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WOOP WOOP

‘A place far away, unfamiliar and difficult to get to’

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INTRODUCTION

WOOP WOOP - ‘A place far away, unfamiliar and difficult to get to’

This is the start of something new. Heralding a new era of conservation; one that is accessible, authentic and accurate

OUR STATEMENT

‘We strive to unlock the serious debate on nature, the environment , the planet and humankind’

We want to give our readers content that may not normally be accessible, allowing the writers and photographers to portray the emotion behind their labours.

A visually led magazine to inspire and inform on interesting topics, whilst communicating the reality of the ‘Conservation Conversation’

CONTACT US info@woopwoopmagazine.co.uk

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Lewis Phillips

EDITOR

Faith Millward

Ben Ap Hywel

FRONT COVER

Chris Couch

Lewis Phillips

Conservation is not just about the flora and fauna, it’s also about the people who put themselves at the front and centre of movements that are helping to protect the most vulnerable parts of our ecosystems.

The magazine compels our readership to join these individuals in taking guardianship of planet Earth and all the living things that call it home.

We aim to set the precedent for future generations, to learn how to cohabit peacefully with the natural world, and as a direct consequence, build a stable foundation upon which to regrow and restart.’

The magazine will function as a sounding board for those who want to have their voice heard, a directory for those who seek clarity and a point of inspiration for those who seek to be more involved with the natural world, at every level.

We aim to enthuse and educate our readers on the diversity of the natural world and in turn, create a new sense of equality towards how we approach the preservation of it.

The people and animals who have entrusted us to tell their stories come in all shapes and sizes; there is no ‘one size fits all’. It is this variation and balance that will form the cornerstone of a more sustainable future.

The magazine highlights how vast the natural world truly is and suggests that it is important to consider all aspects of this; the great and small, the furred and feathered and especially our own behaviour as guardians of the landscape.

We approach with particular interest the idea of sustainable business; how large organisations are reassessing their own approach to aide in working towards healthier environments.

We endeavour to highlight a balanced approach towards these different perspectives on cultural and economic issues; celebrating the differences rather than vilifying them, as it is these variations that our make planet earth such a vibrant place.

At the heart of all we do is a consideration for the prompt action necessary to reestablish a much needed balance between humanity and nature, and in turn secure the future of multiple species and habitats across the globe before it is too late.

Times are changing at a rapid pace, and it is imperative that we adapt with urgency.

At WOOP WOOP Magazine, we aim to seek out the stories of today to inform tomorrow, and to take a view on influencing the ‘working relationship’ between humanity and the natural world.`

At the time of going to print, world leaders were meeting at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change], COP27; with this at the fore of everyone’s thoughts, never has the ‘Conservation Conversation’ been more important.

’WOOP WOOP magazine’s aim is to showcase the numerous global conservation projects that intertwine so cohesively with the personal narratives of those who spearhead them.

At WOOP WOOP Magazine, we constantly review many aspects of the production process as we believe that everyone should play a in part in looking after our planet for future generations.

O ur publications are printed by Stephens & George Ltd, an award-winning

printer based in Wales, UK. Copies are produced using vegetable-based inks combined with the

press technology.

All papers are sourced from well managed, sustainable forests and their vast supply chain hold many environmental accreditations. In addition to this, they hold a Climate Change Agreement along with ISO14001, ISO9001, FSC, PEFC and offer Carbon Balancing via The World Land Trust. They achieved a E2B Silver award for energy improvements along with an E2B Gold award for recycling and the majority of all their waste is recycled.

EUROPEAN BISON 10

THE WILDWOOD TRUST | KENT | ENGLAND

LOWLAND GORILLA 1 8

ASPINALL FOUNDATION | PORT LYMPNE | ENGLAND

VULTURES 2 6

MAGALIESBERG MOUNTAIN RANGE | PRETORIA | SOUTH AFRICA

GREY SEALS 3 4

DORSET COASTLINE | ENGLAND

ANNABEL ’ S FOR THE AMAZON 40 BERKELEY SQUARE | LONDON | ENGLAND -&- BRAZIL | SOUTH AMERICA

BADGERS 4 8

CEREDIGION | WALES

BARBARY MACAQUES 56

TRENTHAM MONKEY FOREST | STOKE-ON-TRENT | ENGLAND

SNOW LEOPARDS 62

SEATTLE | USA -&- SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

BARN OWLS 6 8 WORSLEY | MANCHESTER | ENGLAND

HONEY BEES 7 6

FORTNUM & MASON | LONDON | ENGLAND

GARDEN OF EDEN 82 CLAPHAM | LONDON | ENGLAND

ASIAN ELEPHANTS 8 8

CHESTER ZOO | CHESTER | ENGLAND

A FAMILY AFFAIR 9 6

PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK | HERTFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND

RED PANDAS 10 2

PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK | HERTFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND

PINE MARTENS 10 6

THE VINCENT WILDLIFE TRUST | HERTFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND

WILD CATS 11 2

THE WILDWOOD TRUST | KENT | ENGLAND

PERMACULTURE 11 6

GLOUCESTERSHIRE | ENGLAND

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS 1 20

SEAWATCH FOUNDATION | CEREDIGION | WALES

RED DEER 12 8

EXMOOR | SOMERSET | ENGLAND

CALL OF THE WILD 13 8 THE HIGHLANDS | SCOTLAND

KING HENRY III ’ s MENAGERIE 14 6 THE TOWER OF LONDON | LONDON | ENGLAND

BLACK RHINOCEROS 15 2 FOLLY FARM | PEMBROKESHIRE | WALES

DOGS FOR WILDLIFE 16 2 CARMARTHEN | WALES -&-SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

THE HEN HARRIER 16 8 GLOUCESTERSHIRE | ENGLAND -&- UK MOORLAND

NATURE’S IMAGE 17 2 NORTH DEVON BIRD OF PREY CENTRE | ENGLAND

BROWN BEARS 17 6 RHENEN | NETHERLANDS

GREYHOUNDS 184 GREYHOUND RESCUE WALES | AMMANFORD | WALES BEAVERS 192 WALES

CLOUDED LEOPARDS 198 EXMOOR ZOO | DEVON | ENGLAND

AMAZING ANIMALS 208 HEYTHROP ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS | OXFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS 214 TRIGON FARM | DEVON | ENGLAND

WHAT ’ S IN OUR SOIL ? 220 GREAT BRITAIN -&- IRELAND

HEDGEHOGS 226 ABERCYCH | SOUTH WEST WALES

OTTERS 2 32 WALES

SEAHORSES 23 8 THE SEAHORSE TRUST | DEVON | ENGLAND TAPIRS 24 4 ASPINALL FOUNDATION | PORT LYMPNE | ENGLAND GERONIMO 250 A STORY ABOUT AN ALPACA

THE TRUE COST O F CHEAP MEAT 25 4 GREAT BRITAIN -&- IRELAND

FAIR GAME 25 8 A FEAST FIT FOR A KING

PANTRY 2 62 TAKE YOUR FANCY!

ARTFUL JOGGER 26 4 SOUTH COAST | ENGLAND NATURE ’ S TONICS 26 8 MEDICAL MARVELS

WATCH 2 72 SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND

A TALE OF T WO TURTLES 27 4 ANGLESEY SEA ZOO | WALES

WHO WAS SHE ? 280 SOMEWHERE IN WALES

ZOYSA 28 4 EXMOOR ZOO | DEVON | ENGLAND

PEREGRINE FALCONS 28 6 SALISBURY CATHEDRAL | SALISBURY | ENGLAND

AVIAN INFLUENZA 290 A GLOBAL ISSUE

SPOTTING A SLOW T RAIN CRASH 29 8 AN ESSAY

EMZOTIC 302 INFLUENCER - DENVER | COLORADO | USA

NATURALLY DRAWN 310 ILLUSTRATOR - UK

EUROPEAN BISON

THE WILDWOOD TRUST | KENT | ENGLAND

The Wildwood Trust, alongside their project partners at the Kent Wildlife Trust have embarked on a pioneering project to introduce the European bison to the Kent countryside.

However, this is not just a re-wilding incentive, at its heart, the introduction of the bison to Blean Woods is a restoration project; an example of how we could better regenerate the British landscape to the bio-diverse mosaic that it once was.

The introduced bison in the Blean Woods are engaged to do the job that humans would normally manage within a woodland landscape, for example, coppicing and creating natural clearings.

The project has replaced the traditional heavy machinery, petrol, and footfall with hooves, horns and up to 900 kg of body weight to do the hard work!

Whilst we may be familiar with the imagery of the bulky American bison roaming the plains of Wyoming, the European bison is leaner and more streamlined by comparison.

It is a species that has seen significant persecution – with retreating German soldiers shooting all but the last remnant population in Poland for food, target practice and souvenirs. In 1927 the last wild European bison was shot by poachers in the Caucasus.

Due to the efforts of zoo’s, breeding centres and conservation organisations, the bison has been brought back from the edge of extinction.

Collaborative, multi-partner breeding efforts have led to around seven thousand free roaming bison exist across Europe – bringing their status to “Near Threatened” from “Vulnerable” as it was in 2020.

Unlike their American cousins who will graze a landscape like cattle, the European bison is equally at home browsing as it is grazing.

They are an all-round ‘ecosystem engineer’, stripping bark from trees and targeting saplings as a food source.

As a consequence, they leave behind a blueprint to create a healthy ecosystem in which other native umbrella species can thrive.

This adapted browsing behaviour may stem from the changing habitats that they found themselves confined to in the past, but in the present, it makes them ideal candidates for forest and landscape restoration.

We see seasonal benefits through the changing behaviour of the bison. In Spring as they shed their thick coats, rubbing up against trees.

Birds will benefit from the unrivalled insulating properties of bison fur. This will insulate nests and lead to a successful hatch rate.

The sheer size of the bison means that as they move through their habitat, they will also leave beneficial destruction in their wake by felling trees and flattening young brush growth; Lesser Spotted woodpeckers, Spotted flycatchers and Passerine birds have all been documented making use of dead or felled trees around the bison reserve and the natural clearings could bring in other species, such as deer.

Since arriving at Blean Woods, the systematic browsing of the bison has resulted in a thinning out of nonnative species within the woodland. Species such as the western hemlocks and Corsican pines will make way for the seeds from the native trees to disperse and reestablish; the pine trees are a particular favourite for the bison, providing the perfect scratching post with their rough but fragile bark.

Bison are accustomed to dust baths and once out of use, these hollows become useful micro-habitats for invertebrates and fungal life – these tiny organisms are often the first indicators of a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem.

This influx of invertebrates into an area, in turn, provides feed for a wider range of native species; ones that the Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust teams are continuing to monitor. Regular ecology surveys continue to identify changes initiated through the bison’s presence.

The bison currently have a 130 hectare reserve, the infrastructure of which has been designed by The Wildwood Trust team on land owned by the Kent Wildlife Trust in a joint partnership.

The planning and execution of the ‘Wilder Blean’ incentive was a long time in the making and discussions between the two organisations have been ongoing for many years,

Creating the reserve included erecting twenty-seven kilometres of fencing, designing and constructing a specialist holding system [corral] for management and a 3-hectare soft release pen that means, longer term, the bison could roam free with minimal human intervention.

Without human interruption, the bison should not only exhibit true to nature behaviours but also create a self-sustaining biosphere in which they can thrive.

Lack of supplementary feeding (unless considered necessary) has encouraged the herd to focus on foraging and browsing from natural sources, and a limitation on use of veterinary medication ensures that the faeces of the bison function as a truly natural fertilizer, which will aide further in diversifying the land and soil.

The faecal matter will also be a nourishing food source for a diversity of invertebrates including dung beetles.

In the wild, Bull European Bison can be nomadic, choosing to systematically move around rather than stay with just one herd; breeding and then moving on.

You will rarely see more than twenty individuals travelling as a unit although larger herds of this size are more commonly formed over Winter.

Dispersing again in April into smaller herds, the bulls again pick up a more solitary existence.. Currently, the herd consists of four individuals, led by a matriarchal female originally from the Highlands Wildlife Park.

Whilst substantial alteration to the landscape will of course take time, these small ecological changes have already started to be noted on the topography; it is these tiny brush strokes that will make for a bigger masterpiece in terms of biodiversity and give confirmation that the bison are living up to the reputation of being a true sculptor of the landscape.

The future intention is that more familiar native breeds such as long horn cattle, Exmoor ponies and Iron Age pigs will run in parallel to the bison, allowing the teams to monitor and compare the effects that each animal has on the surrounding landscapes.

The eventual aim will be establishing a formula for reestablishing the reserve back to the mixed landscape that it once was.

As she takes the lead role within the group, the matriarch will be monitored through a GPS collar that allows movement around the reserve to be recorded. This offers the bison rangers an in-depth insight into how the group navigates their territory.

The matriarch is joined by two females from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland and the most recent addition, a female calf born unexpectedly back in the summer.

As with most prey animals, bison hide their pregnancy well as it makes them susceptible to predation, so when one of the Bison rangers came for morning checks and found a small calf peering out from behind her mother, there was cause for celebration. Together the four females have formed a cohesive unit.

The project will grow further with the impending arrival of a bull from Sasaburg in Germany. The bull selected is from the original blood stock carrying the Y-chromosome of those original European bison in Poland, which not only makes him genetically important, but his lineage will undoubtedly trickle through to future bison projects throughout the UK and globally.

It is important to state however, that the key incentive of the Wilder Blean project is not to focus on the breeding of the bison, but to monitor the impact that they are having on the surrounding landscape. It is key to look at the resources within the reserve, particularly food, to suit the herd size and not to over stretch the capacity of the land undoing the restorative work that the Bison have undertaken.

In recent months, the Wilder Blean project has catapulted the unassuming European bison into the mainstream spotlight, with celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio taking an interest in the work at the reserve through his Twitter feed and more than enough media attention that the two teams to manage.

From the very beginning, the Wilder Blean project has always been clear; it is going to take time.

The success and publicity of the Wilder Blean project has sparked enough interest for like-minded parties to seek advice and consultation on how to manage comparable projects. There is however still a mountain to climb to establish the bison as a native ‘re-wilder’, not just in terms of red tape but also public perception.

In the UK, a DWA [Dangerous Wild Animal] license is required for any individual to house bison; the Blean Woods herd are in a secure reserve, so they have only a concentrated area in which to focus their efforts. To make mass ecological gains and restore the landscape on a larger scale, do we need to start reassessing how we live with beneficial native wildlife, as they do in other countries? Nature knows what nature needs and it’s only limitations are the boundaries set by us.

Re-wilding Europe successfully undertook a project in which one hundred European bison now roam free across the southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania and similarly, in the Rhodope mountains of Bulgaria a small but growing population of wild bison have continued to flourish.

Education, awareness, and acceptance within the British landscape is needed, at a mainstream level to allow the Blean Woods bison project to flourish and expand.

To rebalance the natural world, we need to start by readdressing our perception of what we think we know about our countryside and re-frame our response to restore a more stable foundation upon which to build.

INTERVIEW: MARK HABBEN Director of Zoological Operations | The Wildwood trust WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: CHRIS COUCH

LOWLAND GORILLA

ASPINALL FOUNDATION | PORT LYMPNE | ENGLAND

The affiliation between the Aspinall family and the lowland gorilla species is one that runs deep. Howlett’s zoo was a pioneering institution born in the 1950’s, drawing upon the personal passion of John Aspinall for the natural world.

John believed that animals should be considered equals, and treated as such.

One of his most notable contributions to conservation was the birth of Kijo, a lowland gorilla, in 1975. Contrary to popular opinion at the time, John Aspinall had proved that gorillas could be bred in captivity, if they were given the right living conditions; this included adequate space, mental stimulation, social interaction with peers and the correct dietary requirements

This is a mantra that remains prominent throughout both of the Aspinall’s parks and applies to all the species that they currently house.

The foundation is now spearheaded by John’s son, Damian, who along with his siblings was ‘reared in a nursery full of gorilla babies and tiger cubs’. His father’s enthusiasm and ethos inspired Damian to take his father’s innovative efforts with the Lowland gorilla in captivity a step further, and begin a re-wilding incentive that would not only ensure the species survival, but also capture the hearts of people from around the world. Imagery of Damian and his family interacting with Lowland gorillas is one that presents an awe-inspiring relationship with the lowland gorilla that no other has been able to match.

I meet with Sophia Fagan, Head of Animal records at The Aspinall Foundation to talk about the future for the Lowland Gorilla species in Kent, Congo and the Gabon.

As I walk around the Port Lympne reserve, I stop to watch an impressive silverback sat high in the rafters of the ‘Palace of the Apes‘, braving the drizzle to get a better view over the surrounding tree line.

The dappled sunlight highlights the white markings on his back and I marvel at the sheer size and muscle as he sits on his rest, gazing out at the surrounding landscape; he seems to be deep in thought. He returns from his daydreaming and swings down to the floor of his enclosure, where he starts to meticulously gather an optimistically large armful of straw and then begins a one-armed ascent back up to his previous resting spot.

As he climbs, all but a small handful of the straw scatters back on to the ground. Upon reaching the top he glances at the remainder left in his hand, and with a look of resignation, lays on his back with his four limbs in the air; his mouth opens in what looks to me to almost be a giggle. He rolls around in the straw with great glee, rubbing it all over his body and putting some on his head, as humans may do with cosmetics in the shower.

Gorillas are complex but strangely relatable animals, seemingly with many of the trappings of personality that can be associated to us human beings, and therein lies their appeal.

The Aspinall’s foundation currently has 3 groups of Lowland gorillas at the Port Lympne reserve 2 bachelor groups and 1 family group; as well as, 4 thriving family groups at the sister park, Howlett’s. In the wild the lowland gorilla lives in the dense and remote rainforests of Africa, making it profoundly difficult to produce a definitive number for those left in the wild.

Habitat destruction, hunting and human encroachment have caused the species to decline by more than 60% over the last 20 – 25 years. Scientist have calculated that even if all current threats to western gorillas were removed, the population would still require 75 years to recover. For this reason alone, it has been crucial that humans step in and take up the responsibility for conserving this species.

The Aspinall foundation has built up a fearsome reputation as the chief ‘re-wilder’ and protector of the Lowland gorilla. For 20 years, The Aspinall Foundation has been reintroducing captive gorillas back into the wild. These individuals come from Howletts and Port Lympne wildlife parks in England and travel thousands of miles to their million acres in West Africa (Congo and the Gabon) under the ‘Back to the wild’ programme.

To date they have successfully reintroduced over 70 critically endangered gorillas, from both in and ex situ populations back into the wild; with a 95% annual survival rate, and over 30 births to released animals.

1999 saw the transfer of the first two Kent born gorillas back to Gabon; something that was both groundbreaking and risky at the time.

A captive breeding reintroduction programme like this had never been attempted with gorillas before; Everything from the transport of the animals, to the sustained care, rehabilitation programme and eventual successful release strategy were considered in intense detail.

Alongside this, was a passionate consideration for guaranteed continued protection of the gorillas once they were released back into the reserves in Congo and Gabon; here, cultivating relationships with the Brazzaville government were key. The foundation achieved the impossible and the bar was firmly set for other institutions to follow by example.

These two gorillas, we were the ambassadors of the initiative, have since been followed by an entire family group from Port Lympne who were also released in Gabon, a group of 4 bachelor gorillas from Port Lympne to Congo, 2 female gorillas from Beauval to Gabon and most recently, bachelor gorilla Joshi who made the journey from Howletts to Congo in 2021.

These release incentives are not only a huge and considered undertaking, but ones which are individually years in the making. Age, physical condition, group diversity and group dynamics are all considered before candidates for reintroduction are proposed.

Relatedness to founders and genetic diversity based on lineage is also very key factor to consider, to maintain longer term population viability once back in the wild.

For the gorillas that are relocated from Howletts or Port Lympne back to Africa, it is never just a hard release back into the forests. The reintroduction will always begin as a ‘soft release’ into a smaller area with a quarantine period. This is to ensure that the gorilla thrives independently and the need for human intervention is less and less. The foundation has multiple islands for the different phases of rehabilitation; when the time for a full release arrives, ridges are then built from the islands to naturally transfer the gorillas to the mainland once it is certain that they now have all the natural instincts required to survive in the wild.

As with most species, the lowland gorilla’s behaviour changes in captivity; something that Sophia believes means that is it all the more important to return individuals to their homelands where possible. Often captive gorillas pluck out their fur when stressed; for many of the released individuals at the Foundation this stopped as soon as they were in wild environment.

Port Lympne have 14 individuals within one of their bachelor groups and whilst they seem to be cohesive unit, Sophia explains that surplus males within captive breeding programmes is a problem. The natural behaviour of a male lowland gorilla is to disperse from the group when they reach a certain age, to endeavour to form one of their own.

Often, within a captive environment this can lead to stress and tensions. The challenge here is that genetic bloodlines and inbreeding would not allow every male gorilla to form his own troop within captivity; simply because there’s not enough unrelated individuals to go around. By keeping genetics as pure as possible, the Foundation is ensuring that a viable reintroduction population at both the parks is maintained.

When the time comes to move gorillas selected for rewilding from Kent to Africa, Sophia explains that each new journey is an opportunity for learning; all aspects of the transit are considered and reviewed. DHL has been involved in the physical relocation of many of the animals, and endeavours to limit the stress of the long journey by making the expedition as smooth and snappy as possible. A gorilla who was recently reintroduced to the Africa reserve, Joshi left Kent and within 32 hours later he was in the Congo. Joshi’s story is one of great triumph.

In 2021, Joshi, a 13 year old silverback who was born at Howletts zoo, travelled 5,500 miles from Kent to return to his homeland in the Congo. Joshi was released into the Lesio Louna Reserve where he will spend a few months acclimatising to his new environment, weather and diet in a custom-built habituation area. After habituation, Joshi will graduate to the next stage of his re-wilding, which will see him living wild and free in the forests of Lesio Louna Reserve.

In 1989, the Aspinall Foundation built the first ever gorilla orphanage in Congo Brazzaville. Since its inception the orphanage has rescued over 100 gorillas, most orphaned by the bush meat trade and poaching. There was a steady intake of multiple orphans every year in the late 90’s, but for the past 6 years there has only been 2 recovered.

Another sure sign that the Aspinall Foundation’s protection and deterrent methods are working. Many of the intakes to the orphanage have since be re-released back into their natural habitat and form the population that now call the reserve home.

Sophia explains that the Aspinall Foundation has a ‘2 pronged attack’ when it comes to the conservation efforts in Africa. The first, is to prove to other captive institutions that these re-wildings of vulnerable species are not only do-able, but also money well spent, in the hope that they will follow suit; the increase in the gorilla population under the care of the Aspinall Foundation and influx of wild births, provides the tangible evidence that may be needed to bolster this claim.

The second, is to gain increased governmental support to make these reintroductions commonplace and provide sustained protection of the species, once back in the wild, so that It is not all for nothing. If both of these incentives can be achieved, a framework for an ironclad safety barrier to protect the Lowland Gorilla in the wild will be assembled; ensuring the species survival for future generations.

The Lowland gorilla population was almost completely eradicated in the 1980’s due to hunting. These days, the Aspinall name alone undoubtedly acts as a deterrent against any human interference within the African reserves. This is entirely due to the efforts put in to secure the support of institutions such as the Ministry of the Environment and Forest in Congo and the Brazzaville government.

If poachers are now found targeting the gorillas in the reserves, they will be arrested and all the ‘tools of their trade’ stripped from them; it costs to purchase and replace guns and snares, so it is a risk that many would be poachers are now not willing to take.

In the 80’s the population of wild Lowland gorillas was minimal, with only 4 groups of wild gorillas left in Gabon and the Congo.

To have successfully repopulated an area with such an iconic species, and enabled the conception of wild born babies, is an accolade of epic proportions.

O n the 14th June 2021, The Aspinall Foundation celebrated the birth of the first lowland gorilla baby born in the wild, to captive-born European lowland gorillas. This pair of gorillas, one of which had been relocated to Africa from the Port Lympne reserve, had been released in 2019 and were still in the early days of their reintroduction. Phase two for this family will be a release on to the main island whilst being supplementary fed, to ensure that all of the members of this group continue to thrive in their new setting.

E ventually, it is hoped that the male in this troop, will take his new family out into the mainland and win himself some more females to create a super group. At the heart of all that the Aspinall Foundation does is the welfare and sustained preservation of all the varied species in their care . As Sophia puts it, ‘these projects should be about the animals and not human ego’.

If it achieves the end goal, then who cares whose name is ‘on the box’; it is very clear that the legacy and ethos of John Aspinall, founder of this Foundation, continues to live on and thrive by way of individuals like Sophia, who continue to rally to his cause.

INTERVIEW: SOPHIA FAGAN Overseas Project manager | Aspinall Foundation

S IMON JEFFERYS Animal Director | Port Lympne

W ORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES : COURTESY OF THE ASPINALL

VULTURES

MAGALIESBERG MOUNTAIN RANGE | PRETORIA | SOUTH AFRICA

It is my opinion that vultures are truly misunderstood.

Over the last fifteen years I have been fortunate to see them in their native habitats, providing an essential balance necessary for keeping our planet’s ecosystems healthy.

The familiar public image is of them congregating over dead carcasses, but the vulture’s role is far more complex.

Foreword by Lewis Phillips,Editor-in-Chief

They are known as one of the most effective and important ‘recyclers’ on our planet.

By clearing away dead carrion at a rapid rate, they are in fact helping to remove toxins from the environment that would otherwise prove fatal to other creatures.

The toxins are broken down in the extremely acidic stomach of the vulture and neutralised, thus reducing bacteria issues such as anthrax and botulism.

Vultures are a worldwide species that safeguard habitats for multiple other animals to also thrive.

They are known as ‘old-world’ or ‘new -world’ depending on which part of the planet we find them.

Interestingly many new-world vultures [species found in the Americas] can smell dead animals while the old-world vultures [Europe/Asia/Africa] look for dead carcasses as they have a poor sense of smell.

As Africa becomes more developed, inevitably the infrastructure is changing and developing. Gradually it is becoming less accommodating to vulture populations. Habitat loss, poisonings and power line incidents have contributed to the 97% decline that we have seen in the last 35 years in Africa.

Alongside this, there are both cultural and economic influences which have seen the black-market trade for both vulture eggs and body parts experience an influx of demand.

It is through education with a multifaceted and grass roots approach that will help to slow the decline of African vultures.

This is where VulPro, based in South Africa comes in.

Targeting the vulture decline at the root cause, one of their core aims is the rescue and rehabilitation of persecuted birds to preserve the species and increase populations back to a sustainable size.

soon as possible.

She has spoken in the past and maintains that “Without conservation intervention, the chance of seeing vulture extinctions in our lifetime is a very real possibility”.

In 2013, Kerri was a ’Conservation in Africa Finalist’ at the Tusk Awards. She has contributed to many publications on vulture conservation and an established expert in the field. Most recently, she has been nominated for the prestigious ‘Indianapolis

I found myself in vulture conservation simply by chance. I wanted to do something with animals but at the time, I was not sure what.

My true calling, I believed at that time, was to become a vet but unfortunately, I was not afforded that opportunity. I was thus lucky enough to have friends working in conservation. I applied for an open position managing the vulture study group through my friends’ contacts and managed to se-cure the job.

Twenty years later, I am still fighting to protect vultures and would not have it any other way – some-one needs to be their voice in a world filled with such destruction fallen on de af ears to those species who are often under the radar.

When VulPro was founded, I was just so focused on saving as many individual vultures as possible that I didn’t give the future of the foundation much though. It has truly grown beyond my wildest dreams or expectations, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved for the birds; and I must add, it has been a team effort between myself and my staff.

The biggest and equally the saddest surprise has been the unnecessary politics and egos involved in conservation, not only in vulture conservation but all sorts of species conservation work.

We come into this, as young enthusiastic individuals believing we will all work together for the greater good, only to find out, sooner rather than later, that in fact many individuals prefer shouting the loudest in order to be heard over others, all too often for their own egos and not necessarily to the benefit of the species. Ego is probably one of the most dangerous human faults as it leads to greed and destruction.

Kerri Wolter is CEO of VulPro and has worked in vulture conservation for 20 years. Her vulture rehabilitation centre is just northwest of Pretoria in the Magaliesberg Mountain range in South Africa. One of the goals of VulPro is to release all flight able, fit, and healthy birds back into the wild as

Prize – The World’s Leading Award for Animal Conservation.

We know African vultures are declining at a serious pace. What is the one species that is most concerning to you currently and why?

This is a hard question but the one that worries me the most are Lappet-faced vultures. There is very little work or information on the species specifically in South Africa. They are solitary species and not easy to study, capture or monitor and little data exists for known breeding sites in SA [South Africa]. Other vulture species, not all, have more extensive data which gives us a basis to work from compared to Lappet-faced vultures and although Namibia has done a great deal of work on them, there is no other country that has managed to do such extensive work on this timid and shy vulture.

The ‘Muti trade’ [the trade in animal parts believed to give people financial gain] is a real and huge problem that vulture populations are facing?

In South Africa, we call it traditional medicine or muti but in fact, it is not traditional at all and the use in vulture parts is increasing and escalating as people become more desperate to try and survive. To me, it is simply about greed and want, and nothing to do with tradition.

Power line collisions and electrocutions are by far the biggest threat to the vulture populations that we deal with on a daily basis, and it is a frustrating threat as it can be addressed. However, lack of funding, bad management in Eskom [South African electricity provider] and the poor demand to fix this issue, results in extremely slow results. We need government intervention to enforce safe power lines and the mitigation of dangerous structures, but I do not see this happening soon.

Where do you honestly see the future of vultures in southern Africa over the coming decade?

A very hard question to answer. If we cannot address and mitigate the threats, the future looks worrying, with some species being lost in our lifetime at some sites. We need to all work together to find suitable solutions with a multifaceted approach.

However, VulPro is committed to making a lasting difference to Africa’s vultures as well as to each and every individual.

INTERVIEW: KERRI WOLTER CEO| VulPro IMAGES: VULPRO | LEWIS PHILLIPS

GREY SEALS

DORSET COASTLINE | ENGLAND

Autumn seems to have hit suddenly here on the Dorset coast. After a long summer of good weather at home, a long stint of work in Jersey and a brief albeit fulfilling trip to Portugal I returned home to some appalling weather and was brought back down to earth with a bump.

I found myself heading out to Portland Bill. Whenever a big storm hits, I’m fascinated by the heavy seas, stormy winds, and massive waves. Whilst gazing down into the chaotic white water I was amazed to see that unmistakable head of a grey seal, as ever, it brought a smile to my face, and reminded me of my long connection with these animals.

There are two resident species of seals found along the varied 7723 miles of coastline around Britain and Ireland. Growing up in Lincolnshire I was lucky to regularly visit the popular Donna Nook, national nature reserve. Every November and December the reserve really comes to life with large numbers of Seals arriving to give birth to their pups.

The Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus, translating as ‘Hook nosed sea pig’) are the largest of the species found in our waters and can grow up to 2.2m with males weighing in at up to 260 kgs and females up to 180 kgs. Females live longer than the males in the wild and can reach 35 years of age. Whilst looking cumbersome, at best, on land they are amazing, graceful, and finely tuned predators in the sea.

The females come ashore in large numbers to give birth to beautiful furry pups weighing around 14 kgs. These pups are fed on a rich fatty milk enabling them to put on up to 2 kgs a day, most of this weight is blubber; this is essential insulation for their life at sea. During this time, these pups are very vulnerable.

Whilst they still have their thick coats they do not do well in the water and will normally spend their first 2-3 weeks on land. Once they are large enough and have moulted, they are ready to take to the sea in search of food.

The other species of seal to be found around our coastline is the Common seal (Phoca vitulina): a smaller species growing up to 180 cms and weighing in at 180 kgs. The pups are smaller and are normally born weighting about 810 kgs. In stark contrast to the Grey seal, Common Seal pups are born around summer time with the first pups making an appearance around the coast line of Norfolk in June.

Due to the preferred habitats of the common seal, pups often need to swim from birth as females frequently give birth at low tide on large sandbanks. The pups are greeted by the incoming sea within a few hours of birth. Like the grey seal pups, these pups are weaned after a few weeks and start to hunt for food themselves.

As well as the difference in size, the two species can be distinguished by their head shapes. Common seal having squashed faces and large eyes whilst Grey Seals have long roman noses. Whilst individual markings differ geographically, Grey seals tend to be mottled and common seals are more spotted.

My relationship with seals has been very hands on and far from that of a casual observer.

As a result of the varied twists and turns life throws at us, I found myself running a Seal rehabilitation site in Hunstanton in Norfolk back in the late 90’s It seemed like a good idea at the time!

During the pupping season, the phone never seemed to stop ringing.

In the first few weeks, pups can get separated from their mothers, if they are not reunited quickly, they will ultimately starve to death. This is where the challenge begins; how long do you leave them?

W hilst pups appear to be lost and stranded on the beach their mothers are often keeping a watchful eye on them. “Leave them alone” would be our normal advice, nine times out of ten. If they are still there the next day, or have obvious signs of injury, dehydration, or malnourishment we would go and have a look.

I f need be, the pups would be rescued and the long road to rehabilitation would begin. Sadly, this is the case for hundreds of pups around our coastline every year. The survival rates vary depending on the species, age, condition, and reason for rescue.

Generally, seals do not make willing patients; round the clock force feeding, taking of rectal temperatures (not pleasant unless on a particularly cold day!), and continued cleaning of vast amounts of slippery, oily excrement.

To Sanctuary visitors, the sight of someone slipping and sliding around a hospital pen whilst being perused by an angry seal with a formidable set of teeth may seem amusing I can assure you, it is not! Anyone who has worked in Seal rehabilitation will not be without tales of numerous hospital trips due to nasty bites. This alone is a very good reason not to approach wild seals. They carry many types of nasty bacteria in their mouths.

A bite from a Seal will often result in a very nasty and rapid infection known as ‘Seal Finger’.

Anyone being bitten should seek medical advice immediately.

It’s not just during their first few months of life that seals encounter problems, the mortality rate in newborn pups is high at around 50%.

Let’s assume that these pups have successfully avoided getting crushed by amorous males looking to mate with the large numbers of females on the breeding beaches or fighting over their harem.

They then, make it past weaning and learn to fend for themselves.

They then, depending on their location, may encounter people.

Sadly, not everyone views seals as fascinating, charismatic, and mesmerising creatures.

Although protected on their breeding sites since the introduction of the Conservation of Seals Act (1970) this is not the case if they are seen to be causing damage to fishing equipment or taking fish from nets.

These individuals can be shot under licence. Enforcing this can be difficult and as ever, not everybody plays by the rules.

Salmon farmers are particularly “anti-seals” as I witnessed in 1989 whilst working on the north-west coast of Scotland on a salmon farm, it appeared that any seal in the vicinity was considered ‘fair game’.

I have taken part in many debates and radio interviews over the years regarding seal conservation versus fish stocks and fisheries etc, and it appears to continually divide opinions, with no real sight of any form of compromise.

Although several places down the list of natural predators of commercial white fish (other fish being at the top followed by birds), the seals appear to be a convenient scapegoat.

As well as the human threats, the globally dwindling fish stocks, Bio accumulation of pollutants such as heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and naturally occurring diseases all have an impact on the survival of seals.

A more recent threat to Seals, and many other species are discarded plastics and old fishing nets. Animals become entangled in these and ultimately die. Whilst the odds are slightly against them, we are lucky to have a healthy population of both species of seal.

There are currently around 180,000 seals spread across the UK coasts, with about 60% of these being grey seals. They are distributed all along our coastline, although very few are found along the south coast of England.

Watching seals in the wild, as any other animals can be a fascinating way to spend a few hours.

If you are lucky enough to see seal in the wild don’t get too close, especially during breeding season. Ensure you keep dogs on leads and always, observe quietly.

Having spent more than ten years rescuing and rehabilitating seals and managing rescue facilities they always bring a smile to my face.

Those days are long gone now but every so often, I catch a glimpse of a lone seal in the wild and it always takes me back to my first few rescued pups and, of course, the agony of my first excruciatingly painful bite; so, keep your distance and happy seal watching!

As a consultant within the zoo industry, he has over twenty years’ experience developing visitor experiences across the world, with a focus on helping clients achieve a clear and concise design package.

Paul is a creative and energetic character, a keen marathon runner and reef break surfer.

Key locations to observe seals are:

Blakeney point and the Wash, Norfolk

Donna Nook, Lincolnshire

All along the western coast of Cornwall

A bite from a seal will often result in a very nasty and rapid infection know as ‘Seal Finger’

Skomer island, Pembrokeshire

islands, Northumberland

islands

Firth, Scotland

WORDS: PAUL BULLIMORE Managing Director | ZooScapes

IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS

Paul Bullimore is Managing Director of Zoo-Scapes, professional designers and builders of aquariums, zoos, museums and theme parks.

ANNABEL ' S FOR THE AMAZON

BERKELEY SQUARE | LONDON | ENGLAND -&- BRAZIL | SOUTH AMERICA

In September 2022, the residents of Berkeley square welcomed some unexpected neighbours; five large scale jaguars acting as the centre piece upon the façade of the acclaimed Annabel’s club in Mayfair. This installation, in partnership with The Lost Explorer Mezcal, was to celebrate the annual ‘Amazon Day’ (every year on September 5th), however, for Annabel’s the ‘Save the Amazon’ movement goes further than just the globally admired frontage of the club. It is a month-long initiative bringing together environmentalists, philanthropists and activists to raise both awareness and donations to support the rebuilding of a healthy Amazon rainforest; the glorious façade that adorns their club each year acts as an unforgettable banner under which these like-minded individuals can rally to the cause.

This extraordinary piece of visual art was dreamt up and executed by artist and Creative Director at The Birley Clubs, Tatiana Kharchylava, for World Amazon Day on September 5th, as an offering to highlight the deforestation crisis currently rife in the Amazon jungle.

Jaguars are an apex predator in the Amazon, they control other species’ populations, playing a crucial role in supporting a healthy ecosystem in the rainforest – they are a species under threat as a direct consequence of destruction in the Amazon.

Amongst flora and fauna, the jaguars sat majestically on the display surrounding a stunning waterfall, created using water that was stored in a tank and continuously circulated around the facade (it was then used to water the plants in Annabel’s Garden at the end of the monthlong campaign). The materials featured in all of Annabel’s displays were kept, to be recycled and reused by the creative team to re-imagine future facades.

Whilst this extraordinary display promoted the initiative to the world, inside the walls of Annabel’s was the technological marvel, Unseen, by digital artist Dominic Harris, centre stage in the reception An interactive portrait of undiscovered butterfly species not seen or documented by humans. As habitat is destroyed, it is speculated that many species become extinct before they are discovered, and this work of art represents ‘what might have been’.

Annabel’s for The Amazon marks an extraordinary commitment by The Caring Family Foundation to make positive changes in the Amazon rainforest. The Foundation was set up in 2019 by Richard and Patricia Caring to design and fund projects both in the UK, and in Patricia Caring’s birthplace, Brazil, with a focus on three areas of impact: environmental reforestation, child hunger and domestic abuse.

In 2021, Annabel’s and The Caring Family Foundation pledged to plant one million trees by March 2023. Their vital fund-raising thus far has helped the organisation to plant 500,000 of them, putting the charity three months ahead of schedule. By December 2022, The Caring Family Foundation will have planted the pledged one million trees, making the foundation the UK’s largest donor to reforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Partnering with SOS Amazonia for 2022, The Caring Family Foundation aims to plant a further one million trees within the Amazon rainforest by March 2024. The intention of the charity is to restore original forest areas and in consequence support more than 400 local families and indigenous communities with food and income, ensuring the protection of their livelihoods, while also slowing the effects of climate change. The indigenous communities take an active role in deciding on which trees to plant, choosing species that will produce fruits that can be used for food consumption or sold at local markets, as well as species that can support the local economy such as cocoa and rubber; enabling families to stay in the area and generate income and nourish future communities.

Patricia Caring, Co-Executive Chairwoman of The Birley Clubs and Co-Founder of The Caring Family Foundation commented: “This year’s incredible design is a stunning work of art, but it is also a symbol of our determination to draw attention to an ongoing environmental catastrophe. The destruction of the Amazon rainforest affects every single one of us. It is an ecosystem upon which we all rely which is why The Caring Family Foundation is proud to be working with SOS Amazonia to fight back through a tree planting programme that will provide sustainable support for local communities and their economies. I am extremely grateful to our Creative Director Tatiana, to our partners The Lost Explorer Mezcal and to everyone involved in creating this year’s facade. I hope it will entertain our members and guests in the coming weeks whilst also raising awareness of this desperate problem.”

Miguel Scarcello,

of SOS Amazônia commented, “The partnership with The Caring Family Foundation is an important institutional alliance for our work vision in the Amazon, especially for contributing towards reducing the effects of climate change. It is a huge combination of efforts to consolidate solidarity and nature conservancy”.

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD | THE BIRLEY CLUBS

IMAGES: THE BIRLEY CLUBS INTERVIEW: DOMINIC HARRIS

CEO

TATIANA KHARCHYLAVA

The Birley Club’s Creative Director, Tatiana Kharchylava is designing the world-famous Annabel’s for the Amazon façade 2022. Responsible for curating the immersive experience, she hand-selects every element of the vast scene, ensuring maximum impact for spectators. Transporting passersby to the Amazon Rainforest, helping to raise vital awareness of the effects deforestation is having on our ecosystem globally. This year the façade has been supported by The Lost Explorer Mezcal, who is working with the club throughout the annual Amazon month, to support The Caring Family Foundation’s fund-raising efforts, as the charity, through SOS Amazônia, aims to plant one million trees by March 2024.

Tatiana is credited globally for her work with The Birley Clubs, her innovative installations created for Annabel’s are recognised worldwide, with her signature façades praised for their complexity and creativity. In addition to the yearly Annabel’s for the Amazon initiative, she has designed numerous other stunning projects for the club, including The Circus of Horrors for Halloween, Christmas Nutcracker and most recently the collaboration with Swarovski where she curated The Gingerbread House façade. Tatiana purposefully creates her impressive installations with everyone in mind. These spectacles are to be enjoyed by all ages, members and passersby, drawing in Berkeley Square’s variety of visitors, and communicating a story through incredible visuals.

For the month of September, the interiors of Annabel’s will be transformed into the Amazon, starting from the very roots and insects at the base of a tree in The Jungle Bar to The Garden where native wildlife such as bounding pumas and vibrant-hued birds of paradise can be found roaming amongst the foliage.

In reception, Annabel’s has commissioned artist Dominic Harris to create an interactive visual tapestry to highlight the harmonious relationship between the natural and human world. Harris’ long-standing fascination with butterflies is reflected in this unique display of butterflies that are either yet to be discovered or are already extinct in the Amazon rainforest.

Tatiana is a hands-on creator, responsible for designing every element of the clubs Amazon takeover. The interior of the club becomes an extension of her immersive set, from costumes to light and sound design, Tatiana has curated every detail to bring together a cohesive experience which will wow Annabel’s guests.

The façade is an integral part of Annabel’s monthlong charity initiative Annabel’s for the Amazon. An annual charity initiative that brings together Annabel’s members, international celebrities and key environmentalists in a huge philanthropic drive to help save the Amazon rainforest. In 2021, the club alongside The Caring Family Foundation pledged to plant one million trees by March 2023. Their vital fund-raising thus far has helped the organisation hit the 500,000 trees planted milestone, putting the charity three months ahead of schedule.

Tatiana Kharchylava says: “The façades are created for everyone to enjoy. From our Members to passersby and children, I love seeing people’s interaction and creativity with the photos they take and share on social media. I am constantly challenging myself and competing with my own past work because I want to surprise and impress everyone with what can be created through imagination”

DOMINIC HARRIS Q & A

How did you start your career in art, particularly focusing on the natural world?

I’ve always had an immense passion for art, technology and nature. From my earliest memories they’ve been an important part of me. But it wasn’t until I set up my own studio that I was able to truly pursue and combine those passions into what would become the inspirational and material palette for my artworks! It is perhaps fitting that my first major artwork was “Flutter”, the interactive study of the flight of the Morpho Helena butterfly through 88 electronic screens.

How does the natural world inspire your artworks? And by making your pieces interactive, how does this resonate with the audience on a new level?

My artworks have strong narratives linked to our position in the world evolving around us. But I don’t wish the artworks to be didactic in what the viewer should feel. Instead I set up my scenarios in environments, or studies of creatures, that seek to engage the viewer. My extensive use of technologies to drive the interactive and real time visual outputs is almost invisible — sensors and computers rarely visible. The artworks are truly alive when the viewer becomes immersed in the work, becoming a performer or collaborator within the piece. And when that magical moment of engagement occurs, the message within the artwork resonates the strongest.

What was the creative process and thinking behind the installation at Annabel’s, in terms of design and reception? What did you want the viewer to take away from the piece?

T he study of nature through my art is a recurring theme. And within that, the butterfly is a recurring motif. From the first meeting with the Annabel’s team and their charitable foundation I understood the scale and importance of what they were achieving with rainforest protection and replanting. So there was a natural synergy in concepts and themes. Much to my delight, the Annabel’s team are perhaps as equally obsessed with the quality of execution and delivery of projects as I am. This made it possible to create a truly immersive installation in which the ‘Unseen’ butterflies are set within a lush tropical rainforest environment complete with the lighting and sounds of the jungle.

Were there particular elements that you felt needed to be included to best depict the Amazon rainforest?

“U nseen” is actually about what is missing from Amazon. Or if we are being optimistic, it is composed of depictions of what might yet be found. The realistic appearance of the ‘Unseen’ butterflies is intentionally deceptive. They are in fact the product of machine learned studies from my studio. I think there is great poignancy in creating the Amazon butterfly study using entirely fabricated species.

In your opinion, do you feel that there are areas of conservation and the natural world that are overlooked and need to be given a bigger platform, through any medium? What has been your favourite piece in your current portfolio that you have created, and why?

“E ndurance” (2022) is a major interactive landscape study of the Antarctic environments. I position the viewer somewhere between the epic story of Ernest Shackeleton’s explorations of the Antarctic over 100 years ago, and the current state of the same environment which is now showing signs of its fragility through climate change. I depict the landscape as Shackleton described within his journals, except I now add the modern twist whereby the pristine environments display their fragility. As we explore the artwork, our touch breaks the ice shelf, it disturbs the wildlife, and affects the overall environment. Shackleton’s journey was a story of hope, determination, and perseverance in the face of impossible odds. It is a story that reminds us that no matter how difficult life may seem, we always have the potential to overcome our challenges and achieve our goals.

These themes reemerge throughout the scenes within the “Endurance” artwork, with an optimism that we can overcome the destructive impact through observation, awareness and action.

Contemporary artist Dominic Harris has designed and created a one-of-a-kind digital installation for the world-famous private member’s club Annabel’s in support of their monthlong charity initiative, Annabel’s for the Amazon, which will raise funds towards The Caring Family Foundation’s goal to plant one million trees in the Amazon rainforest by March 2024, to demonstrate the importance of preserving nature in the fight against deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.

UNSEEN is an interactive portrait of undiscovered butterfly species — incredible specimens that have never been witnessed or documented by humans. As deforestation and environmental changes shift and destroy the ecological landscape that is home to these delicate creatures, it is speculated that many species disappear before they are ever discovered. In paying homage to those “unseen” butterflies, Harris’ focus is on the captivating beauty of what might have been. Harris hopes, with his typical enduring optimism, that some of his fabricated butterflies may well be out there awaiting discovery in jungles and rainforests such as the Amazon.

As Members and guests enter Annabel’s, they will be greeted by an approximately 2.5 meters high interactive piece in the reception foyer, from September 5th, engaging visitors to take part in a tactile and immersive experience. The installation will allow guests to discover unknown and AI-created butterflies, reactive to touch, the kaleidoscope of butterflies will disperse into natural flight, following the connection of the user’s hand. This pioneering work of art will be a natural progression from the façade at the front of Annabel’s and a teaser for a carefully curated Amazon experience that runs throughout the many rooms of the club.

Dominic has seamlessly coupled his admiration of nature with his love of code, to curate this special installation for Annabel’s. Feeding thousands of hand-drawn images into his code for the machine to learn and birth new stunning butterfly species. Harris is known for employing innovative technology to achieve his artistry.

This artwork employs for the first time his own Artificial Intelligence generation techniques. Using complex algorithms trained on his own hand-painted collection of butterflies, Harris realizes his digital lepidopterist dream of bringing new butterfly species to life. The result is an intriguing evolution in his work, manifested by a rabble of new digital butterfly specimens that are each infinitely unique, impossibly beautiful, yet entirely plausible.

UNSEEN is a continuation of the story being told by Annabel’s leading on from the spectacular façade adorning the outside of the building, helping to take visitors on a journey through the rainforest. Sensitive to touch, the work has been curated to highlight the undiscovered, shining a light on the importance of protecting the Amazon from deforestation and the beauty that is being lost amidst this mass destruction. It encourages visitors to look closely and take note of the importance of every life-form affected by our actions.

Dominic Harris (London, 1976) is an artist who uses technology to construct highly personal interpretations of the natural phenomena which surround us. His reverence for nature, coupled with his fascination for code, offers a surreal and whimsical take on reality, which ultimately challenges our own perceptions of the world about us. His responses, aesthetic yet playful, conceal a carefully observed commentary on the digitisation of our daily experiences, which plays both upon our emotions, and our relationship with the technologyfuelled 21st century Pop Culture.

As these technologies, unstoppable and fascinating, have ignited a new wave of inter-activity in ever more intimate ways, Harris captures the sometimes menacing march of the information age, turning it to our advantage in an insightful and seamless blending of nature with code. He is part of a small yet important coterie of artists who are pushing the envelope of feasibility and redefining what is acceptable within the art world.

THE LOST EXPLORER MEZCAL

The Lost Explorer Mezcal is partnering with Annabel’s and The Caring Family Foundation by releasing 1,000 limitededition bottles of The Lost Explorer Mezcal, with proceeds going towards The Caring Family Foundation’s rainforestsaving commitments. The partnership provides a unique opportunity for the public to be involved in the ‘Annabel’s for the Amazon’ campaign, helping to support the reforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. Proceeds from the limitededition bottles alone will raise enough funds to plant 35,000 trees, contributing to the charity’s aim to plant one million trees by March 2024.

Passionate about creating a more sustainable and equitable world, The Lost Explorer Mezcal’s ethos is closely aligned with the mission of The Caring Family Foundation and Annabel’s restoration efforts in the Amazon rainforest. They have come together to create a unique bottle and box design influenced by the Amazon Rainforest inspired façade, taking the purchaser on an adventure to the Amazon with every sip of their award-winning Espadín mezcal. A deep commitment to sustainability is at the core of this partnership: The Lost Explorer Mezcal’s bespoke bottle is made from over 55% recycled crystal scraps, hand-labelled and sealed with biodegradable natural beeswax, while the special edition bottle is housed in a unique, keepsafe box that has been made using sustainably sourced FSC approved materials that are fully recyclable.

The most internationally awarded mezcal of 2021, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is committed to the sustainable production of highquality handcrafted mezcal in a manner that benefits the local mezcal-producing community in Oaxaca and protects the land’s biodiversity. The Lost Explorer Mezcal promotes biodiversity by planting at least three new agaves for every one hand-harvested, growing seedlings of genetically diverse agave and repurposing their agave waste into fertiliser for the land.

CEO for The Lost Explorer Mezcal, Tanya Clarke says: “At The Lost Explorer Mezcal, we are proud to partner with Annabel’s Private Members Club in contributing to The Caring Family Foundation’s goal of planting one million trees in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest by March 2024. Being part of this partnership is incredibly rewarding because of the awareness it inspires for this critical issue, alongside the pledge of planting one million trees in the rainforest”.

The beautifully designed limitededition bottles will be available for purchase at Selfridges, Hedonism Wines, and The Whisky Shop priced at £120, with proceeds from each bottle planting 35 trees, directly contributing to reforestation in the Brazilian rainforest. Elevating the partnership further, three stunning ‘Amazon Mezcal Cocktails’ have been created and will be sold at the club throughout the month of September, with every drink sold planting an additional 2.5 trees.

“Mezcal is the world’s most exciting spirit right now” says Clement Robert, Head of Beverage at The Birley Clubs. “People are looking for authentic products with artisanal quality and transparent, sustainable brand values and The Lost Explorer Mezcal delivers exactly that. Mezcal is a natural next step for lovers of Tequila, but with different terroir, agave varietals and bespoke production methods, that add a natural depth, spice and smokiness that is absolutely unique”.

Annabel’s x The Lost Explorer Mezcal limited-edition bottle will be on sale from Thursday 8th September 2022 at Selfridges, Hedonism Wines and The Whisky Shop for £120. Proceeds from this limited-edition bottle will go directly towards reforestation projects, with 35 trees planted for every bottle sold.

The Caring Family Foundation

The Caring Family Foundation was set up by Richard & Patricia Caring to tackle issues close to their heart. The Caring Family Foundation’s vision is a world free from hunger, harm and hurt where women and children can thrive. Its mission is to work towards that world via practical support to ensure every child has access to a nutritious meal, every woman is free to make her own choices without violence and rainforest communities can flourish alongside nature as deforestation is reversed. Through strategic partnerships and collaboration, the Foundation funds projects in the UK and Patricia’s birthplace of Brazil. TCFF has delivered 1.5 million meals in both countries over the last two years, providing practical support and peace of mind for families that would otherwise go hungry. In addition, TCFF offers extensive holistic support to women and children who have experienced domestic violence in Brazil and go on to rebuild their lives, have supported over 1,800 women and children so far, and is currently developing a similar service in the UK. The Foundation is on track to plant one million trees in the Brazilian rainforest by the end of this year, and aims to reach two million trees planted by planted by March 2024 to address the global climate emergency affecting us all.

Annabel’s

Annabel’s is an all-day and all-night private Members’ Club. In Mayfair London. At its core, the club is a place to entertain and be entertained. With a timeless combination of comfort, glamour and intimacy, the Club continually strives to create an atmosphere that is as unforgettable and celebratory as ever, for a diverse, eclectic and cosmopolitan membership. The historic private members club has earned a global reputation founded on superb service, exclusive ambience, first-class cuisine and unparalleled entertainment. In 2018 Annabel’s opened the doors to its much-anticipated new home, a Grade I listed Georgian mansion house at 46 Berkeley Square. Set across 26,000 square feet and positioned just two doors down from where it all began in 1963.

annabels.co.uk | @annabelsmayfair

SOS Amazonia

The NGO was created in the 80’s when big areas of forests were replaced by cattle pastures. At that time, the rubber tappers’ movement was joining forces to block devastation and guarantee the right of possession of their settlements. Moved by the resistance of the forest’s guardians, teachers, university students and representatives of the social movement, including the activist and rubber tapper Chico Mendes, created the SOS Amazônia Association in 1988, having as main objective to defend the Amazon Rainforest, supporting traditional populations. For the last three decades, SOS Amazônia has been promoting biodiversity conservation and the growth of environmental awareness. Its actions are aligned to three strategic programmes: sustainable forest business, climate change and recovery of forest landscape; and environmental governance and policy.

Thecaringfamilyfoundation.org | @thecaringfamilyfoundation

BADGERS

My name is Steve. I am an amateur photographer based in South Wales. My passion for photography started around 5 years ago. I have always been an outdoor person enjoying the freedom and wide open spaces. At the moment, I am concentrating on wildlife as my main subject and enjoy nothing more than to spend an evening sitting at the badger sett watching these wonderful creatures go about their business.

After being invited to a sett looked after by a friend Thomas Winstone, I had the bug.

I continued to visit his sett weekly over a few years gaining the animals’ trust and enjoying their company. I have spent a lot of time with Thomas and the clan at that, and another sett nearby. I also travel to another area to check on a clan there and enjoy watching the cubs grow into adults.

Badgers are nocturnal and have a very good sense of smell which plays a vital role in communication. They have a varied diet which mainly consists of earthworms, when earthworms are scarce they will eat snails slugs & raspberries & blackberries, and occasionally eat hedgehogs if other food is not available.

The home they live in is called a sett, these setts can have up to 30 chambers and house groups of 5 to 20 badgers. They do not hibernate but can enter a state known as torpor and this may last up to 3 weeks.’

WORDS: STEVEN MATHEWS IMAGES: STEVEN MATHEWS

BARBARY MACAQUES

TRENTHAM MONKEY FOREST | STOKE-ON-TRENT | ENGLAND

‘The journey of Monkey Forest started in 1969 in France, where our two owners pledged to help save the rapidly declining species of Barbary macaques and conserve them. They wanted a space for the monkeys to freely roam and to mimic their natural habitat, in order to preserve their natural behaviours that they could prolong the existence of this fascinating species of primate. A population of wild Barbary macaque were relocated to ‘La Montagne Des Singes’ in France, in our first park, for sanctuary due to deteriorating local habitats in Morocco and Algeria. A breeding program ensued and that led to another park opening in France, then one in Germany then, of course, Monkey Forest in Trentham. ‘

What are the biggest challenges that Barbary macaques are currently facing in the wild?

A t the moment, there are less than 8,000 wild Barbary macaques. Their native habitats in Morocco and Algeria are still non-favourable and are being destroyed. Babies are being stolen and sold illegally as pets and other issues such as illegal logging and monkeys being used as tourism photo props have rendered the species vulnerable to further decline. Because of this, we cannot plan for any reintroductions at present. So, our forest hosts as a sanctuary for them here in Trentham, for research, awareness, and conservation purposes.

How many members are currently in the group at the Monkey Forest?

W e have 3 groups, totalling 140 Barbary macaque monkeys within a 60 acre enclosure. Barbary macaques have a unique hierarchy, each monkey sits in a position within the rank, this rank is dictated by a few things, support/alliances within the troop being one. The chief is generally the monkey with the best support. His mere presence can resolve a troop dispute.

You had a successful breeding this year, why was this important?

B arbary macaques are a highly endangered species, with less than 8,000 in the wild, so every baby monkey birth that takes place at the park is very special. The babies are fascinating to observe for the staff, visitors, and the monkeys too. Baby monkeys have many ‘baby-sitters’ with many males taking an active role in caring for the smallest members of the group, a characteristic rare amongst primates. We are seeing day to day our babies learning the way of the Barbary macaque, here at Trentham Monkey Forest where they are free to do so with no cages or bars. The babies are being looked after by the more experienced members of the troop and are getting a little bit more adventurous as they approach the 6 month mark!

If you had to tell people one thing they might not realise about Barbary macaques, what would it be?

T hey are tailless monkeys! Barbary macaques being referred to as ‘Barbary apes’ is a common misconception. Our primates are an exception to the rule that ‘all monkeys have tails’. They don’t have a tail as this is an adaptation to cold temperatures. A compact body, without a tail, reduces the loss of body heat.

What makes the monkey forest different from other conservation projects here in the UK?

A t Monkey Forest, we are focused on one species – the Barbary macaque for research and conservation purposes. Our enclosure serves as a sanctuary for the monkeys. This setting allows researchers year on year visit our park to conduct scientific studies, which in turn leads to an increase in conservational knowledge worldwide. Our monkeys have 60 acres of space to roam freely, allowing them to exert their natural behaviours this is completely unique to the UK.

What are the future incentives for the Monkey Forest?

To keep working with organisations such as BMAC (Barbary macaque Awareness & Conservation) and PSGB (Primate Society of Great Britain) to protect and conserve primate biodiversity. We hope to continue our work doing the following:

1. Giving scientific researchers the optimal platform to increase the conservational knowledge of the species

2. Raising mass awareness to the public

3. Educating the future, offering an insightful, informative yet fun experience for young visitors

In terms of conservation, what areas do you feel are currently not given enough attention? And what could be done to change that?

W e see a lot of misinformation being spread on social media about monkeys and apes in general. So, educating informing and raising awareness about our species, how they should be behaving and treated is the message that we try and focus on and communicate from within our park. ‘Primates not Playmates’

What do you believe is your greatest achievement in terms of conservation at The Monkey Forest?

O ur greatest achievement is always welcoming that first birth to Monkey Forest each passing year. As each birth, is a small win for the species of Barbary macaque. Our other parks also reintroduced 600 Barbary macaques back to the wild in the 1980’s.

How do you believe that we can best change peoples attitudes on a public level towards preventing extinctions of endangered species?

W e find that many of our visitors don’t understand why and how Barbary macaques are struggling the wild and all leave knowing this, due to the overall experience of a visit to Monkey Forest. We find that raising awareness of the causing/leading issues is a key way in which we fight extinction in the wild, alongside working with the organisations mentioned previously.

What could and should we be doing better for endangered species in a captive environment?

L ook at ourselves, humans are causing numbers to decline: deforestation, the pet trade, photoprop tourism trade and wildfires are all down to human interferences and impacts. As a collective we need to change our behaviours.

WORDS: JOSH TORLOP Head of Marketing | Trentham Monkey Forest

IMAGES: COURTESY OF TRENTHAM MONKEY FOREST

The Reality of Living with Snow Leopards

Our colleague in Mongolia shared a moving story about the challenges of living with snow leopards. While it’s easy to understand how its mythical nature and wild beauty inspire such awe and wonder, it can be difficult to reconcile that with the other dimension of this apex predator. Yes, it’s a carnivore that kills wild prey, but it also sometimes kills domestic livestock. Many people living in snow leopard habitat depend on their herds of sheep, goats, camels, cattle or yaks for their livelihood. Losing even one animal to snow leopard predation can be devastating, as detailed in the story adjacent.

SNOW LEOPARDS

Founded in 1981, Snow Leopard Trust, a Seattle based nonprofit organization, is the recognized world leader in snow leopard research and conservation, with programs and partnerships throughout Central and South Asia. Snow Leopard Trust works to protect the threatened snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through community based conservation, rigorous science, conservation education, and international cooperation.

Snow Leopard Trust recently shared some stories from the field.

“Recently, a herder found one of her camels dead and suspected that a snow leopard, known to us as M15, had killed it. M15 was sitting near the top of a rock near the dead camel. The herder is part of my livestock insurance community and she called me. That evening I went to that place and set up a trap camera at 6:00 pm. I knew M15 was still around. The camera photographed him on the kill over the next few days.” (M15 is the largest snow leopard we have ever collared, weighing 52 kg.)

“It appeared that the snow leopard had killed the camel. The camel was very big, a ten-year-old male weighing more than 400 kg. I talked to the herder, who is part of the community managed livestock insurance program we run. She expressed how upset she was that the camel was dead. She said, “Maybe I will kill this snow leopard! If I knew this would have happened, I would have sold the camel.” She said that the camel was worth 2 million tugrik.” (about $620 USD)

“I explained that the insurance program would cover 150,000 tugrik (about $45 USD) for the loss. She was disappointed with the compensation level as it was such a big camel but was glad there was at least some compensation.” (150,000 tugrik is the agreed upon compensation amount set by all community members for large bodied, free ranging animals. This amount is not set by any governing body. The herder can bring up compensation rates at the next community meeting in December, and if all agree, they may adjust rates for future incidents. The insurance program is just one tool, part of a larger multi-pronged effort that addresses different risks.)

“I have noticed that snow leopards often attack camels. Last year, this same herder lost at least two, maybe three small camels (calfs and sub-adults that were not included in the insurance program) to snow leopards. The herder followed protocol and left the dead camel. She did not collect the parts to sell. It was best to just leave the camel to the snow leopard.” (If livestock is killed in the pastures, it’s recommended not to disturb the carcass or collect meat from it. This is to reduce the risk of the snow leopard killing another livestock in quick succession, and also to avoid contracting serious zoonotic diseases carried by snow leopards, or their parasites.)

Story narrated by Enkhburen (Buren) Nyam, field assistant and local coordinator for our partner organization Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation.

SEATTLE | USA -&- SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

“I will try to help her insure the rest of her camels in the insurance protocol this year and continue to work with SLCF to strengthen conservation in the area to help people live peacefully with snow leopards.”

Buren’s powerful story illustrates why our community based conservation initiatives are critical to promoting human/ carnivore coexistence. Our livestock insurance programs are just one component in a multi-pronged strategy that aims to build resilience within communities so they can withstand numerous threats from depredation to disease outbreaks to the impacts of climate change. Education and outreach, better livestock management techniques and an increase in wild prey density are key counterparts to a well-designed community managed insurance program. Snow Leopard Trust has partnered with more than 150 communities who maintain predator-proof corrals, livestock insurance programs and a host of other co-created community initiatives that benefit both people and wildlife.

While our programs can assist affected herder communities in securing their livelihoods, we are mindful that the cost of livestock losses, or even the opportunity costs of such conflicts are not the only difficulties communities have to face. People may also undergo emotional distress when they lose a domestic animal they might be attached to or experience fear and a sense of invasion when snow leopards enter their livestock corrals. We salute our partner communities for doing so much for snow leopards despite the hardships of living with them.

Special thanks to Buren and the SLCF team for their ongoing work with the insurance program and other community conservation work in the Gobi.

Snow Leopard Selfies Matter

We’ll let you in on a little secret, when our field teams upload a new batch of camera trap photos to our Dropbox, we’re like little kids opening a present. We can’t wait to see what our research cameras captured. These snow leopard ‘selfies’ collected by our scientists and rangers are essential to our conservation work. They tell us so much about snow leopard populations, behaviour, ecology and habitat use and help inform global conservation efforts. Bonus they’re also really beautiful. Meet the cats of Nemegt in our latest update from the field.

The Nemegt Mountains in Southern Mongolia lie in the Gobi-Gurvansaikhan National Park, part of our focal South Gobi snow leopard landscape. Nemegt is one of the “mountain islands” dotting the Gobi Desert landscape that serves as critical habitat for snow leopards and other wildlife. We have monitored these mountains since 2008, adding camera surveys for the last decade, and have found the area to be home to a stable population of resident snow leopards.

In our 2020 and 2021 surveys, 37 cameras were placed along the valleys, saddles, ridge-lines and canyons in Nemegt, covering an area of more than 1100 km2. Our team from Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, GobiGurvansaikhan National Park and the community rangers from Tost Mountains set up the cameras.

We are excited to share the preliminary results after reviewing all photos collected from both years. Our cameras recorded a total of 110 and 123 capture events of snow leopards, where one “capture” is a single visit by a snow leopard to the camera. This is the highest camera capture rate we have recorded in the Nemegt Mountains.

We found a high retention rate of known cats. We identified 13 resident adult snow leopards on cameras, including seven females and six to seven males. Incredibly, every resident female observed in 2019 was detected again in 2020 or 2021. Three of these females have been detected in Nemegt since 2013 (when they were each seen with new cubs), suggesting that they are now at least 13 years old in 2022. Of the males we observed in 2019, all but one were observed in these recent surveys.

In addition to the residents we have observed year after year, we detected up to five “floater” adults in the area. These individuals, travelling alone and recorded for the first time in Nemegt, are either transients or recently dispersed young snow leopards who have left their mothers and are looking to establish a territory of their own. Fascinatingly, we recorded three subadult snow leopards in Nemegt who had dispersed from Tost mountains, that are separated from Nemegt by an approximately 40 km stretch of steppes. These were offspring born to Dagina, Willian and Aka. Another adult, Loko, was observed in Nemegt on June 28 and then again in Tost on October 1. These observations further show how important the desert steppe between Tost and Nemegt is as a corridor for dispersal of snow leopards.

Our cameras also captured a male and female together in June 2021. “Spotless” and “New Family” likely only met briefly, as this timing is outside of the mating season of snow leopards.

We identified 67 male residents between 2020-2021. Of note, we detected the tailless snow leopard we first observed in 2019, six times in 2020 and five times in 2021. Despite missing its tail, this cat seems to be doing fine.

We identified seven females in our 2020-2021 surveys, including all previous Nemegt residents. The timing of these surveys coincided with the denning season for pregnant females. This means the number of observations may be reduced because females are known to decrease their ranges during this time. For example, one female, Chimbaa, was not observed in 2020 but was seen again in 2021. We do not consider females as dead or dispersed unless they have gone undetected for two consecutive years.

We are thrilled to report that three resident females appeared pregnant during the early months of the 2021 survey Nimka, Snake and ‘A’. The female called Snake was confirmed pregnant during a May 24 photo encounter. On August 3, the camera caught her travelling with a new ‘baby Snake’ snow leopard cub.

These year-over-year surveys are crucial to our conservation efforts and provide a greater understanding of snow leopards and their needs in the wild. Consistent tracking of individual snow leopards helps decode their behaviours and interactions with their habitat so we can make data-driven conservation decisions.

This Long Term Ecological Study is conducted in collaboration with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation in Mongolia and Snow Leopard Trust, with special thanks to the Ministry for Environment and Green Development, Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for their support.

WORDS: ENKHBUREN NYAM Field Assistant & Local Co-ordinator Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation

IMAGES: PRASENJEET YADAV | THE SNOW LEOPARD TRUST NCF INDIA SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVATION FOUNDATION MONGOLIA

BARN OWLS

WORSLEY | MANCHESTER | ENGLAND

The Barn Owl is probably the most popular owl in the Britain. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of this beautiful bird silently quartering a field at dawn or dusk looking for its prey.

Unfortunately, the wild Barn Owl is in decline in the UK due to the lack of habitat and outbuildings where it would normally hunt and nest.

However, captive-bred Barn Owls are on the rise.

They are particular popular at falconry centres or being taken to schools where they are used for educational purposes. Some are flown down the aisle during weddings to deliver rings to the best man. But some of the unfortunate ones are put on display in local fetes, shopping centres and fairs, where they are allowed to be handled and stroked for money.

Captive Barn Owls are prolific breeders and can, if allowed to do so, have 2 or 3 clutches of eggs each season; each clutch producing up to 8 youngsters at a time.

The chicks are then sold to anyone who can afford to buy them, for a sum as little as £50 per chick. Chicks sold by reputable breeders may be as much as £100 to £150 per chick and they tend to end up in good homes with people who have the experience and adequate aviaries to look after them.

Unfortunately, in my experience, the majority of Barn Owls are bred by unsuspecting owners who may have bought a couple of birds and so they are company for each other. These are usually siblings – brother and sister.

All birds that are bred in captivity and are of European origin that are to be sold or used for commercial gain need paperwork by law. This obviously includes the Barn Owl.

The paperwork is called an Article 10 and is issued by the Animal, Plant & Health Agency (APHA) which is part of DEFRA. This certificate falls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faun & Flora or CITES for short.

In order to apply for an Article 10, the bird or chick must be wearing either a closed ring or a microchip and the parent bird ring numbers and their Article 10 certificate numbers are also required on the application form. A bird cannot be advertised for sale unless the Article 10 is in place and so anyone who sells a bird without the A10 commits a criminal offence as does the person who buys the bird without its paperwork.

The vast majority of people who breed Barn Owls in their back gardens are not aware of the law and so many Barn Owls are sold illegally, some even without rings or microchips and so their origins are unknown.

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. I became a falconer at the age of 44.

My fascination with birds of prey began at junior school when I was 14. We had read A Kestrel for a Knave during English lessons and a boy I fancied in the year above me brought in a Kestrel; he let me watch him fly it on the school field.

On leaving school in 1976, I joined the police force at the age of 17 but was forced to retire in 1991 due to medical reasons – back problems during pregnancy! After two failed marriages but which resulted in three beautiful children, I rejoined the police force in 1996 as a civilian dispatcher in the Force Control Room, which is where I met my current husband, Keith and in 2007 I became an Investigative Support Officer within the Major Incident Room investigating murders in the Manchester area.

Keith and I had got together in 2001 and during a visit to Symmonds Yat in Gloucestershire, a peregrine falcon flew over the car. I told Keith about my love for birds of prey and how I had always wanted to fly one.

In 2004, Keith and I married and we returned to Symmonds Yat for our honeymoon which was spent visiting as many Falconer Centres as we could, speaking with falconers and trying to gain enough knowledge to be able to buy my first bird of prey. I also joined the British Falconers Club North West Group where I met a local breeder who provided me with my first Harris Hawk, Red. I also acquired a mentor who helped me train and hunt with my bird. For the last 18 years I have had the privilege of flying and hunting with my male, Red and my female, Blaze.

In 2012 I was asked if I would be interested in purchasing The Independent Bird Register (IBR). The business was set up in 1994 following the de-registration of captive birds of prey by DEFRA. The register became the only effective system within the UK to help reunite lost and found birds of prey. Keith and I bought the business which we ran together. In 2016, I decided that I had had enough working for the police and so I took early retirement. I now run the register full time and I have built up a fantastic reputation on social media continuing to help reunite lost and found birds. To date, I am proud to say that the IBR has helped to reunite 9,032 birds.

Many of these owls end up with people who don’t know the first thing about looking after their bird. Some end up in parrot cages or rabbit hutches without water or adequate perches and not enough space to spread their wings and those that have a shed or aviary or are allowed to fly around the house will escape through open windows or fly out of aviaries that are not secure or do not have a secondary safety door,only to starve to death in the wild.

This is because most of these captive bred Barn Owls are hand reared from a very young age or ‘imprinted’. They have no fear of humans or anything else but do not have the instinct to hunt for themselves. There is the odd exception to this where an escapee does hunt for itself but this is quite rare. I am also aware of one escapee that paired up with a wild Barn Owl and produced young but most of the escapees do perish.

There are some people who breed Barn Owls in captivity and then purposely release them into the wild to boost the number of Barn Owls around where they live but without the correct habitat and the guidance from their parents on how to hunt; do these owls actually survive?

The Independent Bird Register contains records of bird keepers and ring numbers going back to 1994. When people acquire a bird, they are encouraged to register it with the IBR in case it goes missing.

I also provide closed rings for breeders. My rings are inscribed with a unique ring number and a National Phone Number. Every ring that has been issued by the IBR since 1994 is entered on the database which means that I can trace both breeders and owners, enabling me to reunite a found bird wearing an IBR ring.

I have also compiled a list of breeders who use their own inscriptions on their rings. Over the years I would like to think that I have become an expert in reading ring numbers which again makes it easy to reunite a found bird not wearing an IBR ring or has not been registered on my database.

I have sold hundreds of Barn Owl rings to various breeders throughout the UK for the last 10 years but I have noticed a significant increase in the demand for Barn owl rings over the last 2 years. Most of these breeders are those who did not expect chicks and contact me for advice and guidance, especially in applying for Article 10 certificates, a service which I have been offering for the last 12 months.

Applying for A10’s on behalf of my clients was not part of my job description. Most things are now done online, but I found that a lot of my clients were not computer literate or could not understand how to fill the application forms in and unfortunately, the majority of staff at APHA are not very helpful.

Nearly every week I get phone calls from people who have bought Barn Owls without paperwork and end up with chicks. Maybe I have made a rod for my own back in offering to help, but where else do these people go?

It is impossible to police the amount of people who breed Barn Owls and sell them illegally whether it be online or privately. I dread to think exactly how many of these beautiful creatures are being mistreated and are dying in cruel circumstances, all because they are an easy way to make money.

WORDS: BARBARA ROYLE

Owner | Independent Bird Register

IMAGES:

LEWIS PHILLIPS

The Independent Bird Register was set up in 1994 by Jenny Wray at the request of fellow falconers following deregistration of certain non-indigenous birds of prey. Its main purpose was to ensure that lost and found birds could be efficiently reunited with their keepers.

The most sensible way of doing this was to build a confidential database containing details of bird keepers and their birds and to start issuing rings that could be traced. The rings would be uniquely numbered and carry a national telephone number enabling anyone to contact the IBR at any time to report a lost or found bird.

IBR closed rings were designed to comply with UK legislation and are accepted by DEFRA and APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) formally AHVLA as a means of permanently marking birds. Since it’s conception in 1994, the IBR now has the most comprehensive database containing 1000’s of keeper and bird records, which has assisted in reuniting birds the length and breadth of the UK and into Europe.

HONEY BEES

Whilst traditionally we may consider beekeeping a countryside pursuit and one that requires a peaceful yet meticulous approach, the pressing threat of extinction for honey bees globally has seen high-end institutions within the capital make beehives a statement feature within their interior. The Ritz Carlton and the Lambeth Palace gardens are but two of this number, but none make such a statement as those perched 100 feet above the ground atop the roof of Fortnum and Mason’s Picadilly store.

The hives at Fortnum and Mason’s have been in place since 2008 and are perhaps London’s best kept secret. Hidden by the towering London skyline, the six foot high row of pagoda shaped beehives, each painted in the Fortnum’s Signature eau de nil of teal and gold, are a true delight for the senses. The humdrum of the city below is drowned out by the methodical humming of the steady work from the colony of Buckfast bees that call these hives home.

The iconic Fortnum and Mason’s Bee hives were designed by Kim Farley–Harper from oak wood and each feature bespoke entrances designed in different architectural styles: Roman, Mughal, Chinese and Gothic. Within each hive are thousands of honey bees hard at work to produce the honey that can be found on sale in store a few floors below.

Fortnum’s ‘Piccadilly honey’ may be the most popular flavour on their honey menu. The bees make this honey by feasting on nectar gathered from the nearby St. James Park and Buckingham palace; the taste of the final product will vary depending on what is in abundance that year. The honey bee’s foraging area around a beehive extends for 2 miles, which means the honey produced in an urban environment, where there are a diverse range of plants and flowers to forage from, can incorporate a host of different flavours.

The methodical process of harvesting the honey, falls solely to Fortnum’s dedicated team of bee keepers and is traditionally done in the late summer before the bees seal the hive for the winter. Once the honey is removed, a sugary fondant is often then applied to the interior of the hive to ensure that bees will have enough food to feed them over the colder months.

Each hive consists of wooden box-like sections stacked on top of each other, these are called ‘supers’. Inside each box there are 810 frames each containing a thin sheet of wax foundation; this is where the bees build their ever-expanding combs and where you will find that delicious golden honeycomb. The honey bees collect flower nectar using their long, tube-shaped tongue and store the honey in their crop, or extra stomach. This stomach can hold up to 70 mg of nectar and allow the bees to visit up to 1500 flowers a day until this is full.

Upon returning to the hive, the bees suck the nectar from the stomachs of other bees and regurgitate it several times before it is ready to be deposited on to the wax cells of the frames.

Once deposited the bees will fan their wings at a rate of 11,000 times a minute above the cells to evaporate any excess water from the honey and then eventually cap it with wax to prevent fermentation.

It makes sense then, that the first stage in the harvesting process is for the beekeeper to uncap each frame. This is simply the removal of the wax caps from the honeycomb cells and is usually undertaken by a processing machine.

Next, the frames will be placed into an extractor machine which spins them, forcing the honey out of the comb; the liquid drains to the bottom and into a collection vessel.

This raw product is then ready for filtration and heating; this process increases the brown colour of the honey and prevents crystallisation.

As well as their flagship Picadilly store, Fortnum’s now have their iconic beehives located in Hoxton docks (this honey is described as floral with elder-flower and citrus notes), St Pancras, Somerset House (a bright and spicy honey with a lime aroma) and The White Cube Gallery in Bermondsey.

This varied selection of locations generates honey that depicts the colourful diversity of urban life through our taste-buds.

By not only giving the honey bee a safe-haven in an urban environment but also establishing a necessity for their presence, Fortnum and Mason has unwittingly set the president for others to follow; a perfect example of how the natural world can adapt to a man-made landscape, when given the chance.

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES: FORTNUM & MASON EXPOSURE PR

Why

Universally pollinators have suffered a decline across the UK’s landscape over recent years. Many may suggest that this is solely down to Climate change, but it is also largely due to a loss of the suitable habitats which provide the necessary forage, nesting sites and breeding spaces for all species of pollinators.

The amount and quality of forage resources has declined. In the countryside this is a particularly prudent issue as traditionally managed flower-rich hay meadows, which may be a less productive option for working farms, tend to be lost at the wayside in current business models. Pesticides, both on a domestic and agricultural level, are a key stressor for all species of bee in the UK.

‘Out in the more concreted mono-floral parts of the countryside, bees face constant threat of modern pesticides, particularly those used on oil-seed rape, a crop that does far more damage to bees than most people realise’

Beekeeper at Fortnum and Masons

is the Honey bee in decline?

Head

GARDEN OF EDEN

Some people say our love for green-space is innate and a genetic link to the past.

Where we once traversed open savannah, listening out for possible threats, we now walk around green-space as a place of calm and solace. With the complexity of modern life, we are gaining a lot more than we realise.

At Eden, we herald the plight of the smaller life forms. The oft-overlooked insects, arachnids, fungi, and galls. We usually have to point them out to people as they are easy to walk past because the mega-fauna of Britain is almost all gone.

The diversity of the garden, given its inner-city location is quite remarkable. Bird-wise, we have Great Spotted Woodpeckers; Jays; an occasional Sparrow-hawk and even a Gold-crest. Insect-wise, we have Spiny Digger wasps; Bee-wolves; Tawny Mining bees; Wool Carder bees, to name a few of the charismatic ones.

All wild species that are surviving from urban gardens and public green-space like the Eden Nature Garden. The UK has roughly 280 species of wild bee alone. In Eden we have recorded roughly 50 species of bee, wasp, and ant without really trying.

The importance of community gardens and public spaces that people can fully access and feel a part of cannot be overstated. The more community gardens and natureconsidering green-space you have, the closer you get to ‘chains’, ‘corridors,’and ‘mosaics’ often with varying qualities and attributes and this help to build towards a larger scale network (greater than the sum of its parts). This starts then to emulate some of the better examples of the UK ‘wild-scapes’, such as the New Forest or parts of East Anglia.

In the Eden Garden, we harness the small scale dynamism that can be achieved with wild plants and light maintenance touches; even in inner city London. Some years, the Ragwort is dominant; some years the Thistles are dominant, for example, and we try to gently steer this so that we can get the best of both worlds, for nature and people.

In a half hectare urban garden, we aim to emulate the most diverse of landscapes but as a micro-cosm. With this mixture of habitat, surface, planting we are able to go some way towards the aforementioned ‘open mosaic’ best loved by nature and species-rich landscape. Mono-culture seems to be the wrong way to go in every aspect of life, so we try to avoid this approach, even in a relatively small space.

With the overwhelming majority of the population now living in cities, green-spaces whether that be in the form of an allotment; the park; your local secret spot; or an actual nature reserve, have never been more vital in helping retain our connection to the natural world.

We sometimes say that our garden “is a slice of the English countryside’ but, in some ways, people’s view of the British countryside is a mis-guided one.

People from Britain and from around the world view the rolling green hills of Britain as perfection and something to aspire to.

However, we’ve come to realise that one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world (53% of its biodiversity remaining intact - lowest 12% scoring countries in the world, report) has, sadly, not been doing too much right over the last few hundred years for its wildlife.

There are many complicated reasons for this (one of them is trying to feed a population after a world war so this subject should be saved for another day).

However, we could go as far as saying that neither city folk nor country folk have a true grasp of the current state of the British countryside.

The city is a very different place to the countryside, but the city could be improved by ensuring some of the better aspects of the countryside are present (a sense of wild; an increased mixture of habitats and approaches to management; more trees; more water; more swathes of flowering plants; more un-mown grasslands).

Conversely, the countryside could benefit by adopting a more natural patchwork (more akin to the historical countryside), which is also more similar to the modern-day urban setting.

Cities and urban areas have parks; gardens; industrial estates, all of which are made up of different substrates; different conditions; different structures (habitat) and consequently provide diversity in terms of the associated flora and fauna.

This is the absolute antithesis of monoculture land management.

Almost all visitors positively receive our London project, and I believe the primary reason is the ‘wildness’ of the space taps into something profoundly deeper; something that we all need to stoke inside of us, regularly.

If we do not connect sufficiently with nature, it has an unseen impact on us.

A life of purely man-made constructs is surely not healthy, given our biology and our holistic connection with nature.

Eden works for both people and wildlife and that is more than many parks, which are overly manicured and where ecological tidiness disorder has kicked into the max.

Every town or every corner of the city should have a semi-wild/wild space fully accessible to people. Notably, it should also have a delicatessen; artist studios; a pottery; a cafe and the other essential pillars of the community.

Our city garden offers a possible blueprint to help combat biodiversity losses (by boosting it instead); climate change (drawing down carbon in a small space; sustainable practices such as growing without peat and chemicals); and providing a sanctuary for people that is fully accessible and helps us to maintain our connection to nature.

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WORDS: BENNY HAWKSBEE Head Gardener | Eden Garden Project IMAGES: BENNY HAWKSBEE

Benny Hawksbee has been Head Gardener at the Eden Nature Garden since 2015, a regular Green Flag and London in Bloom award winner and features as part of the Chelsea Fringe and Open Garden Squares Weekend. It is also one of the South London sites for the London Beekeepers Association.

grew up in Wales, having originally trained as a Biologist and after working abroad on conservation based field projects with sea turtles, He returned to the UK and his horticultural life began whilst volunteering at the then Eden Community Garden.

runs Hawksbee Gardening and has undertaken planting roles for the RHS at their Hampton Court Flower Show and has worked in some of the world famous temples of Kyoto, Japan.

ethos is ‘to turn work down if it is ecologically impactful or if the end product would fall short of the highest standards’.

ASIAN ELEPHANTS

CHESTER ZOO | CHESTER | ENGLAND

The elephant is a firm favourite within zoological collections across the globe.

With seven subspecies, the elephant has historically been a creature persecuted on mass by humans for their Ivory tusks, causing wild populations to enter systematic periods of decline; however the newest threat facing these creatures is one that is much less conspicuous.

The deadly Elephant endo-theliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is a major threat to the survival of the endangered Asian elephant of which just 40,000 now remain . EEHV is a virus that can cause highly fatal haemorrhagic disease when transmitted to young elephants. Reports of wild Asian elephant fatalities at the hands of the disease are on the rise in India, Nepal, Myanmar and Thailand, while cases have been recorded in five further countries across its native range, as well as in zoo conservation breeding programmes globally.

Now, scientists announce significant progress in the fight to find a solution to the global EEHV crisis as pilot study begins for a new vaccine, developed by the University of Surrey and Chester Zoo. It is the first vaccine for the virus to ever enter a pilot study, with early results suggesting that it can trigger an immune response that may protect elephants from developing life threatening disease. It is administered by injection and will provide younger elephants with much needed protection against the unseen virus. Elephant care experts at Chester are now leading the first vaccine pilot study, supported by a host of other major conservation zoos in the UK and Ireland, including Dublin Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo, Blackpool Zoo and Woburn Safari Park.

It is the first vaccine of its kind ever to enter a pilot study, anywhere in the world.

A vaccine that can protect Asian elephants, listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, is widely viewed by conservationists as the best hope for tackling the virus. Without the expertise and opportunities for close contact offered by zoos caring for the species, experts say it would be “almost impossible” to develop a vaccine, which, if successful, could help to prevent the extinction of the species.

Vets and elephant care teams at Chester Zoo home to the first elephant to participate in the pilot study, a healthy 20 year old bull have reported no adverse effects or changes in behaviour. Elephant conservation experts at Chester Zoo, backed by more than £250,000 in public donations to the charity zoo, have long been at the forefront of the fight to find a solution to the global EEHV crisis and efforts to develop an effective vaccine that can be rolled out worldwide.

The biggest threats to Asian elephants are habitat loss and fragmentation. Located in Asia, constant development and economic growth has led to a persistent human encroachment into the Asian elephants habitat.

This often leads to Asian elephants to travel outside of protected areas and into farmland in search of food where they will often be faced with human intervention.

Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine that works for Asian elephants globally is the best way to tackle this devastating diseas e. This vaccine pilot study is a major milestone for conservation and, while not wanting to get too carried away at this early stage, there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel. The only long-term solution to beating EEHV is to find a vaccine. Without zoos caring for the species it would be almost impossible to achieve that but, thankfully, we’re now making remarkable progress. The global conservation community is today a step closer to finding a viable vaccine to save Asian elephants from this deadly disease.”

Dr Falko Steinbach, Professor of Veterinary Immunology at the University of Surrey

“This is an important moment in our research. Now that we have entered a pilot study stage there is real optimism we can find a safe vaccine that works. We are, however, not getting ahead of ourselves. While this is a significant step in right direction, and the initial signs are positive, these are still early days.”

Dr Tanja Maehr, Lead Researcher at University of Surrey

and Chester Zoo Conservation Fellow

“The initial results from the pilot study are encouraging, not least that the vaccine appears to stimulate an immune response. This is a small step for vaccines and a large step for the world’s elephants. However, it’s not yet enough to prove the vaccine will prevent young elephants from dying of EEHV. It’ll be several months until the first stage of our work to select the best candidate vaccine and determine optimal dosages and frequencies is complete. Then, if successful, trials in zoos and in the field will need to take place to fully ascertain its efficacy.”

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD | CHESTER ZOO IMAGES: CHESTER ZOO

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Tyler Whitnall, along with his brothers Aaron and Cameron, are the third generation of the Whitnalls who have owned Paradise Wildlife Park and it’s sister site ‘The Big Cat Sanctuary’.

Along with his brothers, Tyler hosts CBBC’s ‘One, Zoo, Three’.

Tyler tells us about the beginnings of his family’s zoo and his own efforts within the continued conservation of the natural world.

We’d love to know a bit about the origins of the Paradise wildlife park. How did it start and what was it like growing up at the zoo?

The zoo has actually existed since the 1960’s and was originally called Broxbourne Zoo. However, it had a terrible reputation and was branded as ‘the worst zoo in Britain.’

In 1984, my granddad ‘Peter Sampson’ was looking for a place to base his coach and travel company ‘Sampson Coaches’ and this is what led to him finding the zoo. He purchased Broxbourne Zoo on April 1st, 1984, April Fool’s Day - what a day to buy a rundown zoo, aye!

The council had told him he needed to keep the animals on site, which included lions; of which he had no animal experience beyond caring for pigeons when he was a child! A few months after the purchase, he had completely fallen in love with the animals and made the bold and brave decision to sell off his successful coach company and use the money to re-invest into the zoo.

Due to the reputation of the park, he decided to change the name to Paradise Wildlife Park and to start afresh. To begin with the local community and zoo profession were against the continuation of the zoo, but after closing for 18 months to tidy the site and build new habitats, he started to win people over and this is where the park really started to take off.

Over the past 38 years, all our family has been involved in varying capacities but now as Granddad has started to take more of a step back, my mother Lynn has taken the reigns as CEO. My dad Craig and brother Tyler are directors at the park, Tyler’s partner Carly is PA to the directors. My work is to look at the operations of the park and future plans and my brother Cameron oversees the social media and media side of things, as well as future plans.

Today the zoo is in a good position despite the struggles due to the Covid pandemic. We are currently in the process of building new habitats for Sun bears, otters, binturong, and jaguars. We also now have a TV show, in ‘One Zoo Three’, which follows what my brothers and I get up to at the zoo and around the world for conservation and in 2024 we are re-branding to ‘Hertfordshire Zoo’ to launch an exciting new chapter in the zoo’s history.

Can you tell us what the key conservation incentives are, both present and future, at your two parks?

We are currently in the process of developing conservation strategies for both Hertfordshire Zoo and the Big Cat Sanctuary, which will launch when we change from Paradise Wildlife Park to the Big Cat Sanctuary.

At present, we support a number of conservation charities around the world financially and plan on adding more conservation partners as we develop the zoos master-plan and conservation strategies.

What should we be doing better for endangered species in a captive environment?

Zoos are always evolving as we develop better understanding of animals and how to care for them. I think good zoos are becoming more like conservation centres, rather than just a day out for the family to see unique species from around the world.

Today, there is a shift for zoos to house more threatened species. To be more active in international breeding programmes, research projects and to do more when it comes to education for the general public on important issues facing threatened species, habitats and the planet generally; and of course, support conservation work taking place in wild areas. As long as zoos continue to develop in this way, then we are giving the most threatened species better support and more chance of survival.

In terms of conservation, what areas do you feel are currently not given enough attention? And what could be done to change that?

There are lots of species that are often overlooked due to the fact they aren’t a big, iconic species. I think zoos can play an important role in shifting the general perception of species to be looked at in a more serious and positive light, which will make people want to save them.

Social media is a great tool to use to highlight amazing animals, their behaviours, the threats facing them but also what can be done to save them. I do feel the profession is still trying to figure out how to use social media properly to get better messaging out, but it is important to utilize the followings zoos around the world to help change the way people view animals and conservation.

From an animal perspective, as I mentioned before, the change to a more threatened species animal collection that is more focussed on breeding programmes and conservation is another great way for zoos to do more for the long term survival of species.

What do you feel are the cornerstones of a successful wildlife park/zoological garden?

From our standpoint, we work towards creating the following pillars for Hertfordshire Zoo to be a beacon for conservation and wildlife from 2024 and beyond...

Supporting wildlife conservation, being an active part of international breeding programmes for threatened species, carrying out scientific behavioural research so we can learn how to better care for animals in captivity, the education of anyone who comes to the zoo or anyone who follows the zoo about the animals under our care, our conservation work and how people can help protect wild habitats, prevent climate change to save the animals that live within them and provide the best animal welfare, husbandry and love.

What do you believe is your greatest achievement in terms of conservation at Paradise or The Big Cat Sanctuary?

In terms of a project, I have been personally involved in, I would say our Drive 4 Wildlife project which saw my brothers and I drive around Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. Over the three weeks we were on the expedition, we visited different conservation projects, filmed the work being carried out in the field and gave donations of equipment and funds towards their work.

Once we returned to the UK, we then fund-raised over £100k to purchase an animal ambulance which we then donated to the Ugandan Wildlife Education Conservation Centre. This vehicle has been used by their team to help rescue, rehabilitate, and reintroduce hundreds of animals back to the wild since we donated it to them.

If you could bring one animal back from extinction, what would it be and why?

Orangutans are my favourite animal, so I would say ‘Gigantopithecus’, which was a 10 feet tall (3 metres), 1,200 pounds (550 kilogram) giant orangutan that lived in China, Vietnam and India around 12 million years ago.

Do you believe that there are certain types of animals that shouldn’t ever be kept in captivity, regardless of their status in the wild? And what could be done to protect them within their current habitat?

I think there are draw backs of any species in captivity, because no matter what we do, it is never going to be 100% the wild.

I do think there are ways we can find of keeping almost any species in captivity should we need to, but the idea of captivity can be different to what people see now. For example, in the case of whales, orcas, dolphins and sharks, we have started to see the development of ‘sea sanctuaries’, where the areas are huge and in the ocean versus a tank. For species really on the brink, to develop areas like this could be a way keeping certain species from going extinct, with the aim of breeding and re-release into protected areas.

If there are animals that can’t go back to the wild for a particular reason whether it be injury or no safe space, then again, we just have to look at what the best kind of captive habitat for that species could be.

The Zoological Society of Hertfordshire also donates to a diverse number of conservation projects each year; everything from the lowland tapir conservation initiative to UK based hedgehog rescues to rainforest preservation initiatives.

Which of these has been the most enlightening for you and why?

I’m proud of all of the projects we support. The ones that have been the most enlightening for me are the ones I’ve personally played a role in, so the Drive 4 Wildlife Africa project, or earlier this year going to India to meet the organisations we support there and seeing the work they do rescuing, rehabilitating and reintroducing animals back to the wild that have come into them injured or malnourished.

Closer to home, I am also proud of the work we do with Shepreth Wildlife Park’s Hedgehog hospital by providing areas for hedgehogs to be released back into the wild in the woodland and fields surrounding the zoo.

INTERVIEW: TYLER WHITNALL

Marketing Manager | Paradise Wildlife Park

IMAGES: COURTESY OF PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK

How do you believe that we can best change people’s attitudes on a public level towards preventing extinctions of endangered species?

I always like to believe in people, and I do think people’s attitudes can change. Education is the key factor in this. In the past, humans have been the cause for a lot of the environmental issues the world now faces, due to habitat loss, the illegal pet trade, poaching for example.

However, I do think we’re already starting to see change due to the serious threat that things like climate change are causing to environments, species and of course humans all around the world.

The education on climate change and its effects has been a huge effort globally and because of it I believe people want to live in a greener world and to protect wildlife.

The world is changing, companies are becoming greener, people are looking for more sustainable ways to live and I think this follows through into getting a greater understanding for the natural world and how we can protect it, so yes, I do think we can make change for the better.

Zoos can have a massive role in helping with this through their work in education and conservation also.

RED PANDAS

PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK | HERTFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND

Red pandas are currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 2,500 remaining in the wild.

Legally protected in India, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar, the primary threat to the wild populations is habitat loss from deforestation, human interference and poaching for their fur.

Whilst poachers may see their trademark russet fur as an asset to harvest, it also provides the pandas with the perfect camouflage in the surrounding red-brown moss and white lichen of the trees, making them particularly hard to spot.

Fifty percent of the red panda’s habitat is in the eastern Himalayas and 90 percent of the time they are arboreal, searching high branches for food and showing off the agility and acrobatics for which they are well known.

They use their long bushy tails for balance and extra warmth in the colder winter months. Closely related to weasels and skunks, Red pandas are herbivores; the Nepalese call them ‘Ponya’, which means bamboo or plant eating creature.

The population of Red pandas in the wild has declined by 40 percent over the past two decades, so when Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire welcomed the arrival of ‘Little Red’ in July this year, it was described as a ‘symbol of hope’.

Four months on and under the watchful eye of Tilly, the cub’s mother, ‘Little Red’ has started to gradually leave the nesting box and explore the surrounding outside enclosure.

In recent weeks the park decided to try and find out the sex of ‘Little Red’ but unfortunately for the vet the baby panda decided to become a little feisty towards them. It was then decided to leave gndering the cub until next year so Little Red can be left to become more relaxed with staff and surroundings of the park.

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: COURTESY OF PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK

PINE MARTENS

With the pine martin species nearing extinction, many Wildlife Trusts across the UK have begun to undertake work to reintroduce this native species back to our landscape.

Jenny MacPherson, Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Science and Research Programme Manager, tells us more about the Pine Martin reintroduction project in Wales and explains how we can better protect this once prevalent species.

The pine marten was once on the verge of extinction in southern Britain but is now back in healthy numbers thanks to recent conservation projects.

Between autumn 2015 and 2017, a total of 51 pine martens were trans-located from a number of sites across the Highlands of Scotland to the forests of the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales as part of Vincent Wildlife Trust’s (VWT) Pine Marten Recovery Project.

This was followed by a re-introduction in conjunction with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) to the Forest of Dean on the Welsh-English border. As both populations continue to increase and expand, they will soon form one contiguous and resilient meta-population.

There was a time when pine martens were widespread throughout Britain. However, during the 19th century the species suffered one of the most dramatic declines of any British mammal.

This was largely due to increases in predator control and loss of woodland habitat, which was reduced to only around five percent by the beginning of the 20th century. By this time, pine martens had all but disappeared from most of Britain.

The majority of the remnant population was restricted to northwest Scotland, with a few isolated animals remaining in the remote uplands of northern England and Wales.

Since the latter half of the 20th century, the pine marten population in Scotland has made a significant recovery, with an expansion south and eastwards from the core areas in the northwest Highlands. However, the species is still relatively rare in Britain with the most recent population estimate of around 3,700 martens, most of which are in Scotland.

In England and Wales, there had been no discernible natural recovery of pine martens by 2014 and so VWT’s Pine Marten Recovery Project began. Initially, a detailed study was carried out to look at the feasibility of using trans-locations as part of the conservation strategy for this species, ensuring that national and international guidelines for conservation trans-locations were followed throughout the process.

Central Wales was identified as having the highest biological suitability because of the large amount of well-connected, suitable woodland habitat and the relatively low risk to pine martens of road mortality.

The social acceptability of translocating pine martens to Wales was as important as the biological feasibility.

Detailed consultations with stake holders and communities in the prospective release areas were carried out to answer any questions, discuss specific issues and ensure that there was local involvement and support for the project.

All the feedback gathered in these early stages was used to inform if and where releases should take place. The local communities in and around North Ceredigion were very keen to get involved in the project and have been absolutely crucial to its ongoing success.

Help and support was also provided by key landowners and forest managers, including Natural Resources Wales.

All the trans-located pine martens were radio collared and studied intensively for a long period following release.

The data collected provided a huge amount of information which was used to inform subsequent reintroductions. Some of the research focused on the martens’ ranging behaviour and habitat use in the days and months following release.

All trans-locations are essentially exercises in forced dispersal, but dispersing animals in many, even relatively antisocial, species rely on the presence of others of the same species (con-specifics) to assess habitat suitability.

Trans-located individuals invariably face an environment with no, or very few, con-specifics, there-fore they may not settle in suitable habitat at the release site, but instead disperse to another area in search of conspecifics.

Radio-tracking results show that the first pine martens released in 2015 into ‘empty’ habitat initially made some relatively long distance exploratory movements, often using wooded river valleys to travel around, before returning (in most cases) to the release area. It took approximately four months before they established stable home ranges.

However, those released in the second year when there were other martens already present, settled much more quickly and established territories within about two months of being released.

Extensive mature conifer woodland, like much of the plantation forestry in the release area in Wales, provides martens with plenty of cover, however, while they may be used by pine martens as habitat and for feeding, even-aged plantations often do not provide good denning opportunities, generally due to the lack of deadwood habitat and cavity trees.

Pine martens prefer tree holes for breeding dens so they can safely rear their kits above ground for the first weeks after birth. Woods with ‘old growth’ attributes, such as large old trees grown to maturity, deadwood habitat, cavity trees and natural areas, generally offer more suitable sites for denning.

These are likely to be seminatural woods, riparian zones, or natural reserves where old-growth characteristics have had time to develop.

To ensure that there were enough suitable dens available, a network of artificial den boxes was put up throughout the release area and some of these are certainly used by martens.

Nevertheless, they have also found many natural den sites, including tree cavities, squirrel dreys, rocky ledges and derelict buildings.

From March onwards every year, monitoring is intensified to look for evidence of breeding. Cam-era traps are used at known or potential den sites, along with a combination of other evidence. All this detective work has confirmed successful breeding each year since all the releases, both in Wales and in the Forest of Dean.

Pine martens are a flagship species for healthy and bio-diverse woodland. The return of a healthy pine marten population also has the potential to provide wider benefits. The interaction between pine martens and grey squirrels has been a subject of great interest since a study in Ireland showed declines in grey squirrel numbers as the pine marten recovered in some areas — although it is not yet known if there will be a similar effect in Britain.

Engagement with people and communities continues to be key with many local volunteers directly involved with radio tracking pine martens and continuing to monitor the health of the population using more noninvasive monitoring methods such as camera, scat and hair tube surveys. These have provided up-to-date information on how far the martens have spread out and valuable in-sights into how the population is faring. Ultimately, this local involvement and support is as important to the long-term integration of pine martens back into the natural landscape as all the science and preparation that goes into any species restoration.

While reintroductions can be very valuable, they should always be a last rather than a first resort. If reintroduction is the only option, then it is an admission that we have failed to protect and preserve a species. Looking forward, the focus is on facilitating natural re-colonisation and recovery while developing and implementing effective monitoring schemes for existing and expanding pine marten populations across Britain.

WORDS: JENNY MACPHERSON Science & Research Programme Manager Vincent Wildlife Trust

IMAGES: JCH PHOTOGRAPHY THE VINCENT WILDLIFE TRUST

WILD CATS

In Celtic mythology there is a creature dubbed the ‘Cat Sith’; a shy and elusive spectre that prowls the Scottish Highlands. This Fae-like beast is said to draw its origins from a creature far more tangible but no less puzzling; the European wildcat.

The wildcat is, without competition, the UK’s rarest and most endangered mammal.

Whilst many people may be surprised to discover that we have a native feline in the UK, the wildcat was here prowling our wildernesses long before any records of domesticated cats.

Despite being once prevalent throughout the British Isles, by World War One it was only recorded in the north-west of Scotland; the last existing record of a wildcat in England was in 1849.

It was predominately due to hunting and habitat loss that the wildcat disappeared from England and Wales 400 years ago, and that the rugged impenetrable landscape of the Scottish Highlands became their last bastion.

This elusive species lives on the edges of the world; the margins of mountains, stubbled -moorlands, and the cusps of woodlands, seeking solitude and safety in the unknown and unreachable.

Most people are unaware of what a wildcat is, simply because of how similar to domesticated ‘Tabby’ cats they can appear, however their blunt and bushy tail, stockier and more muscular appearance with a flatter head and more prominent ears gives them more primordial features than the regular house cats to which we have become accustomed. Active mostly at dawn and dusk the wildcat’s existence and survival remains cloaked in mystery.

A combination of loss of woodland habitat and hunting contributed to their decline and with a reduced number of pure wildcats this lead to them breeding with feral cats, diluting genes to the point that the distinctive features of the true wildcat have eventually been lost.

Whilst studies have found that the species is now functionally extinct (every specimen recorded in the wild now has traces of domesticated cat DNA), hope is not completely lost for the true European wildcat.

In 2019 a partnership between Wildwood Trust, Vincent Wildlife trust and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust was formed to create a new programme to run alongside the Scottish ‘Saving Wildcats’ project.

Wildwood Trust has been breeding wildcats under the recommendations of the national studbook for many years.

The studbook, managed by Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, provides suitable breeding pairs to maintain genetic integrity within captive collections.

Within the new project, The Wildwood Trust will continue to take a captive breeding role providing wildcats for release, but with this comes the consideration for how to ensure that the cats are given the best chance of survival and feel comfortable enough to breed.

A usual litter of between one to four kittens, will remain with their mother initially before seeking out territories of their own.

For the captive bred kittens it is essential that they are provided with enrichment and complexity of enclosure to keep physically fit and strong enough to survive once in the wild.

Wildwood has undertaken great research into enclosure and den box design, with students studying den boxes in order to see whether cats prefer certain boxes to breed and rear their young successfully.

Within this operation there is maximum diligence when it comes to ensuring that the captive bred wildcats are given a real fighting chance once back in their true habitats.

The key element to this is the extensive habitat feasibility studies that have been conducted throughout the project, not just in Scotland, but also in other locations to see if it would be feasible to reintroduce wildcat populations on a wider scale.

Parts of Western Britain, due to their habitat quality, potential prey density and relatively low numbers of people and roads stood out as potential release areas.

The wildcat eats a varied diet of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects, but rabbit is its main prey and one that is still relatively abundant across Western Britain.

If allowed to flourish in the wild again, wildcats will balance out ecosystems and provide competition for other predators.

Alongside habitat feasibility there must be an adaptive release strategy in place for each reintroduction to build up the population.

Male and female wildcats have different territory sizes – males wandering further than females. Home range is dependent on resources, habitat suitability and prey densities.

It is important to also consider the feral cat population in any potential release site. As well as hybrid-isation, it is feline disease, as well as human stressors such as accidents with traffic that have proved most fatal to wildcat numbers.

As with their decline, the re-population of the wildcat relies massively on the intervention of humans.

A huge factor to the success of the ongoing reintroductions is the engagement of local communities and the exchange of knowledge about the ecology and benefits of wildcats.

Those invested in the journey to return the wildcat are rewriting the narrative for the species into less of a myth or legend to more of a biography, with a promise of a brighter future.

INTERVIEW: SALLY HOLT & VICKI BREAKELL The Wildwood Trust

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES: CHRIS COUCH

PERMACULTURE

I always thought of myself as a nature lover.

I have worked for the Wildlife Trust in the past, encouraging composting and wildlife friendly gardening and I have been a perma-culture addict ever since I gained the certificate in 2000, and eventually a diploma in 2013.

I have even opened our garden to the public, running open days, workshops and tours showing all the encouraging ways we can grow food, harvest fuel, build low impact buildings and bring thriving bio-diversity into a domestic garden. Yes, I felt I truly understood how to be part of the solution, not the problem.

But one day it dawned on me, I was feeling less than understanding about nature; indeed, I was downright angry with it! Now, I expect most gardeners have experienced annoyance at an invasive weed or an explosion of slugs and thought little of it, yet noticing my angry reaction to some crop being decimated came as a revelation to me.

When I actually owned up to this stress it hit me hard; here was the point where I had started to think I knew best, the point where I had mentally and emotionally separated from the bigger picture. I had gone into battle with one tiny element, deemed a ‘pest’ to most, but now I saw this emotional disconnection caused by a misunderstanding which could perhaps be extrapolated to the core of our global environmental crisis.

Many nature lovers might know we breathe in what trees breathe out, we eat food which was once soil and sunlight, that the water inside us has also been in rivers, seas and clouds. Rationally, people may recognise our bodies are Earth grown and therefore dependent on the set of nested ecosystems surrounding us, but clearly, rational thought is not driving our behaviour towards the planet. So what is?

Standing there dismayed, it became obvious to me. We are driven by an emotional disconnect that happens whenever we consider ourselves under attack, or more precisely whenever something we consider ‘ours’ is threatened; be it livelihoods, lifestyles, or even a crop of lettuce, it seems!

A garden might just be the place where we can watch this pattern at work because gardening is a two-way relationship, if we are prepared to listen, and is not just a lovely walk in the woods. We have an idea of what we want to grow, we put it into action and then nature tells us something else needs to happen instead!

It is at that point we have a choice: to crack down or crack open. There is the knife-edge where we decide if we are working with or against nature, for even when we know the theory, our emotions will tell us when we have forgotten we are part of something much, much vaster. There and then is the opportunity to witness an uncomfortable truth and our stress is the messenger.

Take slugs and snails for instance. Did you know the molluscs driving you mad are working hard for the health of your plants?

By selecting the shocked and weakened seedlings clearly not up to local conditions, they are preventing unsuitable strains from contaminating the seed base, like wolves selecting the weakest members of the herd.

Or that annoying bindweed is bringing fertility, by offering night nectar for moths, in turn attracting guano dropping bats?

Or that ivy is actually helping balance your slug and snail population by attracting blackbirds and thrushes to its winter berries and safe nesting sites, who then spend the summer scouring your garden for slugs and snails?

Or were you aware that root eating voles responsible for hollowing out your crops are the key spreaders of mycorrhizae spores at the perfect soil depth for the health of other local plants dependent on this symbiotic relationship?

Nor did I until I was spurred on to really observe and research these little-known cycles of interdependence, only because of the uncomfortable feelings arising when I viewed these things as a nuisance.

We close our selves off to the miracle of nature every time we decide these little harbingers of stress are a mistake or ‘nature gone wrong’.

When we listen to our stress as a messenger of misunderstanding, we can learn so much more, if we let it be the drive to open our minds and transform our beliefs.

Suddenly I was seeing aphid as a messenger of too much nitrogen in the soil and the actual remedy for the imbalance – clearly my lack of understanding was the problem, not the aphid!

Thinking in this way I was filled with a renewed sense of awe and respect for even the smallest, most easily dismissed parts of my garden ecosystem.

Perma-culture is a way of encapsulating this respect.

It is a method of evaluating human needs and then designing or perhaps more accurately ‘co-creating’ a system to bring about a win-win situation where humans, wildlife, plants, water, and soil can live harmoniously and we can actually bring added benefit to the whole.

It looks at the circulation of sunlight energy, biomaterials, food and water, where all species take what they need and give back more, providing for others.

It highlights how interdependence not competition builds strength and resilience for the whole local system, not just the individual part, and gives a method for emulating these principles.

It’s a wonderful, wonderful modern distillation of nature’s intelligence and the indigenous wisdom First Nations have embodied for millennia.

Yet it is still just theory if deep down we still do not feel this oneness, we do not believe it fully.

How can we expect others around the world to see the importance of their local biodiversity if we, even in the relative safety of our gardens, do not recognise how we emotionally disconnect from nature every time we misunderstand its attempts to rebalance.

If you do not understand the purpose of a snail and try to get rid of it, you do not understand the whole.

WORDS: ALISON ENSOR IMAGES: ALISON ENSOR

Alison is a currently writing a book on the many ways British garden ‘weeds and pests’ are misunderstood and how our bodies can reveal an unconscious sense of separation, perhaps explaining why we cannot easily change behaviour. She is passionate about showing how the microcosm of our individual experience is relevant for healing the macro-cosm.

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS

SEA WATCH FOUNDATION | CEREDIGION | WALES

Katrin Lohegral, monitoring officer for The Sea Watch Foundation explains why the semi-resident bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan bay are so unique to our British shores.

O ver the past few years we have seen an abundance of unfamiliar creatures appearing in our British waters.

F rom the walrus that took up residency on the coast of Pembrokeshire to the blue sharks spotted in Falmouth, we are getting used to bigger, more unusual creatures appearing on our shoreline, but it is the bottlenose dolphin population in West Wales that provides us with access to better understand larger marine mammals in abundance.

With 250 semi-resident animals spread around Cardigan Bay, this is the location of Europe’s largest population of bottlenose dolphins.

Stretching from Ceibwr Bay in Pembrokeshire to Aberarth in Ceredigion and extending almost 20 km from the coast, Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) protects the wildlife found in around 1000 km2.

Cardigan Bay SAC celebrates a rich marine environment, full of wildlife, that lives alongside the bottlenose dolphins for which the site was originally designated. The SAC is also home to a significant population of Atlantic grey seals and sea and river lampreys can also be found here.

The harbour porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin’s smaller cousin, can be seen here throughout the year; while sunfish, basking sharks and leatherback turtles are occasional summer visitors.

Seabirds such as guillemots, razor-bills, kittiwakes and fulmar congregate here in large aggregations during the summer breeding season, while feeding gannets can be seen diving offshore. Rissos Dolphins, Common dolphins and Minke whales are also seasonal visitors.

Cardigan Bay’s shallow waters also provide important habitats for colourful marine life amongst its reefs, sandbanks and sea caves.

There are seven features for conservation for which it is designated:

• Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

• Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)

• Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

• River Lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)

• Reefs

• Sandbanks (slightly covered by seawater at all times)

• Sea caves (submerged or partially submerged)

The Seawatch Foundation has taken up the mantle of monitoring the many populations that call the bay home; an area spanning nearly 6 nautical miles.

The conservation of any wild animal or plant is largely dependent upon continuous monitoring.

Without such data it is impossible to assess and amend status on a regular basis. Monitoring populations also enables the identification of general distribution patterns, important areas for different species, behavioural responses to human activities and effects on reproduction.

Without the monitoring and survey work undertaken by Sea Watch, this information would not be available. A comprehensive system of survey and monitoring is crucial for the survival of marine mammals.

One of the key aspects of this surveying is via photo identification of the dolphins. The Foundation compiles notes on their fins (distinctive marks and colours that allow indication of different individuals), and will then cross reference sightings on surveys with these, to better understand the movements and expansions of the pods.

Sea watch also encourages the public to report sightings independently, this citizen science aspect is unique for an organization of this size.

The population of bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan bay is semi resident, this means that they move around depending on prey availability. Individuals have been seen as far north as the Isle of Man in the summer months, identifiable by the marks on their fins.

This season the Sea Watch foundation has found that there have been more disturbances due to recreational vessels in the area; this also includes non-motorised boats such as kayaks.

Larger motorised vessels can cause noise disturbances and marine traffic around the British Isles is amongst the most intense of anywhere in the world.

This excess noise can not only cause stress to the animals, but severely interferes with their ability to communicate, navigate, and find prey.

This applies particularly to the controversial scallop dredging that happens throughout UK waters; not only does it do long-term damage to the sea floor affecting prey abundancy, it also emits a huge amount of noise interference for the animals in the area.

Similarly, the recent bill passed by government to legalise the pumping of raw sewage into the oceans is a real concern to the dolphin populations across the Britain, as the raw sewage contains pathogens which can compromise their immune systems.

Micro plastics are also still a pressing issue for all of marine life.

Litter and heavy metals can get into the food chain of animals and affect their viability on a host of different levels; it is important to be mindful of your own consumption and how you are disposing of your waste.

The affiliation that we have with dolphins is starkly different from most marine wildlife.

We have become accustomed to the dolphins depicted in films such as ‘Flipper’; friendly and biddable, willing to accommodate human curiosity.

It is for this reason that many individuals attempt to swim with the wild populations.

As the footage from Cornwall in July of this year showed, dolphins can often get agitated and over excited by too much stimulus – you do not want to go up against a dolphin that may feel threatened.

These creatures are 4 metres long, weigh half a tonne and are equipped with a set of sharp teeth.

Wild dolphins should be allowed to approach of their own accord, not chased.

It is for this reason that a code of conduct for interactions with cetaceans has been issued and widely circulated.

The code of conduct also protects seals at pupping time and sea bird colonies, where guillemots and razor bills lay their eggs.

The work that the Sea Watch Foundation is undertaking within Cardigan Bay is crucial to ensuring that the biggest European bottlenose dolphin population remains sustained, comfortable and viable.

INTERVIEW: KATRIN LOHRENGEL

The Seawatch Foundation

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE SEAWATCH FOUNDATION

The Bottlenose Dolphin

M ale dolphins will often form attachments within a bachelor pod; these ‘bromances’ have been known to span many years. Combining forces also helps in terms of female acquisition.

M ales will escort females to ensure that no other individuals mate with them; they are often aggressive in their pursuit and persistent in guarding their chosen mate.

D olphins will also form maternity units to help nurse newborns; mother and calf will stay together for, on average, 3 years. Males will also baby-sit the calves.

H unting dolphins will produce bubbles to herd their prey to the surface, as well as a technique called ‘fish whacking’, where they use their tail to hit fish and stun them.

The Sea Watch Foundation’s aims:

‘Monitoring the numbers and locations of whales and dolphins in order to gain valuable knowledge of the health of our marine environment, and insight into the effects of chemical pollution, noise disturbance, over-fishing, accidental capture in fishing gear and climate change Involving the public in scientific monitoring.

Raising awareness and understanding of marine mammals and the threats they face Educating, informing and advising for better environmental protection’

The Seawatch Foundation’s work: ‘Sea Watch Foundation, through its continuous programme of research and monitoring, provides invaluable information on changes to the status and distribution of cetacean populations and the condition of their habitats. This is used to raise awareness of any issues and prompt environmental change to help conserve and protect these mysterious creatures.

Sea Watch’s work could not be completed without the help of numerous hardworking volunteers, both in the office and in the field. There is also a network of regional coordinators and volunteer observers all around the UK coastline who are dedicated to providing data and support to Sea Watch through recording and reporting all sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The information gathered by Sea Watch and our network of observers has been the primary source of knowledge about the relative status and distribution of cetacean around the British Isles.

Sea Watch Foundation organises school visits, university and community lectures and specialist interest workshops. Sea Watch also helps to keep the public informed on marine mammal research by working closely with the media, government, environmental partners and industries.’

CETACEAN CODE OF CONDUCT

There is no reason why boats and cetaceans should not be able to coexist if care is taken to observe the following rules:

• If you sight cetaceans at a distance, make forward progress maintaining steady speed, ensuring that you do not exceed ten knots as soon as you are within a kilometre of them

• Do not chase cetaceans, drive a boat directly towards them, or encircle them; wherever possible, let them approach you. If they choose to bow-ride, maintain a steady speed and course

• Do not respond to them by changing course or speed in a sudden or erratic manner; slowing down or stopping suddenly can confuse and alarm animals as much as sudden acceleration

• Allow groups to remain together. Avoid deliberately driving through, or between, groups of cetaceans

• Avoid close approach to individuals with young. You risk disrupting mother-calf bonds and expose inexperienced young to stress and possible boat strikes • Do not swim with, touch or feed cetaceans, for your safety and theirs. Besides the stress you can cause them, remember that, just as in humans, diseases can be spread by close contact, and they are larger than humans and can cause unwitting injury

• Do not throw rubbish or food near or around cetaceans • Always allow cetaceans an escape route. Avoid boxing them in between vessels

• Ensure that no more than two vessels are within a kilometre of cetaceans at any one time and no more than one boat within close proximity (e.g. radius of 100 metres). Refrain from calling other vessels to join you.

• If other vessels in the vicinity are interested in watching the cetaceans, limit your presence to 20 minutes. Note: the wildlife and countryside act makes provision for licences to be issued to allow certain activities such as research and survey to take place.

• Move away slowly if you notice signs of disturbance, such as repeated voidance behaviour, erratic changes in speed and direction, or lengthy periods underwater

• Possible sources of noise disturbance can be avoided by ensuring speeds are never greater than ten knots, and by keeping the engine and propeller well-maintained. On the other hand, care should be taken to avoid collision with dolphins when using sailing boats or boats with a low engine noise as the animals are less likely to hear the vessel until it is close

• People regularly using vessels in areas where cetaceans are known to occur should consider fitting propeller guards to minimise the risk of injury to them • Please note that under UK law, it is an offence to intentionally kill or injure cetaceans. It is also an offence to disturb cetaceans and basking sharks. To do so intentionally or recklessly* may result in a prison sentence.

* Recklessness is a legal term. A person who is heedless of the consequences of his actions or of danger will be reckless. Besides the physical threat of collision, remember that whales, dolphins and porpoises use sound as a daily part of their life, for locating and capturing food, locating and communicating with one another, detecting predators, and forming a picture of their underwater environment in often very dim light.

Many of the sounds made by craft directly overlap the frequencies used by cetaceans: the lower frequency noise of the engine and those caused by cavitation of the propeller blade, producing broadband, high frequency noise.

This causes interference with their daily activities, sometimes excluding them from preferred feeding or nursery areas. It can also lead to undue stress, particularly when mothers are pregnant or with small young.

Scientific studies have shown that cetaceans respond negatively to craft moving directly at them, increasing the time they spend underwater and often swimming rapidly away from the sound source.

RED DEER

EXMOOR | SOMERSET | ENGLAND

I am a Wildlife Photographer and Naturalist from Cornwall and have spent the last 22 years in the UK Military as a Survival Specialist.

I like to adapt my skills as a pathfinder to allow me to track, stalk and photograph wildlife in all environments. I have worked within various media channels & campaigns with wildlife organisations including the BBC Wildlife Magazine and BBC Spring Watch.

I only focus on capturing photos of nature in their natural environment, and my photographs have been published and shared all around the world. My belief is the welfare of the subject in Wildlife photography is paramount. I am also a qualified member of the Society of International Nature & Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) and a UK Ambassador for Nature First the Alliance for Nature Photography.

One of my favourite times of the photographic calendar is Autumn, it’s the time of the Red Deer Rut and there really is no better time of year to photograph these magnificent creatures, an iconic mammal of the British countryside.

The Red Deer is our biggest land mammal, and male stags can grow up to 137 cm tall to the shoulder and weigh up to 200 kg. A native species ranging from the Highlands to East Anglia and Exmoor, they are also present in many Royal Deer Parks too, Richmond and Bushy Park to name but a few.

Locating Red Deer can be a challenge, especially if you are after the truly wild animals in our National Parks. However,by conducting good research, talking to locals, and heading to more wild locations it is possible to get some great shots safely without causing the deer distress in an already stressful time of year.

At the more well-known locations where the deer are more habituated to people you will have a better chance of getting close and capturing some superb images. Some great locations to try including are, Bradgate Park, RSPB Minsmere, Richmond and Bushy Park in London and the New Forest, where deer are quite easily spotted.

Deer are wild animals, even in the parks, so they have the potential to be very dangerous and can cause serious injury if you try to get too close; never put yourself in between rival stags or his harem of hinds.

Be very careful, bide your time, study the environment and evaluate the scene; watch their body language for signs or stress. Keep an eye out for the dominant male Stag and work out wind direction making sure you stalk into wind; this drives your scent away from the Deer which have an exceptional sense of smell.

Move directly towards your subject, keeping as low as possible whether that’s walking bent over or crawling on all fours, use environmental cover like trees, heather gorse and bracken, stop regularly and go to ground to assess the situation and take your time.

If they have seen, you it’s likely you will be unsuccessful this time and it is wise to move away. Reevaluate your situation and try a new tact. The welfare of the subject you are photographing should always come first.

A few tips to help you get close to Deer are don’t use strong washing powders or fabric softeners when washing your clothes, have a shower the night before and don’t use strong soaps, shampoos or deodorants.

Also, as Autumn approaches and about a month before the rut, I put my camouflage clothing in a bin bag with leaves, bark, and ferns to make them smell more natural. All these little things will allow you to be in the best position possible to get some great views and pictures of these majestic and beautiful mammals.

Using a lens of at least 300 mm is advisable but in deer parks a 70200 mm should do the trick as the Deer are quite habituated to human presence. This lens selection should help you isolate your subject without having to get too close, wider angle lens ranges will be useful for displaying your subjects in their environments and give the image a nice natural feel rather than a full frame shot.

The key is always get low, this will give your image so much more of a personal feel at eye level which in turn will give your image greater impact and can tell the story much better; use ferns and bracken to produce out of focus background blur and look for stags with their heads up or with antlers on show which adds to a nice image.

Mist and early morning light can produce spectacular images and a fading sun produces beautiful golden tones which compliment an autumnal scene; truly awesome to highlight these magnificent animals.

To be able to produce some great images, keep persevering and head back to the same locations. Study your subject, learn when they are most active and how they move, this will aid you in positioning yourself well ahead of the action to enable you to get some great shots.

Most of all just enjoy being out in nature and remember most of the time the experience is always better than the picture.

As a Nature First Ambassador for the UK, I always try and adopt some of the main principles and prioritize the wellbeing of nature over photography. Educate yourself about the places you photograph and reflect on the possible impact of your actions. Adopt a leave no trace principle and educate others to do the same.

Nature is there for everyone to enjoy but do it responsibly and ethically and most of all always put the subject’s welfare first.

WORDS: RICHARD BIRCHETT

IMAGES: RICHARD BIRCHETT

CALL OF THE WILD

THE HIGHLANDS | SCOTLAND

Is photography a positive force for conservation?

It’s a question that I would have answered with a firm ‘yes’ a few years ago.

My own path in life is an example of the influence that inspirational nature photography can have.

To help recover from a spinal injury, my consultant recommended that I start walking regularly.

Having recently moved from Manchester where I worked in the music industry, country walks were definitely not on the agenda, and I figured I would need an extra dimension to tempt me to get out and walk.

Having spent some time as a child with a Zenith E camera, I decided that photography would be a suitable distraction from the monotony of walking in the landscape and, with the inspiration of a couple of books by Colin Prior and Joe Cornish, I started to visit a few ‘easy’ locations well, easy for someone without substantial metalwork pinning their spine together!

After two very lucky mornings with spectacular light, I was hooked.

Over the year or so I spent many mornings wandering the landscape trying to find a suitable foreground to plonk in front of the rising sun. The landscape provided just enough ingredients to justify a short-ish walk followed by many hours in front of Photoshop trying to hone that perfect creation.

It was a birthday present from my family that changed my approach to photography and, ultimately, the outdoors. A week in the Outer Hebrides staying in a Viking long house was a bit of a shock to the system.

Realising that my workshop leader (David Ward) and course mates were all a bunch of luddites with folding optical contraptions that only enabled them to take one or two photos a day was another. However, I was ‘adopted’ by one of these photographers who introduced me to some of the ways these image making machines worked and I started to become intrigued. Even more so when I saw the amazing results of said large format cameras.

After selling all my digital photography equipment and buying my own large format camera, I started to realise that landscape photography is more about looking and thinking, than operating a camera. That a limit of a couple of photographs a day means more time spent wandering and observing, more time slowing down and developing a relationship with the landscape.

During this period, and inspired by the aforementioned Colin Prior, David Ward and Joe Cornish, my wife and I spent every year holidaying in the Scottish Highlands. From Skye and Torridon to Kintyre and Glencoe our holidays became pilgrimages to the stunning Scottish scenery. I would return from each trip and write about my experiences on a blog that I had developed, discussing the practical aspects of large format photography but also some of the philosophical ideas around our behaviour in the outdoors.

So, had I been converted by photography into an outdoor adventurer? Well, I had become addicted to woodland and mountains.

My reading changed from the NME to Macfarlane. My clothing from Benneton to Paramo. As I tried to find a way to spend more time doing something I loved, I started to realise that most of the photographers who were making a living out of their photography, were doing so by selling workshops to other photographers. As the number of photographers grew, the number of tours to Iceland and Patagonia and the like grew.

My own path to a career in photography was through creating a magazine dedicated to the landscape genre. A magazine that brought together many of the photographers who had inspired me and many of the people I knew. The growth in the number of photographers had created this opportunity for me but I also noticed that it had also created some significant impact on the landscape.

Many of the ‘honey-pot’ locations were showing massive wear and tear and delicate environments, such as the desert wildflowers or hot springs were being damaged and polluted by the volumes of people trying to get that Instagram photo.

Seeing pictures of literally hundreds of people lined up at places like Maroon Belles, Bamburgh Castle, Buachaille Etive Mor and more was worrying. Seeing the number of international flights that people were taking every year to feed a photography habit, even more so.

How can photography be a positive force for the environment when people treat it like a form of consumption?

The ever more spectacular images from the leading photographers selling their international tours creates a perception of the landscape as a place to capture fragments of moments, to then construct into surreal images later in Photoshop.

Fortunately, there does seem to be a movement to try to address some of these issues. In the US, a group of photographers started an organisation called Nature First [naturefirstphotography.org] who have created a set of principles for photographers to sign up to.

Fundamental things like “prioritising the wellbeing of nature over photography” and “always following Leave No Trace principles” but also less obvious things like not sharing locations of potentially sensitive areas.

As photographers are realising that representing nature isn’t a free environmental pass, there has also been a movement toward spending more time within your own country or using public transport to access nearby areas.

Likewise, many photographers are starting to think in terms of projects instead of hero shots, using photographs to tell a story about the landscape.

One of my personal bugbears about the landscape photography community over the last decade has been the way that the most successful/popular photographs have departed from reality in many ways.

Through clever use of photoshop and compositing, representations of the world have become so different from reality that many new photographers don’t think the reality is important in itself; only as a building block in creating a visual confection to gather ‘eyeballs’.

Photography competitions have played a massive part in amplifying this attitude, rewarding the process with cash prizes and the distinct possibility of a career teaching more people to do the same.

In the nature photography world, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards stand out as a bastion of responsibility and conservation. I started working with them nearly a decade ago, involved in the assessment and creation of rules and verification processes. The fundamental goals were to require responsible photography but also to ensure that the photographs created weren’t deceiving the viewer.

I’ve been envious of the WPY competitions position in the wildlife photography world and so when a colleague, one of the original founders of Nature First, discussed the possibility of starting a new competition for landscape photographers with the same principles I was very keen.

In developing the “Natural Landscape Photography Awards”, we spent some time trying to work out how best to embed responsible principles. Our goal was to show that the real world can be just as spectacular and beautiful as those Instagram confections. If people appreciate the landscape for what it actually looks like and not for an idealised creation, perhaps they are more likely to respect it and enjoy it.

Another aspect of the competition is to reward project-based work. The world of the single image will always have some element of the ‘hero shot’ about them and they are inherently difficult to imbue with any sense of narrative. However, a project-based group of images can tell an engaging story even without ‘spectacular’ subject matter.

Our own project category in the competition yielded photographs that documented the wildfires and recovery in Tasmania, the grand variety of landscapes in the Drakensberg, bog landscapes of the Adirondacks, the intimate canyons of Europe and the native American landscape legends of NW Georgia.

The current popularity of landscape photography comes at a price. It is no longer a simple calculation that raising awareness of beautiful places is a positive environmental act; the opposite is almost certainly true.

It is up to each photographer to ask themselves what they might change to reduce their impact on the land. Whether this be less flying, more public transport, buying new equipment less often, contributing time to environmental projects or working more locally, the first step is an awareness of our impact.

WORDS: TIM PARKIN

IMAGES: TIM PARKIN

KING HENRY III ' S MENAGERIE

The Royal Menagerie was founded by King John in the early 1200’s and it soon became home to more than 60 species of animal.

The Tower menagerie began because of medieval monarchs exchanging rare and strange animals as royal gifts.

This began a long tradition of kings and queens keeping exotic animals as symbols of power and for the entertainment and curiosity of the court.

From the 1200’s to 1835, the Tower housed a menagerie of exotic wild animals, neverbefore seen in London, including lions and a polar bear given as royal gifts.

In 1235, Henry III (1216-72) was delighted to be presented with three ‘leopards’ (probably lions but referred to as leopards in the heraldry on the king’s shield) by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. These inspired the King to start a zoo at the Tower.

Over time the collection of animals grew: the lions were joined by a polar bear in 1252 and an African elephant in 1255.

Many of the other animals did not survive in the cramped conditions, although lions and tigers fared better, with many cubs being born.

In the 1300’s, visitors to the Tower would have first crossed a drawbridge to the Lion Tower (demolished in the 1800’s) named after the beasts kept there.

Edward I (12391307) created a permanent new home for the Menagerie at the western entrance to the Tower, in what became known as the Lion Tower. The terrifying sounds and smells of the animals must have both impressed and intimidated visitors.

During the reign of Elizabeth I, the public was allowed into the menagerie for the first time. Admission came at a price however; it was free to enter only if you bought a dog or cat to feed to the lions.

By 1622, the collection had been extended to include three eagles, two pumas, a tiger, and a jackal, as well as more lions and leopards, which were the main attractions.

Payment for lion keepers at the Tower was first recorded in 1210, and the menagerie’s Barbary lions quickly became a symbol of power. Indeed, when Frederick II, the holy Roman emperor, sought diplomatic ties with Henry III in 1235, he sent three lions in homage to the coat of arms established by the king’s uncle, Richard.

James I (160325) had the lions’ den refurbished, so that visitors could see more of the lions prowling around their circular yard. He improved the lions’ living quarters, so that visitors could look down and see ‘the great cisterne ... for the Lyons to drink and wash themselfes in’

In later centuries some animals took their revenge on those who got too close, maiming and even killing zoo keepers, soldiers and visitors.

THE TOWER OF LONDON | LONDON | ENGLAND

In 1252, Henry III was given a magnificent white bear, presumably a polar bear, by the King Haakon of Norway. Although it was kept muzzled and chained, the bear was allowed to swim and hunt for fish in the Thames. A collar and a ‘stout cord’ were attached to the bear to keep it from escaping.

During this period, the chronicler Matthew Paris noted the arrival of a roughhided animal that “eats and drinks with a trunk”. This Elephant was a gift from The King Of France. Elephants prompted the most confusion among zookeepers, who assumed they were carnivores and fed them meat, which made short work of Paris’s subject.

Although the elephant had a brand new 40 foot by 20 foot elephant house and a dedicated keeper, it died after a couple of years. Perhaps the most bizarre diet came in 1623, when the Spanish King sent an elephant to King James I, instructing that it should only drink wine between September and April.

Unfortunately, the keepers at the Tower did not know how to look after these unusual animals and as a result, many died prematurely. Their cages were cramped, and they were often fed the wrong food.

Some could not cope with the change in environment, like the big monkey from Sumatra seen by Cesar de Saussure in 1725. He recorded in his diary that the monkey ‘seemed to suffer from the cold’ and died about six weeks after his visit.

By the beginning of the 19th century the Menagerie was in decline, until it was revitalised by the energetic showman Alfred Cops, Head Keeper.

He acquired over 300 specimens and rekindled the popularity of the Tower as a tourist attraction. However, concerns over animal welfare (the RSPCA was founded in 1824) and the nuisance factor and expense of the animals finally led to its closure.

In 1826 the Constable of the Tower, the Duke of Wellington, dispatched 150 of the beasts to a new home in Regent’s Park.

The Menagerie closed for good in 1835, with many remaining animals sold to other zoos or travelling circuses. The Lion Tower was later demolished.

Today’s London Zoo in Regent Park was founded by the original 150 animals moved from the Tower Menagerie.

Artist Kendra Haste was commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces in 2010 to create 13 galvanised wire sculptures: a family of lions, a polar bear, an elephant and a baboon troupe that commemorate some of the inhabitants of the Menagerie.

These sculptures are today displayed at the Tower near to the places the original animals were kept.

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES ©

The Picture of London (1809) states that the animals on display in the Tower were:

1. Miss Fanny, a fine lioness, but discovers so much ferocity, beyond that of any other lion in the Tower, that the difference of disposition in the same species is in this instance very striking.

2. Young Hector and Miss Jenny, a lion and lioness, from the Gulph of Persia, three years old, of the same litter, presented to his Majesty by the present Marquis Cornwallis on the 6th of March, 1800. These are extremely fine animals.

3. A young Lion and Lioness, sent to her Majesty by the Emperor of Morocco.

4. Two African Lionesses, a present from the Dey of Algiers to the King, and brought to the Tower in of Algiers to the King, and brought to the Tower in October 1800.

5. A fine young Lion, a present from the Emperor of Morocco to the Duke of Kent, and extremely tame and docile.

6. Traveller, a panther from Algiers.

7. Miss Peggy, a black leopardess. This animal is a great curiosity: although her skin is black, it is varied with spots of a deeper black, and her form is the most delicate that can be imagined.

8. Miss Nancy, a bright spotted leopardess. Both these animals were sent from Anjengo, by Governor Hutchinson, in 1799.

9. Duchess, a remarkably handsome leopardess brought from the Malabar coast, presented to his Majesty by Lord Carlisle. The brightness of the colours of this animal is beautiful in the extreme.

10. Miss Maria and Master Bobby, a Leopard and Leopardess from Prince of Wales’s Island, in the East Indies.

11. George, a Leopard presented to the Prince of Wales, by Mr Devaynes.

12. Harry, a royal tyger, from Bengal and one of the finest ever seen, given by Mr (now Sir Evan) Nepean in 1791. This noble animal is very tame, and is fond of a little dog which often plays with it in the den.

13 A curious Ringtailed Tyger, from Bengal, presented to her Majesty by Admiral Rainier.

14. A Wolf, from Mexico, presented by Admiral Masserano to Lord St Vincent, and by him to his majesty.

15. A Spotted, or Laughing Hyena, from the Cape; presented by David South, Esq.

16. A Racoon, bred in the Tower.

17. A very large African Deer, from the Cape of Good Hope, presented by General Dundas, and the only one ever brought to England.

18. A large Greenland Bear.

19. Ant Bear, from Canada. This is a curious animal, and is extremely gentle.

20. A White Fox, from Owhyhee.

21. A Jackall.

22. A large Eagle of the Sun. 3

The 1809 list made no mention of the ‘Three Royal Hunting Tygers’ recorded in the 1806 guide which were ‘said to have belonged to a pack of the same kind, of Tippoo Saib’s, with which he hunted beasts of prey. They are a small kind of tyger, and are extremely curious’. 4 Neither was there any mention of the ‘Tiger Cat, from the river Gambia’ or the ‘Coatimondi, brought from Honduras’ also listed in the 1806 guide. 4 It seems likely that these animals had died during the intervening years.

BLACK RHINOCEROS

FOLLY FARM | PEMBROKESHIRE | WALES

When in 2020, Folly farm in Pembrokeshire welcomed Glyndwr the rhino calf born to one of their Black Rhinoceros herd, they established themselves firmly as one of the UK’s most successful black rhino breeding projects.

With only 7 zoos in the UK housing this species and less that 650 left in the wild, the Black rhinoceros is critically endangered.

Jack Gradidge, head of marketing at Folly Farm takes us to meet the herd living at the ‘Kifaru Reserve’ and explains why he thinks that it is fervently important for all zoological institutions to become more vocal about their conservation contributions.

Within popular culture, rhinos have often been stereotyped with an ‘aggressive’ personality, but in reality they are incredibly soft when you have gained their trust.

With a naturally shy disposition, their preferred habitat is dense woodland or scrub on the savannah, where they can remain out of sight; they also have poor eyesight which perhaps is a more corteous reason as to why a collective of rhinos is called a ‘crash’.

As we stand and feed Dakima (Glyndwr’s mother) carrots, she demonstrates just why the Black rhinoceros is also know as the hooked lipped rhino; extending her lip and curling it round like an elephant’s trunk to take the carrot very gently from my hand. Jack, who started at Folly farm as a rhino keeper, explains that they also like the occasional belly rub.

The Black rhinoceros is a key-stone species of crucial importance within their wider ecosystem.

There is a quiet peacefulness in the rhino house as the keepers feed and change the straw, but it is blatantly obvious that all of the herd is acutely aware of what is going on around them. The sheer size and muscular complexity of the creatures juxtaposed against how gentle and calm they are, is breathtaking; they seem to move with carefree, but incredibly considered anticipation.

The rhinos at Folly farm live in the specially designed ‘Kifaru Reserve’. This bespoke space has been created to mimic elements of the rhino’s natural habitat; mud wallows and Sahvanna grasses as examples.

Folly undertook a lot of market research regarding optimal habitat requirements from other zoos and the wild; any prominent features within these landscapes were then translated into a captive environment setting.

The mounds in the reserve were installed after a study showed that rhinos enjoyed being up high, presumably to keep a better watch for predators or movements within their territories.

Captive breeding is a complex matter and much like a dating profile. For species in captive breeding programmes the extended family tree is carefully studied to provide the best genetic result. This attention to detail protects the genetic health and sustainability of that population.

After a 1516 month gestation period, Folly farm welcomed a new calf to the herd in the winter of 2020. Named Glyndwr after the farm’s late founding director, this male calf will eventually become part of the global stud book and be paired up with a genetically viable female.

This will only happen when he reaches an acceptable age as, put simply, he wouldn’t know how to undertake the task or be taken seriously by the females. In order to protect the newborn calf, the team did not reintroduce the mother or baby back in with the male.

Jack explains that there are no truly wild Black rhinos left in Africa; it is also rare to see this species in zoos due to their critically endangered status. You now have to travel within the boundaries of national parks or reserves to catch a glimpse of this once abundant species in a wild setting.

Re-introduction projects happen in reserves, and they require a lot of resources; money, governmental support and community effort – this is no small undertaking and is therefore essential that it is done properly.

Zoo-bred animals are kept in larger and larger reserves as their reintroduction gets underway. They start in a soft release pen, before graduating to a hard release that ensures that they are then prepared for life in the reserve; learning to actively forage from the branches of bushes and trees rather than rely on supplementary feeding.

Their offspring become naturalized without any human intervention; these rhinos are constantly monitored to ensure that they remain healthy.

Conservation is a community effort and a long process.

The biggest stressors to Black rhinoceros are poaching and human encroachment; man-made topical changes,due to agricultural development, may result in over-lapping territories as the areas in which rhinos can roam grows smaller.

INTERVIEW: JACK GRADIDGE

Head of Conservation | Folly Farm

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: FOLLY FARM | MEGAN LEE

Poaching of rhinos for their horns has shown no signs of slowing down and cannot be solved over–night; as Jack puts it, telling local communities to change their generational traditions would be the equivalent of saying: ‘no-one have Christmas trees, there’s going to be no Santa’.

Conservation isn’t just about animals, it’s also about humans and the advancement of education to inform approach and rework ideologies that to many local communities are a way of life.

Charities across Asia are helping to investigate where the products that rhino horns are harvested for are being consumed, and also the (ideologies) behind the use of the product, to try to target any outdated ‘urban myths’ surrounding the uses of keratin within traditional medicines; by breaking the chain and targeting misinformation, it is hoped that the demand for rhino horn will gradually dwindle.

The key here, is to educate the next generation – but is it too late?

Solutions are also to offer alternative living choices in rural African villages where illegal poaching may be the main source of income for individuals trying to keep their families fed.

Charities often help to offer incentives such as flocks of chickens or the funding of borehole creations in order to improve living standards and in turn, reduce the need to hunt animals such as rhinos to provide a source of income. It is crucially important to the success of all these conservation programmes to work with communities and not against them.

With each reintroduction project there is a consideration of sustained protection for the reintroduced animals against interference or persecution.

This will often include a trained anti-poaching unit armed with apprehension dogs (Belgian mallinois and Dutch shepherds), or detecting dogs (Spaniels), who will target lucrative poaching gangs and locate the weapons and vehicles that may have been hidden for later use.

Climate change is also a pressing issue; droughts and prolonged dry seasons in Africa have added to the dwindling of the remaining landscapes resources. Often resulting in animals roaming into unprotected areas, such as agricultural land in search of food.

The breaking up of territories has also proved to be a real problem for all rhino subspecies; the Sumatran rhino has faced decline due to the destruction of many of the wildlife corridors between territories that they would use to find a suitable mate.

As humans become increasingly distant from nature and are seemingly blind to the destruction that we are causing to delicate ecosystems, it is important that we begin to reestablish the connection and understand that we are a part of nature, and not separate.

This can be implemented effectively through positive social interactions, such as encouraging and educating individuals to understand the everyday life for certain species.

For vulnerable species, zoo environments are increasingly acting as modern-day ‘Noah’s arks’; habitat loss and continued persecution can make it difficult to reestablish a viable population in the wild without the aid of captive breeding.

By focusing efforts on and making space for the vulnerable creatures in zoological collections, we are helping the animals that really need it, not just those that the visitors may enjoy.

A good way to balance this tactic is to choose a ‘crowd-pleaser’ animal, such as a meerkat and use this display to introduce the visitors to other types of mongoose (like the black or white-tailed) that receive little attention from within zoo collections.

Education is again key to raising awareness for unfamiliar species; grabbing the attention with something familiar, and then expanding on this with impactful signage will often imprint a long-lasting impression and encourage new supporters to rally to the cause of the animals that need our protection the most.

Folly Farm’s future incentives Initiative

W e’re committed to conservation. And that means more than just looking after the animals on our zoo and in the wild. It means caring about where we live too.

Our ‘Look to the Future’ team meets regularly to talk about ways we can make a difference. This is sometimes about saving energy, sometimes about recycling, and sometimes about how we can help our community.

In 2016 we were delighted to be awarded the “Green Key” accreditation which recognises our commitment to being environmentally responsible and provides our visitors with the confidence they’re visiting a sustainable tourist attraction and we’ve retained it ever since.

Here’s a few examples of the things we’re doing to try and change our small part of the world.

B iomass heating

W e’ve invested £700,000 in a biomass heating system using wood chip that is 100% renewable. It heats our fairground, Carousel Woods indoor play area, Jolly Barn, the Hungry Farmer restaurant and Tropical Trails exhibit, as well as our gift shop and staff offices. It also supplies our hot water. The system saves 700 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Solar panels

W e’ve invested £250,000 in solar panels on our funfair roof to make our own electricity using the power of the sun. This means we’re generating all the electricity needed to run Folly Farm without having to use the power supply for our local area.

Willow

W e’ve got our own willow plantation because this is what our giraffes in particular, and many of our other animals, like to munch on. Now we don’t have to have to have it delivered which means fewer vehicles on the road and we’re making good use of our land. Best of all when the giraffes have finished eating all the leaves and even the bark (it’s a great dental workout for them!), we chip what remains and reuse it for bedding for our animals. How about that for a no-waste regime?!

Poo

Y es that’s right, poo! We’ve got a lot of it so when we clean out our animals, we collect it and spread it on our land to grow the willow and other vegetation for our animals. It goes full-circle.

As well as the conservation work we do through our breeding programmes, we partner with several conservation organisations and charities to help the wild cousins of our animals.

It’s not just about raising money, although we do that too. It’s about raising awareness amongst you, our half a million visitors, about the threats facing animals and what you can do to help. Here’s some of the people we’re doing great things with.

Wildlife Vets International (WVI) We’re supporting WVI’s Amur leopard reintroduction project.

There are fewer than 35 Amur leopards left in the steppes, or grasslands, of Russia. The biggest threats they face are poaching, habitat destruction and infectious diseases transmitted from domestic animals, such as dogs.

The money we’ve raised has funded air travel for zoo vets and bought vital equipment to health check the wild population

World Land Trust (WLT)

The World Land Trust (WLT) is an international conservation charity that takes direct action to save rainforest and other wildlife habitats.

They were founded in 1989 and through their work nearly half a million acres of rainforest and other threatened habitat have been saved with a further 2.3 million acres now under protection agreements.

The WLT depends on public donations. Our most recent donation in November 2021 is going towards WLT’s BIAZA Fund which continues to support the protection of 20,000 hectares at the Khe Nuoc Trong reserve in Vietnam.

Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation (BMAC)

We’ve been supporting BMAC’s work in Morocco for a number of years. The Barbary macaque, which you can see at Folly Farm, is at risk of extinction in the wild. The biggest threat facing them is being illegally taken from the wild for the exotic pet trade.

All of our macaques were illegally taken from the wild and kept as pets before joining us as part of a re-homing project from a sanctuary in the Netherlands. Sian Waters is the volunteer executive director for BMAC and she’s from South Wales. Sian and her team carry out vital work with children in Morocco to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the macaque and not accepting money to steal them.

We help fund the ‘Monkey Bus’ which goes around schools and communities to spread the conservation message and their vital field surveys to monitor the wild population of macaques.

Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners (NARC)

We’re helping NARC conserve the marine wildlife off our very own coast here in Pembrokeshire. NARC’s volunteer divers have undertaken over 100 underwater clean up’s collecting marine litter. They’ve pulled up everything from fishing tackle, lost lobster pots, car batteries, bikes and even the kitchen sink! We help fund some of NARC’s dives and we also welcome them on park as part of our World Penguin Day event to raise awareness and additional funds.

Safina Lion Conservation Fund

We’re helping the Safina Lion Conservation Fund to raise awareness of, and funds for, lion conservation. Safina works with several conservation organisations working to protect lions in the wild. Their first project was working with Lion Guardians.

The Lion Guardians approach involves recruiting young, traditionalist Maasai and other pastoralist warriors to learn the skills needed to effectively mitigate conflict between people and wildlife, monitor lion populations and help their own communities live with lions. We’re pleased Safina is using the funds we’ve raised to sponsor one of these warriors by donating the money needed to pay their yearly salary. Safina’s current Lion Guardian is Kuya Kipampa.

Dogs 4 Wildlife

Dogs 4 Wildlife provides highly trained dogs and specialised ranger training, for the development of anti-poaching canine units to protect endangered wildlife. Inspiring and motivating the next generation of wildlife protectors, through effective and determined education.

Our rhino keeper Jack, is a director of this local charity and an important part of the dogs’ training is introducing them to the sights, sounds and smells of the animals we have at Folly Farm that they’ll encounter in Africa. As well as providing regular access to our animals we also raise funds to support the training and transport of the antipoaching dogs.

Red Panda Network

We’re lucky to have a breeding pair of red panda at Folly Farm as part of a European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP), so we’re already doing our bit for the captive population. But helping their wild cousins is an equally important part of our conservation work. We’ve partnered with the Red Panda Network to raise awareness of, and money for, the vital work they do to monitor and protect the declining population of wild red pandas.

Our Forest Guardian

We’re proud to have previously sponsored ‘Forest Guardians’, who are employed by the Red Panda Network to monitor and protect Red panda habitats, as well as educate communities on red panda conservation. Our latest donation in November 2021 is going towards the First Panda Challenge which will help Red Panda Network through it’s kind supporters to double donations made in November and December.

DOGS FOR WILDLIFE

CARMARTHEN | WALES -&- SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Dogs 4 Wildlife offer highly trained and fully supported Anti-Poaching dogs alongside advanced ranger training to reserves, conservancies and National Parks in need across Southern Africa and the world.

With a long term committed view to assisting in the protection and continuation of endangered species, Dogs 4 Wildlife are a highly experienced team of knowledgeable, dedicated animal lovers with a commitment to wildlife conservation. With our K9’s help we have achieved up to a 75% reduction in poaching numbers.

With over 20 years combined experience, breeding, training and deploying multi-purpose operational dogs to numerous applications around the world, with extensive and advanced handler programmes, our training and instruction is second to none.

‘Dogs 4 Wildlife was established formally in 2013, however prior to this both founders, Darren Priddle and Jacqui Law had already trained a number of dogs for conservation through other not for profit organisations, this is what lead us to set up Dogs 4 Wildlife as a standalone charity.

We have 13 dogs deployed so far across 4 Sub-Saharan African countries, ranging from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique. With a mix of dogs from human scent tracking to specialist detection dogs that detect specific odours.

So far, our dogs once deployed and fully operational can achieve up to a 75% reduction in poaching numbers from bushy moat poaching, snare poaching to rhino and elephant poaching. We provide a detailed support network including the dogs, all relevant handler and dog equipment, an advanced handler training programme with ongoing input and refresher training as well as life time commitment to the unit’s development. This also includes working the local communities on projects that help inspire our future generations within the communities surrounding the reserves we support.

Our keystone project is at the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Sanctuary in Zimbabwe, where two of our tracking dogs are located, Shinga and Murwi. This is a very special project that encompasses true conservation as a whole. All the local community are involved in Imire and we also help support a local project that provides rabies vaccinations and a spay and neuter programme for all the local villages dogs. The relationship and bond between the unit and the dogs is simply awe inspiring and they are constantly committed to improving and developing their ability and success. The project is everything we could have hoped for.

We are currently working on a large-scale project in Gabon working directly with the countries Gabon Parcs network to facilitate a country wide detection dog unit that will help enable them to drastically reduce the trafficking of the illegal wildlife trade. This project is still in its infancy but will likely be a 5 year project with numerous units created and supported.’

BANE

With over 10 White Rhino, 1000’s of Antelope Species, Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Leopard, Pangolin and many other species, Renosterpan is a 30,000 acre reserve in the Limpopo Province of South Africa is a bustling wildlife habitat that Bane is now the guardian of.

Bane has been tasked with protecting the reserves diverse wildlife at Renosterpan, he is also utilised as cover for a secondary reserve called Ditholo where since his arrival they have hugely reduced bush meat poaching to a no existent level, proof that our dogs make a tangible difference in protecting against wildlife crime.

KAL

Kal has now been gifted to the IFPCP who work in partnership with Project Rhino in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region of South Africa. The IFPCP have a dire task, but are committed and dedicated to conserving wildlife. They cover over 32 Conservancies, Reserves and Parks across Kwa-Zulu Natal, many of which are classified as ‘high risk’ to their imminent threat of poaching.

These areas include such reserves as; Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, Thanda Game Reserve (both are Big 5 areas and over 100,000 hectares between them) and the Zulu-land Rhino Reserve which includes an rhino orphanage. These areas are vast and the IFPCP are already stretched to provide enough protection for the wildlife contained within each reserve. That is why the inclusion of another dog, Dogs 4 Wildlife Kal is vital to provide additional on the ground capability to further conserve and protect endangered species.

Some of the Dogs 4 Wildlife canine team members:

MURWI

A project that hit the heart of saving and protecting future Rhino populations across Africa. Murwi was deployed to the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy in April 2018. This is the front line of Anti Poaching canine units, not just to deter would be poachers in poaching hot-spots, but to act as sworn protector and defender of a world renowned White and Black Rhino breeding programme.

Murwi has now been operational for a year in Imire and what a difference she has made already. Thwarting numerous poaching attempts and providing Imire with a platform to promote conservation efforts within their local community and further afield. The goal is to eventually offer the conservancies Anti Poaching K9 unit services to other parks and conservancies in dire need.

INTERVIEW: DARREN PRIDDLE CEO | Dogs for Wildlife

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD | DOGS FOR WILDLIFE IMAGES: DOGS FOR WILDLIFE | MEGAN LEE

Jemima Parry-Jone, MBE is CEO at The International Centre for Birds of Prey, which she has operated for over forty years and is a raptor specialist having worked with them for seventy-two years.

The International Centre for Birds of Prey, leads the world in the number of raptor species bred in captivity, educates thousands of people every year, works in the rehabilitation field both in the UK and abroad, works with universities on useful and noninvasive research and importantly shares its raptor knowledge and experience for conservation projects worldwide.

She passionately believes that ‘Education is a crucial part of conservation. Without stakeholders (i.e. the public) understandi ng whatever it is we want to conserve, much of what we do is wasted’.

THE HEN HARRIER

GLOUCESTERSHIRE | ENGLAND -&- UK MOORLAND

The Hen Harrier project is an innovative collaboration between The Moorland Association, The International Centre for Birds of Prey and Natural England that aims to reintroduce the once thriving Hen harrier population back to the British landscape.

The Hen harrier is now on the edge of extinction, listed as red on the UK Conservation list.

This native bird of prey traditionally lives in areas of low vegetation, such as moorlands where prey such as meadow pipets and voles are easy targets.

Historically, the Hen harrier also predated on free-range fowl, from which it earns its name, but in modern times it is this that has caused the population to run into conflict with modern day ideologies and head into decline.

The programme facilitates the rearing of Hen harriers in captivity before releasing the fledgelings on the English Uplands, with the intent of these birds becoming independently breeding adults.

Since the project began in 2016, 34 chicks from 9 broods have successfully fledged. 2022 saw 13 Hen harriers released on to the moorland, each bird was fitted with stateof-the-art satellite tracking technology that will allow the project to track their progress throughout the coming seasons.

Moorlands are often the preferred location of grouse shoots, and the Hen harrier has often been seen as a threat to these customs, which is due to their taste for game birds. Habitually in the past the harriers are treated as a pest by landowners and removed to ensure that the grouse population remains.

As well as facilitating a re-population incentive, the project also directly tackles these ideologies through a carefully laid out ‘Hen harrier joint action plan’.

The plan takes a particular focus on the perception and behaviour of the moorland community, such as landowners and game keepers, towards the Hen Harrier and suggesting that instead of being a pest, this bird has great ecological value and can become a help to their enterprises, rather than a hindrance.

By addressing community and social perception of this once common species, the project is enforcing a sustainable framework for the population to not only multiply, but to also thrive into the future.

INTERVIEW: JEMIMA PARRY-JONES MBE WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: THE ICFBOP | THE MOORLAND ASSOCIATION RICHARD BIRCHETT

We’d love to know about the origins of the project, the current status and future incentives.

The origins of the project were the result of about ten years of discussions with the government, NGO’s, and the stakeholders in the form of the Moorland Association. A six-point plan (the joint action plan for Hen Harriers) was evolved to look at the problems for the Hen Harriers in Northern England and the human conflicts between their numbers and the maintaining of reasonable grouse populations. Brood Management was the fifth point in the plan.

The satellite tagging of the Hen Harriers is particularly interesting in terms of monitoring population growth w e would love to know more about how the project locates and safeguards the chicks.

I nterestingly the nests are reported to us by the Game Keepers who care for the moors and have a huge knowledge of them. The stipulation for Brood Management is that there must be two nests within 10 kilometres of each other. Then we look at the nests, plan the brood management, making sure that we have a good place to release them once they are ready and we check the nest that is not going to be managed to make sure that it is viable and has not failed. Before release the young are satellite tagged so they can be monitored, NE also tags a number of wild nests so that we have success comparisons. The best safeguard of the chicks in the brood management scheme is to continue the buy in and ownership of their success by sharing the tag data with land managers on the ground.

How is the brooding and re-release of the young birds successfully implemented?

O nce a nest is identified for managing and the license to manage it, plus all that entails, drives up to the site, we collect the young and any eggs, and drive them back to our rearing facility in Gloucestershire. In the last four years the few eggs that we have lifted have all failed early on in the incubation by the mother. These chicks are reared by us here at the International Centre for the Birds of Prey and then taken up to the release site where they complete their growing and learn to fly in the aviary. They are then blood tested by a specialist avian veterinary surgeon and satellite tagged for monitors and then are given a soft release.

Why is the hen harrier project so important to the ecology of the moorlands?

E cology is important because the Hen Harriers like all organisms relate to one another and to their physical surroundings. So, it could well be that without them we have a less diverse biology on the uplands. It is all a question of balance.

H ow do you feel that the project is changing landowners and communities’ attitudes towards hen harriers aft er such an extended period of persecution and negative connotations of the species?

F rom the four years of doing this I have found that both those landowners and game keepers have definitely had a change of attitude. It’s the fact that something tangible can be done, so they feel that they have been listened to, which I have to say is vital for a conservation project to work – you have to involve the stakeholders in what you do and encourage them. Obviously not all have come on board yet, but year of year things improve. Diversionary feeding of ‘wild’ nests is also key to reducing the predation effect on ground nesting birds of hosting Hen harrier nests.

E qually, why is the hen harrier now one of the UK’s ra rest birds of prey?

H en Harriers face many challenges aside of persecution, which we fully admit has been a problem in the past. However, reduced suitable upland habitat and food abundance as well as disturbance by walkers and dogs all play a factor – all of the habitat is Open Access land. Nesting on the ground leaves them vulnerable to predation by foxes and avian predation at egg and young chick stage – gulls, corvids and other birds of prey have been implicated. As adults they are susceptible to disease, can fly into wind-turbines and electricity wires. The weather can be a contributing factor as it is for many ground nesting birds. Bear in mind too that if we are talking about the whole of England, Hen Harriers have been extirpated from the south of England for decades, and that is why we also have a Southern Release project as well.

Jemima Parry-Jones MBE, Chief Executive of the International Centre for Birds of Prey, has led the brood management programme for the Hen Harrier Project with remarkable success.

Jemima gives us her thoughts on the future for the Hen Harrier Project and the birds currently in its care:

What has been the most challenging part of the project?

Not knowing what will nest where and when and having to have a plethora of licence conditions met before any chicks can be taken into the rearing scheme. We do not have a crystal ball and so speed is of the essence, which does not always suit the licence regime.

Avian influenza is becoming an increasingly prominent issue, how do you see it affecting the recovering populations of Hen harriers and similarly, other endemic bird species is there safeguarding measures that can be put in place to protect wild species?

Birds in the brood management scheme are probably more protected in their early months due to be enclosed and out of harm’s way from other avian species carrying the disease. There is little that can be done to prevent it once they are released and in the wild, then they have the same risk as any wild bird. A number of buzzards, ravens and red kites are succumbing to the disease and tagged Hen Harrier have also been recovered and tested positive for Avian influenza (AI). This will have probably happened when they eat a carrier – i.e., birds that have died from AI. This strain of AI is different from all the subsequent ones and is much more virulent.

What milestones within the project would deem it a success?

1. A sustained change in population and geographical spread, coupled with attitudinal change which we have seen. 49 nesting attempts across the north of England, over 75% on moors managed for red grouse, and 119 chicks fledged is an incredible recovery for this species in just for years of operating the brood management licence.

2. Brood managed birds breeding themselves in the wild and unaffected by the captive rear and release of the scheme. 3. We do not yet know if economic driven grouse shooting can be maintained alongside this Hen Harriers population increase which is a key indicator of success for the moorland owners. We need to ensure that any areas where a nesting colony may build up and effect land use, that the scheme is capable of mitigating the risk to that land use –which ultimately supports the Hen Harrier population by providing suitable habitat, food source and protection from at least some of the predators.

To learn more about ‘The Hen Harrier Project’ and the work being done to safeguard this species from extinction, visit The Moorland Association’s website: www.moorlandassociation.org

Born in Reading but raised in Suffolk, where his passion for wildlife and the outdoors was sparked, he originally trained at an agricultural college before managing farms on the Inner Hebrides and Scotland’s East coast; living on the Isle Of Mull his days were often highlighted by views of White Tailed Eagles.

David has managed a deer park, a fly-fishing trout farm, Lundy Island Farm and held the post of Animal Welfare Officer for Tonbridge District Council (North Devon) at the time of the Foot & Mouth outbreak.

He is a passionate falconer, with his own team used for flying displays. He started painting in 1993, with subjects ranging from birds of prey to gun dogs.

David Rampling is Head Falconer at the North Devon Bird of Prey Centre, having started there in 2001.

NATURE ’ S IMAGE

NORTH DEVON BIRD OF PREY CENTRE | ENGLAND

Back in the 1980’s, a Medium told me I would become a successful artist.

I didn’t really believe in all that stuff, but I was at a crossroads in my life and was looking for some kind of direction. I had left Scotland and was living in my sister’s spare room, which just happened to be in the council house right next door to the one I had actually grown-up in.

I had a broken heart after the end of a relationship, so was feeling very sorry for myself.

God knows I needed some direction to get me out of the head space I was in and out of that spare room.

As a small boy at school, I always had a pencil in my hand. And was considered the second-best drawer in my class by my schoolmates. I drew Dinosaurs and volcanos, Horses, Lions and Eagles. I loved the art in my bird books and marvelled at the skill of the artists. But a formal art education knocked the creativity out of my developing brain. At High School, Mrs Barron the art teacher was the final nail in my art coffin.

I had no interest in drawing fruit, or shoes, nor learning about the history of art. I just wanted to draw the things that interested me, and she was having none of that. I failed O level art. And that was not an easy thing to do back then.

So, although a great deal of what the Medium said struck home, and over time came true, I was sceptical about the suggestion I would ever make money from my art, and I logged it away in the back of my brain.

My farming career and falconry had taken me all over the UK. And my Sparrow-hawk came with me. I had such fun flying these little Accipiters in a treeless Hebridean landscape whilst managing the farms I was in charge of. I probably spent more time hawking and hunting with dogs and gun than farming.

My game bag was full of my chosen quarry, and I almost had enough stories to tell of my adventures to last me a lifetime. It was before mobile phones, and the internet, so photos where thin on the ground in those days. But there was one photo I had taken, on my old Russian camera that I always considered special.

That photo, in a frame, came everywhere with me, from one house, and one job to another. It was of my favourite old Spar, Doris. Beautifully lit in the Hebridean sun, in immature plumage, sat in the blossoming heather on a windy hill. I even commissioned an artist to paint it.

For the princely sum of £100, which was an awful lot of money to me back then. I was woefully disappointed with the result. It was little better than a cartoon.

My working life took me and Amy, (my old working collie) to Lundy Island, just off the coast of North Devon. When I was offered the job of managing the farm there, I jumped at the chance. It would get me out of my sister’s spare room, and back on the road again.

Lundy Island, and its Peregrine falcons were famous in the falconry community. They had been treasured by Kings of old, and some of the most famous names in Falconry history had made the trek to the island to secure themselves a prized falcon. And those Lundy Peregrines achieved some ‘never to be beaten,’ scores at Grouse on northern moors. So of course, I wanted to go, and see those mythical falcons for myself.

Lundy Island is three miles long and half a mile wide, and eleven miles offshore. There was just a radio for company, and one Tavern. Which was where most of us working on the island spent our very enjoyable spare time. I doodled and drew, for the first time in many years, with pencil and biro, on any piece of old paper or back of an envelope I could find. Simple drawings of the places I had loved, and that I missed from years past. It was as if the left side of my brain was waking up. I carved tiny little models of birds out of matchsticks with a scalpel. And had a huge desire to just ‘create.

My stepmother sent some acrylic paints across to the island, and some fine brushes, and a painting pad, and I decided to have a go at painting that old Sparrow-hawk photo I so loved. It took me a week of my spare time, and it was a labour of love. But the beauty of acrylics is that you can build a painting up in layers, and if you are not happy with a piece, you just keep laying down layers until you are happy.

Persistence was the key. And when I stood back and looked at it, I was amazed at what I had created.

I stared at it for hours and marvelled at it. Someone on the Island bought it. And I had a pocketful of cash for something I had created. So, I painted it again, to keep it this time.

I have not stopped painting in the thirty odd years since then. With no formal training it has taken me a while to pick up the techniques and hacks that speed up the painting process. Although I am always learning, I know I can paint anything now. An artist sees things as colours, shades, and shapes. Not quite like normal people. It becomes a gift.

I settled in Devon after meeting my second wife whilst on Lundy Island all those years ago, and I run a small bird of prey centre on the North Devon coast these days. I have children here and have put down many roots. I do daily demos with the birds through the summer, and paint and hunt through the winter.

It is a comfortable yearly routine that I love. My workshop at the centre is a little art gallery showing off my work, and I make money through the summer selling prints of the birds I fly, to the 60,000 visitors a year who visit. I have illustrated several books on both Falconry, and hunting with Lurchers, and that makes me very proud. It is something to leave behind when I am gone.

Painting alone isn’t enough for my active left sided brain, so I make Octopus tentacle lamps out of air-drying epoxy clay, and I make mummified fairies out of the same stuff and put them in little cases to terrify the kids who come in my workshop at the centre. They love all that stuff.

Life is good. And I would like one day to tell that Medium he got it right.

WORDS: DAVID RAMPLING

IMAGES: DAVID RAMPLING

BROWN BEARS

RHENEN | NETHERLANDS

How it all started…

The beginning of the idea and need to do something substantial for captive bears in Europe goes back more than 30 years.

In 1990, Ouwehand Zoo in The Netherlands was asked by the Directorate-General (European Commission) to draw up a plan to accommodate several captive (ex-dancing) bears from Greece.

Those would be confiscated following a change in legislation.

The use of dancing bears as street entertainment was not only banned in Greece, but also in Turkey.

In the years that followed (more than 200 bears needed to be re-homed), two large bear sanctuaries were built in the above-mentioned countries and dozens of bears were saved under the LiBearty campaign set up by then WSPA.

More bears needed a new home (amongst them three blind dancing bears from Turkey) and following the initial request by the EC, Ouwehand Zoo was able to finally answer this request with the start of the development of The Bear Forest, a sanctuary for mistreated European brown bears.

A separate foundation was created to manage this bear sanctuary, and the International Bear Foundation was born when phase one was finished of this special project in April 1993.

The three Turkish blind bears Bora, Koröglû and Fiona were rescued and introduced into their new forever homes. In the many years since then, the foundation has had multiple names, but ever since 2016 they have been operating under the name ‘Bears in Mind’.

Bears in Mind is a valued member of and operates within several network organizations like the IUCN (World Conservation Union), EAZA (European Association of Zoos & Aquaria), EARS (European Alliance of Rescue Centers & Sanctuaries) and the IBA (International Association for Bear Research & Management).

For almost 30 years now, the sanctuary for bears has been able to offer peaceful asylum to 34 brown bears in total. From circuses, private collections, theaters, film industry and road-side zoos, to bears that were kept next to a restaurant or petrol station. Unfortunately, captive bears are found under many horrific and often shameful conditions.

At the moment of writing this article, November 2022, 11 bears inhabit The Bear Forest: three from a former hunting farm in Bulgaria, three from war-torn Ukraine where they were kept next to a restaurant and a small children’s zoo until their rescue. Two bears are from a closed-down zoo in Georgia, one from a theater in Russia where the bear killed its trainer, one bear from private ownership in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one was from Sweden where she was kept as playing companion for a polar bear cub found on the sea ice and eventually both of them ended up in Ouwehand Zoo.

The bears live together with a small pack of four wolves. These animals are kept together in this mixedspecies environment as a way of mimicking their natural environment. The interaction between wolves and bears stimulates the natural behaviour of both species, beneficial for all. They never cause each other serious harm. The wolves are mostly given meat, whereas the bears only eat little amounts of meat as part of their very diverse seasonal diet, based on what they would find in the wild.

Bears in Mind introduced the Natural Feeding Program in 1999 and in the first year there was already a major difference noticeable in the behaviour of the bears, with many of them going into hibernation for the very first time! This was a clear sign that the natural behaviour of these traumatized animals could be restored if the right ‘tools’ and care was offered.

The sanctuary is 20,000m2 in size, has a large pool for the bears to drink/swim/cool down and play in, with a waterfall. It is part of the surrounding natural forest which borders the zoo and it has 11 artificial dens and two small wooden shacks for the bears to shelter from the weather or hibernate in.

Before entering The Bear Forest, visitors are walking through ‘Karpatica’, a series of simulated Romanianstyle houses with informative and interactive educational material for young and old. About the biology and ecology of bears in general, threats to bears and their habitat, and of course about Bears in Mind and their projects around the globe.

Since The Bear Forest is part of the general walking route through Ouwehand Zoo, almost one million visitors a year can view the bears and learn about them. This poses a huge opportunity to Bears in Mind, to try and reach these visitors and make them part of their conservation mission: to create a better world where bears and people can coexist in.

The Bear Forest

Bears in Mind is a non-profit foundation that relies solely on donations. No governmental support. There is a solid base of about 3,500 reoccurring annual donors, there are people who include Bears in Mind in their will to ensure the continuation of their support to bear conservation after they pass away, companies who adopt a bear from The Bear Forest for one year or kids who gather funds with their school or their parents at their wedding party.

Financial support comes from various sources. But it is highly needed! By supporting Bears in Mind, bears and their habitat can be protected, or captive bears can be rescued. Most of the funds flow directly towards the many conservation, education & awareness or captive bear welfare related projects around the world. The core and very existence of the foundation.

Bears Worldwide

There are eight species of ‘true’ bears in the world. From the mighty Polar bear, the Brown bear, the Sloth bear, Sun bear, Andean bear, American black bear, Asiatic black bear, to the Giant panda. Most bear populations are sadly decreasing and some are even threatened or nearly extinct, like the Gobi bear that lives in the remote Gobi desert in southern Mongolia.

No more than 40 of these (subspecies of brown-) bears remain in the World, none in captivity. Habitat fragmentation, illegal poaching & hunting, pet trade and climate change are some of the main threats to bears these days. These are the topics that Bears in Mind focuses on. They direct their limited resources mainly towards bear projects in Europe, Asia and South America. Towards smaller, innovative projects where funds go a long way.

Some of the key projects are for instance found in Indonesia on Borneo, southeast Kalimantan, where Bears in Mind funds an education center dedicated to Sun bears that inhabit the forests of Kalimantan. These forests are under threat, mainly because of palm oil plantations, fragmenting the natural habitat of Sun bears and other native wildlife like orangutans, clouded leopards and proboscis monkeys.

Around 70,000 visitors come to the center every year, mainly school children, learning about their precious native wildlife and forests. Part of the project focuses on wild Sun bears and the importance of corridors between the highly fragmented habitat.

Another project funded in SE Asia involves the rehabilitation and direct care of orphaned bear cubs, mainly Asiatic black bears. These cubs are often poached from the wild, their mothers killed for body parts such as gallbladders or paws (used in traditional Chinese medicine or as a delicacy in soup) and the cubs sold as pets. These helpless cubs need specialized care in the first two years of their lives.

When confiscated, they end up in the care of dedicated teams from a partner NGO who run sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia. A new initiative has just been launched in Vietnam, where few wild Sun bears remain. In recent years the tiger and rhino have gone extinct from Vietnam, and the Sun bear could be next. In a joint effort more habitat is protected, wild bears are monitored and confiscated cubs are rehabilitated to be released in the wild again. To supplement the wild population.

One of the longer-running projects that Bears in Mind supports is located in the remote forests of the Eastern Carpathians in Romania. Between 15-35 orphaned bear cubs are brought here every year, where they are prepared for a life in the wild. Some of them are hit by a car and in a bad shape when they are brought in, some of them are found in a tree in the middle of a village, others are just found abandoned in the forest.

Almost all of them, even with three legs or half blind, leave the safety of the rehabilitation center after 1,5 years. With a survival rate of a wild individual, it has become a highly successful project.

Education & awareness around bears is key in the areas where people and wild bears coexist. There is often a lot of fear and misunderstanding about bears, resulting in retaliatory killings of bears that come close to communities where they raid crops, kill livestock or destroy beehives. By giving local communities the tools and knowledge to protect their precious crops or livestock, less bears are subsequently killed. Bears in Mind supports projects in Pakistan, Nepal, India, Russia, Ecuador, Romania, Georgia and Armenia that focus on this topic.

Bears live in places with many other (threatened) animal species. For instance in the Russian Far East, where the Asiatic black bear and the Brown bear live in the same habitat as Amur leopards (around 100 left in the World) and Siberian tigers (around 500 mature individuals in the wild). These iconic species are strictly protected in various areas they inhabit. The protection of their habitat, directly benefits the protection of the bears that live there as well.

Bears in Mind has funded an anti-poaching program in Amur leopard territory for many years, resulting in a healthy local bear population ‘on the side’. Same goes for Bengal tigers in India, where Sloth bears benefit from their protection measures. But bears themselves can also be so-called ‘umbrella species’, where the protection of one animal benefits other species living in the same habitat. Like the before-mentioned Sun bear conservation project in Kalimantan, where animals such as the clouded leopard, pangolins and rare pheasant species benefit from the research and conservation actions carried out in the region. Bears in Mind also focuses on those species.

Future plans

One of the most well-known projects is of course The Bear Forest sanctuary in The Netherlands. But there are many more captive bears in need of help and we cannot bring them all to The Netherlands. In several (European) countries you can find sanctuaries for formerly mistreated captive bears; some of these are located in a country where the problems with bears are widespread. Bears in Mind is now looking at various options to develop a new sanctuary for bears, to not only offer a home for the many animals in need, but also work with the local government to help solve the problem within the country.

Like in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where between 15-20 captive bears can still be found in backyards or small and unacceptable living conditions in local private zoos. Illegal most of the time, but unable to enforce the law since the authorities have nowhere to place the confiscated bears in. The idea is, that once the sanctuary (and education center) has been built, all the bears can be confiscated. Bears in Mind recently rescued a female bear from private possession in Bosnia, and brought her to The Bear Forest. This case is used as an example for the relevant ministries in Bosnia, where they hope it will generate enough interest to fully support such a large scale project.

To be continued…

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WORDS: KOEN CUYTEN Bears in Mind

IMAGES: BEARS IN MIND

GREYHOUNDS

GREYHOUND RESCUE WALES | AMMANFORD | WALES

For the last decade, the company of greyhounds has been a constant throughout my life.

At the age of 31, I now have a ‘zoom’ of 11 members; my time owning greyhounds has become a love affair of epic proportions.

Georgie was the founding member of my pack. She was rescued from a back garden shed in Kent at 6 months old - I can still remember carrying her (small and extremely under-fed), to my car for the long drive back to Hampshire. She is now 7 and has mastered the arts of both counter surfing and selective hearing.

Then there is Herbert, for whom need only begin to lower yourself into a chair and he will launch himself on to your lap; content to lay like baby Jesus in the manger, gazing up at you with doe eyes for as long as you will allow.

Or, our most recent addition, Mino, who was a member of an unexpected litter from a rescued racing greyhound. She has the vocal range of Pavarotti and is as precise as a piano tuning fork, which is particularly useful in the morning if she feels your time in bed has overstretched the acceptable time limit.

I could write all day about my own dogs, but the key here is to highlight that there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to greyhounds. Despite having the ability to run at 72 km/h, they are tall, long and sometimes awkward. They can also spot ‘prey’ with laser point precision; be that an unsuspecting rabbit or a slice of freshly buttered toast.

My pack’s main activities are zooming round the fields (and house) like a fleet of bikes in a velodrome, before collapsing for a nap on their settees; upside down and with all four legs in the air like over-turned beetles. They will be roused from their deep slumber only by the sound of the micro-wave and the promise of dinner. For me, their company is second to none, they are a quiet confidant and lovable clown rolled into one.

Until around the 1700’s, owning a greyhound was exclusive to royalty and they were a much-revered companion; King Fredrick of Prussia ordered that he be buried with his beloved greyhounds and King Henry the VII reworked his standards and banners to feature a white greyhound as he rode into war. The oldest pure-bred dog in the world, this breed can be traced back to the time of the pharaohs nearly 8,000 years ago; in ancient Egypt, greyhounds were in fact revered as gods.

The greyhound is also mentioned in many historical texts and literature; the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology and the works of Shakespeare, to name a few. In Homer’s Odyssey it is written that the only one who recognised Odysseus after his 20-year absence was his faithful greyhound, Argus.

A greyhound also accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second expedition which set sail from Spain in Sept 1493 and another, was the comrade of Conquistador Coronado, travelling by his side all the way to present day New Mexico.

The greyhound’s paw-prints can be tracked back through many of the major events that underpin our cultural history; they are adaptable and easy-going. This gentle tempest of a dog, provided a loyal and soft companion for explorers, kings and artists a-like. Their presence and partnership provided a unique balance of both utility and companionship. All ‘sight-hounds’ that we know today can be traced back to the lineage of the ancient greyhound that would have walked the hallways of the great palaces in Luxor, ancient Egypt.

Coursing was a sport that drew on naturally harnessing and directing the greyhound’s inert prey drive. Whilst it is illegal in modern times, there is no question that watching these dogs run at full speed after a prey that is just out of eyesight, is a true joy to behold; but the joy remains, for me at least, in their unbridled freedom. Watching any of my own dogs tapping into their natural instincts and being able to run at will, is both invigorating and heartwarming.

Coursing, became popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 in the 16th century and hares were the chosen quarry. Greyhounds were trained in open wooded areas and given an unharnessed capacity to run; even within these sporting events, the greyhound was still offered the degree of distinction and respect deserving of a true confidante and bed companion of royalty.

With the emergence of feudalism in the 15th century came a new freedom of movement and social mobility; the class boundaries expanded, and the middle classes thrived. An immediate need for more cleared land to accommodate growing population became apparent, and alongside this was a need to exterminate unwanted animals like badgers or rabbits, whose presence on the landscape may hamper development. This led to the creation of many cross breeds of the greyhound that we are familiar with today and fall under the umbrella term of a ‘lurcher’, solely created to assist poachers.

1858 saw the National Coursing club of England created and greyhound ownership turned into more of a business; the club required registration for the dogs to run in the races. Suddenly coursing had become an aggressively competitive sport, as well as a spectator event. A stud book was created and a degree of competition towards breeding the next champion suddenly became noticeable.

Two decades later in 1876, greyhound racing as we know it today began at the Welsh Harp in Hendon, England. 6 dogs raced down a straight track after a mechanical lure. The greyhound racing that we see now is nowhere near to the gaiety that was first experienced in events like the ‘Waterloo cup’ - a three day coursing event that would attract tens of thousands of spectators. Riders would have to follow the greyhound’s lead as they darted across the landscape. The dogs had little limitations and were not contained to suit the human spectators; and this was the true beauty of the event, it celebrated the breed in all its’ unbounded freedom.

As the years have turned, this expression of freedom that the greyhound was once offered within a sporting setting, has become more enclosed and condensed; the straight coursing track became circular and where once they chased coyotes across American plains, or hares across the expansive royal parks, it is now a scrap of fur on a mechanical device that acts as the target.

Greyhound Rescue Wales is one of the key UK charities working to change the perception of greyhounds back from commodity to pet to ensure a stable future for the breed outside the confines of a race-track. A key factor to this is challenging the necessity of the now archaic institution of greyhound racing in stadiums. I travel to Ammanford, where the rescue centre is located, to meet the current residents; many of which are the by-products of this destructive industry.

I visit the companion pairs of dogs in the kennels, they all have their own stories to tell; there is Twix who came directly from a trainer with half an ear missing, or Charlie Chalk who was nearly bald when he arrived at the centre from kennel stress. All are as happy and thriving as they can be within a rescue environment, but the key incentive is of course to find them their ‘forever homes’.

The charity/centre has a sand menage for training, a large fenced in acreage for free running and a secure socialisation area for dogs to meet potential adopters. The dogs waiting for adoption also spend time in the office with the staff as they work. Everything is geared towards giving the greyhounds as successful a reintegration as is possible, and most take to it like a duck to water; proving again, just how adaptable this breed truly is.

The charity works on the mantra that ‘There’s a greyhound for everyone’ and takes immense pride in matching a dog to a home. The extensive rehabilitation process that each new arrival undergoes ensures that their transition into becoming pet dogs is smooth and stress-free. A crucial part of each dog’s rehab is the desensitisation work to triggers like cars, stairs, or cats; things that within their previous environment, may not have been commonplace. Prior to re-homing, the dogs will undergo health checks and continual behaviour development to address any mental trauma. Volunteers will also take the dogs out on group walks to assess sociability with both other dogs and humans.

At present, there are 20 licensed greyhound tracks in the UK and 3 unlicensed. Each licensed greyhound racing track is governed by the industry body GBGB (Greyhound board of Great Britain), who ‘enforce’ a set of welfare rules that must be abided to; whereas the unlicensed tracks are governed by local authorities and don’t have any such rules in place. At independent racing facilities individuals can race privately owned greyhounds; often, it is here that unregistered greyhounds can ‘slip through the net’.

Hope rescue in Pontyclun recently featured heavily in the mainstream media after sharing images of Sienna, a dog who came into their care from one of these unlicensed tracks. Sienna arrived at the centre with a broken leg, and it was so far beyond repair that it meant that she had to have it amputated. These racing greyhounds are simply collateral damage within this industry and as such, injuries and fatalities are high; last year there were 1000 fatalities recorded within the greyhound racing industry, with one quarter at track side. GBGB is at present still intending to license the track from which Sienna suffered her injuries.

Although the centre has beneficial relationships with trainers who are retiring their dogs and require a space for them, there are still instances of ‘dump and run’ of unregistered greyhounds. I am taken to a stable to meet a litter of puppies that were dumped in a park in Cardiff; all of these puppies have parvo-virus, a contagious disease that is spread by consistent contact with their own faeces. This is a virus that is preventable with a simple vaccination and one that is offered as standard by all vets across the country.

The fates of these pups echoes the story of ‘Last Hope’, a greyhound who raced at all three of the independent tracks that were operating in Wales at the time, and was dumped on hillside in Rhymney Valley, South Wales to die. ‘Last Hope’ was found surrounded by litter, with a hole in his head and was later put to sleep. The ‘Last Hope fund’ was set up by Greyhound Rescue Wales to generate money for the recuse, treatment and re-homing of greyhounds that may otherwise have to be euthanised.

At present, there are no legal requirements to rehouse working greyhounds once their tenure at the tracks ends. A greyhound retirement scheme created by GBGB is in place, in which they state that they will fund the placement of dogs into rescue centres once their time on the tracks ends. However, it could be strongly argued that this is simply a ‘cradle to grave’ enabling of the industry. If the trainers and breeders know that the dogs have the surety of a place in a rescue after their use on the track runs out, it is simply an enabler to allow them to acquire more and repeat the process again, and again.

GBGB and trainers often insist that the traceability aspect is what protects their dogs; this includes the branding with tattooed numbers on the greyhound’s ears and microchipping. However, Microchips are often not registered; the truth is, once out of their ownership many breeders don’t care what happens to these dogs.

David Smith was convicted in 2007 for killing and burying thousands of ex-racing greyhounds on land near his home - these would have been shot in head and unceremoniously disposed of. This mass grave of ex-racing greyhounds was later confirmed to be an unlicensed abattoir .

A mass grave was also found outside of a dog track in Ireland, only discoverable due to the summer heatwave drying out the mud. Due to the lack of thorough and enforceable traceability rules for racing greyhounds, scenarios such as these are able to go undetected.

There are estimated to be around 17,900 greyhounds bred annually, and Ireland is the epicentre of this issue. 80-85% of the dogs that race on tracks in the UK are originally from Ireland and so, many local governments insist that this is simply another countries problem and one that they cannot police.

INTERVIEW: TIM DOYLE CEO | Greyhound Rescue Wales

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES: THE GREYHOUND RESCUE TRUST

Unless bodies of authority begin to impose restrictions on both the breeding and usage of greyhounds, it is undoubtedly going to be a downwards spiral in terms of welfare at racing tracks. In the past, many dog charities in the UK have often taken a neutral stance when it comes to greyhound racing; feeling that they need to tread carefully as public attitudes are still split, so campaigning activity for this cause could be perceived as a misuse of donated funds.

However in September 2022, the Dogs trust, RSPCA and Blue Cross formally announced that they would be taking action to support an end to greyhound racing across the UK, stating that ‘no dog should loose their life for entertainment’. It is hoped that with the support of mainstream charities such as these, the consideration of greyhounds as dogs rather than livestock, will be effectively translated into the forefront of the general public’s minds.

The greyhound breed needs much stronger advocacy in government to further their cause. There needs to be more stringent regulation or a complete ban on dog racing in the UK; the hard truth is that Scotland and Wales, where unlicensed tracks are far more prominent, are 20 years behind England in regards to implementing the necessary groundwork for enforcing this..

The greyhound racing industry is declining in the UK, despite efforts from stakeholders at GBGB to offer a modern alternative to the traditional ‘night at the dogs’. These include online streaming and refurbishing older tracks; it seems that the gambling industry is determined to not let ‘sleeping dogs lie,’ both literally and proverbially.

If the dog’s use on British or Irish tracks reaches the end, they are often sent abroad to China and Pakistan for both breeding and racing. In these countries there is even less of an affiliation with the breed being anything other than a commodity and the animal welfare regulations are a lot lower; in short, this is a long-term death sentence for any dog.

Some racing advocates may argue that a greyhound is designed to run, that it is in their very nature; this I heartily agree with. Greyhounds do love to run; they love to run in woodlands, fields and streams. They love to run after the birds flying above them in the sky that, even if they developed springs on their paws, they still would not have a chance of catching.

Following a petition submitted with 35,000 signatures and pressure from its own ministers, The Welsh Senned is set to be debating the proposal of banning greyhound racing in Wales for good. However, this is up in the air at present after their alternative proposal of a 5 year animal welfare plan for greyhound stadiums to be put in place; this may hold off calls to ban the sport, under the premise that this plan will see increased welfare regulations showing an improvement in racing dog deaths and injuries.

My dogs even love to run after the postman’s van. When the ‘zoomies’ take hold they will circle me at speed, leaving crop circles in the surrounding grass; creating a priceless artwork that reminds me just how capable and versatile an athlete they are. They love to run because they can; not because they must.

In a world where we can control our heating from our phones and pride ourselves on how much money we spend on our clothes, the fact that we still entertain the presence of these concrete amphitheatres, with people jeering and betting on sentient beings is in my opinion, outdated and un-necessary, and suggests a stark lack of both humility and education on our parts.

BEAVERS

WALES

Lewis Glyn Cothi, also known as Llywelyn y Glyn (Llywelyn of the Valley), was a fifteenth century Welsh bard or poet.

Lewis travelled widely in Wales and at some point, during his life and travels, visited Syfaddon Mere.

This poem, written in Lewis’ native Welsh, is about the Afanc or mysterious creature, who is hiding on the edge of the lake, and will not be coaxed out.

Yr avanc er ei ovyn Wyv yn llech ar vin y llyn; O don Llyn Syfaddon vo Ni thynwyd ban aeth yno: Ni’m tyn men nag ychain gwaith, Oddiyma heddyw ymaith.

The afanc am I, who, sought for, bides In hiding on the edge of the lake;

Out of the waters of Syfaddon Mere Was be not drawn, once he got there. So with me: nor wain nor oxen wont to toil Me today will draw from here forth.

Lewis

Glyn Cothi 15c.

The poem is based around Syfaddon Mere, Llyn Safaddan, Llangors Lake. Llyn Safaddan (Llangors Lake) is the largest natural lake in Mid and South Wales, a Site of Special Scientific Interest with an Iron Age fort or Crannog, the man-made island still remaining. The lake nestles between the Black Mountains to the East and Brecon Beacons to the West, being one of the busiest visitor locations within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) wrote in twelve hundred, during his pilgrimages across Wales and further, that while he sat on Mynydd Llangors (Llangors Mountain), he saw the blood of warriors flowing through the lake. This was long after the battles that happened around Llangors Lake, where Elise ap Tewder ruler of Brycheiniog, fought from his Crannog (ironage fort).

Llangors, its hills and byways are my stomping ground, my trekking area. The footpaths I use to explore and reflect and yes, like Gerald of Wales, I have seen the blood of warrior’s flow through the lake! After heavy rains, with the mountain streams in spate, red sandstone topsoil is washed from the land into the streams, causing rivulets of red as the stream hits the clearer lake water, veins of blood are seen.

Farming methods locally, as throughout the UK, changed drastically after World War Two. Land was drained, hedges removed, and ditches filled in; habitats were changed forever. Together with increasingly wet winters, local villages are now having to deal with faster run off from farmland, into streams and lanes; when the water hits the lower villages, the elderly drainage systems and infrastructures are unable to cope.

With increased use of pesticide and fertiliser, compounded by poorly maintained village sewage works and private septic tanks, Llangors Lake and its catchment area was designated a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone in 2012 by Natural Resources Wales.

This year, we have had one of the hottest summers on record, confirming again our climate is changing. During this summer season, farmers and land managers are seeing scorched ground, parched crops, and lack of water for stock. Streams have run dry, with already polluted rivers struggling to support life.

Is there something or someone who could help mitigate the issues we’ve mentioned, YES!!

On my wanders through the farm where I live, I have always been drawn to a pond with an area of wetland, a piece of land that has never been cultivated, land with no presence of fertiliser or pesticide, a copse of ancient woodland, unique in these parts. However, this area had become overgrown dark canopies were provided by the large alder trees, the pond was becoming choked with reed bed and because of the alder growth, brambles and dense undergrowth were fighting for light with plants beneath not having a chance of life.

Nine years ago, with my trusty spaniel by my side, I paused at the banks of the lake and once again gaze through the alder, now forming its catkins, to the pond and wetlands beyond.

I contacted a friend; someone I had helped in a previous work life. Selwyn Eagle, known for his work with the Environmental Agency; a tenacious mink trapper, awarded an MBE for his service to conservation particularly reintroduction of water vole to Llangors Lake.

The Next day, Selwyn and I have battled through the undergrowth to the edge of the pond. “What can we do with this Selwyn, introduce fish?” I ask. A pause from Selwyn, stood in his de rigueur wellington boots and barbour; he stands like a water vole surveying his territory. A deep breath and smile from Mr Eagle, “BEAVERS” he shouts! “Where the bl***y hell are we going to get Beavers?” I mutter!!

A few days later, Selwyn and I are heading across the Severn Bridge, south to Devon and a visit to Beaver territory. We pull into a farmyard deep in the Devon Countryside and are greeted by a cursing bearded Scotsman in full flight.

The sheep have got out and the farmer’s not happy: I meet Derek Gow!

Derek is a farmer, writer, and conservationist, who is now re-wilding his acreages. Derek has been outspoken and influential in highlighting natures plight and winning support for his reintroduction of storks, beavers, wildcats, and water vole.

Back at Llangors, we immediately start installation of a secure beaver proof fence, with viewing hide and feed platform.

It’s mid May 2013, Derek arrives with a pair of beavers secure in the back of his pickup.

The beavers are installed into a lodge of hay bales, which is staked to allow them to dig out, thereby providing a temporary secure lodge as they explore their new territory.

We return to Lewis Glyn Cothi and the “Afanc am I;” the modern Welsh word for Beaver is Afanc!

Was Lewis writing about mysterious creature or acknowledging the fifteenth century presence of the Beaver?

After many hundreds of years, the Beaver returns to the tributaries of Llangors Lake, whose waters flow, via the river Llynfi, into the river Wye.

The Afanc has returned: natures truest water engineer.

They will construct their lodge, build dams and canals that slow flood waters and create unique aquatic habitat.

Not only habitats for many species, but also supporting a diversity of chemical processes, including those that can remove toxic contaminants and thereby mitigating nutrient and nitrate runoff from fields.

The Afanc am I... ...and I’ve returned.

WORDS: COLIN PREECE

IMAGES: COLIN PREECE

CLOUDED LEOPARDS

EXMOOR ZOO | DEVON | ENGLAND

The Clouded Leopard is one of the oldest living cat species. However, they are not a type of leopard as their name may imply but actually a species of wildcat. It has often been suggested that these cats bridge the gap between the big and small cat species due to attributes that can be accounted for within both -

The biggest factors which can be attributed to the Clouded leopard’s decline in the wild is poaching and habitat loss. These cats are seldom seen in the wild so little is known definitively about population sizes and habits but they are considered vulnerable.

Clouded Leopards dwell in the dense lowland tropical rainforests of South-east Asia but have also been seen in dry woodlands, secondary forests, mangrove swamps and in rare cases, individuals have been spotted in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. The clouded leopard population is believed to be at its healthiest in Borneo, probably due to the lack of natural predators such as tigers and leopards.

Although they cannot roar or purr, they can open their mouths to a 100 degree angle. Their large paws have an extra ankle bone to allow them to climb headfirst down trees and they are considered largely arboreal.

It is perhaps due to their impressive ‘spotted’ coat that acts as fantastic camouflage within the dense rainforest for which clouded leopards were given their name.

Danny Reynolds, Owner of Exmoor zoo, introduces us to ‘Princess’ and ‘Tae’, the two clouded Leopards that are currently on display in his collection.

Tell us about the clouded leopards that are currently at Exmoor zoo.

Clouded leopards are part of the European Breeding Program initiative run by the European Association of Zoo’s & Aquaria. The EAZA appointed studbook holder Neville Buck for this species is at Port Lympne in the UK.

For a Conservation Trust like ourselves to be actively involved in maintaining rare and endangered species in captivity it is essential to cooperate with the studbook and the other zoo holders of this secretive and rare leopard.

We were lucky to be trusted by the actual legal owners of the pair we have here and have the chance to put any offspring from the pairing into this studbook. Like a lot of animals on exhibit at different zoos their ownership and long term survival as a species has to be cooperative.

Both our leopards have been hand reared and this can reflect on how they behave and how they interact with others of their species. The female “Princess” born at Grasleben in Germany 28.07.2019 is as expected (due to the smaller size of females) far more secretive and careful about where she locates herself inside the enclosure both to keep an eye on the larger male and to avoid being seen by any visitors (unfortunately). The male a more outgoing and older specimen (born 04.09.2012 at Nashville zoo, USA) called “Tae” is just happy to interact with keepers and visitors (at least on sunny days) and for a clouded leopard often out on the purpose-built platforms dependent on where the sun strikes the enclosure. Princess will be Tae’s third wife when eventually we pluck up courage and introduce them to each other. He has apparently been a good tempered individual towards the previous ladies in his life which for a male clouded leopard is actually unusual. They are renown for causing physical damage to their partners mainly due to the in balance in size between the sexes.

It is our hope to introduce them to each other over this winter period and subject to how they interact, allow them to remain together at least during Princess’s first oestrus cycle with Tae. Introductions are notoriously difficult and we will be on constant alert all the time they are together at least for the first year after introduction. Should Princess become pregnant then we will undoubtedly separate her from the male and offer her peace and seclusion at least for the first litter!

Clouded leopards are notoriously quite mysterious and there are we a lot of question marks surrounding the data (habitat, population numbers etc.), what has been the most surprising thing that you have discovered about the cats since the leopards arrived at Exmoor?

That like any cat you just cannot easily predict what they are going to do! Our pair have a large new enclosure deliberately built around a lot vegetation such as bamboo and willow hedgerow and if these cats do not want to be seen they are impossible to find…. Which for a keeper wanting to enter and clean their environment is quite a dilemma but can also be a disappointment for visitors wanting to see them. Luckily, as they are hand reared they often talk and chat to us and can be quite content to respond well to food and basic training. As a species in the wild it would seem to be one of those that, when observed becomes a life memory as they are so difficult to view. Simply because this is a secretive crepuscular and nocturnal species that avoids interaction with people in the wild. We try our best to get our pair of leopards to relax on view and Tae our big male often does but when it rains, or it becomes cold and the winds begin, just like a domestic cat he will happily laze underneath his infrared heat panels in the top of his internal enclosure and just wait for keeper to bring him food……….. Until different area habitats these cats frequent in the wild are purposefully camera trapped the real population density is never going to more than a best guess dependent on the area of undisturbed known habitat they have available in the wild.

What is the clouded leopards unique selling point?

Without a shadow of doubt Clouded leopards have the most exquisitely patterned and coloured fur on any feline. The female we have here with her beautiful thickly furred long counter balancing tail is a joy to behold if only she would put in an appearance more often! Tae our male is just so stunning, impossible not to watch as he walks around the enclosure with his muscles rippling the cloud effect of his patterned fur. Enthralling!

What is the biggest problem that wild populations of clouded leopards are currently facing? And what do you feel could be done to combat it?

This in my mind is a species that shuns disturbance. Both our cats here like familiarity and routine. It is easy to see that in the wild this a species that would simply forsake any areas where there was any human interaction even minimally! Large national parks (much like India’s Corbett NP in the north) which have minimal interference from tourism and exploitation are possibly the only way to ensure this species survival into the future. Concentrate on protecting the lower levels of the food chain and the predators will thrive.

In terms of conservation, what areas do you feel are currently not given enough attention? And what could be done to change that?

Conservation tends to forget that it can only be achieved if you get the hearts and minds of the people who live with these animals in their environment to appreciate their intrinsic value. The environment has to be shared and if these rare native species are perceived to have a negative impact and are unwanted ,then just as we did to our countryside in the UK they will be removed. People often do not realise how precious and important the wildlife around them is to their well being and the environment. For us, long term conservation has to be fundamentally achieved through education and this often means beginning with todays children so the their understanding is diffused into the community and over time is more acceptable. Something to work with not against.

What do you feel are the cornerstones of a successful wildlife park/zoological garden?

Zoological Parks or Gardens occur all over the world. Each should have a similar conservation role and yet be different. The difference should be driven by their location and the resources they have. It should be as interesting to visit a small urban zoo as it would a large rural one and vice versa. The natural environment available at the location of the zoo should reflect what nonnative species can be adequately kept. This effectively represents the differences in zoos and can give any particular zoo its speciality – what it becomes known for. For instance Exmoor Zoo is on the side of moorland, exposed to wet south westerly winds, with winter underground springs and summer lush clay soil grazing not really an ideal desert or ruminant animal location. We exhibit grassland and water based birds and tend to maintain carnivores such as felines and canids,

What do you believe is your greatest achievement in terms of conservation at Exmoor zoo?

Really our greatest conservation achievements have been our ability to help all the breeding programs for the captive bred rare species we have here. It is not just about breeding, it is taking the decision to hold and look after nonbreeding animals for these programmes for the benefit of the species as a whole within the zoo community. If they are actively managed and breeding is permitted, that is fantastic as it provides a positive stimulus to our keepers and the public love babies, but, it just as important to hold and exhibit animals not needed for their genetics so that visitors can appreciate the species and learn about them. If the animal is not appreciated then it cannot be cared for and its future not considered. You will note I have deliberately not said our proposed soft release of European white storks bred on site, our native sparrow ringing, our early involvement in some specific breeding programs specifically yes we are proud of this but it is the overall scenario that has been our best achievement.

Do you believe that there are certain types of animal that shouldn’t ever be kept in captivity, regardless of their status in the wild? And what could be done to protect them within their current habitat?

Yes. Status in the wild could be just considered an excuse for maintaining an inadequate exhibit that compromises the species welfare in a zoo. I firmly believe that for instance certain highly intelligent animals particularly predators that travel great distances and visit different habitats or require constant mental stimulation are not destined for an enclosed space limited environment. Other species that require specific diets that cannot currently matched in captivity and too little is known about their natural dietary requirements would also fall into this scenario. The availability of resources for the zoo should also limit which species are considered to be maintained –something I hinted at earlier.

As far as protection in the wild Is concerned we need the indigenous people (that includes Europeans i.e. lynx, wolves, bears etc.,) to appreciate the species understand why it has a role and try and find a means to enable it to live side by side us. This could be offering more habitat protection or providing monetary funds if farming livestock is predated or funds for set aside areas in farmlands that promotes biodiversity.. It could also just be education and understanding and changing the local perception of an animal into a positive one.

How do you believe that we can best change people’s attitudes on a public level towards preventing extinctions of endangered species?

A zoo offers close proximity and affinity with nature and wild animals some from all around the world. It creates fascination and seeks to educate. This for us is an important way in which the plight of natural animals can be highlighted. The message can be very clear and subliminal and with understanding comes interest.

What could and should we be doing better for endangered species in a captive environment?

For the zoo community it is the link they form with the endangered wild species in their native habitat that we feel is becoming increasingly more important.

For instance we have a direct ongoing sponsorship with the Wild Dog foundation on an annual basis as we exhibit this species. We donate to say the Begawan Foundation who release Bali starlings in the wild.

We are in the process of attempting to link to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. This direct help for species where they occur in the world is as important as maintain the species outside of their living environment as neither can exist without the other.

In our case, in a small way, a UK zoo visit by anybody can contribute to a wild dog in Zambia or Botswana.

INTERVIEW: DANNY REYNOLDS CEO | Exmoor Zoo

IMAGES: COURTESY OF EXMOOR ZOO WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

AMAZING ANIMALS

HEYTHROP ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS | OXFORDSHIRE | ENGLAND

The 1950’s was undeniably the golden age for many of the zoological gardens that we love today; Chester zoo, London zoo and Bristol zoo had all come into their own and started to explore how to make their collections more accessible to visitors in an engaging way.

Some of these ideas, such as reptile shows, ape scatter feeding, penguin feeding and parrot shows, remain a fixture even now in certain establishments; guests will see a Macaw flying from perch to perch with the aide of a favourite treat, displaying its’ huge wingspan and glorious coloured feathers at full extension, or a penguin displaying its’ underwater acrobatics as it dives for fish thrown by the keepers.

These displays are engineered to not only give the audience a better understanding of the animal’s capabilities, but to illicit a sense of awe at how truly magnificent and complex these creatures are.

Jim Clubb is the owner of Heythrop zoological gardens and like most animal lovers, started his career with a handful of ‘pets’ that he observed and tended to with careful consideration, gradually finding himself completely bewitched by the differing attributes and potentials of each species in his care.

Whilst most young boys at 12 years old might have been collecting toy cars, Jim was content with his back garden menagerie of two monkeys, a slow loris, a raccoon, a fox and a host of reptiles. Despite this exotic array of potential partnerships, it was the humble ferret that became the species that provided Jim with his first insight into the possibilities of humans working with animals. Training with his pets simply for fun, he found that by providing a food reward they soon were able to perform tricks and follow his instructions. Jim had no professional training when it came to working with animals, just an avid curiosity and an appreciation for his pets.

In the 1970’s, Jim joined Chipperfield’s circus; it was within this environment that he was able to expand on the positive reinforcement training that had tentatively started in his back-garden at 12 years old, with his pet ferrets – only now it was with big cats!

At that time, the circus remained the only place that you could really learn about training wild animals. Whilst nowadays we have fallen staunchly out of love with the once thriving circus setting, it is important to remember that the Chipperfield’s (possibly the oldest circus family, with roots in animal training that can be traced back to the Thames Frost fayre in the 1600’s) were also instrumental in creating both Longleat and Woburn safari parks; establishments that remain both lucrative and popular in present day. Outfits that owe a lot of their acclaim to the capacity for visitors to get within close-proximity to the rarer animals in a more ‘true-to-the-wild’ setting; again, in the hope of showcasing some of the animal’s individual capabilities and inform the audience on each species. Jimmy Chipperfield was the pioneer of these projects. With decades of experience in animal husbandry from a lifetime within the circus community, it is hard to dispute that the plans for these safari parks could have been born from witnessing the awe of his audiences when his big cats would jump or roar on request.

During his time at the Chipperfield circus, Jim became a key contact for the film industry work for which the Chipperfield’s and their animals found themselves in high demand. The Disney films back in the 60’s became a key client, and the circus was quickly established as the main supplier of the animals for many of the films that remain family favourites to this day. Like pieces of a puzzle coming together, Jim had found his niche and he ran with it; the beginnings of the Heythrop zoological gardens that we know today was born.

The current Heythrop Zoological gardens is built upon the foundations of the old wintering quarters of the Chipperfield circus. As the demand for the circus started to change the community had to adapt to survive, moving away from animal training and branching out instead into areas that may remain familiar to them such as marquee hire.

When Jim purchased the site in the 80’s, it was just a barren field but had the licenses associated that were needed at the time to keep wild animals. His aspiration was to build a private zoo that he owned but was not open to the public.

To finance this ambition, Jim realised that his lucrative contacts within the film industry would allow him to mix work with pleasure and he began to undertake trained animal shows for parks, highlighting his ever-growing animal collection; ‘the ‘Amazing animals’ team (a specialist group of employees that Jim has trained to understand how best to work with his collection) continues this work within the film and television industry today.

Work within the film and television industry has changed over the years, with a demand for the species on the collection now sitting at 25% wild animals and 75% domestic animals. If nothing else, this swing in trends has allowed Jim to expand on his life-long interest in marine fish, establishing himself and his team as real specialists on providing aquatics for the big and small screen productions.

The aquariums that we see in the background of many popular TV shows are in-fact a colossal enterprise to prepare.

The ’Amazing Animals’ team take their own water to the set the day before and run the mature filters a day prior to shooting to ensure that the tanks not only look the best that they can look, but that the fish are as happy and healthy during their screen debut. If there is one thing that Jim is clearly good at, it is finding a niche.

When we ask Jim what species has surprised him the most during his career, his answer is the striped hyena; a species that he bred up to a second generation at a time when nobody in the UK was working with or successfully breeding them – Jim excelled in both of these fields. The hyena was employed for a 1980’s car theft commercial and was trained to go into a car and pull out a radio. He explains that they are an animal that is notoriously hard to train and not the most intelligent, but when they understand, they are very reliable. He explains that the laughing on the advert was dubbed afterwards as it is only the spotted hyena species that laughs – not the striped. It seems that a common misconception within Jim’s field of work is that an exotic animal trainer does not consider the animals as a species, more as an asset – It is resolutely apparent that with Jim, the former is true.

Throughout much of his commercial work, Jim works with AH (‘American Humane); a body founded in 1877, which began monitoring films in 1940, to govern animals on film sets and ensure that they are there to step in if they feel the animal is being asked to do too much or that their welfare is compromised. It is this body that signs off work with the disclaimer that we are so familiar with: ‘no animals were harmed in the making of this film ’.

When we met Jim, his team are currently in London shooting a commercial for a well-known company; the starring role in this piece goes to his unassuming flock of ducks. Even for such a common species he ensures that there is a vet present on set to care for their welfare, something that he describes as ‘a must’.

Jim explains that when keeping exotic creatures it is important to consider an individual’s viability to keep animals, as often you find situations where large and complex creatures are owned by ‘people who think they can, but don’t really have the skills to do it’; it is clear from the offset that to Jim, the animal’s welfare is paramount. Heythrop takes pride in having a clear understanding of each of the individual species needs within the collection, the cornerstone of this being consistent enrichment; For many animals, the aesthetic side of the enclosure is secondary to the enrichment provided for the animals. Its size is less important than the animals’ regular mental stimulation and exercise. These seem to be the pillars of Jim’s involvement with his animals –regular training and enriching lifestyles.

There is now a green screen studio on site for the big cat work; an addition that not only allows Jim to supervise, but also means that the work can now come to the cats. In the past BBC dramas have employed Jim and his animals to roaring success. An 80’s televised depiction of David Taylor and Andrew Greenwood’s early beginnings establishing the International Zoo Veterinary Group was a crowd favourite and in more recent times, the BBC series ‘Our Zoo’ - a highly popular dramatization of the true creation of Chester zoo.

For this much coveted series, Jim aided the BBC production team in creating a cast from his own animals of the exact species that would’ve formed the foundation of another now famous collection; counting June Mottershead as an acquaintance certainly helped in this regard.

Nowadays, Jim concentrates on the administration and daily running of the zoo. Heythrop is not open to the general public, but private pre-booked animal encounters and exclusive zoo visits by appointment that can be found www.heythropzoologicalgardens.org.

You could say that Jim has not only achieved his initial dream, but surpassed it.

INTERVIEW: JIM CLUBB

Amazing Animals | Heythrop Zoological Gardens

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: J ONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH

WILDLIFE CORRIDORS

TRIGON FARM | DEVON | ENGLAND

In the last few years we have seen a massive push for nature restoration (re-wilding, reforestation, carbon capture and increase in biodiversity); these projects have been initiated by DEFRA with a Policy Paper updated in April 2022 (Nature Recovery Paper).

All the information provided gives us a good idea about the priorities set up by the government in addressing climate change and biodiversity decline. Farmers have been asked to create wildlife corridors, mostly around hedges as these are the ones farmers can protect the easiest, without conceding a more valuable parcel of their land.

You may ask if farmers would give up a strip of land next to their hedges just to aid biodiversity or is there another reason why they should do this, or even more broadly, why would anyone consider increasing biodiversity in their own garden?

Trigon Farm started in 2020 from a basic hay meadow, 7 acres of mainly grass used to make hay or hay-lage with a small corner of forest. As you might guess the biodiversity was limited and only stable around the hedges as that was the only place undisturbed by machinery during the year.

When we started transforming this piece of land we redesigned the land using permaculture design practices which means we reintroduced the human habitat and built all zones around that. The human presence should not be seen as a threat to wildlife but a catalyst for positive change, humans are seen as guardians/stewards of the land who understand complex interactions and build systems that mimic natural stabile ecosystems. Perma-culture was founded on observation of ancient ecosystems (like rainforests and deltas) and then, through trial and error, recreation of those complex relationships on a smaller scale but with the human habitat at its centre.

At Trigon Farm we are not only developing the land to help us grow more food but we also introduce elements that increase biodiversity for the purpose of either protecting our crops or increasing yields. The usual hedge protection came first but from the second year we started introducing flowers and wildlife oasis like ponds. We grow a wide diversity of flowers for commercial reasons (cut flowers for bouquets and other floral arrangements) and we also grow flowers just for biodiversity gains (like nasturtiums and calendulas).

You do not have to turn your valuable veggie growing areas into flower beds, sometimes just by allowing some of your plants to flower will attract pollinators and stimulate biodiversity (we do this with most of our crops, especially salads that are so quickly bolting in summer).

A balanced ecosystem is one where pests and beneficial plants, insects and animals interact every day and keep each other in balance. For example in the first season it was impossible to grow any brassicas without protection (a fine mesh on top of them) because there was very limited competition for the cabbage whites that found it easy to lay their eggs undisturbed and grow their numbers. After introducing flowers and the pond we started to see less cabbage whites, less damaged brassicas even when they were not covered by a mesh.

The butterflies were still there however their predators arrived as well and they helped keep the numbers in check. For example, the parasitic wasps Cotesia glomerata lay their eggs inside the cabbage white caterpillar and in 15 to 20 days the larvae emerge killing the parasitized caterpillar.

These newly emerged larvae spin cocoons sometimes near the caterpillar host, this is an easy way of identifying it. Adult wasps feed on nectar. Therefore, by having more flowers in our garden we managed to attract a beneficial insect that keeps a pest under control.

This is just one example, we also have a lot more birds that also like to eat either caterpillars or their adult version, the butterflies. We noticed that having vegetable beds mixed with flower beds works best as the interaction between species increases with biodiversity and it creates a stable ecosystem that looks after itself and, in turn, protects our crops and increases yields.

Another element we want to see in our gardens is a water feature, a pond that can be an oasis for insects, birds and animals and also acts as a reproduction hub. For example we have toads in the garden but we do not see them very often, they come out at night and eat some of the slugs. Toads are terrestrial amphibians that do not need water to survive however they need water to reproduce. Every year our toads go and lay their eggs in the same pond where we first saw them.

After three seasons our farm is buzzing with pollinator activity during the day, we have a pheasant that comes to visit occasionally, a snowy owl at night and lots of bats as well. Attracting solitary bees has been a huge success, they are great pollinators and we have introduced a small bee hotel and will build a larger one next year.

All of these insects and animals can live a happy life on our farm as we do not use any chemicals (no pesticides, herbicides or even fertilizers), their interactions are a part of a small ecosystem we try to stimulate and grow, and this ecosystem in turn looks after our crops. This can be achieved in any garden by planting a good diversity of veggies, flowers, edible bushes and trees.

WORDS: AUREL NASTASE

Trigon Farm

IMAGES: AUREL NASTASE

Trigon Farm

WHAT ' S IN OUR SOIL ?

GREAT BRITAIN -&- IRELAND

Why should we be interested in the soil under our feet? It is just something that is ever present all over the world; it isn’t something we need to be worrying about, right?

Well actually, there is nothing on this planet that is more important than our soil, in fact our very existence depends upon it!

There is a saying (which is more of a fact actually), “The Whole of Civilisation Has Been Built on Six Inches on Soil and Rain.” Without food, civilisation doesn’t exist.

Yet despite the pivotal role of soil in our ability to feed ourselves, we are ignoring its critical value and heading into the same trap that befell those who lived on the earth before us.

One of the main reasons that many ancient civilisations disappeared was because of their inability to feed themselves this was largely because they abused their soil over a prolonged period and thus were unable to feed their growing population.

For example, if you look at the area known as the Fertile Crescent located in the Middle East and once known as ‘the cradle of civilisation’, the true birthplace of modern-day agriculture. This crescent was once a bountiful and green oasis, but this area is now mainly desert with countries arguing over water and importing food from foreign shores

Unfortunately, we are currently guilty on a global mass scale of ignoring, abusing, and depleting our soil. We have developed a method of agriculture which is on the one hand very efficient and successful in producing food for us to eat and feed to our livestock, but on the other hand is very destructive when it comes to the biodiversity of the basic ingredient: the soil.

The level of soil degradation in large parts of the world have fundamentally altered the landscape. There are large areas of the globe which look very different from what they would have 200 years ago, such as the Sahara Desert. I know we need to feed an ever-growing population, but to achieve that we need to have a base medium (soil) that will allow us to implement this. This means that we need a growing space that is highly fertile and capable of producing highly nutritious products.

We have become so sure in our self-belief that we can manipulate and control mother nature and that we will succeed in coming out on top; Well let me tell you now, we will not win.

The problem we have today is that we have focussed on the short-term method of appearing to control these natural processes by using manufactured feeds and fertilisers. These can be highly effective and efficient from a yield and profit perspective BUT from an environmental perspective and the state of the soil, it is far from ideal.

Due to the current level of soil degradation through using these artificial methods, some of the affected areas would struggle to grow anything without this man-made stimulus. This is because the soil organic matter (SOM) is so low the land can barely contribute to the growing of the crop. At the same time, we also need to ensure that soil is not left bare which makes it susceptible to erosion from wind and rain.

Universally soil has become a medium in which you can make crops grow, as opposed to being a medium that can grow crops.

In addition to stressing this point of view, we should be encouraging people to move away from monoculture farming, i.e., growing only one crop on one piece of land at a time. We have created systems that are almost sterile, where we grow only one crop, we spray it to kill off competing species, we spray it to kill off predators and we feed it with fertilisers. As a result, there is little or no biodiversity or active ecosystem in place, so these practices are not good for building healthy soil matters.

We desperately need to start improving SOM around the world, and quickly. There are absolutely no downsides to increasing SOM; from a farming perspective or from an environmental perspective.

From a farming perspective if you have healthier soils, you can grow healthier crops and the best part is, you can grow them with less artificial inputs. This is because if you have a vibrant, healthy, and biologically active soil, a large proportion of the plants nutrient requirement can be supplied by the natural life cycle of the soil itself. It also follows that if you have livestock eating healthy pastures, they too should be healthier themselves which should reduce the amount of medicines required.

It doesn’t end there, because if you increase SOM, you also increase the water holding capacity of your soils. This will make your farm more drought tolerant which in the current climate this is unquestionably extremely valuable.

From an environmental perspective the ability to hold extra water reduces the amount of run off. Runoff of slurry and fertilizers is a key contributor to pollution in watercourses and reducing this consequently helps to reduce the bad effects of nitrogen and phosphorous levels in streams and rivers.

The increase in SOM and the increase in soil viability will naturally increase the number of creatures that feed on them, for example beetles, butterflies and birds which means you are building biodiversity and ecology. It is a win-win situation!

So, now for the science.

If you put your focus on increasing your SOM, you are by default increasing your soil organic carbon (SOC). SOM is 50% SOC, and it is actually the SOC which holds the water that reduces the nutrient run off and increases the drought tolerance.

The impact is enormous: every 1% increase in SOM allows the soil to hold an extra 70,000 litres of water per hectare to put that into perspective, which is around 27,000 litres of extra water holding capacity for every football pitch!!!

Whilst all of this is undoubtedly fantastic news, it is actually small fry in comparison to what the main benefit of increasing the SOM is: Carbon Sequestration.

I have already mentioned that SOM is 50% SOC well, that carbon comes from the atmosphere. Soil is an enormous potential carbon sink. This cycle relies on having actively growing plants in the ground constantly, which is why leaving bare ground has a negative effect.

These plants remove CO2 via photosynthesis, some of the carbon is used by the plants the rest is exuded through the root system as what is known as liquid carbon. This liquid carbon is then readily used up by the soil organisms; this is a mutual trade off because the organisms bring nutrients to the plant to grow the plant, the bigger the plant gets the greater the photosynthesis which means more liquid carbon for the soil life to feed on and lock into the soil.

From a carbon sequestration perspective, a fertile, healthy, biologically active, and physically healthy soil is vital. So, any practices that hinder those aspects of soil health are going to seriously hinder the soil’s ability to sequester carbon.

This soil carbon sequestration has been recognised for years. In fact, at the COP meeting in Paris a proposal was put forward by the French for all countries to sign up to raising SOM by 0.4% to help offset the impacts of climate change.

It has been calculated that if all the grasslands in the world could increase SOC by 1%, then atmospheric carbon would be down to preindustrial levels.

The UK government was one of the governments that did sign the agreement, but oddly I have never seen or heard any reference to it within the industry; it is almost as though we signed it just to say we had!

We are constantly reminded of the fact that we have to feed so many people around the world; to achieve this we need to look after the soils that we have.

We must start restoring the soils that are fast being depleted because without soils we will struggle to feed anyone.

Luckily, there are many examples of parts of the world where badly depleted and desertified soils have been restored to health and become productive again, so it is achievable.

A prudent example of this is the Nile Delta; in the 1980’s parts of the Nile stopped flourishing due to the introduction of the Aswan Dam to the landscape. This 4 km structure was erected in the 1960’s to control the annual flooding of farmlands and generate hydroelectricity.

However, a decade without the nutrients that the flood waters would provide to the soil meant that areas along the delta were no longer as fertile as they once were.

Scientists have attempted to remedy this by working a ‘mono-clay’ (heavy clay) mixture into the soil to retain moisture and lock in nutrients for a longer period.

So, you see, we don’t have to make the mistakes of our ancient ancestors if we take action now.

My final thought is to implore people to think twice before using the term “Dirt Cheap” because believe me, dirt certainly isn’t cheap it is actually priceless!

WORDS: GARETH DAVIES Pontardawe Farm IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS LEWIS PHILLIPS IMAGES

HEDGEHOGS

ABERCYCH | SOUTH WEST WALES

In a sleepy Welsh village, just a stone throw from Cilgarren Castle, Hedgeley Hogspital has found its roots.

A self-funded rescue run by Natasha Winn, the charity acts as an ark for one our most loved, but declining native wildlife species; The European hedgehog.

In a specially designed annex to her home, Natasha has created a ‘ward’ and ‘special care’ unit for hedgehogs in various stages of convalescence. After passing through a wall of hutches each with chalkboards and report cards attached to the doors, we arrive through to the ‘Special care’ ward to meet two groups of hog-lets which, providing on their continued recovery are set for release in the spring.

These tiny creatures are like Mexican jumping beans, full of energy and eager to rip up their newspapers to build comfortable nests a reassuring sign that their natural instincts remain inert. These are July’s babies, all without mothers now but in the safe care of the Hogs-pital where they will double in size over the coming months before a slow release in the spring.

As Natasha introduces us to each litter, carefully extracting each individual to explain a bit about confirmation, the phrase ‘lift your skirts up’ is used; referring of course to the skirt muscle that acts almost like a drawstring to a allow a hedgehog to curl up into a tight ball. This ‘Orbicularis muscle’ also hitches up when they run. Each spine on a hedgehog is attached to a muscle that allows it to be raised individually at different angles.

Typically hog-lets will leave the nest when they are 34 weeks old to go foraging, but like most young they rely on their mother’s direction. The hedgehog’s main compass is their nose and they rely on it to hunt out the food that they require to maintain a healthy weight.

The European Hedgehog is nocturnal. The only time you will see them during the day is during mating in which they will be ‘walking with purpose’; mating usually occurs between July/September. As with many species, the changes in seasonal temperatures have played havoc with the hedgehog’s natural body clock. The intermittent winters will often cause broken hibernation patterns, which can mean that they will face the coldest months in a calorie deficit having not stored enough body fat to ensure that they remain warm and well nourished.

Natasha explains that they now look for a 650 g weight of a hedgehog to safely go into hibernation, as opposed to the previous years 450 g. This sharp jump finds the Hogs-pital and other hedgehog rescues often inundated in the Autumn to winter months.

During these colder months, it is indisputably better to keep ailing hedgehogs in the safe hands of the rescue rather than release them back; waiting instead until the milder weather of springtime makes an appearance will ensure better chances for the hedgehog to thrive.

When the time for release comes, it is a well coordinated operation; not a case of ringing the bell for ‘chuck out time’ and setting the hedgehogs free into any green space that may appear safe.

The process starts with hutch and lawn runs with each individual monitored and tested for noise responses to things like cars or dogs. Ensuring that the hedgehog has retained its natural instincts as a prey animal is essential to their future success in the wild. As they are a nocturnal species often this is implemented by cameras so that the hedgehogs also develop a resistance to human contact.

Each hedgehog is re-released as close to their original pick up point as possible (location dependant as some individuals have been found wandering on roads!). The reasoning behind this is that by relocating the creature to a completely new area could mean introducing the hedgehog to a new parasites for which they may have no tolerance, or spreading parasites that they may have to other hedgehogs.

Natasha explains that the extreme heat that we had during the summer months also caused problems this year. The continued solid ground meant a lack of food, which in turn led to a lack of milk for the hog-lets and, like so many other animals, the depleting natural water supplies meant that many hedgehogs were dehydrated.

The stress of prolonged periods without the necessary food or water affects the hedgehog’s immune system and leaves them vulnerable to parasites and infection.

Natasha suggests that education is the key component to helping hedgehogs, especially when to rescue and how to sustain them until a rescue can step in; sometimes people act with the best intentions but a lack of knowledge. Education also extends to think about how we tend to our gardens to maintain those ‘cultivated patches of wild;’ as an example, slug and rat bait poisoning will result in seizures in hedgehogs, for which there is no antidote.

The hedgehog’s natural predator is the badger, the only common animal strong enough to uncurl an adult hedgehog. Research has suggested that this is learned behaviour and as these too are now a species often competing for food.

I ask Natasha, does she see any of the hedgehogs that she releases again? Over the years Hedgeley has had a plethora of ‘Boomerang hedgehogs,’ individuals that have found themselves regular residents at the Hogs-pital; albeit intermittently.

Dudley is one of these. Identifiable by his missing toe and ear, when in residence he would spend his time watching and waiting for humans to appear.

This led to questions about whether he was once someone’s pet. Ivor, who had one eye was another he was found multiple times after releasing in a safe space and always on the Cardigan Road; perhaps hailing a taxi back to the Hogs-pital.

After several ‘boomerang stints’ it was decided that he was to be released somewhere remote and has not made an appearance since.

Then there is Tipsy, a female hedgehog with a trademark head tilt. Tipsy spent a constitutional in a secure garden where she was often found feasting on fat balls; once released she would often return to the garden and one year she came with her new babies in tow. This shows that the Hogs-pital is making a palpable difference to wild hedgehog populations.

In February 2022, a report by ‘The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs’ suggested that rural hedgehog populations were in decline and urban hedgehogs had increased. The reason for this now seems simple; hedgehogs do better in gardens due to the flowers and ‘cultivated wild’ that a residential garden may have to offer.

Over farming has led to a lack of tiny borders or wildlife corridors, as well as soil depletion, which will of course lead to a lack of food for rural Hedgehogs. It is a common misconception that hedgehogs eat only slugs and snails, these make up a mere 4% of their diet.

They primarily rely on an abundance of beetles, caterpillars, and small bugs. Use of pesticides are also depleting food sources and leaving Hedgehogs with vulnerable immune systems as a result.

The Urban landscape is still not without its faults; concrete gravel boards prevent Hedgehogs from moving around, overuse of Astro-Turf stops the ability to forage for bugs and litter such as tin cans can act like lobster pots for Hedgehogs.

It is reasonable to suggest that housing associations should be taking Hedgehog highways into higher consideration and undertaking better planning around sustaining and supporting natural wildlife populations when proposing new estates.

INTERVIEW: NATASHA WINN Hedgeley Hogspital

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES: COURTESY OF HEDGELEY HOGSPITAL

It is justified to say that the European hedgehog’s environment is shrinking and a new balance needs to be struck; the only thing that has changed is us so in order to recover this species we must become better informed.

The largest number of intakes at the Hogs-pital are due to human created dangers; poisons, strimmer injuries, chemical burns and injury due to getting tangled in litter. A new parasite, the fawny headed worm has also become more prevalent within hedgehog populations in the UK. This has only been present for the past 23 years and is spreading; parasites such as fluke and worms are often one of the biggest killers of malnourished hog-lets.

Our final stop in the ward is to Abby, a hedgehog that made the papers in recent months after being found being kicked along the street by a member of the public. Abby has developed a nasal resistance to antibiotics and so her future in terms of re-release remains uncertain.

The European Hedgehog is vulnerable. The species faces an ever increasing host of factors from within their natural environment that show no sign of abating. Unless these pressure points are addressed and mitigated the future is uncertain for the wild hedgehog populations in the UK.

Encouraging Hedgehogs to your garden:

Create a wild area or wildflower patch Logs and leaves encourage insects that Hedgehogs eat. They also provide a secure site for breeding and hibernating

Use native flower seeds and mixes without grass seeds – add not fertilizers! Growing wildflowers will encourage biodiversity and attract a valuable hedgehog food source to your garden.

Open air compost heaps

Compost heaps make an attractive nesting site for hedgehogs. They also attract a range of insects and invertebrates that are a vital food source. Be careful when turning your compost heap with a garden fork.

Feeding hedgehogs

Tinned dog or cat food (not gravy or fish varieties), cat biscuits and chopped egg. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so cow’s milk will upset their stomachs. A range of hedgehog foods are now available at garden centres or online.

Ponds

Hedgehogs are excellent swimmers and will thrive on the insects and amphibians that ponds attract. Ponds with sloping edges will make it easy for hedgehogs to climb out.

Hedgehog highways

Make a 13 cm by 13 cm hole in your garden fence or wall which will allow a hedgehog to pass through. You can register your hole on the ‘BIG HEDGEHOG MAP’ and you can purchase ‘hedgehog street signs’ from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society shop.

Use natural alternatives to garden poisons Slug pellets are hazardous to hedgehogs and if they do not kill them, they may affect their reproductive ability. You can use dried seaweed or egg shells as an alternative around your plants. Peppermint is a natural deterrent to rats.

Strimmers and garden machinery

Check through long grass before starting to strim or mow an overgrown area

Bonfires

Check wood or brash piles for nesting hedgehogs before burning

Netting

Make sure all unused netting is lifted off the ground or high enough for hedgehogs to pass under. Hedgehogs can easily get caught up in netting as it acts like a snare and can cause severe injuries or death.

Lee

He takes us with him on one of his trips along the river bank in search of the Eurasian Otter.

Jenkins is the chairman of the South Wales Otter Trust.

OTTERS

WALES

Y Dyfrgi

The alarm goes off at 5:45 am, its Saturday morning and my day off, but I am hoping that today will be a very special day as I am going to look for otters on my local river!

I have been monitoring them for the past 2 years here on the river with two friends, trying to unravel the behaviour and ecology of this extremely elusive mammal, but this is no easy task, as they are experts in keeping their lives secret.

Otters are crepuscular, meaning active at dusk and dawn, but this is not always the case, they have very fast digestive systems and need to feed on a regular basis, so have bouts of resting and feeding and could be active at any point of the day, but I know this area is popular with dog walkers, so my best chance of seeing one is during the quietest time of day.

So dressed in dark clothing and wearing an olive green hat I head off to the bridge in the middle of the otters territory with my trusty binoculars and a nervous anticipation of what might lie ahead.

Once at the bridge, I scan the river with my binoculars, looking both upstream and downstream looking for subtle disturbances in the water and bubble trails, otters can hold their breath for a couple of minutes and often leave a trail of bubbles, but as they are extremely powerful swimmers can cover a large distance unseen.

After a few moments of excitement that turns, out to be lesser grebes in the distance I decide to make my way upstream, slowly scanning the water as I go as the day begins to break

On the first bend, I pause for a moment, scanning the water ahead with my binoculars looking in detail at every ripple in the water, moving on I disturb a pair of Canadian geese and a lesser egret, realising that I am quite visible, I move further into the field so just my head would be visible from the water.

On the second bend, I pause again scanning the water, a noisy kingfisher flies by, moving to one of its favourite feeding perches, but no sign of an otter.

A little further on, I find some otter spraint (musky, sweetish smelling poo), quite fresh and gives me some hope, otters use spraint to send messages to each other, “this is my territory keep out” “hey there’s a new guy around” “ I’m a female ready to breed” are examples, but it is thought that there are around 120 different messages they use through spraint!

A little further on I find otter tracks, very fresh. I can clearly see all 5 toes. Otters are mustelids (stoats, badgers pine martins etc) and all have 5 toes making it easy to separate them from dogs, which have just 4 and are more compact.

I have been searching for around 45 minutes now and am 3 fields away from my start at the bridge. Suddenly a wren takes to the air on the opposite bank, I freeze and scan the bank, was it an otter that scared it?

Looking at every detail on the bank and the water, slowly I make my way into a small wooded area, where to my surprise I find a very fresh otter spraint on a rock on the path an otter was here not long ago!

As I come to the end of the wooded area I approach another bend, using the cover of the trees I stop and vigorously scan the water for a few minutes, but no joy.

Undeterred, I move on through another field and further along the river bank, suddenly, I hear a splash in the water behind me, I freeze and scan the water, something doesn’t look right, the ripples in the water look different in one spot, I take cover behind a bramble bush and quietly scan the water with my heart beginning to race, after a few minutes, nothing and I begin to feel a little disappointed and move on.

10 meters or so further on, while still scanning the water ahead I look down to the bank on my left hand side and there is an otter half out of the water 3 meters away staring at me! I can clearly see its cream bib, and vibrase (sensitive whiskers) and eyes looking straight at me, we stare at each other for what seems an eternity, but is really only a few seconds, my heart is pounding, the otter then grunts, telling me off, and vanishes.

I quickly make my way to the end of the field checking the wind is behind me and find some cover to hide in and hope that it comes this way. After 10 minutes, nothing. It must have gone the other way downstream.

What shall I do, shall I go back downstream? I decide to continue moving upstream, there is a deep pool that fish take cover in ahead and a good otter feeding spot, so I head there and find some cover and sit and wait.

After walking for a few seconds, a movement catches the corner of my eye. I freeze and look down at the waters edge, I can’t believe it, 2 otter cubs, my heart is in my mouth as I look at them and they look back. One of them disappears, but the other looks at me with a quizzical expression “what are you?”, I’m sure it smiles at me! And then vanishes.

Feeling that I don’t want to disturb the otters any longer, I then head home with a broad smile beaming from my face!

It should be noted that I was on a public footpath, with heavy footfall form walkers, dog walkers and joggers and I took great care not to disturb the otters, it is illegal to deliberately disturb otters, their resting places or holts (homes).

I am chairman of South Wales Otter Trust and we actively protect our wild Welsh otters and the environment that they live in, I also hold a NRW personal otter licence.

If you wish to see wild otters, find a bend of a river where you can see upstream and downstream and be prepared to sit and wait. With patience you may eventually see a wild Welsh otter!!

WORDS: LEE JENKINS Chair & Founder | South Wales Otter Trust IMAGES: MIKE WARBURTON

SEAHORSES

THE SEAHORSE TRUST | DEVON | ENGLAND

It is not common knowledge that there are actually two native species of sea-horse in UK waters: the Short Snouted and the Spiny seahorse.

They can both grow to a maximum length (or height) of around 15 cm to 17 cm and live in shallow, inshore waters in the warmer months of the year. Here they reside amongst rocks, mud, seaweeds and sea-grass which they cling to with their prehensile tails.

The main difference between the two species is the length of the snout, although the Spiny Seahorse can be further distinguished by the presence of longer spines on the back, just above the dorsal fin and especially on the head. Both species of seahorse can change colour to match their surroundings or when they are doing a courtship dance. Seahorses feed mainly on very small marine crustaceans like plankton and have an impressive snout designed to hoover these up en masse .

Seahorses are often taken by predatory fish and have to rely on camouflage to avoid detection as they are poor swimmers, with only their small dorsal fin undulating at 35 to 70 beats per second to provide them with weak forward propulsion. Another unique feature is their eyes: seahorses can see in full colour even in low light and also have eyes which work independently on both sides of their heads, allowing them to look both forwards and backwards at the same time.

Seahorses have an unusual breeding pattern; males vie with each other for a mate and once a pair bond is formed with the female they reinforce this daily to maintain it with an elaborate courtship dance. By pairing up in this way in the cooler temperate waters around the UK it keeps them together for the breeding season which runs from early April to October.

However recent research by The Seahorse Trust has shown they may even be breeding during the winter in deeper water, after a long migration out of the shallows which protects them from strong winter storms. The female passes eggs on to the male through an ovipositor, who then self fertilises them within his own body. The eggs grow and hatch within the male who then gives birth to live young that are completely independent from the moment of birth.

Both seahorse species have a wide distribution around the UK and are found all around the British Isles and Ireland up into the Shetland Isles. In 2017, as many as six spiny and short-snouted seahorses were spotted in the River Thames in London. Overall, they seem to favour the south and west coasts, which is most likely because the Gulf Stream brings with it one of their favoured foods, plankton.

In the summer, spiny seahorses tend to seek out shallow weedy areas such as eel-grass beds, while short-snouted seahorses can be found in most other coastal habitat types.

In the winter, both species move further out to sea to seek shelter from storms, where they retreat to greater depths and anchor themselves to rocks or algae.

The two species can coexist happily as their different snout lengths mean they target different food sources and therefore avoid competition.

While seahorses have very few natural predators once they reach adulthood, unfortunately, they face significant threats from humans, with their preference for coastal habitats leaving them particularly vulnerable to interference.

Globally, major threats are posed by nonselective fishing practices and by the trades in traditional medicines, curios, and pets. In Britain, a major threat is the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat, often as a result of a lack of awareness.

Studland Bay in Dorset is a key example. The sheltered sea-grass bed habitat of this beautiful bay on England’s South Coast is arguably the country’s most important site for seahorses, with spiny seahorses, in particular, known to set up territories and breed there.

During the corona-virus lock-down, marine conservationists spotted 16 spiny seahorses, including a pregnant male, near Studland Bay in Dorset. The team say this is the highest number they have seen in a single dive since they began studying the area in 2008. They believe that the seahorses were able to return to this habitat and thrive due to the lower concentration of people and boats in the area

This finding demonstrated the ability of the ecosystem to bounce back when it is not disturbed and simply reiterated the need for more effective management which actually lives up to the site’s protected status. Studland Bay was designated as a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) in 2019 specifically on the basis of its importance as a seahorse habitat and sea-grass bed, following years of campaigning by The Seahorse Trust and others.

Separately, both of Britain’s seahorse species have since 2008 been legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, again as a result of data gathered by The Seahorse Trust over the years. The Act makes it an offence to harm or disturb either the seahorses or their habitat. Despite these multiple layers of protection, Studland’s seahorse population remains under threat, in large part due to the bay’s perennial popularity with recreational boaters who drop anchors which tear through the sea-grass bed,fragmenting the habitat and damaging the fragile balance of this ecosystem and its functioning.

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE SEAHORSE TRUST

The British Seahorse Survey (BSS) was set up in 1994 by The Seahorse trust founder Neil Garrick-Maidment and is the longest running continuous survey of its kind in the world and it would not be possible without the input of so many volunteers.

The sightings from the survey are fed into the World Seahorse Database (WSD), the only one of its kind in the UK and, as a result of this survey, we achieved full protection for both British seahorse species.

In 2008, both British seahorses were protected as named species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981 as amended) as a direct result of our survey work and the WSD. This was as a result and the hard work of, the 5,000+ volunteers who have helped us since the start of the survey. We owe them a massive vote of thanks for all their hard work.

Another achievement was the banning, in 2010 of the use of flash photography on welfare grounds. After 47 years of experience, we knew flash photography is harmful and can kill seahorses. It is now illegal to kill, take or disturb seahorses in British waters. The habitat where seahorses are found is also protected which means that if you find a seahorse in a sea-grass bed, that sea-grass bed is protected. This is good news for the seahorses and other species that live there.

Due to our knowledge of British seahorses, we have advised many governments, including the British government, through its departments such as Natural England, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Department For Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), amongst others. We also helped to shape the seahorse licence that is required from MMO to set up seahorse surveys in our waters.

TAPIRS

ASPINALL FOUNDATION | PORT LYMPNE | ENGLAND

In South American culture, the tapir is associated with the creation of the earth.

For me, Tapirs are the most fascinating creatures within the natural world; they’ve often been referred to as a living fossil and have weathered the storms of many changes to the landscape that surrounds them.

However, the steady decline of all tapir populations has now reached a crisis point; one that needs to be addressed with urgency.

The lineage of the Tapir is an ancient one; these animals have changed little over tens of millions of years, but unfortunately the areas that they call home have.

Habitat loss and hunting are the main reasons for the decline in the populations of all four of the tapir species. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America (such as the Amazon jungle or the cloud forest of Brazil), with one species (the Malayan tapir) inhabiting Southeast Asia. The mountain (or woolly) tapir lives high in the Andes Mountains of South America.

Certainly within the Amazon jungle, the tapir has historically been a food source for the local communities; a practise that is almost as ancient as the tapir itself and one which reflects how perfectly in balance this ecosystem used to be

With tapir populations dwindling and unable to successfully breed, the stores which were once abundant for the indigenous communities are not replenishing and any hunting is drastically impacting the species’ numbers where it may not have done so in the past; they are not as abundant as they once were.

At first glance, they may appear similar to a pig in terms of confirmation but are actually one of the three remaining branches of Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), along with equines and rhinoceroses.

The tapir has four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them to walk on the muddy and soft ground abundant within the rainforest.

The tapir is currently listed on the IUCN red list of threatened species, and all subspecies except the Lowland tapir, are listed as endangered. Whilst the lowland tapir is prevalent in collections across Europe, the mountain tapir is by far the rarest, in both captivity and in the wild.

Often called ‘woolly tapirs’ due to their warm and protective coat, they are the smallest of all the species and reside in the montane forests and ‘paramos’ (high treeless plateaus) of the Andes mountain range.

The main reason that numbers of the mountain tapir are decreasing is down to habitat loss; poppy farming and growth of ranching or agricultural practises driven by the human population growth in the Andean region.

It is estimated that there are only 2,500 individuals left in the wild, with populations decreasing. It is likely to be this sub species that falls into extinct first if action is into taken to safeguard it.

The world’s biggest tapir is found in Southeast Asia. The black and white Malay tapir can grow up to 800 pounds. It inhabits the forests and swamps of Malaysia and Sumatra.

The Malayan Tapir is the most isolated geographically and genetically, having a significantly smaller number of chromosomes and sharing fewer genetic similarities with the three types of American tapirs. Due to habitats becoming increasingly isolated for the tapir species, lack of genetic diversity within populations has become a major source for concern.

This also includes the zoo setting, where individuals within breeding programmes lack genetic diversity due to no new bloodlines being introduced for many years. The current 6 captive mountain tapirs are descended from only two founder individuals.

In suitable conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years and have a life-span, in both the wild and captivity, of around 2530 years. A single calf will be born after a gestation of about 13 months.

The successful breeding of certain tapir species within European zoos has been undeniably limited, which makes me wonder: Is it the breeding conditions in captivity that are wrong for these species?

The tapir is a naturally solitary animal, and some subspecies (like the Bairds) have been known to mate for life. In a number of zoo collections, there may be many males collected in one area or mixed genders are kept as groups with territories that are smaller and closer together due to limited enclosure space. Tapirs are a highly territorial species.

The plain facts are: some species do well in captivity, and others do not. Education and in-depth understanding of the wild species is what is needed to smooth the transition and make the tapirs as comfortable as possible within a captive setting.

With a lower density of options within captive breeding programme, key individuals from collections (particularly males) are often moved around establishments to offer more genetic opportunities; something which is implemented within the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums) scheme to ensure species viability and preservation.

This is a double-edged sword as, with the dice-roll of a successful breeding (there is no guarantee that a breeding pair will take to each other) comes the need to move each creature thousands of miles; something which will cause them a lot of stress. The tapir is also nocturnal, and the human engineered introductions proposed to induce a successful breeding will often take place during the daytime hours; going against this species’ natural body clock.

Put plainly, drastic times call for drastic measures. A solution for the rarer subspecies, such as the mountain tapir, could be to set up reserves where a selection of genetically viable captive tapirs are reintroduced with a number of wild caught tapir; this would bring a refreshed diversity to the genetics and blood lines, whilst building the groundwork for a successful reintroduction project in the future.

In 2018, a Lowland Tapir reintroduction project was set up within the Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve in Brazil. Four males and three females, were reintroduced to a 2 and a half acre pen in the Atlantic forest as part of the Refauna programme, led by a group of researchers at the Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology in Rio de Janeiro. The tapirs were fitted with radio collars and camera traps were installed to monitor progress, allowing the team to gain an in-depth look at their movements and feeding habits to better inform the project’s future decisions.

In January 2020, a calf was born with another female suspected to be pregnant; further confirming that the tapir thrives in a wild setting in a way that it just will not in captivity.

INTERVIEW: PATRICIA MEDICI

Co-Ordinator | Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative Chair | IUCN SSC Tapir Specialist Group

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE ASPINALL FOUNDATION

When considering reintroduction projects for any of the tapir species, it is important to look at if their current habitats remain practical. Both the Atlantic Cloud forest and the Amazon jungle are still decreasing at an alarming rate , showing no signs of slowing down; which begs the question that even if a successful breeding project for tapir subspecies was created, is there a long-term feasible habitat for theses tapirs to return to?

The reintroduction of tapirs to an area can accelerates the recovery of degraded natural habitats. The Atlantic Forest, an enormous wooded area that used to cover over a million square kilometres along the eastern coasts of Brazil and Argentina, has been degraded by deforestation.

This has segmented the forest and the expansion of urban settlements has drastically reduced its size. This ecosystem is vitally important because of the vast quantities of carbon it can store . Due to their aforementioned status as a ‘gardener of the forest’, known for distributing seeds of native plant species, the tapir could be an essential addition to the biodiversity of these forests after having disappeared completely from Rio de Janeiro state in 2014.

Cornered off reserves will undoubtedly limit the tapir’s inert need to wander (commonly the tapir uses natural wildlife corridors to search out mates, food and new territories), but it will also ensure that within these smaller spaces the tapir is better safeguarded to preserve the species, whilst allowing the degree of freedom that only a wild setting can offer.

In my opinion, zoos need to make more of a priority to the breeding and sustaining of tapir sub-species as they have with the lowland; perhaps with a consideration for introducing wild caught tapirs to breeding programmes to bolster this project.

The success of this however, will depend entirely on institution’s willingness to rewrite the ‘tapir handbook’ and take action to better understand this species’ complex needs.

As Gerald Durrell (founder of Jersey zoo and pioneer in successful captive breeding of species for reintroduction), once pointed out: if animals are truly happy, they will willingly breed.

About Tapirs

Tapirs are large, herbivorous mammals and they use their short, prehensile nose trunk to grab branches and clean them of leaves or to help pluck tasty fruit. Tapirs feed each morning and evening. During these hours they follow tunnel-like paths, worn through the heavy brush by many a tapir footstep, to reach water holes and lush feeding grounds.

In the wild, the tapir’s diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves, particularly young, tender vegetation. Tapirs will spend many of their waking hours foraging along well-worn trails, snouts to the ground in search of food.

The tapir species is universally known as the ‘gardeners of the forest’, this is because as they roam and defecate, they deposit the seeds they have consumed and promote future plant growth. In a habitat like the Amazon jungle – this makes them crucial to the bio-diversity of their habitats

Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and under water, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom, and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies.

Along with freshwater lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which also help to keep them cool and free of insects.

Tapirs are largely nocturnal and have monocular vision.

The Four Species of Tapir:

• Lowland

• Malayan

• Bairds

• Mountain

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease caused primarily by M. bovis. Alpacas and other camelids are classed as incidental spill over hosts who may become infected from close contact with diseased animals or a contaminated environment. Alpacas and llamas are understood to be very susceptible to M. bovis typically with rapid progression of disease and extensive signs after death.

GERONIMO

A STORY ABOUT AN ALPACA

In September 2021, an Alpaca called Geronimo hit mainstream headlines across the UK. This black alpaca with a trademark curly hair-style was to be put to sleep as he had been deemed a TB carrier. Geronimo may have become a household name almost overnight, but for his owners the build-up to a final decision by DEFRA spanned years. The traumatic televised extraction of Geronimo from his home by members of the DEFRA organisation struck a chord with pet owners across the globe.

When his post-mortem results came back ‘inconclusive’ further heart ache for his owners ensued and the questions around Geronimo’s initial diagnosis began to swirl. TB testing is something that cattle owners face every year, often loosing half their herds in just one day. Geronimo’s death opened up a new chapter in the discussion surrounding the validity and effectiveness of TB testing in the UK.

His owner, Helen Macdonald, tells us Geronimo’s story.

Geronimo the alpaca was born on Waitangi Day 6th February 2013 and raised for 4 ½ years on the largest alpaca farm in New Zealand along with hundreds of alpacas and cattle. The farm was confirmed bTB free for 26 years following routine government surveillance testing. Geronimo was carefully selected and imported to the UK to provide a new bloodline for our black alpaca breeding program.

In 20 years of breeding alpacas there has been no suspicion of bTB in our 80 strong herd. Our bio-security infrastructure and protocols work to keep our herd free from disease. Risk based sourcing of new animals, buried perimeter fencing to separate species and a designated isolation area for incoming animals ensures our high herd health status.

Geronimo’s documented history enabled us to challenge the farcical situation we found ourselves in following an industry promoted voluntary bTB blood test (Camelid Enferplex) in August 2017.

Despite the clinical and epidemiological evidence available from the outset that Geronimo had never been exposed to bTB in New Zealand, the Department of Environment, Farming & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) chose to rely on the result of this voluntary blood test which has not been evaluated for accuracy following repeated injections of tuberculin (known as ‘priming’) and demanded Geronimo’s immediate slaughter.

Priming the immune system with tuberculin before the Enferplex blood test to improve the chances of finding disease was the key issue in this unique case.

Geronimo had received four injections of tuberculin in his life as part of the TB skin test used to check for the disease in New Zealand and the antibody test measured his healthy immune response to the tuberculin (a modified strain of bTB). DEFRA deny this is possible but have failed to disprove the possibility.

Following concerned requests from stakeholders, DEFRA agreed to ‘retest’ Geronimo after the first result, but instead of repeating the blood test, they enforced a set of tests designed for identifying infected camelids in herds already confirmed to have bTB.

The testing protocol involved a fifth injection of bovine tuberculin into Geronimo despite our written concerns that this was the most likely cause of the ‘surprising’ false positive result. We had no choice but to agree, the alternative was immediate slaughter.

Despite negative skin and blood test results and declining antibody levels on the Enferplex test, DEFRA interpreted the result as positive.

In Jan 2018 the Government Legal Department confirmed in a letter to us that ‘it was agreed to move outside their standard protocol to reassure the client that the tests were indeed positive’.

With this biased ‘retest’ DEFRA then claimed ‘Geronimo tested positive twice for tuberculosis’ to reinforce the ‘suspicion’ of disease required in law to order the slaughter of Geronimo.

In February 2018 I was told in a meeting with Senior DEFRA officials that ‘it was possible he might have met a possum or caught it at a show’. This somewhat desperate attempt by the TB Policy department to force me to agree to have my healthy boy slaughtered without any credible evidence was a sign of what was to come.

Distressingly, the following month we discovered that DEFRA were aware from the outset ‘that alpacas that had had more than one skin test (injection of tuberculin) in the last 12 months going inexplicably positive when tested with the Enferplex’. This meant that DEFRA had used their prior knowledge to create the second positive result. Further evidence that DEFRA understood Geronimo to be bTB free was supported by the fact that they failed to notify New Zealand or the owners of the rest of the shipment that they had identified a suspected zoonotic notifiable disease.

It is illegal for anyone to perform a TB test without permission from the Secretary of State. Neither Michael Gove nor George Eustice gave permission for us test Geronimo with the validated, un-primed camelid Enferplex test, instead relying only on the advice of their officials.

How can a government hope to eradicate decades of endemic bTB disease if they don’t study, research and develop new tests or protocols following unique situations or unexpected results? We felt this was particularly short sighted given this was a voluntary bTB test for use in healthy alpacas paid for by owners to promote confidence amongst owners as well as other livestock sectors.

We were determined to do whatever we could to save Geronimo and kept fighting. Supported by the camelid industry we engaged the media, started crowd-funding, received expert help from a barrister and obtained permission for judicial review to challenge DEFRA’s decision making on the grounds that the secretary of state had made an irrational decision in ordering Geronimo be slaughtered.

How can you suspect an animal is infected with bTB when the only evidence is the use of an un-validated test which has absolutely no performance data in this scenario?

After a 17 week wait the High Court returned the judgement that DEFRA had not made an unlawfully irrational decision and the order to slaughter Geronimo remained in place. Over the following two years we exhausted all legal routes of challenge whilst Geronimo remained none the wiser, happy at home with his companions, certified fit and healthy by his camelid vet.

July and August 2021 involved highly stressful, surreal, and exhausting experiences played out in front of the world’s media. High Court hearings and media interviews from 5am until 9pm. Live, recorded, TV, radio, newspapers, local, national, international. DEFRA could choose to carry out the warrant once, at any time over 30 days.

People around the world learned of Defra’s unreasonable behaviour and watched Geronimo’s live webcam day and night, amazing support flocked to our home, watch rotas were organised, 147,000 people signed a petition. A group of 13 prominent vets wrote an open letter about the unsafe diagnosis. Why not revisit the evidence and allow Geronimo to stay living safely where he was? Prime Minister Boris Johnson ignored pleas for common sense and did nothing.

We continued to work tirelessly, offering DEFRA a way forward they could accept given the worldwide attention.

Advised by officials that our proposal would be considered on the very morning that Avon and Somerset Constabulary locked down our village and raided our home whilst government vets dragged terrified Geronimo away from his friends, strangling and suffocating on the end of a loose-fitting cattle rope, was clearly a ruse.

Horrifically Geronimo was tied tightly to the wall of a horse trailer, and we still do not have evidence of where, when or how he died whilst under DEFRA vets ‘care’.

The events of 31st August 2021 were the culmination of 4 years of unreasonable behaviour by DEFRA. Fearful of precedent, they abused their position, the law, science, fairness, common sense, and decency. The despicable acts of brutality Geronimo suffered will haunt forevermore. DEFRA had choices in law, we had none. We were not permitted to defend ourselves by obtaining further test results. As a registered Veterinary Nurse I was never going to consent to the needless slaughter of a healthy animal without credible evidence to the contrary. We were denied the right to fair treatment, validated science and informed consent.

The postmortem results confirmed all the factual evidence, Geronimo did not have bTB. M.bovis was not detected from the preliminary findings, histopathology or tissue culture, completed by APHA pathologists. Still DEFRA published false claims that Geronimo was infected in a shameful attempt to justify their choices. Their conduct in this case raises ethical and scientific questions which should not be ignored.

Camelids have a unique immune system and the Enferplex test still has not been thoroughly evaluated for use following priming with tuberculin. Is not scientifically credible to claim the camelid immune system behaves in the same way as cattle or deer and it is wrong to claim that any test is highly specific without properly conducted field trials to establish test performance with use of tuberculin.

Separation of species and groups for long enough, alongside more accurate tests are key to control and eradication of disease in infected animals. No test is perfect, and as such data must be published and peer reviewed in a transparent way. While DEFRA ignores basic principles in favour of economic gain bTB will continue to have a negative impact on human and animal lives.

Voluntary surveillance testing in healthy camelids today is a fearful option because false positives are always possible. Until DEFRA are willing to work opening with industry and test developers to share data, learn and develop tests under safe bio-secure conditions then all the effort made by the camelid industry during the last 10 years to progress responsibly for the benefit of all mammals has been for nothing.

Geronimo had known nothing but love for his life of 8 ½ years and he will continue to hold DEFRA to account via the campaign group until bTB policy is reformed for the benefit of all animals. We will not rest until Geronimo’s name has been cleared and lessons have been learnt.

More information can be found at www.wearegeronimo.co.uk or search We are Geronimo on Facebook and Twitter

WORDS: HELEN MACDONALD IMAGES: HELEN MACDONALD

THE TRUE COST OF CHEAP MEAT

GREAT BRITAIN -&- IRELAND

Food today bears no relation to when I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s.

I can remember the growing anticipation for seasonal foods and waiting for them to become available in the shops; the new potatoes, the veg from the garden, the gooseberries, the blackberries and of course, the first strawberries of the summer.

Now I can go to a supermarket and purchase any of these products on any day of the year, the nostalgia and connection with the seasons is all but gone!

These days foods of every shape, size and variety are grown all over the globe and delivered by ships, aeroplanes, and lorries to satisfy our constant demand for our favourite foods. As well as our desire for unfettered access to these foods, the whole system of shopping has changed dramatically.

Again, I remember the first supermarket opening in our village: here was a shop that allowed you to buy all of your essential weekly food all in one place. How fantastically convenient! You no longer needed to visit your butcher, your greengrocer, and your baker; it was now all under one roof. Nowadays you don’t even have to leave your house to do a weekly shop.

These new supermarkets fundamentally changed the landscape of not only food we are buying but that of the industries supplying them.

Supermarkets quickly became the destination of choice for families up and down the country. With this increasing share of the market, came an ever-increasing amount of buying power that could begin to dictate terms to suppliers and present their shoppers with cheaper produce.

To put these changes into perspective, in the 1970’s around 2025% of a household income went on feeding itself, that figure has now reduced to around 1215%; we have become accustomed to having ‘cheap’ food.

However, to have this low-cost food supply a major change in how this produce was grown or reared was required. We now have massive plastic covered areas of the globe, growing plant products all year round and far specialised animal farms on a larger scale than anything that we’ve seen before.

This ‘up-scaling’ has been directly influenced by our shift in buying habits and the desire for cheaper food. It hasn’t helped that all political parties seem to want food to remain as cheap as possible, because the less we spend on feeding ourselves, the more disposable income we have to spend elsewhere and grow the economy.

These larger scale farms have become very efficient at meeting the ever-increasing demands placed on them but, are very much at the mercy of the whole system. Many farmers are told what they will get for their products, as opposed to them selling them for what they feel they are worth.

So, you have very efficient farms, providing produce for regional supermarkets who in turn provide their customers with a huge choice of products at a very reasonable price So where is the problem?

The problem comes from ethics, perception, and misunderstanding. People today are far more aware of the ethics of farming and have a perception of how things should be done.

However, the problem arises when you try to fit these idealistic ethical and perception values into the current mainstream model of growing to an uncapped demand

I have many people tell me that they like to see my pigs running around in the woodland, foraging, enjoying their freedom and exhibiting their natural behaviours something that seems so far removed from these scenes they have seen on the TV with pigs in sheds, living in pens and never going outside. Those systems are (according to these people) totally wrong.

It is at this point that I stop the conversation and try to explain that the way I rear my pigs is the most inefficient way that you could ever grow a pig.

I can get away with it because I am farming on a small scale, and I sell my meat direct to the public at a premium price. I go on to explain that there is no way that I could rear pigs in this manner and then put it on a supermarket shelf at their prices.

The only way to mass produce cheap pork and sell it at current prices is to rear them indoors in large numbers. I then explain that by buying that pork they are actually complicit in the whole chain they are fuelling and are directly involved in the systems that they have told me they find abhorrent.

I am not for a minute suggesting that one system is right and the other wrong, what I am trying to emphasise is that people are very quick to demonise a farming system, without actually thinking the whole thing through: looking at all aspects of the food chain and understanding that they as consumers are a very, very key link in that chain.

It isn’t fair to be sitting at your table criticising the perceived animal welfare issues of the Pig, Poultry, Dairy and Beef industries, whilst eating your value range beef/ pork/chicken and drinking a cup of tea, because I bet this conversation never ends up discussing the very direct role the purchase of your lovely dinner has, within this whole issue.

I am not criticising the fact that people buy these items (as I write this piece, we are currently in the midst of a cost of living crisis) but I want people to realise the hypocrisy of the situation.

The food systems that have arisen around the world are a direct result of people’s buying habits; you cannot look at and criticise production systems without looking at the entire chain.

So, what is the solution?

It is the drastic change in our buying habits that has led to the drastic change in agricultural practices. So, we now need an equally drastic change in current buying habits to fundamentally change current agricultural practices.

Locally there has been a steady increase in butchers, greengrocers, artisan bakeries and farm shops; so perhaps we are starting to turn a corner.

I would also urge people to approach local farmers and ask if you could buy directly from them. By choosing this route, you are helping the farmer to get a far better price for their product.

I do know for certain that there is no easy answer to this problem and people far better informed than myself have been wrestling with it for decades and are yet to find a clear-cut solution. However, the major players in this food chain are big commercial companies with shareholders and targets to achieve.

Ultimately these targets are achieved by buying at a good price, being as efficient as possible and selling as much as the consumer will buy at a reasonable margin. This is where the consumer can have an influence; the supermarkets need you to keep buying so that your purchasing choices can have an impact.

In summary, this is a fascinating topic because it highlights the increasing disconnect between people’s perceptions or wants, and the actual realities.

Of the people who even consider where their food comes from, they have this ideal image of everything coming from lovely, picturesque ancient meadows with cattle and sheep munching on daisies; the current reality is that with the current UK and global population and the current buying habits of the population, this idea is utopia.

But it is possible to find products to match this ideal if you are prepared to go and look for it.

So as Woofie said, it really is “Power to The People” the choice is yours!

WORDS: GARETH DAVIES Pontardawe Farm

IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS

FAIR GAME

A FEAST FIT FOR A KING

No battery or intensive farming is involved, no antibiotics used and no need for the use of vast tracts of farmland for the production of animal fodder.

Eating wild game helps preserve the habitats enjoyed by game animals, which benefits many other native creatures, including both flora and fauna.

The consumption of game also helps sustain that part of the rural community that looks after our wonderful British countryside.

And don’t forget that the glorious country of Scotland is home to some of the finest game in the world – surely a resource we should all take advantage of!

Eating game is also great for your personal carbon footprint most game is sourced locally and therefore only a few food miles are required to bring those juicy slices of meat to your plate.

Of course, there is the controversial issue of the method by which game birds and animals are killed. This is usually by shooting or trapping, although ‘roadkill’ is also included within the category of wild game – but be warned that you should only take advantage of roadkill that you happen on by chance and not animals you have rundown yourself!

There will be some who consider the process of hunting and killing wild game to be cruel... but hang on a moment!

Have you ever seen film of how farm animals are despatched in some UK abattoirs? Not to mention the frightening process of the herding and transportation of these animals to their fate.

By comparison, the shooting of game results in almost instant death in the vast majority of cases and is considerably less stressful for the animal than being crated onto a lorry and driven to a slaughterhouse. It should also be noted that some game species such as red deer in Scotland have no natural predators and some form of culling is essential to preserve the ecological balance.

The other great advantage in becoming a regular consumer of game is that it is nutritionally very healthy. Game meats are amongst the leanest available, as well as being low in cholesterol and one of the healthiest sources of the “good fat” Omega 3. Partridge, pheasant, and venison have significantly lower levels of total fat content than beef and lamb – in the order of 10%. Levels of saturated fats are also very much lower in game.

Venison especially is rich in iron and game meats also contain other beneficial nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and carotene. What’s not to like?

But aren’t we ignoring possibly the most persuasive reason for including game in our diet? When cooked properly it is absolutely delicious, as you will find out if you try the recipe that follows piece.

Use venison or pheasant as replacements for beef or chicken,respectively. Pigeon and grouse are stronger meats if you are looking for something a bit different for your next dinner party.

And of course, there’s nothing new in this we have been consuming wild game on these islands for thousands of years.

Serves 4 Hungry Adults

A hearty Mashed Potato topped pie with a filling of Rich slow braised Venison and Root Veggies in a Red Wine Gravy. This Pie, Similar to the classic Shepherd’s Pie, Is a fantastic way to introduce the family to he wonderful world of Game Meat.

Venison can be a little overpowering, so for this recipe I’ve used a mix of Venison and Beef mince at a 0/50 ratio.

Ingredients:

• 250g Venison mince

• 250g Beef mince

• 1 Large onion, finely chopped

• 3 Large carrots, finely chopped

• 3 Sticks celery, finely chopped

• 1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled

• 1 Heaped tablespoon tomato puree

• 2 Garlic cloves

• 1 Bouquet Garnis, rosemary, thyme, bayleaf

• 1 Large glass red wine

• 500ml Rich stock. Beef, veal or chicken

• 2 Tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

• 100g Salted butter

• 200ml Full fat milk

Instructions:

1. Chop the potatoes into even sized pieces and place into an appropriate pan. Cover with water, a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer.

2. Whilst the potatoes are boiling, Make the filling. Bring 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a high heat and add the Venison and Beef Mince. Sautee on a high heat, stirring occasionally until the eat begins to colour and starts to smell delicious. At this point continue to cook until all the meat is browned and there are no large chunks of meat left. Add the root vegetables and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

3. Once the meat is cooked and the vegetables have a bit of colour, turn down the heat and add the tomato puree continuously stirring to make sure the tomato puree doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.

4. When the tomato puree is fully incorporated into the meat and vegetables, turn up the heat to full and add the red wine. Stir the wine throughout scraping the bottom of the pan to release all of the delicious flavours.

5. When the wine has reduced by half, add the stock, bring up to a simmer and then add the Bouquet Garnis.

6. By now the potatoes should be cooked so it’s time to make the mash. Check the spuds with a knife to ensure they are cooked. Drain the potatoes and place back into the pan. Add the butter and milk and mash to ensure there are no horrible lumps left. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

7. When the pie filling has reduced and the sauce is thick and glossy, check the seasoning and place into an ovenproof dish leaving enough room for the mashed potatoes. Top with the mash and grated cheese and place into a preheated oven at 180 degrees c for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the sides.

Enjoy with buttered cabbage and a bottle of incredibly expensive Chateauneauf du Pape

IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS

WORDS: COLIN CLEGG

Head Chef | The Old Town Deli

PANTRY

CAR Y MOR

TAKE YOUR FANCY!

Pembrokeshire lobster, Menai oysters and dried sugar kelp; Just a few of the goods that Car Mor has on offer.

The 1st commercial seaweed and shellfish farm in Wales, Car Mor is bringing a bevy of underrated ocean treats right to our dinner plates Whilst restoring the coast line in the process. This regenerative ocean farm uses a zero input method with no fertilisers or mono-cultures.

Currently operating from 2 pilot farms off St. David’s peninsula in Pembrokeshire, car Mor aims to produce good quality shellfish with maximum positive environmental impact by improving water quality, creating Coastal storm protection and creating a self sustaining nursery habitat for the crops.

And the best bit is, you can order all of these fruits of the sea from the comfort of your home via Hampers and postal boxes.

THE WASABI COMPANY

Th e UK’s best kept secret is undoubtedly the flourishing wasabi growers of the south coast who are in fact, the first successful growers in Europe!

B reathing new life into old watercress beds the wasabi company mimics the climate of the Japanese highlands where wasabi is more traditionally produced.

T he perfect balance of water flow, shade and sun has proved a success and the company produces a regular healthy and boutique wasabi harvest each year.

T he wasabi company offers the bidding chef or sushi enthusiast the chance to buy the wasabi leaves, flowers and rhyziones, as well as grow kits and starter packs.

And the best bit is, you can order all of these fruits of the sea from the comfort of your home via Hampers and postal boxes.

BRIDDLESFORD FARM DAIRY

When Briddlesford farm opened their doors back in 1923, they had only 15 guernsey cows. These days they have a flourishing and well loved group of 140, all contributing to their wonderfully traditional but tastefully modern dairy products.

Milk, cream, butter and cheeses; the farm balances fantastic animal welfare with high quality end products.

Around the farm an emphasis on conservation is apparent, with ancient woodland being rewilded with red squirrels and an overall low use of fertilisers and herbicides to encourage beneficial and native wildlife a perfect example of how a working farm can product fantastic produce in harmony with the natural world!

Step away from the supermarket and spice up your pantry shelves with our pick of sustainably sourced British producers for this quarter. Each of our culinary selections celebrate all that the UK has to offer in terms of crop diversity and cultural history. Look to nature’s larder to expand your tastebuds!

ALLEN’S FARM COBNUTS

Was there ever a more refined or epitomised British snack than a cob nut?

Favoured by kings and queens of both the past and present, the Kent-ish cob nut is a type of hazelnut that is enjoyed best at autumn with cheese and chutneys!

Favoured by the mariners of old for their longevity, cob nuts are stored in their green husks and eaten raw.

The Allen’s farm has been operating for 100 years with 2,700 working trees making them possibly the truest purveyors of this British delicacy.

SUMMER HARVEST OILS

Grown, pressed and bottled in house at the 130 year old family farm in the Stratham Valley, Perthshire, summer harvest oils Take pride in all the intricate processes that are required to create a high quality product that is bursting with healthy fats.

As well as their infamous cold pressed rapeseed’s oil, the company also produces truffle oils, mayonnaise and a number of salad dressings everything From bramble and juniper, chilli and red pepper and raspberry flavours!

And the best bit is, you can order all of these fruits of the sea from the comfort of your home via Hampers and postal boxes.

FOREST FUNGI

Grown in Devon in specially designed ‘shroom Rooms’, Forest Fungi is a pioneering company bringing traditional Asian varieties of mushrooms to the UK.

From Shitake to Nameko, all the fungi are grown in conditions to mimic the Asian climates in which they thrive and regulated to consider seasonal changes; heaters, coolers and humidifiers are all implement to create micro-climates to ensure the biggest and tastiest yields.

ARTFUL JOGGER

SOUTH COAST | ENGLAND

The Artful Jogger’s conception came about in mid-2020 when my son, Ellis, suggested we walk the Southdown’s Way over three days in the autumn months: a 100 mile trail from the Hampshire city of Winchester to Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Having been a ‘City’ worker for some 30 years plus, with a career in strategic management, I relished the challenge of trekking thirty-five miles a day, becoming totally grounded to nature.

At 56 years old now, this attraction stemmed from a recent introduction to running which in turn had changed and improved many aspects of my life: health and fitness, appreciation of life basics and the need to curb a few habits; poor diet, excessive alcohol, sedentary pastimes, and hobbies, to name a few.

A resident of Hove Park for over 25 years, raising two children into city living was convenient on many levels in our fast-changing environment. However, I was finding that my recent passion for running was opening my eyes and mind to our right to freedom we all possess it yet we seldom appreciate it fully… following the success of our Southdown’s Walk I took to running off road, trailing the hills of Sussex, even venturing as far as Dorset’s Jurassic coastline to complete a Trail Marathon and then Richmond Park in London to run the London to Brighton 100 km Ultra Trail Marathon.

The Artful Jogger is now known on Instagram as a grid showcasing the power of positive change, through life changing mindsets/habit forming and the appreciation of our surroundings whether they be a reflection of urban arts or the incredible beauty of our regional rural wonders.

From zero running kilometres in 2017, I have now run over 9,000 kilometres of which over half have been off tarmac and which, in my view, has totally changed my outlook on day-to-day life: had I ever appreciated that I could turn right to run the coast or left to run the hills? Did I ever think for one minute that running was way more rewarding when moving without headphones?

Would I ever have thought that leaving at 6am for a short run would have me sighting deer, buzzards, foxes, pheasants etc, or that out of choice these days I’d prefer a UK based short break destination in a nature-based rural setting to a long-haul destination in the sun!

Since that autumn Southdown’s Way 100 mile trek I have gone on to complete the same route in just two day’s running and one day cycling the same course to fulfil my personal goal of the 321 personal challenge.

Being closer to nature has made me realise the beauty of simplicity, the ‘no need for greed’ culture and the need to be totally at one with our primal environment and why we were born to run… so much so that earlier this year we chose to give up our city living conveniences and move to a more rural environment, a property in Findon, West Sussex which will offer short term accommodation to hikers, runners, trekkers and cyclist who wish to seek a doorway to the wonders of our countryside.

This facility, The Vale House Retreat, will be open from spring 2023.

It’s never too late to step out of your comfort zone and change ingrained lifelong habits typically we become complacent in our midyears and my journey has taught me that the combination of taking one’s blinkers off and setting new goals doesn’t have to mean expensive new interests.

By challenging my own limitations, I’ve reached goals I’d never have thought possible a realisation that I’ve become a far better and healthier person by pushing and understanding myself and my surroundings, so much so that I’ve chosen to change my surrounds to suit the new me.

Making changes has helped me discover new things about myself and in turn I’ve become a very different person opening my eyes to what we have on our doorsteps and appreciating them fully has resulted in a radical change to many of my old habits, such as buying locally and organically wherever possible and becoming tee-total for over 20 months.

Being motivated by others started my life changing journey; new habits keep me growing a wife who wanted to appreciate our time together more fully, a daughter who wanted me around for as long as possible for our grandsons and a son who planted that Southdown’s Way seed… they were the catalysts that set me on a path of constantly evolving enrichment.

WORDS: TOBY FORER IMAGES: TOBY FORER

NATURE ' S TONICS

MEDICAL MARVELS

During a recent episode of TV series Doc Martin, the grouchy and astonishingly direct doctor approached a herbalist, who had newly arrived in their village, and questioned her medical practices.

She retaliated by questioning his use of modern medicine, vaccines, and when he championed his science over her folk lore, she snatched three bottles of ingredients off her shelf and asked him to name the common link between them.

The answer he gave was that they were all plant based. She agreed and pointed out that most of the medicines that he was using were, in fact, synthesized versions of plant-based medicines.

To a degree she was right, and so was he.

Many of todays ‘mainstream’ medicines are synthesized versions of plantbased originals, willow bark to Aspirin, being a case in point, the clinical advantage of the synthesized medicine being the mass production of the product and consistency of the dose. If the Doctor prescribes 100ml you’ll get 100ml.

The use of plants, trees and herbs for medicine stretches back beyond our written history. However, for this article we’ll take the classical period as a starting point leaving the question of who was the first to try to cure a particular health problem by eating a particular plant for history to know and for us to wonder about.

From their writings we certainly know that the Greeks and the Egyptians were familiar with plant products in medicinal form. Diocles for example is known to have written a herbal (an instruction book on the choice and preparation of herbal remedies) in the 4th century BC.

Theophrastus, C371BC, not only lists plants, peony, and mandrake for example, he also recommends ways of harvesting them. One should thrice draw circles round the mandrake and cut it facing west. One should dance in circles round the second piece cut and say as much as possible about sex.

I must admit that I have difficulty in imagining my local pharmacist preparing his elixirs using that technique. Out of interest, peony was considered useful in the treatment of the falling sickness (epilepsy) and mandrake for purging phlegm, easing painful eyes, and causing sleep. #

Theophrastus wrote around eighteen books purely on plants and trees alone which still held an influence right up until the 1500’s and he is rightly considered to be the father of botany.

Later in history the Egyptians employed plants and herbs extensively in preventative medicine, not just treatment, although perhaps the most famous feature of an Egyptian individual, eye shadow, was mineral based.

Using galena to make kohl they would spread this around the eyes to give the famous ‘panda’ look which not only served as a fashion statement but also reduced the glare from the sun and repelled flies thus helping to prevent damage to and infection of the eyes.

There is no doubt that the use of opium, from the poppy, was known to the Egyptians for its pain killing properties as was the water-lily which also had analgesic benefits but one remarkable entry in the papyrus acquired by Georg Ebers at Luxor in 1873, and which dates to 1550 BC, includes this advice: When you examine a man with an irregular wound, and that wound is inflamed, and there is a concentration of heat…… then you must make cooling substances for him to draw down the heat….the leaves of the willow.

The willow, of course, contains salicylic acid on which Aspirin is based. This would have certainly eased the pain and reduced inflammation. But, applied as a poultice, the Egyptians saw this as being cooling which reflects the idea of the humours as expounded by the Greek philosopher Hippocrates.

Every element was either hot, cold, dry, or moist and the medicine was applied according to this principle.

Many Roman physicians were Greek or of Greek origin and thus we see the Greek medicinal principles being followed and promoted by them.

This even extended to the gods and the god Asclepius was said to have been taught the practise of herbal medicine by the centaur Cheiron who used the plants that grew upon the slopes of Mount Pelion.

In practise this meant that the Romans had inherited a vast knowledge of natural healing from the Greeks and at its height the Roman Empire would see the trade in medicinal plants extend across the known world.

Some very humble vegetables that were traded are still familiar to us today. Cato, for example, extols the usefulness of cabbage and writes ‘It promotes digestion and is an excellent laxative.

If you wish to drink deep at a banquet and to enjoy your dinner eat as much raw cabbage as you wish, seasoned with vinegar, before dinner … and it will make you feel as if you have not dined.’ A lesson for us all. It was also considered beneficial as a dressing for ulcers and suppurating wounds.

Galen, the great 1st century Roman physician and writer of a 10 volume medical corpus, was one who supported the doctrine of signatures, a theory that plants or the parts of plants that resembled parts of the body could be used to treat an illness in that part. In the 1500’s, Jakob Bohme developed this idea and cemented its acceptance by suggesting that God had done this to identify what plant could be used for what ailment.

For example, the leaves of St John’s Wort resemble the skin therefore they could be used to treat skin complains. Lungwort for lung disease, mushrooms for ear problems and so on.

Of course, growing medicinal plants in specific areas had been commonplace since the early medieval period with ‘gardens of physic’ being established within the grounds of the palaces, manors and cathedrals that were springing up across the land.

Monks and nuns especially were to become expert at diagnosing illness and recommending treatments using medicines derived from their gardens. At a cost, of course.

In 1853 Charles Gerhadt experimented with Willow and by adding certain compounds produced what was to become known as Aspirin. Bayer co., further developed this and in 1897 Aspirin became a popular medicine for treating headaches and inflammation.

Over the years its popularity waxed and waned as other products came on the market but in the mid-20th century it was recognized that Aspirin had other properties among which the treatment of heart attack and stroke stands notable.

The willow is not alone in providing a basis for modern medicines. From the foxglove comes digitalin. Pinitol stems from the bougainvillea and quinine, as many gin and tonic afficionado’s will know, hails from the chinchona ledgeriana. All these modern medicines from plants, trees, and herbs.

Today it is suggested that there is a cure for everything in nature, echoing Hippocrates view that ‘nature itself is the best physician’ however perhaps we should add ‘providing we don’t make it extinct before we need it.’

WORDS: ROGER MORGAN IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND

Have you finished watching ‘Frozen Planet‘ and are still craving a video graphic slice of the natural world?

Well, forget Netflix and I-Player, here’s WOOP WOOP’s top picks of YouTube documentaries for this quarter.

All four of our choices are a celebration of successful animal and human partnerships. A true depiction of what happens when we work with the wildlife around us, and not against it.

And the best bit is, you can order all of these fruits of the sea from the comfort of your home via Hampers and postal boxes.

THE SHELDRICK TRUST - 40 YEARS ON

From the Grass roots beginnings that started with the first orphan elephants in her bedroom right up to the current reintroduction programme, this short film celebrates Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s love story and legacy with the Tsavo elephants spanning 40 years.

Home footage within the film shows that these 40 years were very much a family affair, but one that extends beyond just humans. We have an Intimate look into how each rescued elephant becomes a true and trusted friend which Dame Daphne simply describes as ‘an enormous privilege’.

What started as ‘Taming the wildness’ quickly transformed into the protecting of it, when endless Ivory and poaching saw the population of Tsavo elephants drop from 43 thousand to just 6 thousand. It was only by Sheer determination and the Relentless protection of the elephants and their birth right to a free life, that saw the population saved from being wiped out completely.

What we understand from this film is the Unbreakable bond between guardian and animal; as Dame Sheldrick so aptly puts it ‘you reap what you sow’.

When the rest of the world was quiet, nature stayed awake and thrived!

This short documentary from ‘The Biome Project’ was filmed during the 2020 lock-down and perfectly represents how the Natural world flourished in the absence of man made stressors.

Without cars, active woodland management and light pollution we see a quieter world, with animals showcasing new behaviours and a braver attitude.

Otter cubs playing in the rivers, foxes hunting in daylight and dippers (the UK’s only aquatic songbird) appearing in plain sight.

As the narrator suggests, this documentary highlights how important it is that we start to Reassess our bond with nature and how we can better live beside it in harmony.

WILDLIFE OVER LOCK-DOWN - THE BIOME PROJECT.

A true Ode to the natural world that lays right on our doorsteps, this film is a must watch for any budding naturalist, photographer or explorer and a reminder that untamed places can still be found on our own shores.

The film is a love letter to the varied and diverse ecosystems that can be found in our hedgerows, woods and meadows and showcases why it is so important to protect them.

Filmed in the wild corners around his village, the narrator creates a gentle but honest depiction of UK wildlife whilst celebrating the bond between the watcher and the subject in the process: From badgers to Muntjacs, native wildlife is given a friendly face.

This beautiful documentary is a poignant reminder of the quiet world going about their business right under our noses.

This short film is a call to arms for our last remaining wild cat species in the UK.

A Visual delight that celebrates the Scottish wilderness as much as the wild cats who call it home and heralds these ferocious, busy tailed creatures as the true guardians of the Scottish wild places.

Undoubtedly, the wild cats are tough cookies with a notorious reputation for being the most aggressive cat species in the world and un-tameable, but They are also elusive and secretive and have a unique niche within the ecology of the Scottish Highlands.

This film showcases the Pioneering projects that are being undertaken to ensure the safe return of wild populations and the work of the guardians who are passionate about seeing this cat return to the highlands.

BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE - STEPHEN DE VERE

THE LAST HIGHLAND TIGER - BUDDHA AND THE WHALE PRODUCTIONS

A TALE OF TWO TURTLES

ANGLESEY SEA ZOO | WALES

If you go down to the beach today…you could be in for a big surprise!

No teddy bears’ picnic perhaps, but you may find other furry or feathery namesakes such as goose barnacles, a sea mouse…maybe even a turtle?!

Whether the British coast is on the doorstep or somewhere to visit seasonally for a holiday or weekend break, many people consider the seashore as a place to go on sunny days or in the warmer months. But in fact, Autumn and early winter is a perfect time to put your waterproof and wellies on and head down to your local shoreline, blow the cobwebs away and see what weird and wonderful flotsam and jetsam from far-flung places have been washed up by the first winter storms.

Beachcombing is a fascinating way to learn more about the diversity of marine life in our British seas and further afield. Even commonplace marine debris such as intact urchin cases and oyster shells, top-shells and cowries are wonderful marine treasures and beautifully polished colourful pieces of sea worn glass of all sizes are well worth foraging under the seaweed and rocks for. Twists of old driftwood and sea sponges are an exciting find. More intriguing objects such as egg cases of dog whelks or cat sharks, cuttlefish bones and the bristly skeleton of the sea mouse may require some detective work for the first-time beachcomber who is unfamiliar with our British species.

November and December are great months for beach combing as the first storms of the season have often brought some weird and exciting finds from deeper offshore waters or distant coasts. Goose barnacles are a great example, and these eerie looking filter-feeding crustaceans can be found after storms in huge clumps lying on the shoreline still attached to ropes, buoys, and other flotsam such as driftwood which they have colonised out at sea, having been broken free through the battering of the stormy seas and eventually carried ashore.

Although relatively common offshore, these creatures are most often washed up in the autumn and winter during stormy weather and are rarely seen during the rest of the year. In medieval times, before the concept of bird migration was recognised, it was believed that barnacle geese developed from goose barnacles, a confusion which was probably as a result of the similarities in colour and shape, and the fact that the barnacles when washed up on shore appear droopy and resemble the head and neck of the geese.

Sea beans are another interesting find. These smooth and glossy seeds are adapted for long distance dispersal by water and have an exotic look to them. They are produced by tropical trees on far away islands or coasts, and they can be found on distant beaches such as ours here after drifting thousands of miles through ocean currents. Some species of plants such as coconuts rely on this method of seed dispersal to establish themselves on previously barren islands and consequently sea beans are of interest to scientist studying oceanic currents.

However, on occasion, the first winter storms have been known to wash up marine debris far more exciting and precious than any of these.

On 16th November 2016 after several days of rough weather, a man was walking his dog along his local beach Tan-Y-Foel on the edge of the Menai Strait by Anglesey Sea Zoo when he saw what looked like a large and oddshaped rock on the strand-line ahead of him.

As he got closer, he was amazed to see that the object appeared to be a sea turtle, and as he watched it moved very slightly! He immediately ran up to the Anglesey Sea Zoo to notify the staff there, who went down to the beach and transported the turtle back to the Sea Zoo for assessment and treatment. This sea turtle was appropriately named ‘Menai’ and she has since proved to be one of the most incredible findings ever on our British shores.

Menai was found in the sea at a temperature of 8 degrees centigrade and she was severely dehydrated, hypothermic and malnourished. Within hours she was identified as an Olive Ridley Sea turtle, which is a tropical species found in warm waters around the equator at 2530 degrees centigrade.

The exact journey which Menai took through the ocean currents before being washed up on our beach in the Irish Sea is not known, but as the nearest populations of her species are found in the Southern Atlantic in the equatorial waters around French Guiana and Gabon, she must have covered at least 8,000 miles during her journey to our shores.

This makes Menai a record-breaking turtle, and she is the first of her species ever to be found that far North of the equator, and the first Olive Ridley turtle ever recorded anywhere in Great Britain since records began in 1748.

We have to make some assumptions about Menai’s journey based upon what we know of the Atlantic currents and her condition when she was found.

We believe that she was following warm currents northwards in the Southern Atlantic to feed and she hit a storm in the ocean which sent her off course and resulted in her being swept further up into the north Atlantic gyre current which carried her clockwise further north into the colder waters of the Gulf Stream.

During this time, her body was rapidly getting colder and colder, so she went into torpor, a kind of emergency shutdown which occurs in reptiles when their body temperature suddenly drops below a survivable level. So as Menai was unable to feed or swim or even go up to the surface to breath, she was completely dependent upon where the currents took her.

This process probably took several weeks, hence her dehydrated and malnourished condition when she was finally washed ashore.

The fact that Menai survived her ordeal at all is nothing short of a miracle, and the fact that she washed ashore where she did and when she did, right outside the Anglesey Sea Zoo, can only be an incredible example of serendipity.

Had she been a ‘marine debris’ on another stretch of beach along this coast, where she had not been found or had the tide come in before she was rescued, she would never have been found alive and survived to be a recordbreaking individual.

Scans showed that Menai suffered lung damage as a result of holding her breath while she was in torpor and being carried on her journey, and the air that escaped into her body cavity as a result of this made her very buoyant, which may in turn have contributed to the vast distance she covered on her journey up through the Atlantic Ocean to the Irish Sea.

Incredibly, whilst in our care here at the Anglesey Sea Zoo, over a period of 7 months of hands-on rehabilitation, Menai made a full recovery from her near-death state and by the end of her stay she was guzzling several kilos of calamari a day and almost doubling our energy bills!

We then faced the task of planning her release, and that is where it became tricky as she was the first of her kind ever to strand in the UK. There was no protocol for onward rehabilitation or release for Olive Ridley turtles from the UK.

With no contacts of our own at rescue centres abroad, we were advised to send Menai to a prerelease rehabilitation centre in Gran Canaria where many Mediterranean logger-head turtles have been successfully released locally after surviving cold stranding in the UK.

At the end of June 2017, I flew Menai to Gran Canaria for pre-release habituation while we planned her satellite tagging and the complicated task of arranging her release further south in the equatorial Atlantic a few months later.

Sadly, she never settled there, she was buoyant and limp and not feeding, in a tank maintained at a temperature of 21oC. Tragicallly, Menai did not live to be released. While the local sea temperatures in Gran Canaria are perfect for the release of native loggerhead turtle species, which can tolerate a much wider temperature range, they proved unsuitable for an Olive Ridley turtle which needed constant tropical temperatures, and was still immunecompromised and in need of pre-release care.

Despite the gut-wrenching disappointment of Menai’s death, I was extremely proud of what we achieved in her rescue, recovery and rehabilitation.

Having worked on breeding turtle conservation projects abroad for several years, I had encountered and tagged hundreds of healthy adult turtles of several different species and released thousands of hatchlings into the sea, but I had never come across a turtle which was basically dead and needed reviving.

And none of my aquarium staff had ever encountered a living turtle of any kind. We are an entirely native aquarium, so we house only cold-water British species and had no facility for keeping a full-sized tropical turtle!

A turtle in cold shock needs very specific treatment. Initially, if it stays too cold for too long, or warms up too quickly, it will die. It cannot lift its head to breathe so it can drown. For the first few weeks it needs constant round-the-clock, hourly care and attention. Fortunately, I had several years of similar hands-on work saving other endangered species to fall back on, and a team who were keen and willing to give their time, and to listen and learn.

We not only coped, we excelled. We sought advice, followed it to the letter, kept meticulous notes and records every minute of every day and acted upon any results. We got media coverage and crowd-funding, we converted tanks and systems and moved heaven and earth to temporarily house a fully-grown turtle in tropical temperatures of over 25oC. We saved a turtle which had cold-stranded with severe complications and was considered un-saveable.

And although we came out of it devastated and without the result we wanted for Menai, we were armed with all the knowledge and experience and global turtle contacts needed to be UK cold-stranded turtle experts.

On 30th November 2021, almost exactly 5 years (within a week or so) of the day Menai stranded, we had a callout for a cold-stranded tropical turtle on Talacre Beach in North Wales, a few miles up the coast. A man walking his dog had found what looked like a rock covered in seaweed, then he realized it was a turtle, but he assumed it was dead, so only after he got home and showed his wife the photos did he call to report his finding.

Fortunately, despite several hours on a beach and a sea temperature of 6 oC, the turtle was still alive – just!

And thus, we came to have our second cold-stranded tropical turtle, even more rare and precious than the first.

We have called it ‘Tally’ as it is a juvenile, around 45 years old, so as yet too small to be definitely identified as a male or female, but current measurements suggest most likely a female and so we are assuming that to be the case.

Tally is a Kemps Ridley turtle, which makes her extremely precious indeed.

The Kemps Ridley is the world’s most endangered species of sea the turtle, they breed on only one beach, Rancho Nuevo in Northern Mexico and today there are just 70009000 breeding females remaining.

In the 1990’s this critically endangered species was reduced to around’ 200 females and dedicated conservation efforts since then have increased the population, so it is teetering very slightly further from the brink of extinction today, but still every individual is extremely precious.

We applied the experience we gained with Menai to Tally’s rescue and rehabilitation and now, almost a year on, we have a strong, fully recovered juvenile turtle with a healthy appetite for live crabs.

This time round we have our own experience and contacts to fall back on and we have established plans to fly Tally back to the Gulf of Mexico for immediate release back into the wild when the legal paperwork is finalized, and the sea temperature is warm enough in the spring.

In the meantime, we are establishing protocols which will enable us to fly and release any future rehabilitated turtles, whatever their species, more safely and efficiently,and planning fund-raising to build a permanent facility dedicated to tropical turtle rescue and rehabilitation – which currently does not exist anywhere in the UK.

When Tally is released back into the wild, she will be satellite tagged and we hope she will give us a glimpse of what these incredible and rare juvenile turtles get up to during the years of their most rapid growth. And after her ordeal, we sincerely hope that she’ll avoid getting caught up in any more crazy Atlantic storms – hopefully if she is ever found on a beach again it will be when she is hauling up to lay eggs in one of the ‘rookeries’ on Rancho Nuevo in the warm waters of Northern Mexico.

Global warming is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of Atlantic storms every autumn, and thanks to conservation efforts there are an ever-increasing number of juvenile Kemps Ridley turtles hanging around on the floating mats of sargassum seaweed in the mid Atlantic around the Gulf of Mexico. This means that we are likely to see an increase in the instance of Kemps Ridley turtle cold-strandings here over the next few years, but we will be ready for them!

So, whilst enjoying your beach combing and seashore ramblings this autumn, remember to keep an extra eye out and an open mind for any unexpected marine treasures – you never know exactly what you might find!

And if by any chance it is a turtle, please don’t hesitate to give us a call!

IMAGES: FRANKIE HOBRO CEO | Anglesey Sea Zoo

WORDS: FRANKIE HOBRO CEO | Anglesey Sea Zoo

WHO WAS SHE ?

SOMEWHERE IN WALES

The last golden eagle found dead in Wales, a story that I have followed, but also one that has made me raise my eyebrows.

I was under the impression that golden eagles had been extinct from the Welsh countryside since the mid 1800’s and yet, for some reason, this lone golden eagle had been flying in the Welsh countryside.

When on the 6th of August 2020 she was found by a walker, laying dead in a stream deep in the Ceredigion hills, the story of the ‘last golden eagle living in Wales’ started to circulate.

Whilst many people were saddened by the death of this eagle, there was a more important issue in the background that was never really raised; Where did she come from and why was she allowed to fly free in the countryside for 12 years?

I often think to myself many people used her freedom as a PR stunt to promote other agendas, as the truth is she was not wild at all.

The first thing to consider is, how did she survive out of captivity for over ten years? The uplands of Wales are devoid of any small prey that form a eagles’ staple diet; like for example, mountain hares.

Was she being fed by locals during her life on the barren landscape of the Cambrian hills?

If she was, then why and what were the benefits for her of individuals doing this, outside of being able to catch a glimpse of ‘the last eagle’ in Wales.

I have to also ask, what would we really learn from a single eagle flying around in the Welsh countryside? It does not give us any true indication of how the species would benefit from being there and equally, what its purpose would be to the ecology of the Welsh countryside.

Unfortunately she also had no partner to breed with, so she was always going to carry the ‘last eagle in Wales’ moniker if she had indeed been a part of a release programme, a breeding pair would’ve been essential to a successful ‘reintroduction’ project.

This also undoubtedly sends the wrong message that Wales is a truly wild place; another publicity stunt used by many people to promote something that has no true real meaning.

A single eagle does not make the countryside a wilderness but instead acts as a totem that encourages people to grossly exaggerate what does exist.

Why did she escape and where from?

If she was from a private collection, who owned her and why was this person not reprimanded on animal welfare grounds? It is unquestionable that the original owner did not care for her because she was out for so long with no intervention; A young captive eagle flying around is not an ideal situation for any exotic animal owner.

Most importantly, where did the person who lost her even get this young bird from? Golden Eagles are not the kind of animal that you can purchase on a whim from Pets at Home.

These are the real questions we need to be asking, instead of using her to fool the general public into thinking that this was the ‘last Welsh golden eagle’ whilst knowing that she was not ever a truly wild bird.

Her autopsy report states that she was shot at least twice with pellets. This alone raises other issues on illegal wildlife crime in the countryside. According to media reports it was actually a rat that had been laced with a poison that had killed her. I am not sure how many rats would be living up on the open moors that a wild golden eagle would truly hunt for. This again tells us that she may have been around more suburban areas whilst being supplemented with food.

When the story hit the headlines, we were informed about the pellets and poison, but there was no mention in the press about the rings that were on her legs; why were these never brought up in the media? These rings could hold the key to where she had come from, especially if they were illegal. This would then open more doors to confirm her true identity and if she even came from the UK at all.

Now that should be the story.

I would like to think the time she was free was far better than her original home. She had freedom, had space to fly and express herself; she even gave many people inspiration. But now she has gone, what of her origins and what has been done to get to the bottom of her being left alone to fend for herself for so long?

Why we have never really explored the REAL TRUTH behind the death of ‘The last golden Eagle in Wales’ is a story which makes me raise my eyebrows in astonishment once again.

WORDS: LEWIS PHILLIPS IMAGES: ELIOTT BULPETT | LEWIS PHILLIPS

There are missing pieces to this jigsaw that we should be considering:

ZOYSA

EXMOOR ZOO | DEVON | ENGLAND

In memoriam of Zoysa, the last captive black leopard in the UK

‘After a twelve-week prolonged period of palliative care Exmoor Zoo is sad to announce the death of “Zoysa”, the last captive black (melanistic) leopard in the UK.

Zoysa had reached a good age of 18 years of which the last thirteen of these have been spent with us at Exmoor. He outlived his wife Ebony who died last year again to age related natural causes.

Danny Reynolds the Zoo’s director and trustee said” Zoysa was a special one-of-a-kind leopard.

Hand reared by Jimmy Clubb in 2004 he just absolutely loved people and was always waiting for visitors to entertain him as they walked around the zoo. His death will leave a big hole especially for those keepers and volunteers who have cared for him over the years”.

Captive black leopards date back to the Victorian era and seem to be the archetypal “big cat” that purportedly still roam free in the UK. Over the years their sightings have decreased but even today reliable reports of their sightings still occur.

The zoo will enter a respectful period of mourning and over this winter a decision will be made if we will continue with this species. There are a relative few (less than 5 in European zoos) and the enclosure opened by Mr. Trevor Beer M.B.E a former local renown naturalist will be refurbished during the winter.

A sad day but also one to celebrate a life well lived and to remember all the joy and fascination he bought to our visitors.’

WORDS: COURTESY OF EXMOOR ZOO IMAGES: COURTESY OF EXMOOR ZOO

PEREGRINE FALCONS

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL | SALISBURY | ENGLAND

The peaceful city of Salisbury is home to one of the UK’s finest cathedrals.

This skilfully designed towering structure sits at the centre of a labyrinth of tree lined streets and is flanked by ‘Arundells’, the home of ex-prime minister, Sir Edward Heath. Salisbury Cathedral is also the home to some unlikely tenants from the animal world.

On top of the 123-metre-high roof is a well-established and thriving nesting site for one of the UK’s most iconic native Birds of prey: the Peregrine falcon.

Whilst the Falcons have been ever-present at the cathedral, initially they used to only over-winter at the site and in the early springtime, they would leave. Phil Sheldrake, a local to Salisbury and employee of the RSPB at the time, saw a glimmer of potential to make the part-time falcons, full time residents at the cathedral and in turn also start to aid the conservation of a once prominent native species. Peregrine populations were at their lowest point in the 1960’s due to human persecution and impact of pesticides in the food chain.

After gaining approval from the Cathedral’s authority, Phil Sheldrake proposed and implemented the construction of a nesting box to encourage the peregrines to make the cathedral a permanent roost. The peregrine’s natural nesting spot, also known as an eyrie, are often cliff ledges, quarries, or other undisturbed locations of high elevation, this is due to these spaces being inaccessible to predators; the remote locations means that it is harder for birds such as corvids to take the eggs from nests. Due to elevation of 123 metres, the cathedral is a perfect inter-city alternative to a cliff face.

Whilst we may not realise it, Peregrines using man-made structures as nesting sites is rife all over the UK; The Tate Modern in London, Arndale shopping centre in Manchester and the Cardiff clock tower are a few of the locations across the country that Peregrines will return too, to nest each year. Salisbury cathedral was however the first urban location to lead the charge with the implementation of man-made nest boxes.

In 2012, after identifying an accessible level surface close to the cathedral’s spire, the first Peregrine falcon nesting box was put up - but not used. The following year, another location was tried for the box, this time on a level surface on the southern side of the cathedral. Whilst again, the box was not used the falcons did lay eggs, only in the wrong place!

Choosing instead to lay their clutch on the concrete of the roof where there was no adequate nesting material, the eggs inevitably rolled apart, making a successful hatching unlikely. A temporary box was quickly constructed to keep the eggs together and allow them to be incubated successfully. Whilst this may at first seem to be another failure, what this informed the team was where a suitable spot for a future nesting box was.

It was continued patience, swift adaptation and simple trial and error that finally led to success. Sure enough, in 2014 a breeding pair used the nesting box in the new location and the Salisbury Cathedral Peregrine project has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The Peregrine is an undeniably charismatic and wonderfully designed bird; it is supremely suited to its niche in the eco-system as a predator of the skies. The falcons at the Cathedral soon captured the imagination of the public; telescopes were set up in the grounds of the Cathedral to show the visitors the birds in a more personal light. This was a rare opportunity to see a bird of prey up close and personal; people were able to witness and follow the fledging and feeding of new chicks and this went down with great acclaim.

In Lockdown 2020 a video camera was installed at the next-box so that visitors could continue to watch the nests on the cathedral’s website and follow the fortunes of the birds, of which many had become so invested in. This is ‘nature in action’ at its purest, and the audience are a community who understand the value of this tiny window to the natural world. An poignant example of how man and nature can work in balance in balance with the wildlife on their doorstep.

This continued public engagement in one species acts a beneficial hook for wider conservation work; especially that which is geared towards the more vulnerable native wildlife. Often when visitors ask about the Cathedral’s falcons, it is an opportunity to also point out the work that the RSPB is doing with the stone curlew. The UK’s rarest migratory species located on Salisbury plain, a mere stones throw from the cathedral; due to its defensive camouflage and prey instinct, the stone curlew is a species that very few people will see, or indeed know exists.

The Cathedral falcons have successfully fledged 21 juveniles between 2014 – 2022, with only 4 recoveries. Banding young birds with darvic rings allows the programme to track movements and safeguard the birds; cathedral falcons have been sighted as far away as Jersey, identifiably pure due to these rings. Darvic rings are metal bands that sit on the birds leg and contains a list of unique numbers and an address that can allow the bird to be identified. Orange and blue tags also allow bird watchers to read the ring as an identifier and update movements of the birds independently. A useful tool in not just monitoring the birds, but also encouraging community engagement.

The necessity of these rings was made apparent in 2014, when a bird was recovered after being shot. It was identified as a falcon that came from a Salisbury Cathedral clutch ,and the Hawk Conservancy Trust was able to initiate a rehabilitation programme and eventual re-release of the bird; the individual has now been spotted breeding in Hampshire.

Fledging usually looks much like an unceremonious glide before the bird will eventual maintain flight. Unlike in more inaccessible environments, often if the fledge is not successful for the cathedral falcons, they will have a 2nd chance and are taken back up to the tower to the nesting site for a second attempt; there are a host of Volunteers on a rota who will manage and ensure the safety of the fledglings. Only one third of Peregrine fledgelings will make it through their first winter.

In 2017, only 1 egg of a clutch laid at the cathedral had hatched. The team received a phone call from the RSPB explaining that they had recovered 3 unidentified chicks from a nest in Derbyshire; the mother was presumed to have been poisoned. The fate of the youngsters from this nest hung in the balance; the team has two options, either to leave nature to run its course or to introduce them into already existing brood at the Cathedral. This was something that had never been tried with Peregrines before, so when the mother left the cathedral to hunt, the opportunity was seized.

The three new hatchlings were lowered into the nest to await her return; the team waited with baited breath to see if they would be accepted. This experimental effort was another success for the cathedral falcons, as the female peregrine soon began brooding the chicks quite happily and they eventually fledged successfully that year. By chance, BBC Springwatch was also filming a segment on the Salisbury Cathedral falcons at the time. They covered this intense episode on their programme, which was not only added exposure for the Peregrine Falcon species but the segment also won the ‘Viewers Watch’ vote.

Man’s interventions have altered the natural balance and food chain for species like the Peregrine falcons drastically, so it is crucially important that we also adapt our own methodologies to maintain an ecological balance once more. Phil Sheldrake and The Salisbury Cathedral’s work with the Peregrines is a fitting example of how manipulating the present environment, but directing that ability in a positive manner, can work for both humans and animals.

INTERVIEW: PHILIP SHELDRAKE Senior Advisor | Natural England

WORDS: FAITH MILLWARD

IMAGES: COURTESY OF MARY THOMAS PR & Travel Trade | Salisbury Cathedral

Avian Influenza is a serious problem in the UK and one that becomes more prevalent each year.

Lewis Phillips delves into how the spread of HPAI has arrived on UK shores and what it means for native and captive bird species across Britain.

AVIAN INFLUENZA

A GLOBAL ISSUE

Avian Influenza or Avian Flu has been around for over 100 years. The first record of this disease known technically as HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza)was in 1878, when people noticed a disease in poultry which showed differences from other illnesses and it caused many deaths. From 1959 to 1995, the HPAI viruses was recorded on 15 occasions, but losses were minimal.

The situation worsened between 1996 and 2008 when HPAI returned at least 11 times, with 4 of these occasions causing tens of millions of birds to be infected. The current epidemic however is far worse than the ones from the recent past.

It is now estimated to have covered 3 continents with up to 60 countries being affected and hundreds of millions of birds have died.

The avian flu normally visits the UK in the winter months as migratory birds move south and west from North Eastern Europe and Asia.

What is HPAI

Avian influenza shows many characteristics of other influenza infections and can adapt and be transmitted from animal to people. This only happens rarely and needs close contact from an infected bird, so it is considered to be a low risk to humans.

It is very noticeable in waterfowl and sea bird colonies especially, however it can be found in birds of prey that may have predated a bird infected with HPAI. Peregrines are susceptible to catching AI by eating infected prey such as migratory ducks.

In birds the disease can very quickly spread through contact with infected mucus, saliva and faeces. HPAI affects colonial nesting birds, it causes dyspnea (chronic breathing issues), compromises digestion and leads to death. Similar to covid it mutates creating new strains that causes more issues than previous strains.

The risk to humans.

The symptoms of bird flu in humans can take around 3 to 5 days to show. Indications are bleeding nose or gums, short of breath, headache, diarrhoea. Serious infections can lead to pneumonia and other severe respiratory issues, so getting advice early is important if you have been in close contact with infected birds.

What is being done?

Like any severe issue that affects us procedures are being put into practice, however the measures being put into place are not as effective as they could be. Control zones, surveillance zones on just locations where infection has been found and bio-security used around property where birds are kept can be enhanced. England has a housing law in place, this is where all birds in large flocks are kept under cover so the risk of catching the virus is reduced, Wales however has, at he time of writing,decided that a housing order should not be in place.

The Welsh government believe there is more risk in transmitting the disease by foot from location to location, they have obviously not thought about the fact that a gaggle of wild geese flying over outdoor flocks is a risk. Some poultry farmers in Wales, I imagine, are scratching their heads at to why this restriction has not been brought in. By not having flocks indoors means the risk of spread is far more likely. I wonder if it would be different if their own livelihoods were at risk. Scotland have their own rules in place.

Like covid we are all doing things differently and is there really any benefit to this other than political tit for tat?

The impact of HPAI.

The impact of the disease over last two years have been much more significant, which in turn has caused many impacts on several businesses and poultry producers.

Commercial housed poultry that produces food for human consumption like chicken, turkey and ducks are being hit extremely hard, with significant losses of livestock and financial ruin. Once HPAI is apparent to be of threat all livestock must be kept inside under cover, the same applies to bathing quarters and drinking fluids, to cut the risk of contamination by wild birds droppings. It only takes one bird to have been infected and the virus can pass through a whole flock at a rapid pace. When HPAI is located in a commercial flock or a private collection the birds are humanly culled by the relevant authorities.

A protection zone of 3 km is put around the infected site and a number of controls must be implemented. Visitor movement is restricted, there has to be careful monitoring and strict bio-security.

Outside the 3 km zone a surveillance zone of 10 km is designated, the measures in this zone are not as strict but still must be complied, if these regulations are ignored authorities can legally prosecute for failure to comply.

For the Zoo and animal attraction industries, this has meant flying displays cannot take place and a rethink of enclosure design is necessary. Flying birds could bring issues such as wild birds possibly mixing with the captive birds in demonstrations. Bathing and drinking water within enclosures needs to be kept under a roof so that droppings cannot contaminate the water.

From a falconry/sporting perspective it is advised not to hunt birds but no directives are set by the government unless the possibility of transmission is high. For example if you are flying falcons that take gulls and ducks the risk is much higher.

The UK tourism industries that rely on income from bird watchers and other visitors wanting to see a sea bird colony are being asked not to visit sites such as the Farne Islands and Bass Rock. This may limit the spread of the disease by visitors on their shoes, but also reduces disturbance on already compromised and declining breeding colonies.

For those, like myself who keep birds and display them to the public, this brings a number of issues to daily routines including closing my business during the winter months, a decision solely made by me. I run a conservation outdoor experience business where I have a number of birds, from owls to vultures. During the season of March until October I take the public out on 4000 acres of land that we fly on. This landscape offers mixed environments to suit each species. With HPAI I take the decision to keep them in for their safety during the winter months. The risk of mingling with wild birds during this period to me, is a risk not worth taking.

So again, our family have made the decision not to visit our local park where there are hundreds of ducks and geese, many of which are non-native. This means we lower the risk of bringing the disease home on our shoes. We all dip our feet when entering the property in disinfectant, this also includes anyone else visiting the property. I am really the only one allowed in the housing area, again to keep the risk of spread lower.

One issue I have found though, during winter months, is many flocks of geese flying overhead at morning and night. They fly in early morning to our local park where they are continuously fed by the public, who have no real ideas of the risks it causes to business and industries; and why would they if the issues are not being raised. Then in the late afternoon, they fly back to their roosts possibly dropping contaminated faeces which may transmit the disease.

I have two children and understand how enjoyable it is feeding the birds at the park, I did it myself when I was a child, but these days we need to be aware of the potential disease transmission issues I wish local councils were more engaging with people in parks and I do not see any issue with foot dips on entrances and exits, in fact it sends a clear message and may keep the spread of HPAI down during winter months.

Is Avian Flu here to stay and what for the future?

Is HPAI here to stay?

In Europe and the UK, according to EFSA, [The European Food Safety Authority]. in the 2021/2022 season, 5300 cases have been reported. More concerning is that half of poultry outbreaks in Europe were due to secondary infection from infected poultry to other farms. With just under 2400 cases in domestic poultry, there has been an astonishing 46 million birds culled.

This continued persistence in the virus indicates that we may now find it endemic in our wild populations, which is a massive concern.

So are businesses going to be sustainable? Are we going to be producing enough food to feed our populations? With breeding colonies of sea-birds depleted, what is the future of these, that bring us such enjoyment.

We need to take a look at what is happening and start debating this as a serious issue. I believe the consequences are far greater than many appreciate. As the festive season moves closer it will be interesting to see how much turkey will be available compared to previous years. Will we even be able to purchase them in the future and at what cost to the consumer, and with the true possibility that it may now be endemic in the wild population.

Could we see a drastic change in the way view birds as part of our everyday life?

WORDS: LEWIS PHILLIPS

IMAGES: LEWIS PHILLIPS

SPOTTING A SLOW TRAIN CRASH

AN ESSAY

‘A lesson in why democracy is necessary to save our planet.’

HS2 is a dreadful aberration of the social contract.

This promised “high speed rail link from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and beyond” is already fifteen years late just six years in, and falling apart before one inch of track is laid. Plans are being laid bare for the waste of space they are, finances have been out of control right from the start, and crimes are being committed on a daily basis across the whole route. Government and indeed Parliament are at very long last considering what dreadful folly they have perpetrated on the British public and the land they live on.

The whole fantastical nightmare was born and nurtured in Parliament in ignorance of the people they serve. Only once, in 2011, did Parliament refer to the people with a public consultation, asking us what we thought about having a high speed rail dumped on us. The response was resounding, with many of the questions attaining upwards of 90% against. Right from the start the lack of popularity for this contraption was crystal clear. But, from then on, Parliament steadfastly ignored our consultation responses, our pleas, our warnings, our petitions and our protests, and never once let us vote on this behemoth that promises to swallow a third of our annual national budget.

The process through the Commons and Lords was marked by deceit, lies, half truths and fantasies. Every HS2 debate was marked by the attendance of no more than a handful of MP’s or Lords, followed by three line whipped voting with full chambers, with voting apparently guided by an authority more important than the People. Never once did Parliament avail itself of the true facts and figures behind the poisoned promises of high speed rail. Never were the ridiculous claims around economy, ecology or feasibility scrutinised. Indeed Parliament were quite deliberately but willingly misled on pretty much every facet of HS2.

Not until HS2 had been through those ungainly machinations and gained Royal Assent, did Labour, Conservative or Lib Dems dare to allow HS2 to appear on their manifestos.

Possibly the biggest single lie, is the raison d’etre for this slothful giant. This was never about a railway, even less about public transport, and much less still, about greening our economy. This has no reason beyond attempting to drive a growth economy using the only industry we have left capable of playing that role. Why such a devastating and corrupt industry should carry the epithet “construction” is a lie in itself. With the rife corruption and fantastically flimsy planning there seems little chance that pouring billions of tonnes of concrete will have any positive effect on the economy that is now so utterly trashed by Parliamentary incompetence.

Possibly the biggest single lie, is the raison d’etre for this slothful giant. This was never about a railway, even less about public transport, and much less still, about greening our economy. This has no reason beyond attempting to drive a growth economy using the only industry we have left capable of playing that role. Why such a devastating and corrupt industry should carry the epithet “construction” is a lie in itself. With the rife corruption and fantastically flimsy planning there seems little chance that pouring billions of tonnes of concrete will have any positive effect on the economy that is now so utterly trashed by Parliamentary incompetence.

Possibly the second biggest lie was that peddled by a succession of Secretaries of State for Transport, and the Civil Service supporting them about the financial probity, the lies telling of a controlled budget which had already ballooned to eye-watering nation-busting figures before the final go-ahead was signalled by Mr Johnson. Consider this: If Jesus Christ had, out of the goodness of his heart, thought to pay for the UK’s transport folly of follies, and if he had thought to pay for it at the rate of £1 per second……he wouldn’t now be even be half way.

Then there are the lies around ecology and the environment. Of course, a motorway size construction bulldozing its way across our landscapes was going to require something different, something that normal planning laws and processes were incapable of providing with any degree of efficiency. To get the HS2 Bill ratified required lowering many carefully constructed environmental safeguards. So, throw out all those laws and regulations, and turn the process on its head. HS2 had to provide an immensely detailed and comprehensive Environmental Statement that scrutinised the whole route, inch by inch, looking at all the deleterious effects that might occur with regard to wildlife, wildlife habitats, archaeology, communities, businesses and more. With that Statement complete and ratified, it became a part of the Act which Parliament voted for. With that Statement HS2 apparently gave Parliament confidence to give HS2 “deemed planning permission”. The whole project relies entirely for its legal existence on that Statement.

Pity then that, that Statement is so hopelessly flawed, contrived, based on outdated concepts and above all hopelessly incomplete. And even with those contrivances, they cannot offer any calculation that offers carbon neutrality within 120 years. As if it would last that long!

One blindingly obvious omission from that Statement is the 350 mile long rent in the countryside at times 2 miles wide, effectively shutting down all ecological connectivity across the route, with enormous impacts on all nearby ecosystems and habitats.

One blindingly obvious omission from that Statement are the risk assessments of the damage being done to the natural Mid Chiltern Chalk Aquifer that until now, has provided 22% of London with fresh, clean drinking water. Even now, the Environment Agency are regretting their connivance on this issue as HS2 recently issued warnings of a “new and unexpected pollution source” around piling works for the proposed Colne Valley Viaduct.

One blindingly obvious omission, is the huge gaping holes in their ecology surveys. Approximately 60% of the route has not been surveyed for bats, badgers, great crested newts and other endangered species.

One blindingly obvious omission are the qualifications of HS2’s ecologists.

One blindingly obvious omission is the consideration of the cramped and contorted space around Euston in which to construct a new station. Six designs have so far been thrown out, with no possibility of a workable construction within 5 times the stated budget. With such beginnings, it was unlikely at best, that HS2 works would be competent, efficient, socially aware, or ecologically safe.

This is the largest “construction” in Europe, pouring enough concrete to bury Greater Manchester and slicing a nature stopping gash from London to Manchester, Leeds and beyond. With foundations in an inept and ill-informed legislature blindly throwing money at the fiction of never-ending growth, things were never going to go well. Already, several major planks of HS2’s supposed viability have been sloughed. The HS1 link (a tantalising but hideously expensive ¼ mile away), the Heathrow Spur, the Golborn Spur, the connection to Leeds, the National cycle route alongside have all been reduced to dust.

Such negligence, such deceit, such fraudulence throughout Parliament could not of course occur without repercussions in the field. At every point along the route mistakes, errors of judgement, crimes against nature, crimes against society and people abound.

How many people live in a home that they have purchased by dint of hard work, careful planning and financial restraint. How many people believe that home is theirs, is their forever home, a place for them and no other. How many people have faced a Compulsory Purchase Order. You own nothing. Nothing will stop State seizing that home whenever State sees fit. Do not think “Not I, I’ll not hand them my keys, my home is paid for and if they want it they’ll have to pay handsomely!”

Too many broken and broken hearted souls came face to face with State solicitors and all lost. Those demonic solicitors are thugs and bullies that no society should accept. No soul newly bereft of their home, their business, their farm, their land, at the hands of this State machine are ever likely to be fully compensated. HS2 has no intention of finalising any compensation deal until two weeks after the first time-tabled trains run. They are already fifteen years late. HS2 are currently collapsing under their own bloated un-skeletoned mass. Will they ever complete?

How many times do HS2’s neighbours have Floodlights and flashlights illuminate their sleeping hours? How many of HS2’s neighbours near and far wait in ever more entangled traffic jams, delaying and shortening their work and precious home time? How many of HS2’s neighbours face harassment on a daily basis from a crude rude and ill informed security steeped in a self-entitlement conferred on them by Parliament? How many of HS2’s neighbours have been assaulted and beaten on their own land?

And what of Nature. What of the ecology that shares our environment, the biodiversity that above all else is the key to a sustainable future. What of the unsurveyed habitats, the trampled nature reserves, the ancient woodlands, the collapsed planting schemes, the continuous breaches of licence, the collapsing artificial badger setts, the delirious lusty revving of chain-saws waiting to ravage and eliminate all in a bloodthirsty frenzy?

What of the lies of mitigation (there is none!), and paltry misconstrued badly executed compensatory “new habitats”

What of the young inexperienced and often utterly unqualified ecologists who are the only official buffer between State terrorism of nature and that nature?

This has all happened to you, to me, to all of us. This has all been performed by an un-hearing, uninformed, deceitful Parliament. Parliament would have you believe this is all a figment of democracy. It isn’t! Of the People, for the People, by the People is long forgotten in Parliament, if it was ever heard at all.

How could protest not happen? With such dismal Parliamentary consideration of the People, and of the cherished landscape they inhabit, how could protest not happen? How could the People be expected not to take democracy into their own hands, where of course it truly belongs. Once the official methods were exhausted, and had borne no fruit, once all the petitioning had seized not one iota of comfort from a belligerent Parliament, the only option left was protest. Sadly, protest sits very uncomfortably on the shoulders of a public so entranced with the hollow panaceas of State, but there were enough of us.

It started in a small wood off Harvil Rd in Harefield on the far west boundaries of London six years ago. The indomitable and feisty Sarah Green of the local Green Party and a veteran of Greenham, first drew attention to perhaps the first on-the-ground criminal act by HS2 as she delayed the very first woodland felling (touted as a an ecological survey by HS2) by crawling under and thus immobilising a digger for nearly two days.

A camp was set up on the other side of the road, and for the first time HS2 met face to face with the Public Who Would Not Be Lied To.

The campaign thus started grew and grew, it demonstrated more and more clearly a public distaste of the dishonesty and unintelligent intransigence of HS2 and the State that created it. Over six years the campaign developed and flourished, fed on the ever growing evidence of crimes and nastiness of HS2. That evidence has been gathered and collated and has shown the truth of our cause in media, press and in court. The confrontations between protest and that State were of course at times brutal and rose in a crescendo of brutal suppression that only befits the denial of democracy that fostered HS2 in the first place.

Our protests have always been peaceful, they would be for nought otherwise. Our protests have always championed enlightenment and truth. Our protests have faced a terrible foe. For context, I refer you to the thousands of security employed by HS2 who flouted Covid laws, flouted human rights, flouted regulations and laws. Chief amongst them are the National Eviction Team, accepted to be “lawless thugs” in High Court, who have brought a traumatising level of vengeance to our truth telling. The police too, in particular Thames Valley Police have done nothing to facilitate peaceful protest, rather they sought to remove us with over 400 arrests over five years, for which they have won no more than 5 or 6 convictions that’s 395 false arrests of legal, legitimate protesters.

When a legislative body is faced with such consequences of sleazy decision making, and when laws they created and have in place are not protecting them, they have two options. New laws are being drafted aimed specifically at protest and the Human Rights involved. Do not make the mistake that Labour will be different, they have already pinned their flag and largely support these draft draconian laws that would not be out of place in Russia. The other option is to raise injunctions. If you can’t create the necessary laws in Parliament, buy a “law” to suit through the courts (Surely an admission of failure). These injunctions are now being thrown around like confetti. The HS2 campaign has just recently had the largest injunction imposed covering the whole route banning effective protest. We have now had several of our number imprisoned with considerable sentences, and massive fines amounting to several tens of thousands of pounds but no crime has been committed or proved.

In the last two years, the weight and viciousness of the suppression has taken a very heavy toll. Many of the those loving caring Public Who Would Not Be Lied To have been traumatised and have receded to a quieter place, at least for now. Others have moved on to further campaigns battling the same incongruities of State seen in differing guises. But our work against HS2 continues, although our numbers are much reduced. The mass of evidence we have gathered over the last six years will feed the courts for many years. Heads will roll.

Heads will roll and HS2 will come to a flailing hapless halt.

HS2 is intrinsically State…..System…..Big Brother and must be brought down. Protest is justified.

Facing up to a deceitful, vengeful State is what we must all do. Consider the Stonehenge tunnel, the road building, Silvertown, Sizewell and Hinkley. Not one given public consent.

Consider the laws being drafted right now to attempt to flay dissent to death.

That doesn’t happen in a democracy. That doesn’t happen because we are losing. That happens because we are winning. We are winning by grasping democracy and taking it as ours, for all the People. No Parliament, and indeed no Government across the world can face the People with truth and honesty at their side. No Parliament can face us down. And with the existential crisis we all face, the crisis that HS2 is so much a part of, protest must be seen as our right and must be grasped and cherished with all our hearts.

Do not be scared of taking action, be scared rather of not taking action.

WORDS: MARK KEIR

EMZOTIC

INFLUENCER - DENVER | COLORADO | USA

Emma Lock (or ‘Emzotic’) is an Animal Educator and content creator.

She is best known for her “Creature Feature” series on YouTube, and for her former work as a Zookeeper. Em is also the author of the book ‘Animal Kind’, which is a collection of true, short stories of pet ownership.

In 2018, Em released a limited edition necklace which raised thousands of dollars for Honey Bee conservation, and in 2020 she donated the profits made from her book to equip frontline workers in the fight against Covid19.

In 2021, Em assisted Douglas Thron, of the hit Curiosity Stream show ‘Doug to the Rescue’, in the effort to locate missing pets via infrared drone, following devastating wildfires in Colorado.

Em is also currently the Director of Partnerships for Zen Habitats a reptile enclosure company breaking the tradition of “minimum space requirements”, and is a board member for ‘The Biodiversity Group’, ‘AnimalCon USA’, and ‘The Flora Fauna Conference’.

We talk to ‘Emzotic’ about her career in animal education, her many pets and why she feels that social media can play a crucial role is aiding conservation effort.

I feel very grateful to have experienced so many diverse successes within Animal Education, but the one which stands out to me the most is sharing information that helps pet keepers of all kinds make more informed choices when caring for their beloved animals. There is so much outdated information on the internet and in books, so to be able to share new information and studies is something I’m proud of and grateful for.

What issues within conservation do you feel need to be addressed on a larger scale?

I feel more has to be done to encourage cat owners to take steps towards supervised outdoor play, leash-training their cats, and building “Catios” (cat patios) for their feline family members. Free-roaming cats devastate native wildlife populations, spread a plethora of diseases, and are often injured or lost when roaming away from home. It is a polarizing topic for sure, as it changes the centuries old narrative I’ve that cats are pets that can take care of themselves. We need to pivot our expectations away from convenience to accountability.

If you could make one change today to the world in terms of how humans engage with the natural world and wildlife, what would it be and why?

I’d change peoples need to touch, tame, or hold everything they see. So many wild animals are needlessly destroyed around the world every year after people feed them, which results in them losing their natural caution for humans. Wild animals should not be interfered with in the pursuit of a fleeting photo or video opportunity. I’d also encourage people not to attempt to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals that they aren’t equipped or experienced enough to care for. If you find an injured animal, it’s best to alert a professional to allow the animal the best chance of survival.

You have a large personal collection of animals What has been the most surprising and challenging to keep, and why?

This is a really great question! I’ve kept and worked with so many animals that many would consider risky, or a challenge, but I believe the most challenging have been highly intelligent species, such as parrots. There’s nothing more obvious and sad as a depressed or anxious bird, and finding ways to nurture and enrich (what is essentially) a perpetual 2 year old in a feather suit is a real challenge! We are attracted to parrots for so many reasons, such as their ability to mimic, and their beautiful plumage, but few truly have the time and patience a parrot deserves and needs in order to thrive.

What has been your biggest achievement so far within the animal education field?

Research is the key to a great pet ownership experience, and building a rewarding two-way relationship with the animal you eventually choose to commit to. One has to understand the “Why” behind wanting a pet. Is it for companionship, display, or a training challenge? This first question helps to eliminate so many exotic animals which wouldn’t suit your “why”. Then, think of your budget for initial purchase (or adoption) and setup. And then ongoing costs for veterinary care, heating, lighting, food, and enrichment. Once you’ve answered all of these questions honestly, it’s a great idea to reach out to those who keep these animals, and see if they’ll money or you, help you go through your checklist, or even let you meet their animals. You’d be amazed how many people think they want ferrets until they follow my advice to take a big sniff of them! Making time to really get up close and personal with the realities of any pet is important.

Similarly, Do you feel that there should be some animals that shouldn’t be allowed to be kept in private collections outside of a zoo setting? And how could changes in laws support this?

Although it’s a polarizing topic, I don’t believe there are any animals which should be absolutely ruled out as pets, provided they can be completely provided for in captivity. Just as there are good zoos and bad zoos, there are fantastic private keepers whose enclosures wouldn’t be out of place in some of the very best zoo exhibits. However, there are certainly some animals which wouldn’t make practical pets. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a (truly) adequate Orca enclosure.

What do

feel that

should be doing better for endangered species in captivity?

I believe more can be done to encourage the research and re-population of lesser represented species in captivity. Lions, tigers, and their cubs are all very impressive, and everyone loves to see them, which makes keeping these endangered animals a draw for zoological establishments. However, I’d like to see more of the less “trendy” species being given time and dedication too. The Black-footed ferret of North America was almost completely extinct until a small group of conservationists dedicated themselves to their re-population. Now, they’re one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world. Let’s see more love for the little guys!

How important do you believe social media will be going forward in raising awareness of environmental and conservation issues and what are the benefits?

I believe social media will be the new driving force behind conservation efforts. Education and awareness are the first step to encouraging involvement in conservation, and never before have we been able to get a truer sense of what these efforts look like, or how donations are being spent. Now, with the help of social media, people can discover a conservation effort, see behind the scenes of why donations are important, and also follow along in the journey of how their donation makes an impact. Conservation has never been more accessible than it is today.

What advice would you give to people thinking of having an exotic animal as a pet?

you

we

Why do you feel that people engage with your content and keep coming back for more is it accessibility, attainability, education or escapism? How do you feel that others could follow by example?

I think people come to me for a very honest and level approach to animals. One of my series is “Pet YouTuber Reacts” where I break down videos and events which may be controversial or problematic in the pet world. Naturally, it would be easy to get very passionate in my words of choice when reacting to such content, but I try my best to find an educational approach that helps others feel more able to make up their own minds about what I am reacting to. Differences in opinion are okay, and I always welcome healthy debate. This is something that other creators might benefit from, as it could help to bring our communities together, rather than alienating one another.

What has been your favourite content that you’ve created on your platforms so far, and why?

I’ve really enjoyed my Creature Feature series. I love connecting people to surprising facts about animals they may have never heard of. I believe that has been my most useful content. However, I also very much enjoy my “Spoiling my pet ferrets” videos. Ferrets are one of my favourite animals for their cheeky personalities and hilarious antics, so it’s always a fun time to introduce them to new and exciting enrichment!

Drawing upon your own career experiences, What advice would you give to anyone who wants to create an animal focused platform on social medias?

Create the content you wish existed. You don’t have to confine yourself to create what has been traditionally popular on social media. You can spread your own messages about animals in a way that’s authentic to you, such as creating digital art, narrating stories, or sharing your wildlife photography adventures. Some even create handmade jewellery for a wildlife cause, or make funny Tik-Tok videos with surprising and facts. Create what speaks to you, and your tribe will find you.

WORDS: EMMA LOCK

IMAGES:

COURTESY OF EMMA LOCK

NATURALLY DRAWN

ILLUSTRATOR - UK

Eliott Bulpett (they/them), is a freelance illustrator from the UK with a love of colour and creating fun and joyful artwork.

Eliott likes to make work for both children and adults and things that positively impact people and the planet.

A lot of Eliott’s work is inspired by nature and the outdoors.

‘I love to celebrate the diversity of our planet whether that’s the people, the wildlife or the plants. Nothing makes me happier than being on a walk up a mountain somewhere which was the inspiration behind the golden eagle illustration.’

• Website www.eliottbulpett.com

• Instagram www.instagram.com/eliottbulpett

• Twitter www.twitter.com/eliottbulpett

‘Dedicated to Murray, a falconer, a mentor and a friend’

WEBSITES

THE WILDWOOD TRUST www.wildwoodtrust.org

ASPINALL FOUNDATION www.aspinallfoundation.org

VULPRO www.vulpro.com

ZOOSCAPES www.zooscapes.co.uk

ANNABEL’S www.annabels.co.uk SOS AMAZONIA www.sosamazonia.org.br

THE LOST EXPLORER MEZCAL www.thelostexplorermezcal.com

TRENTHAM MONKEY FOREST www.monkey-forest.com

SNOW LEOPARD TRUST www.snowleopard.org

INDEPENDENT BIRD REGISTER www.independentbirdregister.co.uk

FORTNUM & MASON www.fortnumandmason.com

EDEN GARDEN PROJECT www.edengardenclapham.org

CHESTER ZOO www.chesterzoo.org

PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK www.pwpark.com

THE VINCENT WILDLIFE TRUST www.vwt.org.uk

FOXFIELD PERMACULTURE www.permaculture-alison.co.uk

SEAWATCH FOUNDATION www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

RICHARD BIRCHETT www.richardbirchett.co.uk

TIM PARKIN www.timparkin.net HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES www.hrp.org.uk

FOLLY FARM www.folly-farm.co.uk DOGS FOR WILDLIFE www.dogs4wildlife.org

THE MOORLAND ASSOCIATION www.moorlandassociation.org

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR BIRDS OF PREY www.icbp.org

DAVID RAMPLING www.ramplingart.co.uk

BEARS IN MIND www.bearsinmind.org

GREYHOUND RESCUE WALES www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk

EXMOOR ZOO www.exmoorzoo.co.uk

HEYTHROP ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS www.heythropzoologicalgardens.org

JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

TRIGON FARM www.trigonfarm.co.uk

PONTARDAWE FARM www.pontardawefarmproduce.co.uk

HEDGELEY HOGSPITAL www. hedgelyhogspital.weebly.com

SOUTH WALES OTTER TRUST www.southwalesottertrust.uk

THE SEAHORSE TRUST www.theseahorsetrust.org

GERONIMO www.wearegeronimo.org

OLD TOWN DELI www.oldtowndeli.co.uk

FOREST FUNGI www.forestfungi.co.uk

CAR Y MOR www.carymor.wales

ALLENS FARM COBNUTS www.cobnuts.co.uk

THE WASABI COMPANY www.thewasabicompany.co.uk

SUMMER HARVEST OILS www.summerharvestoils.co.uk

BRIDDLESFORD FARM www.briddlesford.co.uk

ARTFUL JOGGER www.instagram.com/the_artful_jogger

CADW www.cadw.gov.wales

ANGLESEY SEA ZOO www.angleseyseazoo.co.uk

LEWIS JAMES PHILLIPS www.lewisjamesphillips.com

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL www.salisburycathedral.org.uk

WINGS OF WALES www.wingsofwales.com

EMZOTIC www.instagram.com/emzoticofficial

ELIOTT BULPETT www.eliottbulpett.com

WOOP WOOP

NATURE’S FIGHT BACK