SOFIA — Tarpan horses, a breed that disappeared from the wild in Europe two centuries ago, will soon be reintroduced in southeast Bulgaria, organisers said Wednesday.
The prehistoric horses will be brought to the Rhodope mountains in southern Bulgaria, a region they are believed to have inhabited in the past, as part of a joint Dutch-Bulgarian project.
"Twelve tarpans will be transported Sunday to the southeastern region of Krumovgrad from their breeding ground in the Netherlands," Stefan Avramov, a biodiversity expert with the New Thracian Gold project told AFP.
Once in Bulgaria, the horses will be raised in enclosures until they adapt to the mountainous conditions here, he added.
The enclosures will be gradually enlarged until the animals get used to the surroundings and are ready to be released into the wild, Johan Bekhauis from the Dutch ARK foundation added.
The experts were however unable to say how long the adaptation might take.
"In the Netherlands they have never seen a rock, a mountain. They have to be used to the landscape: rocks, valleys, different vegetation, to find water, to protect themselves," Bekhauis said.
Ordinary horses will be used to "teach" the newcomers how to protect themselves from wolves, for example, he added.
The tarpans died out in the wild between 1875 and 1890, but Polish peasants continued to raise them together with ordinary horses up until the 1930s.
They were then introduced in the Netherlands and from there to some regions in western France, northern Germany, Britain, Belgium and Lithuania, Avramov explained.
The New Thracian Gold project received funding from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery in 2009 and has since worked to develop natural grazing, organic agriculture and eco tourism in the eastern Rhodope mountains.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jM0J9Ib2qBk8LsE94JUT03FEN3tw?docId=CNG.96f9ad25900131336388af4e36e3a985.271
Showing posts with label reintroduced species. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reintroduced species. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Cull of trapped Tayside beavers avoided
7 April 2011
An agreement to avoid trapped beavers being killed was struck after experts estimated there were only about 20 animals running loose in Scotland.
Edinburgh Zoo had suggested it may need to humanely destroy beavers captured by Scottish Natural Heritage at a cost of £100 if new homes could not be found.
The details have been revealed in a letter to Scottish Natural Heritage, after a trapping trial in Tayside.
SNH said at first it was thought there were more than 100 beavers in the wild.
In a letter, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, said it may have to put down the escaped animals caught on the River Tay.
Zoo officials said in the letter they were prepared to provide temporary accommodation for beavers and would seek new homes for them for three weeks, before culling them if none could be found.
The letter to SNH, dated 25 October 2010, said the zoo would charge "£100 plus VAT for the cost of drugs for the destruction of each animal, and subsequent disposal of the cadaver".
However SNH said it had since told Edinburgh Zoo that it had "hard evidence" there were far fewer beavers in the wild in Scotland than had been speculated and only one had been caught.
An SNH spokesman said: "The suggestion that beavers may have to be put down was made early on, after speculation that there could be more than a 100 beavers to be caught.
"We fully understood and accepted that the zoo had to have a fall-back position if homes could not be found for all the beavers.
"However, the hard evidence of beaver activity suggested there were at most about 20 beavers in the wild, so we were able to agree subsequently that euthanasia would not be necessary. We were confident that new homes could be found."
SNH said that now the trapping trial had ended in Tayside, it was assessing the results to decide what to do in the future.
One captured
A Royal Zoological Society of Scotland spokeswoman said: "At the time of writing the letter there was potentially an unknown number of beavers that the RZSS were going to be asked to hold by Scottish Natural Heritage.
"We were willing to accommodate as many as resources would allow, but we would never have been able to accommodate a large number.
"Both the RZSS and SNH jointly wanted to find another solution, therefore verbally days later all involved decided we could offer a home at Edinburgh Zoo.
"The captured Tayside beaver in question was housed at Edinburgh Zoo from early December and provided with the best husbandry and veterinary care."
It comes after one wild beaver, the only one captured by SNH so far, died at Edinburgh Zoo within months of its arrival.
Edinburgh zoo stressed that the beaver was not destroyed and that a post-mortem examination was under way.
SNH believes up to 20 beavers have escaped private collections in Angus and Perthshire.
The beavers are being recaptured because it is illegal to allow their escape or release into the wild and because their welfare may be at risk, SNH said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13002471
An agreement to avoid trapped beavers being killed was struck after experts estimated there were only about 20 animals running loose in Scotland.
Edinburgh Zoo had suggested it may need to humanely destroy beavers captured by Scottish Natural Heritage at a cost of £100 if new homes could not be found.
The details have been revealed in a letter to Scottish Natural Heritage, after a trapping trial in Tayside.
SNH said at first it was thought there were more than 100 beavers in the wild.
In a letter, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, said it may have to put down the escaped animals caught on the River Tay.
Zoo officials said in the letter they were prepared to provide temporary accommodation for beavers and would seek new homes for them for three weeks, before culling them if none could be found.
The letter to SNH, dated 25 October 2010, said the zoo would charge "£100 plus VAT for the cost of drugs for the destruction of each animal, and subsequent disposal of the cadaver".
However SNH said it had since told Edinburgh Zoo that it had "hard evidence" there were far fewer beavers in the wild in Scotland than had been speculated and only one had been caught.
An SNH spokesman said: "The suggestion that beavers may have to be put down was made early on, after speculation that there could be more than a 100 beavers to be caught.
"We fully understood and accepted that the zoo had to have a fall-back position if homes could not be found for all the beavers.
"However, the hard evidence of beaver activity suggested there were at most about 20 beavers in the wild, so we were able to agree subsequently that euthanasia would not be necessary. We were confident that new homes could be found."
SNH said that now the trapping trial had ended in Tayside, it was assessing the results to decide what to do in the future.
One captured
A Royal Zoological Society of Scotland spokeswoman said: "At the time of writing the letter there was potentially an unknown number of beavers that the RZSS were going to be asked to hold by Scottish Natural Heritage.
"We were willing to accommodate as many as resources would allow, but we would never have been able to accommodate a large number.
"Both the RZSS and SNH jointly wanted to find another solution, therefore verbally days later all involved decided we could offer a home at Edinburgh Zoo.
"The captured Tayside beaver in question was housed at Edinburgh Zoo from early December and provided with the best husbandry and veterinary care."
It comes after one wild beaver, the only one captured by SNH so far, died at Edinburgh Zoo within months of its arrival.
Edinburgh zoo stressed that the beaver was not destroyed and that a post-mortem examination was under way.
SNH believes up to 20 beavers have escaped private collections in Angus and Perthshire.
The beavers are being recaptured because it is illegal to allow their escape or release into the wild and because their welfare may be at risk, SNH said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13002471
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Kihansi spray toads make historic return to Tanzania (Via Chad Arment)
Kihansi spray toads make historic return to Tanzania
Tiny toads, extinct in the wild, now reside in propagation center in Dar es Salaam after being bred by Toledo Zoo and Bronx Zoo
17-Aug-2010
In a bold effort to save one of the world's rarest amphibians from extinction, one hundred Kihansi spray toads have been flown home to Tanzania after being painstakingly reared at the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo working in close partnership with the Tanzanian government and the World Bank.
The toads now reside at a new, state-of the-art propagation center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital, with the eventual goal of reintroducing the tiny amphibians into their former habitat.
"On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, we are very grateful to the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo for taking care of these precious toads (KST) for ten years, and now they have safely arrived home via KLM flight and all 100 toads are cheerful as witnessed by our Tanzanian trained KST keepers at the facility at UDSM Zoology Department. We are very optimistic that they will acclimatize soon and be taken to their homeland in Kihansi Gorge in the near future," said Anna Maembe on behalf of the Government of Tanzania.
According to Dr. Anne Baker, The Toledo Zoo's Executive Director and CEO, "We are extremely proud of the staff members, curators, and keepers whose expertise in scientific husbandry made this tremendous accomplishment possible. The level of collaboration involved here—from the World Bank, the Tanzanian government, and the participating zoos to the Tanzanian field biologists and students who shared their knowledge with us—has been nothing short of inspiring."
"The return of these special creatures to Tanzania is a landmark achievement for the Bronx Zoo, the Tanzanian government, The Toledo Zoo, and the World Bank," said Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Society Senior Vice President of Living Institutions. "For years, the Bronx Zoo has been anticipating this important step toward reintroduction of the species, and we are ecstatic that the first toads are thriving in the new facility."
"This is an important step that has been achieved through a lot of hard work. The Bank has financed Tanzania's commitment to save the Kihansi Spray Toad (KST) for nearly a decade, and has been looking forward to a successful reintroduction, which will be a measure of the recovery of the ecosystem and the success of the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project (LKEMP). While we remain optimistic about a successful reintroduction, we acknowledge individual and collective efforts and commitment of all players in this project from within and outside Tanzania," said Jane Kibbassa, Task Team Leader for LKEMP.
The Kihansi spray toad's unique odyssey began shortly after the species was first discovered in 1996 living in a five acre micro-habitat created by the spray of nearby waterfalls in the Kihansi Gorge.
In 1999, the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the gorge dramatically changed the Kihansi spray toad's habitat. Although this dam is vital to the Tanzanian economy in that it generates one-third of Tanzania's total electrical supply, its construction reduced the original size of the Kihansi falls to 10 percent of its former flow, drastically lessening the mist zone in which the toads thrived.
Following an agreement between WCS and the Tanzanian government and with funding from the World Bank, which constructed the dam, scientists and Tanzanian officials collected an assurance colony of 499 Kihansi spray toads from the gorge.
The toad was last seen in the wild in 2004, and in 2009 the toad was declared to be extinct in the wild by the by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Today, 5,000 toads live at The Toledo Zoo and 1,500 reside at the Bronx Zoo. Both zoos will continue breeding and exhibiting the animals, returning additional shipments to Tanzania as their numbers rebound.
The Tanzanian government has been managing the Lower Kihansi Environment Management Project in the gorge. A system of sprinklers, replicating the toad's habitat, has been installed in preparation for the species' return. The ultimate goal is to return the toads to their natural habitat within the gorge.
Scientists are still debating the ultimate cause of extinction of this species in the wild, but theorize a combination of habitat change, pesticide exposure, and the emergence of infective chytrid fungus led to their demise. Chytrid is responsible for alarming crashes and extinctions of amphibian species in many parts of the world.
A species unusual among toads – females give birth to live, fully-formed young, rather than laying eggs that hatch into free-living tadpoles.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/wcs-kst081710.php
Tiny toads, extinct in the wild, now reside in propagation center in Dar es Salaam after being bred by Toledo Zoo and Bronx Zoo
17-Aug-2010
In a bold effort to save one of the world's rarest amphibians from extinction, one hundred Kihansi spray toads have been flown home to Tanzania after being painstakingly reared at the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo working in close partnership with the Tanzanian government and the World Bank.
The toads now reside at a new, state-of the-art propagation center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital, with the eventual goal of reintroducing the tiny amphibians into their former habitat.
"On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, we are very grateful to the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo for taking care of these precious toads (KST) for ten years, and now they have safely arrived home via KLM flight and all 100 toads are cheerful as witnessed by our Tanzanian trained KST keepers at the facility at UDSM Zoology Department. We are very optimistic that they will acclimatize soon and be taken to their homeland in Kihansi Gorge in the near future," said Anna Maembe on behalf of the Government of Tanzania.
According to Dr. Anne Baker, The Toledo Zoo's Executive Director and CEO, "We are extremely proud of the staff members, curators, and keepers whose expertise in scientific husbandry made this tremendous accomplishment possible. The level of collaboration involved here—from the World Bank, the Tanzanian government, and the participating zoos to the Tanzanian field biologists and students who shared their knowledge with us—has been nothing short of inspiring."
"The return of these special creatures to Tanzania is a landmark achievement for the Bronx Zoo, the Tanzanian government, The Toledo Zoo, and the World Bank," said Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Society Senior Vice President of Living Institutions. "For years, the Bronx Zoo has been anticipating this important step toward reintroduction of the species, and we are ecstatic that the first toads are thriving in the new facility."
"This is an important step that has been achieved through a lot of hard work. The Bank has financed Tanzania's commitment to save the Kihansi Spray Toad (KST) for nearly a decade, and has been looking forward to a successful reintroduction, which will be a measure of the recovery of the ecosystem and the success of the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project (LKEMP). While we remain optimistic about a successful reintroduction, we acknowledge individual and collective efforts and commitment of all players in this project from within and outside Tanzania," said Jane Kibbassa, Task Team Leader for LKEMP.
The Kihansi spray toad's unique odyssey began shortly after the species was first discovered in 1996 living in a five acre micro-habitat created by the spray of nearby waterfalls in the Kihansi Gorge.
In 1999, the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the gorge dramatically changed the Kihansi spray toad's habitat. Although this dam is vital to the Tanzanian economy in that it generates one-third of Tanzania's total electrical supply, its construction reduced the original size of the Kihansi falls to 10 percent of its former flow, drastically lessening the mist zone in which the toads thrived.
Following an agreement between WCS and the Tanzanian government and with funding from the World Bank, which constructed the dam, scientists and Tanzanian officials collected an assurance colony of 499 Kihansi spray toads from the gorge.
The toad was last seen in the wild in 2004, and in 2009 the toad was declared to be extinct in the wild by the by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Today, 5,000 toads live at The Toledo Zoo and 1,500 reside at the Bronx Zoo. Both zoos will continue breeding and exhibiting the animals, returning additional shipments to Tanzania as their numbers rebound.
The Tanzanian government has been managing the Lower Kihansi Environment Management Project in the gorge. A system of sprinklers, replicating the toad's habitat, has been installed in preparation for the species' return. The ultimate goal is to return the toads to their natural habitat within the gorge.
Scientists are still debating the ultimate cause of extinction of this species in the wild, but theorize a combination of habitat change, pesticide exposure, and the emergence of infective chytrid fungus led to their demise. Chytrid is responsible for alarming crashes and extinctions of amphibian species in many parts of the world.
A species unusual among toads – females give birth to live, fully-formed young, rather than laying eggs that hatch into free-living tadpoles.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/wcs-kst081710.php
Friday, August 13, 2010
Talk has not halted biodiversity loss - now it's time for action
Help us compile a list of 100 tasks that G20 governments should undertake to prove their commitment to tackling the biodiversity crisis
It's on course to make the farcical climate talks in Copenhagen look like a roaring success. The big international meeting in October which is meant to protect the world's biodiversity is destined to be an even greater failure than last year's attempt to protect the world's atmosphere. Already the UN has conceded that the targets for safeguarding wild species and wild places in 2010 have been missed: comprehensively and tragically.
In 2002, 188 countries launched a global initiative, usually referred to as the 2010 biodiversity target, to achieve by this year a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss. The plan was widely reported as the beginning of the end of the biodiversity crisis. But in May this year, the Convention on Biological Diversity admitted that it had failed. It appears to have had no appreciable effect on the rate of loss of animals, plants and wild places.
In a few weeks, the same countries will meet in Nagoya, Japan and make a similarly meaningless set of promises. Rather than taking immediate action to address their failures, they will concentrate on producing a revised target for 2020 and a "vision" for 2050, as well as creating further delays by expressing the need for better biodiversity indicators. In many cases there's little need for more research. It's not biodiversity indicators that are in short supply; but any kind of indicator that the member states are willing to act.
A striking example was provided last month by French secretary of state for ecology, Chantal Jouanno. She announced that there would be no further major efforts to restore the population of Pyrenean brown bears, of which fewer than 20 remain. Extensive scientific research shows that this population is not viable. European agreements oblige France to sustain the population. Yet the government knows that the political costs of reintroducing more bears outweigh the costs of inaction. Immediate special interests triumph over the world's natural wonders, even in nations which have the money and the means to protect them.
The international agreements struck so far have failed miserably in halting the world's biodiversity crisis. Because biodiversity is even less amenable to vague international treaties than climate change, generalised targets are ill-suited to an issue that is all about specifics. The policies that really count need to be enforced at the national level: reintroducing more bears does not need a global agreement between major economies. All the international meetings have done so far is to diffuse responsibility for the crisis, allowing member states to hide behind each other's failures. They create a false impression of action, insulating governments from public pressure.
We don't accept this outcome, or the apathy and indifference with which governments are prepared to let another environmental calamity develop.
So today we are launching a new campaign, hosted by the Guardian, to put pressure on dithering governments. Rather than allowing them to hide behind generalities, with help from you and many of the world's top ecologists, we are compiling a list of 100 specific tasks that will demonstrate whether they are serious about defending the wonders of the natural world. Each will be targeted at a particular government, and they will be asked to sign up to it before the meeting in Nagoya.
We are asking governments to supplement the current treaty-making process with something real and specific, in such a way that success becomes possible and failure accountable. The campaign is called Biodiversity100.
Time is short, so our intention is to choose the 100 tasks within one month. We will be addressing the G20 countries, as their wealth and power deprives them of excuses for ducking their obligations. We are looking for actions that make a major contribution to protecting a particular species or ecosystem; that are strongly and widely supported by scientific evidence published in academic journals; but that are politically costly or opposed by special interest groups.
All these actions, in contrast to the vague political statements made at international meetings, will be concrete, specific and achievable in a reasonable timeframe: they might, for example, involve stopping a destructive industrial project, protecting the habitat of an endangered species, changing or passing a law, or reintroducing a population of animals or plants.
We'll be sending the link to this article to websites in all the G20 countries and asking readers to help to nominate the key biodiversity actions. Please add your actions to our simple form by the end of August. Once we have chosen the list of 100 actions, we will be calling on readers to put pressure on governments: first to agree to them and then to implement them.
We don't pretend that this campaign will solve the global biodiversity crisis, and we don't want to create the impression that the problem is under control. But we hope it will perform two useful tasks: protecting a collection of species and habitats that might otherwise be lost, and pressuring a collection of governments that might otherwise avoid public scrutiny.
• Guillaume Chapron is assistant professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2010/aug/13/biodiversity-100-tasks-campaign
It's on course to make the farcical climate talks in Copenhagen look like a roaring success. The big international meeting in October which is meant to protect the world's biodiversity is destined to be an even greater failure than last year's attempt to protect the world's atmosphere. Already the UN has conceded that the targets for safeguarding wild species and wild places in 2010 have been missed: comprehensively and tragically.
In 2002, 188 countries launched a global initiative, usually referred to as the 2010 biodiversity target, to achieve by this year a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss. The plan was widely reported as the beginning of the end of the biodiversity crisis. But in May this year, the Convention on Biological Diversity admitted that it had failed. It appears to have had no appreciable effect on the rate of loss of animals, plants and wild places.
In a few weeks, the same countries will meet in Nagoya, Japan and make a similarly meaningless set of promises. Rather than taking immediate action to address their failures, they will concentrate on producing a revised target for 2020 and a "vision" for 2050, as well as creating further delays by expressing the need for better biodiversity indicators. In many cases there's little need for more research. It's not biodiversity indicators that are in short supply; but any kind of indicator that the member states are willing to act.
A striking example was provided last month by French secretary of state for ecology, Chantal Jouanno. She announced that there would be no further major efforts to restore the population of Pyrenean brown bears, of which fewer than 20 remain. Extensive scientific research shows that this population is not viable. European agreements oblige France to sustain the population. Yet the government knows that the political costs of reintroducing more bears outweigh the costs of inaction. Immediate special interests triumph over the world's natural wonders, even in nations which have the money and the means to protect them.
The international agreements struck so far have failed miserably in halting the world's biodiversity crisis. Because biodiversity is even less amenable to vague international treaties than climate change, generalised targets are ill-suited to an issue that is all about specifics. The policies that really count need to be enforced at the national level: reintroducing more bears does not need a global agreement between major economies. All the international meetings have done so far is to diffuse responsibility for the crisis, allowing member states to hide behind each other's failures. They create a false impression of action, insulating governments from public pressure.
We don't accept this outcome, or the apathy and indifference with which governments are prepared to let another environmental calamity develop.
So today we are launching a new campaign, hosted by the Guardian, to put pressure on dithering governments. Rather than allowing them to hide behind generalities, with help from you and many of the world's top ecologists, we are compiling a list of 100 specific tasks that will demonstrate whether they are serious about defending the wonders of the natural world. Each will be targeted at a particular government, and they will be asked to sign up to it before the meeting in Nagoya.
We are asking governments to supplement the current treaty-making process with something real and specific, in such a way that success becomes possible and failure accountable. The campaign is called Biodiversity100.
Time is short, so our intention is to choose the 100 tasks within one month. We will be addressing the G20 countries, as their wealth and power deprives them of excuses for ducking their obligations. We are looking for actions that make a major contribution to protecting a particular species or ecosystem; that are strongly and widely supported by scientific evidence published in academic journals; but that are politically costly or opposed by special interest groups.
All these actions, in contrast to the vague political statements made at international meetings, will be concrete, specific and achievable in a reasonable timeframe: they might, for example, involve stopping a destructive industrial project, protecting the habitat of an endangered species, changing or passing a law, or reintroducing a population of animals or plants.
We'll be sending the link to this article to websites in all the G20 countries and asking readers to help to nominate the key biodiversity actions. Please add your actions to our simple form by the end of August. Once we have chosen the list of 100 actions, we will be calling on readers to put pressure on governments: first to agree to them and then to implement them.
We don't pretend that this campaign will solve the global biodiversity crisis, and we don't want to create the impression that the problem is under control. But we hope it will perform two useful tasks: protecting a collection of species and habitats that might otherwise be lost, and pressuring a collection of governments that might otherwise avoid public scrutiny.
• Guillaume Chapron is assistant professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2010/aug/13/biodiversity-100-tasks-campaign
Wild-born black footed ferrets seen in Canada for first time in 70 years
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/black-footed-ferret.html
Canada's first wild-born black-footed ferrets in 70 years have been spotted by delighted conservationists in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan - and the antics of the mother and her three kits have been caught on camera by a documentary film crew.
Once considered North America's rarest mammal, the black-footed ferret was reintroduced in
Previously occupying a huge area from western 
Since their reintroduction, this once extirpated native species has been closely monitored by Parks Canada biologists and dedicated ‘citizen scientist' volunteers. In the early hours at the end of July, a playful litter of kits was observed on a black-tailed prairie dog colony. The black-footed ferret mother and her three kits appeared healthy and engaged in honing their survival instincts.
The exciting discovery was captured by a documentary film crew for Nature of Things with David Suzuki and the footage is due to be broadcast in
A glimpse of a new generation
‘It is a privilege and profound experience to be able to be part of this story,' said documentary director, Kenton Vaughan. ‘This species was on the brink of extinction and now we have caught a glimpse of a new generation of wild born animals.'
 |
| SLEEK: Black-tailed ferrets are nocturnal |
Last year, a total of 34 ferrets were released in the national park. After an intensive spring survey involving 975 hours of volunteer assistance, 12 of the 34 were positively identified as the minimum number of ferrets that survived through the winter. Now, the discovery of ferret kits is confirming how quickly the ferrets are adapting to their new home on the Canadian prairie.
‘The observation of wild-born ferrets is a tremendous cause for celebration and a significant benchmark in the reintroduction effort of this species,' said Jim Prentice,
First beaver born in the wild for 400 years
From the Guardian online.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/13/beaver-born-wild-scotland-uk
It has taken a while to arrive, but late last month the first beaver to be born in the wild in Britain in roughly 400 years emerged from its lodge.
The young animal, known as a kit, is one of at least two that have been born to wild beavers released in May last year around several lochs deep in an ancient, uninhabited forest on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland.
The small, shy animals are now about eight weeks old and their arrival is a pr
ofound relief to the Scottish conservationists who have pioneered the reintroduction of beavers into the UK, centuries after they were hunted for their pelts and oil into extinction.
The first kit was spotted by Christian Robstad, a field officer with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. "It emerged as part of a 'family outing' with its parents and older sister close by to offer additional protection," he said. "It kept close to the edge of the loch and called out to its family for reassurance while it began to learn to forage for food."
The experiment at Knapdale, south-west of Lochgilphead, is being closely watched by naturalists in southern England and Wales, where beaver reintroduction projects are being pursued.
The Scottish scheme has had a troubled history. Six of the wild beavers flown in from Norway in 2008 died in quarantine or could not be released. After back-up beavers were moved from a wildlife reserve in the Highlands, 11 were eventually freed in Knapdale. Since then one family of three has gone missing, with fears that the female was deliberately shot. A fourth new pair was released in May to bolster numbers.
Simon Jones, the Scottish Wildlife Trust's project manager, said: "Receiving confirmation of the presence of at least two beaver kits this year in Knapdale is a fantastic step forward, as we can now begin to see how a small reintroduced population starts to naturally establish itself in the wild.
"Both families have built their own lodge and one family has had great success building a dam to access better food supplies. This has created a magnificent new area of wetland in which wildlife is now flourishing."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/13/beaver-born-wild-scotland-uk
It has taken a while to arrive, but late last month the first beaver to be born in the wild in Britain in roughly 400 years emerged from its lodge.
The young animal, known as a kit, is one of at least two that have been born to wild beavers released in May last year around several lochs deep in an ancient, uninhabited forest on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland.
The small, shy animals are now about eight weeks old and their arrival is a pr
ofound relief to the Scottish conservationists who have pioneered the reintroduction of beavers into the UK, centuries after they were hunted for their pelts and oil into extinction.The first kit was spotted by Christian Robstad, a field officer with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. "It emerged as part of a 'family outing' with its parents and older sister close by to offer additional protection," he said. "It kept close to the edge of the loch and called out to its family for reassurance while it began to learn to forage for food."
The experiment at Knapdale, south-west of Lochgilphead, is being closely watched by naturalists in southern England and Wales, where beaver reintroduction projects are being pursued.
The Scottish scheme has had a troubled history. Six of the wild beavers flown in from Norway in 2008 died in quarantine or could not be released. After back-up beavers were moved from a wildlife reserve in the Highlands, 11 were eventually freed in Knapdale. Since then one family of three has gone missing, with fears that the female was deliberately shot. A fourth new pair was released in May to bolster numbers.
Simon Jones, the Scottish Wildlife Trust's project manager, said: "Receiving confirmation of the presence of at least two beaver kits this year in Knapdale is a fantastic step forward, as we can now begin to see how a small reintroduced population starts to naturally establish itself in the wild.
"Both families have built their own lodge and one family has had great success building a dam to access better food supplies. This has created a magnificent new area of wetland in which wildlife is now flourishing."
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Prince Charles on the lookout for Wildwood’s Squirrels
RIGHT: Photo by Les WillisPrince Charles spent yesterday spotting Wildwood Trust’s Red Squirrels, which have been released to the island of Anglesey.
The Prince, who is Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, went on a special trip to observe the squirrels which were born and raised at the Wildwood, Woodland Discovery Park, near Canterbury.
Visitors to Wildwood can see this year’s babies, which are also destined to be released to the island later in the year. Visitors are advised to come promptly at 10.00am as squirrels like a long nap during lunchtime, especially during sunny weather.
The new squirrel babies, once grown up, will be transported to join their cousins on Anglesey to live wild and free, helping form a buffer population and safeguard the species against national extinction. The project is managed my ‘The Friends of the Anglesey Red Squirrels’ which was set up in 1999 by Anglesey residents who wished to assist in the conservation of the islands small red squirrel population.
Red squirrels went extinct in Kent in the 1960's and many of us can remember them from our childhood. How easy it is for people to forget that Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees.
Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive said:
“It is great that the Prince has taken time to come and see the results of our hard work. Wildwood’s volunteers and animal keepers spend a lot of time making sure our breeding groups has everything they need to produce as many baby squirrels as we can for this important project”
"Red squirrels are going to continue to decline towards extinction unless urgent action is taken. But it's not yet too late. If we can help restore areas of woodland to a native state and make a concerted effort, we might just be able to tip the balance back in the red squirrel's favour."
Wildwood Trust, as a charity, is committed to restoring our native and once native species and will continue to champion the restoration of natural woodlands."
Red Squirrels are just some of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park near Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 7820081.
Wildwood's 'Wildlife Conservation Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.
Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Recognition:Fur colour variable from bright ginger through to red and dark brown or black tinged with grey in winter; larger ear tufts in mid-winter which disappear by the summer; bushy tail which bleaches white by late summer in some individuals.
Head/body length 180-240mm, tail about 175mm.
Weight: juveniles 100-150g; adults up to 350g.
General Ecology:
This is the only squirrel which is native to Britain. It is active during the daytime, though in summer it may rest for an hour or two around mid-day. Squirrel nests, or dreys, are constructed of twigs in a tree fork, or hollow or above a whorl of branches close to the stem of a conifer. They are lined with soft hair, moss and dried grass. Several squirrels may share the same drey, or use the same drey on different days.
Red squirrels spend about three-quarters of their active time above ground in trees and shrubs. Their main foods are tree seeds, such as hazel nuts and seeds from conifer cones. They also eat tree flowers and shoots, mushrooms and fungi from under tree bark. Red squirrels often suffer periods of food shortage especially during July. Red squirrels are at home in conifer forests and broadleaved woodland. The distribution of red squirrels has declined drastically in the last 60 years and they are now extinct in southern England except for a few on the Isle of Wight and two small islands in Poole Harbour. Elsewhere they are confined to rather isolated populations in Wales and to only four places in central England: Thetford Chase (East Anglia), Cannock Chase (Staffordshire), Hope Forest (Derbyshire) and around Formby in Merseyside. Red squirrels are still widespread in the North of England and Scotland, but even here their range is contracting.
Breeding can begin in mid-winter and continue through the summer, depending on the weather and how much food is available. Mating chases occur where several males follow a female who is ready to mate. During chases squirrels make spectacular leaps through the tree canopy and spiral up and down tree trunks. Females have one or two litters a year, usually of about 2-3 young. Juveniles are weaned at around 10 weeks, but do not breed until they are one year old. Red squirrels in favourable habitat can live at a population density of one squirrel per hectare of woodland. Often densities are lower than this. They survive for up to six years in the wild.
Conservation:
Red squirrels are protected by law, and may not be intentionally trapped, killed or kept, or have their dreys disturbed except under licence from Natural England (NE), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Historically, red squirrel populations in Britain have fluctuated widely, the species disappearing from many areas at times and re-colonising at a later date. However, in the 1920s red squirrels began to be replaced by grey squirrels introduced to about 30 sites from eastern North America, between 1876 and 1929. Red squirrels seem unable to survive in the presence of greys, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. There is no evidence that grey squirrels aggressively chase out red squirrels, or that grey squirrels brought a disease with them from America which affects red squirrels. The key as to why grey have replaced red squirrels seems to be their ability to compete for food in different types of habitat. Red squirrels live in all types of woodland habitats from pure broadleaf, to mixed broadleaf and conifer, to pure conifer. However it is believed they prefer pure conifer forests because they can forage in them more efficiently and survive in them better than in broadleaf forest.
It is believed that the only real way to ensure the continued presence of red squirrels in an area is, if possible, to keep grey squirrels out, or, at least to keep their number low. This may be achieved by habitat management to alter the tree species composition and age structure of woodland to suit red but not grey squirrels. Special food hoppers which provide food for red squirrels but not the heavier grey squirrels, can help to tip the balance in favour of red squirrels. Re-introductions to large pine forests may be an important conservation tactic, although further research into the health and welfare of red squirrels during captivity and all phases of a reintroduction programme is needed.
Populations:
Red Squirrels estimated 161,000 (10,000 Wales, 30,000 England & 121,000 Scotland)
Grey Squirrels estimated 2,250,000 ( of which 2,000,000 are in England)
Greys outnumber reds 66:1
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Crane chicks hatch
RIGHT: One of the newly hatched Common Crane chicks. Photo: Grahame MadgePosted on: 28 Apr 2010
The first eight Common Crane chicks, brought from Germany as part of the Great Crane Project have successfully hatched at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The birds are destined to be released into the wild later this year.
The original plan was to fly the eggs over but these had to be rapidly changed because of last weeks’ air travel crisis. WWT’s Head of Conservation Breeding, Nigel Jarrett, drove to Germany and back instead on an epic 17 hour road trip carefully collecting the 18 Common Crane eggs in portable incubators. Only hours after arriving the first chick hatched, followed by seven more.
Nigel said: “We knew we would be cutting it fine, but we didn’t know quite how close it was! It really was a privilege to bring back such an iconic bird to Britain, they are back where they belong almost like a long-lost friend. This is the start of a new generation of British birds and I can’t wait to see these newly hatched cranes gracing our skies this autumn.”
More chicks should hatch at WWT Slimbridge in the next few days and a second batch of eggs arriving at later this week by air, courtesy of Airbus and Lufthanza. Over the next couple of months the crane chicks will be taught how to forage for food, swim, socialize and protect themselves from predators – all valuable lessons to help them prepare for life in the wild.
The cranes will be transferred to a temporary release enclosure on the Somerset Levels and Moors later this summer before they are released into the wild as part of the Great Crane Project – a partnership between WWT, RSPB and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, with major funding from Viridor Credits Environmental Company.
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/newsitem.asp?c=11&cate=__8990
Monday, June 29, 2009
The eagles have landed in Scotland
A total of 20 white-tailed sea eagle chicks have arrived in Scotland as part of a reintroduction programme.Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham welcomed the third batch of chicks in the five-year East Scotland Sea Eagles (ESSE) reintroduction project.
The chicks were then taken to ten purpose-built aviaries at a secret location on Forestry Commission Scotland land in Fife.
They will stay here for up to two months until they have developed all their flight feathers and are strong enough to fledge.
ESSE is a partnership between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry Commission Scotland to reintroduce the birds to the east of Scotland.
The birds disappeared from the UK in Victorian times as a result of attacks by humans.
Ms Cunningham said in a statement: "Previously wiped out in Scotland it is apt these chicks are arriving in this year of Homecoming and I am confident their presence, and that of the sea eagles released before them, will help encourage visitors to our shores.
"Ultimately however, the project's goal is to replace what was once lost and with 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity there is no better time to take action to boost the variety of life in Scotland.
"It is particularly gratifying that an animal driven to extinction by human persecution now has us going to great lengths to rectify the mistake. I'd like to congratulate RSPB Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage on their efforts and I look forward to seeing these magnificent birds thriving in their new home"
Claire Smith, RSPB Scotland sea eagle project officer, said: "With two previous batches of chicks now well established in the east of Scotland, this project is helping to ensure that these spectacular birds become an increasingly common sight all over the country.
"Over time, they will begin to link up with the established population in the west, helping boost the number of breeding pairs in the wild. We are already seeing the two populations of birds mixing with increasing visits from young west coast birds to the east over the past few months."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
New bustard chicks a 'huge step'
20:20 GMT, Tuesday, 2 June 2009 21:20 UK
A project set up on Salisbury Plain to reintroduce the Great Bustard has hailed the successful hatching of three wild chicks as a "huge step".
The chicks mark the first successful breeding attempts by the Great Bustard Group which has been working to bring the species back to the UK since 1998.
David Waters, the man behind the reintroduction of the birds, described the news as "absolutely brilliant".
Great Bustards became extinct in the UK in the 19th Century.
Mr Waters, a former policeman who founded the Great Bustard Group, has dedicated his time to bringing back the "spectacular" bird to one of its former strongholds.
"The bird was reasonably abundant at one time from Yorkshire down to the South West," he said.
"One of its strongholds was Salisbury Plain, which lends itself to reintroduction, because it's a big military area which has changed very little since the Great Bustard was here, and has never had modern agriculture."
The bird is iconic for the area and is found on the Wiltshire coat of arms.
New chicks mark another chapter in the return of the bustard
The species suffered a huge decline in numbers in the 17th and 18th Centuries as a result of changing farming practices and hunting, and has only been an occasional visitor to this country since the 1840s.
It has also seen populations fall worldwide and globally is considered vulnerable to extinction.
Dr Mark Avery, conservation director of the RSPB which is supporting the project, said: "The hatching of Great Bustard chicks is fantastic news for conservation and marks yet another chapter in the drive to bring back lost species to the UK."
Under the reintroduction scheme, about 80 Great Bustards have been released on a Ministry of Defence-owned site on the plain since 2004.
Eggs are taken from nests on farmland in Russia before being hand-reared without close contact with humans.
They are then brought to the UK, where they are put into a large enclosure until they are ready to fly away of their own accord.
"What has to happen now is these chicks have to grow up and breed themselves, but this is a huge step for the project," Mr Waters said.
"I defy anyone to go to the Galapagos or anywhere in the world and see a bird more spectacular than the Great Bustard," he said.
See photo and video at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8079310.stm
A project set up on Salisbury Plain to reintroduce the Great Bustard has hailed the successful hatching of three wild chicks as a "huge step".
The chicks mark the first successful breeding attempts by the Great Bustard Group which has been working to bring the species back to the UK since 1998.
David Waters, the man behind the reintroduction of the birds, described the news as "absolutely brilliant".
Great Bustards became extinct in the UK in the 19th Century.
Mr Waters, a former policeman who founded the Great Bustard Group, has dedicated his time to bringing back the "spectacular" bird to one of its former strongholds.
"The bird was reasonably abundant at one time from Yorkshire down to the South West," he said.
"One of its strongholds was Salisbury Plain, which lends itself to reintroduction, because it's a big military area which has changed very little since the Great Bustard was here, and has never had modern agriculture."
The bird is iconic for the area and is found on the Wiltshire coat of arms.
New chicks mark another chapter in the return of the bustard
The species suffered a huge decline in numbers in the 17th and 18th Centuries as a result of changing farming practices and hunting, and has only been an occasional visitor to this country since the 1840s.
It has also seen populations fall worldwide and globally is considered vulnerable to extinction.
Dr Mark Avery, conservation director of the RSPB which is supporting the project, said: "The hatching of Great Bustard chicks is fantastic news for conservation and marks yet another chapter in the drive to bring back lost species to the UK."
Under the reintroduction scheme, about 80 Great Bustards have been released on a Ministry of Defence-owned site on the plain since 2004.
Eggs are taken from nests on farmland in Russia before being hand-reared without close contact with humans.
They are then brought to the UK, where they are put into a large enclosure until they are ready to fly away of their own accord.
"What has to happen now is these chicks have to grow up and breed themselves, but this is a huge step for the project," Mr Waters said.
"I defy anyone to go to the Galapagos or anywhere in the world and see a bird more spectacular than the Great Bustard," he said.
See photo and video at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8079310.stm
Monday, June 1, 2009
Rare bumblebee coming back to UK
23:26 GMT, Sunday, 31 May 2009 00:26 UK
A bumblebee which is extinct in the UK, is to be reintroduced from New Zealand under plans being announced.
The short-haired bumblebee was exported from the UK to New Zealand on the first refrigerated lamb boats in the late 19th Century to pollinate clover crops.
It was last seen in the UK in 1988, but populations on the other side of the world have survived.
Now Natural England and several other conservation groups have launched a scheme to bring the species home.
International rescue
Poul Christensen, Natural England's acting chairman, said; "Bumblebees are suffering unprecedented international declines and drastic action is required to aid their recovery.
"Bumblebees play a key role in maintaining food supplies - we rely on their ability to pollinate crops and we have to do all we can to provide suitable habitat and to sustain the diversity of bee species.
"This international rescue mission has two aims - to restore habitat in England, thereby giving existing bees a boost; and to bring the short-haired bumblebee home where it can be protected."
As many as 100 of the bees will initially be collected in New Zealand and a captive breeding plan established, with the aim of eventually releasing them at Dungeness, Kent, where they were last seen.
They will be flown back on planes in cool boxes, and will not be disturbed, according to Natural England, as they will be in hibernation during transit.
The scheme's project officer Nikki Gammans said the bumblebee was a "keystone species" which was key to pollinating around 80% of important crops.
"By creating the right habitat for these bumblebees, we are recreating wildflower habitat that has been lost, which will be good for butterflies, water voles and nesting birds."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8076205.stm
Photo: G L Wilson
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