All things 'creepy crawly' at award-winning UKZN Royal Show stand

There were smiles all round at the UKZN College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) stand at the annual Royal Agricultural Show, in Pietermaritzburg, after the team was awarded a silver medallion.

The UKZN stand included displays from a range of academic disciplines in the college as well as a variety of plants, mammals, reptiles and insects from the university's agricultural, botanical, zoological and entomological disciplines. In particular, the display highlighted research done by post-graduate students in the School of Life Sciences.

A star attraction at the stand was "Twinkie", a male Dumeril's boa, from Madagascar. Also of interest were exhibits from UKZN's Frank Bush Zoological Museum collection, some of which are more than 100 years old.

"We were impressed by the enthusiasm and extra effort put in by the students and staff who manned the UKZN stand," said the judges.

"Our medal win was without doubt due to both the passion and the impressive knowledge of our post-graduate students at the stand who went out of their way to share their expertise with the general public," said stand co-ordinator and College Public Relations Officer, Swasti Maney.

With STEC@UKZN's "Dr T" wowing both young and old with her magical science show, there was a fascinated crowd on hand to learn more about what UKZN has to offer.

The College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science has exhibited at the show for several years, consistently winning prizes for its displays.

Pietermaritzburg's Royal Agricultural Show, which has been held for over 160 years, is the premier agricultural and lifestyle event in KwaZulu-Natal, attracting more than 180 000 people during its 10-day run, which ended on Sunday.

Words: Sally Frost