A cranky crocodile taught his keepers a lesson when they disrupted his peace and quiet by mowing the lawn.
Australian crocodile Elvis leapt out of his lagoon and wrestled the lawnmower from workers Tim Faulkner and Billy Collett before dragging it back underwater with him.
The 16-foot beast then kept guard over his catch for more than an hour, forcing staff at the Australian Reptile Park, north of Sydney, to make a daring rescue.
Mr Collett tempted the saltwater croc away with a piece of raw kangaroo meat on a stick while Mr Faulkner risked his life by entering the pool to retrieve the equipment.
Standing waist deep in water, he was forced to haul the lawnmower from the lagoon while the 50-year-old crocodile was distracted.
The irritable reptile was less than impressed, snapping his jaws and even losing some teeth as he chomped on the lawnmower.
Wildwood is pleased to welcome Baxter, our new red fox.
The new addition brings number of red foxes at Wildwood to 3 and Baxter is getting on well with his new acquaintances, Wildwood residents Ellie and Chris.
Baxter was brought to Wildwood by The Fox Project, a charity based in Kent and the South East that helps sick and injured foxes and abandoned cubs, providing for their care, treatment and rehabilitation back to the wild.
Baxter, a young male, was rescued by the Fox Project team after being found abandoned as a cub. They cared for him until he was strong enough to fend for himself but sadly he is not suitable to be returned to the wild so has been brought to Wildwood to live with our existing foxes.
Wildwood’s head keeper Paul Wirdnam said “Wildwood has worked with the Fox Project for a number of years, their team do a fantastic job have rehabilitated thousands of foxes just like Baxter. We are very proud to work with them”
Baxter is now on display in Wildwood’s specially designed red fox enclosure and is just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park, for more information visit the website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 01227 712 111
Wildwood 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.
FACTS - Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Recognition:
Reddish orange fur, small dog sized; thick bushy tail in winter Head/body length: average 67-72cm for males; 62-67cm for females; tail about 40cm Weight: average 6-7kg for males; 5-6kg for females.
General Ecology:
A highly adaptable species, found in nearly all habitats from salt marshes and sand dunes to the tops of mountains. In Britain, more than elsewhere in Europe, foxes have also adapted to life in urban surroundings.
Foxes hold territories, the size of which depends on habitat; they can be as small as 0.2 square kilometres in urban areas or up to 40 square kilometres in hill country. Each territory is occupied by a fox family group. These often consist of a pair - dog fox and vixen - and their cubs. However, in areas where foxes are not persecuted and where there is a plentiful supply of food, a family group may contain several adults.
Foxes have a very wide and varied diet. On salt marshes they eat crabs and dead seabirds, while in upland regions carrion may be important, particularly during the winter months. In lowland rural areas small mammals, especially field voles and rabbits, are the major source of food, with earthworms, beetles, fruit (particularly blackberries) and small birds also being eaten.
Urban foxes glean large amounts of food. Much of this is deliberately supplied by local householders, and is supplemented by scavenging from dustbins, birdtables and compost heaps. Unlike rural foxes, those living in some urban areas eat many small birds and feral pigeons.
Usually only one vixen in a group produces cubs, once a year in the spring. Litters average four to five cubs which are born blind and deaf in a den (called an earth). The earth may be dug by the foxes, or they may enlarge a rabbit burrow or use holes made by other animals. In urban areas cubs are often born under garden sheds. A vixen stays in the earth with her cubs for the first two weeks of their lives. At about four weeks old, usually in late April or early May, cubs begin to come into the open, when they are often seen by city householders.
Foxes generally do not live very long; although they have been recorded up to nine years old in the wild, most survive only one or two years.
Conservation:
Foxes have little legal protection. In some areas they are subjected to much persecution including shooting, hunting, being snared and dug out with terriers and caught with lurchers (fast, long-legged dogs). Self-locking snares and gin traps, both of which were once used to catch foxes, have been outlawed. Free running snares are legal, but they must be inspected at least once a day. These humanitarian provisions are the sole protection received by foxes.
Despite their lack of protection foxes are widespread and abundant. The success of the fox is due to its adaptability and it is in no need of active conservation measures. There remain about 190 fox hunts in England and Wales, but these probably kill a small proportion of foxes compared to those captured in snares and killed by other means. In the early 1980s many foxes were killed each year for their fur, most of which was exported to West Germany. However, with the decline in fur prices, this trade has decreased substantially.
Wildwood Trust is very disappointed that the Government has given a green light to new proposals to allow landowners to shoot badgers.
Wildwood Trust very much recognises Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) as a significant problem that causes hardship for many in the farming community, but believes that blaming badgers for bTB is just a scapegoat for the industry to avoid their responsibilities and avoid the cost of bTB control, while at the same time collecting huge subsidies from the taxpayer.
Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive stated:
“Wildwood Trust is coming to the defence of badgers as they are used as a scapegoat by an industrial farming lobby determined to hide poor farming practices, cruelty, massive taxpayer hand-outs, fraud and illegal practices that could end up in serious consequences for the British public.
The badger debate has been around for a very long time, over 40 years, but behind the simplistic headlines that badger lovers and farmers are at loggerheads is a much more complex and subtle story, a story full of intrigue and vested interests competing for economic advantage.
A whole generation of farmers and ‘country people’ have grown up being told badgers are the main problem, but have forgotten the basic epidemiological science of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The farming lobby have found it much easier to blame badgers than address the fundamental problems of cattle farming and the poor practices that have led to the epidemic of bTB in the British cattle herd.”
A History of Cattle TB
bTB was a dangerous disease and could infect people, mostly through drinking milk. The introduction of pasteurisation effectively stopped the disease being transferred to humans. Over this time strict controls on cattle movements and herd quarantine ensured a reduction in bTB across the UK . Since the 1970s these restrictions have been relaxed and the bTB has increased due to this lack of controls.
Changes in intensive farming practices have also contributed to the epidemic, as cattle live in larger and more dense groups and spend more time in large sheds and stockades increasing the spread of bTB. The larger groups ensure that bTB that is carried by few animals sub-clinically acting as a reservoir for the bTB going unobserved and be allowed to flare up again. This is the process that the farming lobby are trying to blame badgers, without credible scientific evidence.
Badger, Cattle and bTB
Cattle to badger bTB infection has been well demonstrated, but there is no evidence that can prove badger to cattle transference on the farm and the extent of the problem, except by guesswork or inference.
Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive said:
“I myself have a degree in Medical Biochemistry and my knowledge of how TB works leads me to agree with the leading scientists in the UK that have repeatedly stated that a badger cull would not reduce the incidence of bovine TB. This leads me to the conclusion that the farming industry is using Badgers as an emotional tool to wrestle even more taxpayer's money to subsidize intensive agriculture; instead of spending it on protecting our environment.”
I propose a simple 4 point plan to eradicate TB from cows in the UK:
1. Private insurance – reward the good and punish the bad
The present system of subsides rewards poor practice, the solution is to make the farming industry pay for their bad and illegal farming practices. The best way to achieve this is by the withdrawal of all government subsidy and compensation payments. Farmers could then privately insure themselves against the risk of herd breakdown due to TB. This free market solution would reward good farming practices by them having lower premiums. Farms with poor risk would be charged high premiums and those farmers who commit fraud by changing ear tags and other illegal practices would invalidate their insurance.
2. Reintroduction of stricter quarantine regulations on cattle movement
Detailed statistical analysis has shown that it is the movement of cattle from one farm to another that is by far the most important factor in the spread of TB*. The reintroduction of the strict quarantine measure abandoned in our past is key to control of bTB in the UK.
(*M. Gilbert, A. Mitchell, D. Bourn, J. Mawdsley, R. Clifton-Hadley & W. Wint Nature Vol 435|26 May 2005|doi:10.1038/nature0354)
3. Good credible science – put the funds used for badger killing into proper scientific study of disease propagation and vaccines
The current system of spending large amount of taxpayers’ money on trials of shooting and gassing badgers at the expense of proper scientific study should stop. These funds should be redirected into proper microbiological research of the disease and its control by vaccination in cattle and badgers
4. Introduce economic changes to taxation and land tenure to promote less intensive agriculture.
Our present System of taxation vastly favours tax-dodgers, large landowners and investment in huge capital infrastructure.
By removing taxation on all wages and trade, from which we currently derive our income and removing the tax perks of buying large machinery and replacing that government revenue with a rent on the value of all land and a taxation of natural resources such as oil and minerals at source we would create many more rural and farming jobs and reduce intensive inputs of artificial cattle feeds. This rebalancing of our economic climate would allow less intensive farming to compete on fair terms with the modern industrial farming methods and reduce the spread of disease and poor quality animal husbandry.
Key facts of bTB
1. bTB is passed from animal to animal by aerosol in the form of close, mouth to mouth, transmission
2. bTB is a ‘progressive’ disease not a black and white issue – the idea of ‘skin reactors’, the current method of detection is very flawed
3. Cattle infect badgers but probably not the other way round (not one shred of real evidence exists for badger to cattle transmission, only inference conjecture)
4. bTB is dormant for many years (if not decades in some animals) and this is the real ‘reservoir’ of infection –there is no real evidence of wild animal to cattle transmission. The best data available, from the studies done in Belgium, show that wild animal transmission has no statistical influence on the epidemiology
5. The most probable culprit of the rise in bTB is when strict quarantine laws where relaxed 40 years ago, the bTB we see today is just the epidemiological statistical results of that relaxation, magnified by larger herd sizes (increases the chance a ‘dormant carrier’ infecting a herd) and greater densities in cattle sheds.
6. Many cattle diseases, not just bTB, have increased over that time, pointing the finger to industry practices and animal husbandry issues
7. Stress and ‘unnatural’ diet may (and I stress may as no real evidence) play a role in increasing the progression and expression of bTB in cattle
WHAT CAN YOU DO!
If you agree with my view point you can explain, in your own words, why killing badgers is not an acceptable solution to the TB problem. Ask the Government to base its policies solely on cattle controls and credible scientific research.
Visitors to Wildwood are in luck this week with the first sightings of our baby red squirrels.
These new babies, born on 23rd April and now venturing out of their nest boxes for the first time are Wildwood's first brood this year. After maturing at the park they will be released as part of Wildwood's red squirrel conservation project aimed at preventing their nationwide extinction by re-introducing red squirrels back to the UK.
Once grown up the squirrels will be transported to the island of Anglesey in Wales to live wild and free, helping form a buffer population to safeguard the species against national extinction.
Red squirrels went extinct in Kent in the 1960's and many of us can remember them from our childhood and many areas like Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees.
Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive said:
"Red squirrels are one of the most beautiful animals in the UK but sadly they face 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 782 0081.
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.
RED SQUIRREL FACTS
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 English Nature (EN), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Red squirrels are considered vulnerable in Britain. However, very occasionally high densities in some Scottish forests can lead to economic damage to trees. In such cases, government agencies will assess whether to issue a licence to remove some of the red squirrels.
Historically, red squirrel populations in Britain have fluctuated widely, the species disappearing from many areas at times and recolonising 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.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE RED SQUIRRELS GONE?
In the past red squirrels were common. Over the last few decades we have seen a dramatic decline in numbers of red squirrels.
The red squirrel is our only native squirrel species. This century it has undergone a drastic decline and is now mainly confined to northern England, Scotland and parts of Wales.
The main cause of this decline is competition with the introduced American grey squirrel. The grey squirrel is larger than the red and better able to survive harsh weather and period of food shortage. It breeds more successfully and quickly out-competes the red squirrel for food.
Historically, red squirrels frequented the whole of the British Isles which they recolonised after the ice age. Numbers and range have always naturally fluctuated, rising and falling in relation to food availability and climate. The major decline occurred in England during the 1940s and 1050s while the grey squirrel expanded rapidly at the same time. reasons for the red squirrel decline are competition with grey squirrels, disease, habitat loss and fragmentation.
Numbers
It has been estimated that about 160,000 red squirrels remain in Great Britain. 120,000 of these in Scotland and 30,000 in England with 10,000 in Wales. There are an estimated 2.5 million grey squirrels in Britain. Populations of red and grey squirrels in Northern Ireland are currently changing. Distribution is known, however population estimates have not yet been considered.
Habitat
Without competition red squirrels can thrive in broadleaved and coniferous woodland. However, where the two squirrels exist, the red squirrel in general survives in conifer woods only as it is more specialised to feed off smaller seeds. There are a number of locations in Scotland where red and grey squirrels have been known to exist for many years, this is probably due to the habitat types. To aid the red squirrel in the long term it is important that appropriate habitat management is practiced to allow red squirrels to survive in areas that would otherwise be taken over by greys. This is easier said than done and much research is still needed before we can fully assist the red squirrel within our conifer woodlands.
OTHER RED SQUIRREL FACTS
Red squirrels can also be black, brown, cream or have white tails.
They don't hibernate.
They can leap up to 6m from tree to tree.
Their ankles are double-jointed, which allows them to swivel their feet through 180 degrees, they have sticky pads on their feet and they wee on them to get a better grip - all to help them climb.
The wee also means they mark their territories with their scent wherever they go.
They also wipe their faces along branches to leave their scent.
Squirrels weigh nuts in their hands to see if they will make good eating - too light means the nut has shrivelled inside and is thrown away.
Whenever they bury a nut in the woodland floor after holding it in their mouths, they can find it again because it will be smeared with their own individual scent from a gland in their cheek.
They take fresh fungi into the treetops to hang up to dry and store for later.
Squirrels wrap themselves in their tails, both to keep warm in winter and to shade them from the summer sun.
Sometimes they can go bald in the spring because their winter coat moults before the new summer one has grown.
They store nuts in the ground in Autumn.
Can swim.
Eat seeds, buds, leaves, flowers, shoots and fruit of many trees and shrubs, fungi, insects and occasional birds eggs.
Live in a drey made of twigs, leaves and moss built in a tree.
Moult whole coat twice a year.
Moult ear tufts and tail once in late summer.
They can live to 6 years of age.
Scientific name is Sciurus vulgaris.
Have 4 fingers and 5 toes.
They can hang upside down.
Young are called kittens.
Could have 2 litters each year with 3-4 kittens in each litter.
Kittens are born blind, pink, hairless and toothless.
The keeper team at Wildwood have been busy training two of our tawny owls to take part in flying displays at the park. After a number of practice sessions behind the scenes the birds have now moved into the woodland areas of the park for training.
The owls, named Falcor and Gimli, have been training in private for a number of months and are now ready to practice flying in the public areas to get them used to flying with visitors around.
Keeper Chris Jewell said “It takes a while to train the owls to fly to the glove as they’re not generally receptive to training and are easily distracted, but we are taking it at a steady pace for the birds and they are coming on very well. We have moved the practice area into the park and so far the customers who have seen the birds in flight have been delighted.”
As well as getting the birds ready for organised displays the training is also a great way to keep the owls both physically and mentally fit, “not only is this the perfect way to exercise the owls, learning to fly to a glove gives them discipline and keeps them entertained” said Chris.
Owls are amongst the most beautiful and iconic animals to live in the British countryside but sadly most people are unlikely to ever see one except in captivity, and even then it is very rare to see an owl in flight. As a conservation charity, Wildwood is dedicated to educating people about British wildlife in as natural a setting as possible and it is hoped that once the owls have finished their training we will be able to demonstrate their amazing flying skills to thousands of visitors every year.
Wildwood is home to a range of native owls such as tawny, short eared, eagle and barn owls. Training will continue at the park for the next few weeks so if you are lucky enough to be visiting when they are practicing please be sure to stop and enjoy this amazing sight.
Wildwood is celebrating a generous donation of £21,000 towards a new wetland wildlife discovery centre at the park.
The funds have been donated by the W.G. Harvey Discretionary Trust, a charitable trust dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the preservation of wild animal and bird life.
The donation will help the Wildwood Trust create a new area at the park which will be centred around a new otter enclosure, with a water shrew enclosure, water vole viewing area and simple aquariums for British aquatic creatures. The area will be used to educate our 100,000 plus visitors a year about the animals that live in British wetland habitats, to help protect them in the wild and encourage their re-population of our rivers.
It has been much published in recent months that whilst otter numbers have bounced back across many areas of the UK, they are still to make a recovery in Kent. A recent survey by The Environment Agency has revealed that otters are now found everywhere except Kent.
As a conservation charity, Wildwood is dedicated to the study of threatened British Wildlife and promoting awareness and education through allowing people to see our native animals in as natural habitat as possible.
Visitors will be able to view into the otter holt and the nest areas of the water shrew and water vole, and see the animals swimming in a near natural enclosure.
The otter enclosure will be the central feature, and will have a hospital area to keep otters separate should they need vet treatment, or when new otters arrive at Wildwood. The main enclosure will have a filtered pond and a large otter den, all constructed in natural woodland. The otter den will have special chambers with one-way glass, to assist behavioural studies without disturbing the otters, aiding research and giving our visitors the chance to see and learn about these beautiful and elusive creatures.
Peter Smith, Chief Executive of Wildwood said “We are extremely pleased to receive these vital funds that will allow us to highlight the plight of the otter and help us in our campaign to make our rivers a safe place that will once again harbour our wetland wildlife.”
Otter Facts
Eurasian Otter - Lutra lutra
The Eurasian otter is one of Britain’s largest remaining carnivores. Once common on waterways all over the British Isles, they are now rare in England and Wales, although they are still a common sight in some areas of Scotland.
There are many species of otter around the world but in Britain we have only one species. Some British otters live on the coast and hunt in the sea whilst others live inland and hunt in rivers, but they are both Eurasian otters.
Did you know? Otters...
Can close off their noses and ears when they go underwater so that they don’t get water up their nose or in their ears!
Have a special name for their droppings - they are called spraints.
Can hold their breath for up to 4 minutes underwater if they have to but don’t often hold it for more than 10 seconds.
Are related to badgers, weasels, stoats, pine martens and polecats.
Life in the Water
Otters live in a wide range of aquatic habitats, from moorland streams, lakes and ponds to large rivers, estuaries and sea coasts. They feed mainly on fish, which makes up 70 - 95% of their diet. They also eat shellfish, eels, newts, frogs, birds and small mammals.
Male otters generally have larger territories than females and may overlap with several females, mating with all of them. Otters communicate with one another by leaving spraints (otter poo) on rocks, grass tussocks and fallen trees throughout their
territory. Otters have a streamlined shape, a thick tail which helps them to steer in the water and webbed feet for paddling. Their fur is very thick, with a layer of underfur to keep them warm and waterproof guard hairs so that the underfur stays dry. Otters were once hunted for their fur and people believed that a coat of otterskin would keep you from drowning. People were also once undecided about whether the otter was a mammal or a fish because it was so at home in the water. Some even believed that it was a magical animal that behaved as a fish in the water and grew legs when it came out!
Otter families
Otters are usually solitary animals in the wild, with males and females occupying separate territories. Otters do not mate for life and a male otter will probably mate with all the females whose territories overlap with his. Unlike most animals, otters have no set breeding season and can mate at any time of the year. This means that kits can be born all year round, although spring and early summer are the most common, due to the plentiful food available. The kits will remain with their mother until they are almost a year old, as it takes a long time for them to learn how to hunt efficiently. The kits will then disperse, the males usually travelling further to find territories of their own.
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. ,
The theft of British Woodland... Campaign to prevent the sale of the nation’s woodland through tax reform
A thousand year-old crime is being repeated today... and Sir Winston Churchill had the solution.
Today – Wednesday 2nd February, the British parliament will vote to perpetrate a crime against the nation that has been happening for a thousand years.
Wildwood Trust is joining the hundreds of thousands of people calling for the Coalition government not to sell our nation’s woodland.
Since our Norman Conquerors first landed on the Kent coast, the people of Britain have seen their land stolen from them. First the Barons, then the landed gentry stole the birth right of every Englishman, Scot and Welshman. British taxpayers have been paying for this land grab every year since.
The Coalition Government is continuing this crime, a crime we are committing against our children, stealing their birthright to enjoy the British countryside and its wildlife.
The sale of British woodlands sees public assets ‘privatised’, then rented back to us at huge rents.
We are condemning future generation to pay a rent for accessing the few remaining bits of woodland and be taxed more heavily to protect its wildlife.
Private ‘investors’ can buy the land, and then claim huge tax breaks, Government grants and assistance at the expense of taxpayers.
Already the taxpayer is forced to pay a hundreds of millions of pounds every year subsidy to the wealthiest landowners in the country and this scheme will further entrench the grip of private landowners on the nation’s assets.
The State should have no authority to sell land that citizens then have to effectively rent back. We have seen this happen to 100’s billions of pounds worth of public assets over the last 30 years.
Britain has seen its wild woodland’s systematically devastated, with over 50% of our ancient woodlands lost since the Second World War. The UK is one of Europe’s most poorly wooded counties, with only 15% of our land enjoying tree cover against a European average of over 40%.
Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive has been working with leading economist, Fred Harrison, to come up with an economic plan that will not only restore wild woodlands but help revitalize the Britain’s economy. The coming months will see Mr Harrison publish a book out of the collaboration and a ground breaking documentary.
Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive Peter Smith said:
“Land is the most crucial element to the protection of wildlife in this country. And it is the policy of Wildwood Trust to reverse the sale of the public’s land into private hands.
The privatisation of land over the last 1000 years has been a disaster for British wildlife. Further privatisations will continue this appalling history of loss. This country needs to create a network of commonly owned land that can remain wild.”
“Wildwood’s vison for the creation of national woodlands is inspired by the work pioneered by the country’s greatest statesmen, namely David Lloyd George and Sir Winston Churchill. This can be achieved at no cost to the taxpayer by a small change to our taxation system.”
This tax reform was championed by the world’s greatest economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Henry George and Milton Freedman. A solution that is supported by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and members of all political persuasions, both right and left, who understand the role of land values in our economic system.
That solution could abolish income tax and VAT and help the UK revitalise its economy. The solution would be to levy a tax equal to the rental value of all land. In essence all landowners would have to pay an annual rent to the Government for the exclusive possession of that land.
This would be a replacement for other taxes, so that 95% of the British public would be much better off, freeing up the talented and hardworking people to keep more from their efforts. It would create jobs for the unemployed and put an end to property speculators and house price boom and busts.
Tax dodgers and large landowners would be very much worse off and many would be forced to sell their land to others who could make better use of it. Wildlife would recover, and landowners who put their land into a charitable trust with the objective of sustaining its wildlife would be exempt from the land value tax.
Wildwood Trust is calling on the Government to protect wildlife and stop the sale of one of the nation’s greatest assets.
******* End ********* For more information conact: Peter Smith, Chief Executive of Wildwood Trust Fred Harrison, Research Director of the Land Research Trust. Fred can be contacted through Wildwood Trust.
The theft of British Woodland... Campaign to prevent the sale of the nation’s woodland through tax reform
A thousand year-old crime is being repeated today... and Sir Winston Churchill had the solution.
Today – Wednesday 2nd February, the British parliament will vote to perpetrate a crime against the nation that has been happening for a thousand years.
Wildwood Trust is joining the hundreds of thousands of people calling for the Coalition government not to sell our nation’s woodland.
Since our Norman Conquerors first landed on the Kent coast, the people of Britain have seen their land stolen from them. First the Barons, then the landed gentry stole the birth right of every Englishman, Scot and Welshman. British taxpayers have been paying for this land grab every year since.
The Coalition Government is continuing this crime, a crime we are committing against our children, stealing their birthright to enjoy the British countryside and its wildlife.
The sale of British woodlands sees public assets ‘privatised’, then rented back to us at huge rents.
We are condemning future generation to pay a rent for accessing the few remaining bits of woodland and be taxed more heavily to protect its wildlife.
Private ‘investors’ can buy the land, and then claim huge tax breaks, Government grants and assistance at the expense of taxpayers.
Already the taxpayer is forced to pay a hundreds of millions of pounds every year subsidy to the wealthiest landowners in the country and this scheme will further entrench the grip of private landowners on the nation’s assets.
The State should have no authority to sell land that citizens then have to effectively rent back. We have seen this happen to 100’s billions of pounds worth of public assets over the last 30 years.
Britain has seen its wild woodland’s systematically devastated, with over 50% of our ancient woodlands lost since the Second World War. The UK is one of Europe’s most poorly wooded counties, with only 15% of our land enjoying tree cover against a European average of over 40%.
Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive has been working with leading economist, Fred Harrison, to come up with an economic plan that will not only restore wild woodlands but help revitalize the Britain’s economy. The coming months will see Mr Harrison publish a book out of the collaboration and a ground breaking documentary.
Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive Peter Smith said:
“Land is the most crucial element to the protection of wildlife in this country. And it is the policy of Wildwood Trust to reverse the sale of the public’s land into private hands.
The privatisation of land over the last 1000 years has been a disaster for British wildlife. Further privatisations will continue this appalling history of loss. This country needs to create a network of commonly owned land that can remain wild.”
“Wildwood’s vison for the creation of national woodlands is inspired by the work pioneered by the country’s greatest statesmen, namely David Lloyd George and Sir Winston Churchill. This can be achieved at no cost to the taxpayer by a small change to our taxation system.”
This tax reform was championed by the world’s greatest economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Henry George and Milton Freedman. A solution that is supported by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and members of all political persuasions, both right and left, who understand the role of land values in our economic system.
That solution could abolish income tax and VAT and help the UK revitalise its economy. The solution would be to levy a tax equal to the rental value of all land. In essence all landowners would have to pay an annual rent to the Government for the exclusive possession of that land.
This would be a replacement for other taxes, so that 95% of the British public would be much better off, freeing up the talented and hardworking people to keep more from their efforts. It would create jobs for the unemployed and put an end to property speculators and house price boom and busts.
Tax dodgers and large landowners would be very much worse off and many would be forced to sell their land to others who could make better use of it. Wildlife would recover, and landowners who put their land into a charitable trust with the objective of sustaining its wildlife would be exempt from the land value tax.
Wildwood Trust is calling on the Government to protect wildlife and stop the sale of one of the nation’s greatest assets.
******* End ********* For more information conact: Peter Smith, Chief Executive of Wildwood Trust Fred Harrison, Research Director of the Land Research Trust. Fred can be contacted through Wildwood Trust.
Wildwood, Kent’s unique wildlife and woodland park, is celebrating its first new arrival of 2011; a baby wild boar.
The new baby is the first piglet to be born to proud parents Pru and Sydney and marked the New Year in style by arriving on New Year’s Day. The baby is as yet unnamed until its sex can be determined.
Keeper Judi Dunn said “I am so excited for Pru and Sydney, this is their first baby and Pru is doing very well as a new mum. It’s lovely to see the piglet starting to go out and about to explore the enclosure and avoiding the puddles after the recent rain.”
Wild boar piglets are born with stripes to help camouflage them in the undergrowth and typically stay in the nest for about 10 days. The young are suckled for about 12 weeks before they are completely weaned, after which they find their food by rooting around the woodland floor with their mother.
Wildwood Trust is campaigning to save wild boar from being hunted to extinction and has asked the Government to legalise the status of this animal and let it take its rightful place in the British Countryside, helping to restore our natural woodlands.
Wild boar form an integral part of the historic landscape of Britain and help woodland flowers, insects, animals and trees regenerate creating countryside richer in wildlife. The Wildwood Trust has been lobbying to ensure that Wild boar are given a chance to regain their natural place in our woodlands to encourage a landscape that’s rich in flowers, butterflies and birds.
Wild boar are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood, near Canterbury , off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782 008.
Wild Boar Facts
The European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), ancestor of the domesticated pig, is the largest of the present-day wild hogs - the males or boars sometimes reaching a height of 40 inches at the shoulder and a weight of 350 pounds. A male wild boar is armed with a pair of large sharp strong tusks, the upper canine teeth, which curve outward and upward, reaching a length of ten inches in old age. The female or sow bears litters of 3 to 12 striped young in a nest hidden in thick brush.
Some facts concerning the Wild Boar:
The Wild Boar has a gregarious nature and is mainly woodland-dwelling.
Wild boar mainly feed on deer truffles, acorns, nuts, tubers, insects, earthworms and some carrion.
Vocalisations are very important, and wild boar are constantly grunting and chirruping to each other, and squeal when alarmed.
Wild boar are usually not dangerous and do not attack other animals and people. However, they can be very aggressive, especially females with young, or injured animals.
Wild boar are naturally timid and (normally!) run away at the sight of people.
Wild boar have a life span of between 15 and 20 years.
The date at which wild boar finally became extinct in Britain is unclear due to subsequent attempts at re-introduction. In continental Europe, wild boar were (and still are) widely distributed and attempts were made in the 18th and 19th centuries to re-introduce animals to Britain from abroad, initially into private estates for hunting purposes. James 1st released animals firstly from France and then from Germany into Windsor Park in 1608 and 1611 respectively. His son, Charles 1st (reigned 1625-1649), also released boar into the New Forest from Germany.
It is thought that the original British wild boar were probably extinct by the 13th century, and the re-introduced animals became extinct during the 17th century. Between the 17th century and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent as zoo exhibits, were present in Britain. Until very recently, no free-living wild boar (native or introduced) have been present in Britain for the last 300 years.
Wildwood, Kent’s unique wildlife and woodland park, is celebrating its first new arrival of 2011; a baby wild boar.
The new baby is the first piglet to be born to proud parents Pru and Sydney and marked the New Year in style by arriving on New Year’s Day. The baby is as yet unnamed until its sex can be determined.
Keeper Judi Dunn said “I am so excited for Pru and Sydney, this is their first baby and Pru is doing very well as a new mum. It’s lovely to see the piglet starting to go out and about to explore the enclosure and avoiding the puddles after the recent rain.”
Wild boar piglets are born with stripes to help camouflage them in the undergrowth and typically stay in the nest for about 10 days. The young are suckled for about 12 weeks before they are completely weaned, after which they find their food by rooting around the woodland floor with their mother.
Wildwood Trust is campaigning to save wild boar from being hunted to extinction and has asked the Government to legalise the status of this animal and let it take its rightful place in the British Countryside, helping to restore our natural woodlands.
Wild boar form an integral part of the historic landscape of Britain and help woodland flowers, insects, animals and trees regenerate creating countryside richer in wildlife. The Wildwood Trust has been lobbying to ensure that Wild boar are given a chance to regain their natural place in our woodlands to encourage a landscape that’s rich in flowers, butterflies and birds.
Wild boar are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood, near Canterbury , off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782 008.
Wild Boar Facts
The European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), ancestor of the domesticated pig, is the largest of the present-day wild hogs - the males or boars sometimes reaching a height of 40 inches at the shoulder and a weight of 350 pounds. A male wild boar is armed with a pair of large sharp strong tusks, the upper canine teeth, which curve outward and upward, reaching a length of ten inches in old age. The female or sow bears litters of 3 to 12 striped young in a nest hidden in thick brush.
Some facts concerning the Wild Boar:
The Wild Boar has a gregarious nature and is mainly woodland-dwelling.
Wild boar mainly feed on deer truffles, acorns, nuts, tubers, insects, earthworms and some carrion.
Vocalisations are very important, and wild boar are constantly grunting and chirruping to each other, and squeal when alarmed.
Wild boar are usually not dangerous and do not attack other animals and people. However, they can be very aggressive, especially females with young, or injured animals.
Wild boar are naturally timid and (normally!) run away at the sight of people.
Wild boar have a life span of between 15 and 20 years.
The date at which wild boar finally became extinct in Britain is unclear due to subsequent attempts at re-introduction. In continental Europe, wild boar were (and still are) widely distributed and attempts were made in the 18th and 19th centuries to re-introduce animals to Britain from abroad, initially into private estates for hunting purposes. James 1st released animals firstly from France and then from Germany into Windsor Park in 1608 and 1611 respectively. His son, Charles 1st (reigned 1625-1649), also released boar into the New Forest from Germany.
It is thought that the original British wild boar were probably extinct by the 13th century, and the re-introduced animals became extinct during the 17th century. Between the 17th century and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent as zoo exhibits, were present in Britain. Until very recently, no free-living wild boar (native or introduced) have been present in Britain for the last 300 years.
The deaths of three tigers and two lions in less than a week has prompted an investigation by national park authorities in India.
Two tigers have died of "bacterial infection", while a third tiger and two lions died of old age at Bennerghatta national park, a wildlife official said.
The park has been disinfected and staff asked to maintain hygiene, he said.
There are over 1,400 tigers and several hundred lions in the wild in India.
Two lions and a Siberian tiger died first at the 25,000-acre park located near the southern city of Bangalore. Wildlife officials attributed their deaths to old age.
But the deaths of a four-year-old tigress and a three-month-old cub were caused by food and water-borne bacteria, officials said.
The park, a popular tourist destination, has 47 tigers and nine lions.
It is home to many endangered animals and considered an important corridor for elephants in southern India.
The deaths of three tigers and two lions in less than a week has prompted an investigation by national park authorities in India.
Two tigers have died of "bacterial infection", while a third tiger and two lions died of old age at Bennerghatta national park, a wildlife official said.
The park has been disinfected and staff asked to maintain hygiene, he said.
There are over 1,400 tigers and several hundred lions in the wild in India.
Two lions and a Siberian tiger died first at the 25,000-acre park located near the southern city of Bangalore. Wildlife officials attributed their deaths to old age.
But the deaths of a four-year-old tigress and a three-month-old cub were caused by food and water-borne bacteria, officials said.
The park, a popular tourist destination, has 47 tigers and nine lions.
It is home to many endangered animals and considered an important corridor for elephants in southern India.
New Government report holds up Wildwood as an example for other zoos to follow.
Today saw the publication of the Defra-commissioned report into zoos’ contribution to conservation and education. Wildwood Trust was chosen as a case study for its outstanding contribution to native wildlife conservation.
The report detailed Wildwood’s many conservation and education projects and held up Wildwood’s work as an example for other zoos to follow.
Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive said:
“It is wonderful for Wildwood’s conservation and education efforts to be recognised in such a report. Wildwood’s volunteers, members and staff are making a huge contribution to help many of our most endangered creatures. The report highlights in particular the excellent efforts of our conservation team, led by Senior Conservation Officer Hazel Ryan, in rescuing and reintroducing water voles, Britain’s most endangered mammal”
“Since we became a charity eight years ago we have put in a huge amount of effort, making Wildwood the most successful wildlife education centre in Kent. We now employ an outstanding education team and have developed award-winning wildlife education programmes that stimulate fun and learning for children across the county.”
Head of Education, Anne Riddell said:
“The education team continues to grow, attracting groups of all ages to learn about wildlife in our unique woodland setting. We have just had our busiest summer season ever and we are thrilled to see all our hard work recognised in this report.”
Quotes from the report:
7.1.1
The Wildwood Trust’s water vole re-introduction activities… demonstrate that smaller zoos have the potential to make a considerable conservation contribution.
Appendix 9, Page 95
“Considerable emphasis is placed on the reintroduction of native species and the protection of their natural habitats at Wildwood.”
“The zoo’s activities have also attracted considerable media attention through local news coverage as well as featuring on nature programmes, such as Countryfile. Many students have published papers, with the help of Wildwood employees, in a range of journals.”
“Other activities include training sessions dedicated to water vole conservation and more specialised courses for local wildlife groups, students and land-owners on surveying small mammals. Water voles are part of the A-level Endangered Species Conservation session. The zoo hosts many work experience students on conservation or animal care courses.”
A copy of the report can be downloaded from this link:
Conservationists and members of Wildwood's "24 hour Love Patrol" will wait with bated breath as a tunnel of love will bring together two pairs of pine martens.
The pine marten is a solitary and fiercely territorial creature and will often attack a potential mate. This behaviour is often made worse in captive situations, making the pine marten Britain's most dangerous lover.
Not only are pine martens Britain's most dangerous lovers but they are also its most energetic. These creatures mate 3 or 4 times a day for up to a staggering 2 hours at a time.
Efforts to breed them have been helped by the creation of a 'Tunnel of Love' allowing two of the Wildwood Trust's pine martens to start a romance, the barriers have been brought down over the past few days.
In an effort to mimic the ideal natural breeding environment the Kent-based wildlife charity have created the 'Tunnels of Love' which winds around both the female enclosures which was used last year for the third time. The system was a great success and two pine marten young were produced this year.
Wildwood's six pine martens each have to be kept in their own enclosure. They regard this as their territory and would defend it against intruding other pine martens of either sex. However, this summer two pairs of Wildwood's pine martens will be introduced to each other in the hope that they may breed in captivity.
Wildwood's Keepers are mounting a "24hr love patrol" to make sure the pine martens play fair and can separate them in an instant by the use of special sliding panels.
Leading the "24 Hour love patrol" is Wildwood Keeper, Karen Price:
"For the last week our male pine martens, have been investigating the tunnel. The females have has also been allowed to explore the tunnel, although not at the same time as the males!"
"We have learnt a lot over the past three years and this year we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will can repeat our success of last year with more pine marten young born at Wildwood."
The pine martens at Wildwood Trust are helping scientists to discover more about this secretive and endangered mammal in the forests of Ireland.
Our martens are testing out special tubes attached to tree branches, which will be baited with food and sticky tabs on which the martens leave their fur. DNA can be extracted from the hair follicles to help scientists at the Institute of Technology in Waterford to identify individual pine martens. Then they can estimate how many martens are using local forests, if there are differences in the areas of forest martens use and, if so, how to manage the rest of the forests to make them more hospitable for martens.
Pine Martens are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park, for more information visit the website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 7820087.
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.
PINE MARTEN BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Until about 1800, the pine marten was widespread throughout Britain, but today it is confined mainly to remote, forested areas in the north and west of Scotland, with a few small isolated populations surviving in north Wales and northern England. Its range reached a minimum at the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of habitat loss through deforestation and conversion of the land to agriculture, hunting for its fur and persecution for predation on game birds and chickens.
Since then, its range in Scotland has increased due to the expansion of commercial forestry plantations, and more recently, the regeneration of native woodlands. The pine marten prefers well-wooded areas with plenty of cover, but it lives in more open habitats as well. There is a captive breeding programme underway in Kent, and suggestions have been made for the pine marten to be reintroduced to parts of southern England.
CONSERVATION STATUS
The pine marten is listed as a protected species in Appendix III of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. It is also included in Annex V of the European Community's Habitat and Species Directive of 1992, as a species 'of Community interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures'.
In the UK, the pine marten is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, and it cannot be trapped, disturbed or sold without a specific licence from the relevant government conservation agency - in Scotland this is Scottish Natural Heritage. However, despite this legal protection, martens are still killed inadvertently each year by traps or poisoned bait set out for crows or foxes.
PHYSICAL CHARECTERISTICS
The pine marten adult is the size of a small domestic cat; it is slender with dense, chocolate-brown fur and a long bushy tail. It has a cream-coloured bib on the throat. The male measures on average 68 cm from nose to tip of tail. The female is slightly smaller. It is a member of the weasel family. In continental Europe another species, the beech or stone marten (Martes foina) is also found. In North America there are two species of the marten, the fisher (Martes pennanti) and the American marten (Martes American) which are very similar to the pine marten.
They move quickly along the ground, rarely emerging into open spaces. They are expert at climbing trees. They are mostly likely to be seen in the evening or at night, although they do come out during the daytime in summer months. They have an alert and timid presence.
Pine martens hunt in trees and on the ground. They like to roam in broad-leafed or conifer woodlands, and the destruction of these is a threat to the species. They find most of their food on the ground, and they hunt for small mammals, birds, insects, fungi, berries, birds' eggs and carrion (dead animals). Contrary to some opinions, they do not eat significant quantities of squirrels, red or grey. Pine martens avoid areas away from woodland or scrub, probably because other predators (especially foxes) can catch and kill them in the open.
Martens have territories that vary in size according to the availability of food. For males, the territory is about 10-25 square kilometers, and for females, about 5 - 15 kilometers. They are not aggressively territorial, some animals' territories overlapping those of others. Sometimes, however, they mark their trail with faeces ("scats"). Even in places where they are at their most numerous, pine martens are thin on the ground compared with other carnivores like foxes, stoats and badgers. They can be very playful and curious in their behaviour.
Pine martens breed only once a year. Mating takes place in July or August, but the female's pregnancy does not begin until January. (This delayed implantation also occurs in the badger.) A litter of about three babies is born in late March or April. At birth, the young are blind and covered in a coat of yellow-white hair which changes to grey, and then to brown as they mature. The babies spend at least six weeks in the den before they venture out, and the family stays together until they are six months old. They may live to 11 years old, but the normal lifespan is three to four years.
A tiny chick which was born with curled toes has been given a pair of specially made slippers to allow him to walk.
When the baby African Crowned Crane was born at a wildlife centre in Cornwall staff noticed a defect with his feet.
Because his toes were curled he couldn't walk and bosses at Paradise Park in Hayle were worried for the bird, which had been abandoned by his mother.
Staff started hand-rearing him and put bandages on his feet to allow him to walk upright. When that worked, they decided to make the tiny 2.5cm slippers.
The little bird - which should grow to 4ft tall - is now happy running around with his other furry friends… which are all jealous of his footwear.
Park curator David Woolcock said: "The chick is doing very well and the park keepers take it for walks to strengthen those legs."
Prince 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)
RIGHT: Two young grizzlies have made their way to the Missouri River near Floweree. They are the first two bears in recent history to make it as far as the Missouri. (PHOTO COURTESY RICHARD LOUMA)
By KARL PUCKETT • Tribune Staff Writer • June 10, 2010
Two young grizzly bears spotted Tuesday evening near Floweree between Great Falls and Fort Benton probably are the first grizzlies in several decades to make it to the Missouri River, where the bears historically lived, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Diane Walker, who ranches near Floweree, witnessed the groundbreaking grizzlies.
"They just stopped and looked at us," said Walker, who was with family when she saw the bears. "They didn't seem to be frightened or anything."
The bears were acting playful with each other, she added.
