GoKawiilA breeding herd of critically endangered antelope offer hope for the species' future. Plus, the mysterious objects that washed up in Australia are ‘space balls’ and the role of native plants in our backyards.
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The mountain bongo is found only in Kenya’s montane forests and is thought to number fewer than 100 animals in the wild. (Mountain Bongo Project)
Researchers have spotted a small population of critically endangered mountain bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) in images from camera traps in the Maasai Mau forest of Kenya. Researchers had feared that the antelope species survived only in the nearby Aberdare mountains. The new sightings suggest that a breeding herd seen in the forest eight years ago is still going strong. “The bongos in the Maasai Mau are the most important population that we have on the globe genetically,” says Oscar Dyer, operations director at the Mountain Bongo Project, a conservation effort. “Finding those bongos was amazing.”
Nature Africa | 5 min read
A new academic ‘humanizer’ tool aims to personalize the tone of research papers written with an artificial-intelligence program, in part by removing apparent signs of AI use from text. The tool isn’t yet sophisticated enough to entirely evade the AI-detection platform Pangram, but some AI-generated language does slip the software’s net. The humanizer has divided scientists. Such tools could be invaluable for researchers who speak English as a second language to polish their writing, some say. Others worry that humanizers will tempt more scientists to use AI to draft papers without disclosure.
Nature | 6 min read
Iran has re-arrested biologist Houman Jokar and conservationist Sepideh Kashani, two members of a wildlife-conservation charity whose arrests on allegations of espionage in 2018 prompted an outcry from the international community. They were pardoned in April, after spending six years in Evin Prison. Other members of the group who are dual citizens have already been released, but the charity’s co-founder, sociologist Kavous Seyed Emami, died in custody.
Mongabay | 4 min read
Read more: Global science must stand up for Iran’s imprisoned scholars (Nature | 6 min read, from 2022)
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