The bunny at the centre of the controversy is made of bronze—and it’s in Nelson Mandela’s ear.

Following the death of the famous world leader, officials in South Africa hired two sculptors to build a monument in his honour.

Sculptors Ruhan Janse van Vuuren and Andre Prinsloo created a majestic, nine-metre likeness of Mandela, with his arms open wide as if to embrace the world.

The post Bronze Bunny In “Mandela’s” Ear Causes A Stir appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

Nelson Mandela was an international icon who fought for peace and reconciliation.

During his life, he affected millions of people. He helped bring about the elimination of "apartheid" in South Africa.

Mandela died on December 5 at the age of 95.

On Sunday, he was given a state funeral, in his home village of Qunu, followed by a private graveside ceremony.

The post “A Great Tree Has Fallen” – Nelson Mandela Laid To Rest appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

Nelson Mandela is dead at 95.

He died on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa, from a lung infection.

Mandela was a symbol of freedom for the people of South Africa.

“Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father,” South African President Jacob Zuma said in an announcement.

He called this, “the moment of our deepest sorrow.”

The post World Mourns the Death of Nelson Mandela appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

Mandela is one of the most well-known and respected people in the world.

He is 94 years old and is in hospital, fighting a recurring lung infection.

Doctors say he is in serious but stable condition.

To many people around the world, Mandela is known as a great hero.

He fought for the freedom of blacks in South Africa.

During the 1950s until the late 1980s, South Africa was ruled by a relatively small number of white people. Black people, in the majority in the country, had few rights.

The separation of white people and black people** was known as “apartheid.”

Blacks were not allowed to be citizens, and were not given the same rights as white people. Services for black people were greatly inferior to those provided to white people. Black people were not allowed access to the best schools, hospitals, beaches or many other services to which the country’s white people had access.

Apartheid was denounced around the world, but South Africa’s government refused to change its policy.

Nelson Mandela, and people who followed him, wanted to change things.

The post “Father Of South Africa” Nelson Mandela Responding Well To Treatment In Hospital appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

Starting in January 2013, you’ll have to bring your own reusable bag to the store to cart your goods away.

More than 250 million bags end up in landfill every year, never breaking down into compost, according to a report by CBC News.

Plastic bags can also clog drainage systems and, when they are washed out to sea, can hurt fish and other marine animals.

The post Toronto Bans Plastic Shopping Bags appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

Poaching usually means to hunt animals illegally. In this case, trees are being taken from the wild.

They are then secretly sold for a lot of money - up to $100,000 each - to people who collect unusual plants.

The first cycads existed during the time of the dinosaurs, during the Jurassic period. The kinds of cycads that are alive today have been around for 12 million years.

They look like a cross between a fern and a palm tree, and they can take hundreds of years to grow to their full size.

The post 12-Million-Year-Old Plant May Soon Be Extinct appeared first on Teaching Kids News.

"Poaching" is when people ("poachers") illegally kill a wild animal.

This year so far 341 rhinos have been poached in South Africa.

That's the most, ever, for one year.

Rhino horns are believed by some people, particularly in Asia, to be able to cure ailments like nosebleeds and fevers.

No one knows if this is actually true.

The post Rhinos Being Poached For Horns appeared first on Teaching Kids News.