake facts
Myths, misinformation and mystery tend to proliferate around snakes. Even if you think you know a thing or two about these amazing creatures, you might not know it all - yet.

How to really save a whale
Turns out there are many ways to save the whales...

Are pigeons flying rats?
Pigeons often move in under roof eaves or into ceilings, driving the human inhabitants crazy with their cooing. But what are the health risks involved?

Origin Itch
It's maddeningly itchy, it makes you look like a victim of an 11th-century plague, and some of the the coolest people in Cape Town are wearing it.

How to survive a bee swarm
What do you do when a swarm of bees heads your way? Memorize these tips for summer.

Call yourself an animal lover?
But real animal welfare goes way beyond your backyard and even your neighbourhood. Sure, it starts there, but that's not where it ends.

The cruel shore
Science remains perplexed about the phenomenon of mass whale beachings.

Is your home a roach motel?
You switch on the kitchen light at night and there they are, merrily scurrying away. Getting rid of them is not so easy, though. Our Envirohealth expert gives a few tips.

Rats alive!
Rats can transmit diseases to humans, but if you keep a clean house and practise good personal hygiene, the risk is slight.

Join the Rhino Wars
South Africa, home to 80% of the world’s rhinos, loses 20 animals a month. It has to stop. You don't need to be in a crack anti-poaching unit to take action.

Tips on avoiding shark attacks
A man has died after a shark attack at Port St John's on the weekend: a reminder the ocean is a 'wilderness' area where predators roam. Read these tips on avoiding shark attacks.

Why did the penguin cross the road?
Here's another reason to slow down and focus when driving: wildlife crossings. Speeding kills tens of thousands of animals each year.