Fire engulfs Bosnia's largest nature reserve

(Reuters) - Fire has engulfed much of Bosnia's Hutovo Blato nature reserve, killing many birds and animals, the park manager said Saturday.

The blaze broke out early Friday in an inaccessible section of the park and was fanned by strong winds across 80 percent of Bosnia's largest reserve before being extinguished on Saturday afternoon.

"The fire killed many birds, as well as mammals and reptiles. The vegetation was destroyed totally and the feeding chain is completely disturbed," said Nikola Zovko, manager of the park that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

"The damage is enormous," he said, adding the fire may have been started deliberately.

Hutovo Blato, on the list of Bird Life International's Important Bird Areas, is a unique natural reserve composed mainly of sub-Mediterranean marshland near the Adriatic coast created by an underground system of the Krupa river.

It is home to more than 240 types of migrating birds. In the migration season, tens of thousands of birds fill the lake and its surroundings.

(Reporting By Maja Zuvela)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/us-bosnia-fire-park-idUKTRE79E1VZ20111015

Wildlife 'does better on reserves'

Wildlife is better protected on reserves and parks than nature-friendly farms, according to a controversial new study.

The findings are at odds with current conservation policy in Europe, where farmers are encouraged to help wild birds and animals feel at home on their land.

They suggest that "land-sharing" measures such as maintaining hedgerows, ringing fields with wild flowers, creating "beetle banks" and setting aside sites for ground-nesting birds may not be the most effective way to preserve wildlife. Instead, separating land for crops and nature might be a better way to balance food production and conservation.

Scientists from Cambridge University and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSBP) collected data on more than 600 land species in south-west Ghana and northern India. Demand for agricultural land is placing ever more pressure on wild species in these regions.

The researchers measured crop production as well as the abundance of birds and trees in forests and various types of farmland. They discovered that, for most species, populations could be increased by restricting the size of farms while protecting as much natural forest as possible.

Farms that retained some natural vegetation to encourage wildlife had far lower yields per hectare than intensive "monocultures" of oil palm, rice or wheat. Yet in terms of wildlife conservation, they could not compete with natural forests.

"As well as requiring more land to produce the same amount of food, the 'wildlife-friendly' farmlands were not as wildlife-friendly as they first appeared," said Dr Ben Phalan, from Cambridge University, who led the research, published in the journal Science.

In the UK and the rest of the EU, farmers already receive Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) subsidies that encourage wildlife conservation. Currently these are given under voluntary schemes in addition to the basic direct Cap payments. But under new European Commission proposals, from 2013 all subsidies could be tied to some level of wildlife preservation.

Martin Harper, conservation director at the RSPB, said: "Land-sparing is a very different approach to the European model - underpinned by the Common Agricultural Policy - which sees conservation measures promoted across our farmed countryside.

"This paper in Science suggests that unless the proposed green measures really deliver significant and lasting environmental benefits it would be better to use this money directly on nature reserves and saving threatened species."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iSawI-1Uk2S1PwU0NQpdKpVXTkYQ?docId=N0141651314882867793A

First leopard spotted on newly created wildlife reserve in South Africa

UmPhafa records first leopard August 2011. As Colchester Zoo's charity, Action for the Wild, continues work to develop the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, a leopard has finally been spotted on the reserve after many signs had been recorded indicating that they had been present in the area.

In December, staff at UmPhafa recorded conclusive evidence of a leopard whilst a security guard was out on patrol. Our project coordinator, Liam Westall headed out to investigate and confirmed that the tracks were undoubtedly those of a leopard, with a hair caught on the fence line caught by the leopard passing through a gap also confirming the sighting.

Camera trapsSince the signs have been recorded on the reserve the UmPhafa staff set camera traps on UmPhafa and the neighbouring farms hoping to catch a glimpse of the leopard, as tracks and signs became even more frequent. The staff sourced some bait to attract the leopard and left scent trails leading it through a path where the camera was set up. After lots of hard work trying to capture a photo of the elusive leopard on UmPhafa, staff managed to get a wonderful photo of a leopard on one of UmPhafa's farms; Geluk.

Leopards
Leopards can grow to between 1.6 and 2.1 metres long, with males growing considerably larger than females. This elegant and beautifully marked cat has a wide distribution in sub-Saharan Africa and has a wide habitat tolerance. As they are mainly active at night, it has taken the staff on UmPhafa a long time to record a photo. As they have huge home territories depending on food availability, it is likely that they cross out of the UmPhafa Reserve in order to search for prey. With the increase in natural prey numbers, it is hoped that the leopard will be encouraged to spend more time within the reserve.

In previous years the leopard has become increasingly rare, but with more lands set aside for wildlife, signs and sightings are now becoming more and more common. The hills and vales of UmPhafa provide an ideal habitat for this species and the appearance of the leopard is a clear indication of the extent of change the land has undergone. There is potential for UmPhafa staff to study this further, and create a clearer picture of the population density in the area, as well as an indication as to how well targets are being achieved regarding rehabilitating the habitat of UmPhafa.

For more information on the UmPhafa Reserve, please visit the website at www.umphafa.com.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/Umphafa-leopard.html

Rare spider discovered in nature reserve in Poole

This incredibly rare arachnid, with a wacky human face
on its back, has been discovered on a nature reserve in
Poole, the first one found in 35 years

2:00pm Monday 28th February 2011

By Lara Tollast

YOU WOULD have thought that finding a tiny, rare, fury animal with the markings of a friendly face on its back would have brought families flocking to see it at the Arne nature reserve in Poole.

Tony Whitehead of the RSPB said: “If this were a bird, rather like the recent oriental turtle dove, the queues would be stretching around the car park.”

So why is this tiny critter so lonely?

Perhaps it’s the fact that it also has eight legs, eight eyes, and the ability to scare Miss Muffet right off her tuffet.

The eloquently named Philodromus Margaritatus spider was discovered by RSPB volunteer Chris Emblem-English on an electricity junction box at the reserve in Poole. What makes this eight-legged beauty so special is that it had not been seen in Dorset for more than 30 years.

“This spider is something of a rarity”, Whitehead adds.

For centuries spiders have been on the receiving end of bad press, when only a small handful are capable of harming a human.

Perhaps the fear of spiders comes not only from their appearance but their cunning predatory methods. The fact they construct a web – a trap invisible to its ill-fated prey, is vindictively morbid and easily creepier than the tactics of other larger predators. If spiders were the size of Alsatians we would have fair reason to live in fear of them, so let’s thank mother nature that she made them so small.

Laura Dunne, 22 from Bournemouth says: “I don’t like them because they are so small, and it’s knowing that they could be hiding under your bed and you wouldn’t even know.”

Strange, then, that this fearful disdain is coupled with the belief that some spiders bring you luck. Money spiders are traditionally thought to bring wealth to those who cross their eight-legged path, and circling the spider around your head three times before tucking it in your pocket may make for more financial sense than buying lottery tickets.

The association between spiders and money stems from the belief that spiders attract wealth to people in the same way those spiders attract their prey. This theory dates back to the Romans, who would carry a little gold or silver spider in their pockets for good luck in trade.

Perhaps the best thing about spiders is that their eating habits stop us from being overrun with other creepy crawlies, such as disease-spreading flies. In Papa New Guinea and South America, spiders themselves are included in some traditional foods.

Eat them, fear them or fling them around your head, remember that spiders are more sacred of you than you are of them. As the old saying goes, “If you want to live and thrive then let a spider run alive”.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/features/8879618.Rare_spider_discovered_in_nature_reserve_in_Poole/

Wildwood gets wild horses ready for move to Scotland

The team at Wildwood have been busy moving some of the charity’s wild horses from their homes in Dover to the Wildwood Wildlife Park near Canterbury in readiness for them moving to a new home in Scotland. The horses are being transferred to the RSPB nature reserve at the Loch of Strathbeg where they will live wild to improve the wetland habitat through natural grazing.

In total 8 Konik foals have been transported from sites at Hospital Down and Western Heights near Dover. Visitors can see the foals at Wildwood for the next few weeks before they are moved to their new home in Scotland.

A team from Wildwood went to Dover to move the horses and to check the health of the rest of the wild herd. Head Keeper Paul Wirdnam said “Konik horses are much tougher than domestic horses and are perfectly suited to living wild. They require very little human intervention but this is the ideal opportunity for us to give the herd a general check-up and ensure that they are all happy and healthy.”

As a conservation charity, The Wildwood Trust is committed to improving conditions for wildlife throughout the UK. The Wildwood Trust's vision is to bring back our true 'wildwood' by restoring Britain's land to its natural state through conservation grazing by large wild herbivores that restore natural ecological processes to help Britain team with wildlife once more.

Konik horses are the closest living relative of the extinct Tarpan, the wild forest horse that roamed Britain in prehistoric times. They are hardy animals that live well on wetlands eating weeds, reeds and grass. They help to boost biodiversity through light grazing and natural fertilisation which keeps the land open and encourages a wider variety of plants, birds and invertebrates to settle in the area.

Wildwood’s Chief Executive Peter Smith said “We are delighted to be working with the RSPB to send these beautiful animals to the Loch of Strathbeg . They are the ideal conservation management tool and will boost the area’s biodiversity”

The Konik foals are currently at Wildwood and can be seen by visitors until they depart for Scotland. Wild horses are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Wildlife Park near Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 7820081.

Further information on Konik Horses

Wildwood Trust & Kent Wildlife Trust pioneered the re-introduction of these amazing animals to the UK in 2002. The two Kent based nature conservation charities brought the first ever of their breed to arrive in southern England and these horses and their offspring have been helping to restore some of the most precious national nature reserves in the UK.

The Konik horse is the closest living relative of the extinct Tarpan, the wild forest horse that roamed Britain in prehistoric times. The horses are the last descendants of the true wild horse of Britain and Europe and have survived centuries of persecution and even squads of Nazis sent to kidnap them for genetic experiments.

Konik horses show numerous primitive features, associated with their ancestor, the Tarpan. They are resistant to harsh climates and severe weather conditions, hence their extensive range. They are very fertile and can produce numerous offspring in their lifetime. As they are adapted to foraging in the wild, they can live on a limited amount of food and have an extremely resilient immune system. They are very intelligent, allowing them to adapt their diet according to season and food availability. Konik horses do not require horseshoes as their hooves are naturally self-trimming, breaking off as they become too long.
,

Tiger & Terrain meet to save big cat

TNN, Jan 7, 2011, 05.41am IST

LUCKNOW: Immediately after the Billy Arjan Singh Memorial convention on 'Why we are not able to save the tiger and possible solutions' held recently, the Tiger and terrain trustees have decided to hold a meeting on Friday. The convention was able to attract some suggestions from participants which can form a concrete programme to fulfil the aim of the trust in saving the tigers of UP.

Organising secretary, Kaushlendra Singh said that minister for state (Independent charge) for corporate and minority affairs Salman Khurshid has consented to grace the occasion. "As he himself is eager to see the national animal survive and flourish, he will support us in raising important issues involving conservation of tiger," Singh said. tnn

Further to this meeting, a team will go to Dudhwa Tiger reserve and will make an attempt to meet field director and other officials concerned to get acquainted with their difficulties which they are facing in saving the tiger. Second in line in the same trip will be an attempt to meet the villagers along with gram pradhans of villages located on the fringe of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and talk to them on same lines.

These two meetings will give us a clear picture as to where do we stand and where we can be of help, we are more than sure that some ticklish problems will come up but we will definitely try to do the best possible on our part.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tiger-Terrain-meet-to-save-big-cat/articleshow/7233468.cms

Tiger & Terrain meet to save big cat

TNN, Jan 7, 2011, 05.41am IST

LUCKNOW: Immediately after the Billy Arjan Singh Memorial convention on 'Why we are not able to save the tiger and possible solutions' held recently, the Tiger and terrain trustees have decided to hold a meeting on Friday. The convention was able to attract some suggestions from participants which can form a concrete programme to fulfil the aim of the trust in saving the tigers of UP.

Organising secretary, Kaushlendra Singh said that minister for state (Independent charge) for corporate and minority affairs Salman Khurshid has consented to grace the occasion. "As he himself is eager to see the national animal survive and flourish, he will support us in raising important issues involving conservation of tiger," Singh said. tnn

Further to this meeting, a team will go to Dudhwa Tiger reserve and will make an attempt to meet field director and other officials concerned to get acquainted with their difficulties which they are facing in saving the tiger. Second in line in the same trip will be an attempt to meet the villagers along with gram pradhans of villages located on the fringe of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and talk to them on same lines.

These two meetings will give us a clear picture as to where do we stand and where we can be of help, we are more than sure that some ticklish problems will come up but we will definitely try to do the best possible on our part.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tiger-Terrain-meet-to-save-big-cat/articleshow/7233468.cms

Whistling ducks appear to be nesting in Augusta

RIGHT: Black-bellied whistling ducks, native to Central and South America, are turning up in several new locations, including Florida, coastal South Carolina and Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta. (Gene Howard/Special)

By Rob Pavey
Columnist
Saturday, June 19, 2010

Lots of people who visit Augusta end up living here.

The same is true for a new species of waterfowl that began stopping by Phinizy Swamp Nature Park a few years back.

The black-bellied whistling duck is normally found from southern Mexico to Central and South America, said Ruth Mead, senior education specialist at the 1,100-acre park.

"We first started noticing them here in the summertime four summers ago," she said.

Occasional sightings had also been reported in the Florida peninsula, and later in Georgia's Altamaha River Basin and coastal South Carolina near Charleston.

The supposition was that an occasional whistling duck was passing through the Augusta area, but there was no indication of a breeding population.

This summer, however, larger groups of the ducks have been observed -- and at least one pair appears to be nesting.

"This year, the population is fairly large and we see them every night. There is one flock that flies in regularly into the boardwalk area," Mead said.

The handsome ducks, named for their high-pitched, soft, wheezy whistle, have become a tourist attraction of sorts, especially from ardent birders.

"It's one of the tree nesting ducks," she said. "They are also brood dumpers -- females will sometimes dump a pile of eggs in someone else's nest."

Since the Nature Park near Augusta Regional Airport was established 10 years ago as part of a project to transform sewage-impacted wetlands into a restored riverine environment, more and more bird species have been confirmed there.

"I think we're at 236 species now, which is an incredible list for a Piedmont and Coastal Plain area," Mead said. "We just added a new bird to the park list this weekend: a white breasted nuthatch."

By comparison, a yearlong study conducted in 1998 that included the entire Phinizy Swamp corridor, including the Merry Brickyard pond system, identified 157 species.

The park, off Lock and Dam Road, is open from dawn to dusk daily -- and entry is free.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/outdoors/rob-pavey/2010-06-19/whistling-ducks-appear-be-nesting-augusta?v=1276980745
(Submitted by Chad Arment)

Devon Wildlife Trust acquires new culm grassland reserve

Meresfelle Nature Reserve

April 2010. Devon Wildlife Trust has purchased 35 acres of rare Culm grassland on the River Torridge in North Devon. The purchase is set to become the charity's latest nature reserve.

The land, which was part of Marshall Farm near Woolsery, is a prime example of the species rich wet grassland of the area. It borders other high value Culm grassland sites at Bursdon Moor and also sits close to one of the charity's other reserves, Volehouse Moor, to the east. The new site has been given the name Meresfelle Nature Reserve, a title derived from an old name for the area dating back to the 13th Century.

Unusual wildlife

The site is already buzzing with wildlife. Species recorded on the reserve include small pearl bordered fritillary, snipe and adders along with a new record of a rare marsh fritillary butterfly which is threatened throughout Europe.

Matt Boydell, DWT's Land Management Manager said: "This site will be an excellent new addition to our suite of Culm grassland nature reserves in North Devon. The site has not been grazed for nearly a decade so it is in need of some appropriate management such as scrub clearance and swaling (controlled burning) but we are excited to be able to secure this land and get to work restoring it for the future."

The land purchase is part of the charity's wider conservation work in north Devon through the Working Wetlands project which aims to restore, re-create and reconnect wildlife rich sites in the area.

Strategy to create larger conservation areas

Matt added: "Our strategy at the moment for land acquisition is to secure sites near to our other reserves or in priority areas to help enlarge and connect them to make them more robust to tackle a range of threats such as climate change. We have a highly experienced team of staff that are able to manage these Culm sites and through the Working Wetlands project we are able to advise other landowners how best to manage their holdings to benefit wildlife."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/Meresfelle-Nature-Reserve.html#cr
(Submitted by Corinna Downes)