"Cardiff"
Page last revised:
29th October 2004
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| DATE: | ANIMAL: | LOCATION: |
| 1st March 2004 | GIRDLED SNAILS | Not Known |
| 12th March 2004 | EXOTICS | Barry |
| 15th October 2004 | WALLABY | Llanishen |
GIRDLED
SNAILS
SNAILIENS
Welsh schoolchildren are being asked to get involved in a spot of field research
by the Schools and Community Agenda 21 Network (SCAN), which is run by the
National Museum of Wales. Equipped with search packs, the young researchers
are being asked to check their backyards for “alien invaders”.
The alien invaders are, in fact, girdled snails (hygromia cinctella), which
originally come from the Mediterranean. The snails have been popping up in
Wales for a number of years now and SCAN are hoping that, with the help of
schools and pupils, they will be able to get a better understanding of their
movement patterns.
Girdled snails are not native to the UK and environmentalists believe that
their appearance here is an indication of climate change, caused by global
warming. Sightings have been reported in many areas of Wales and also in parts
of England.
Girdled snails are smaller than a 5p piece with an almost triangular shaped
shell coming to a point. They are usually brown in colour with a ridge around
the middle of the shell which can be felt. They are often confused with young
banded snails which do not always have a band.
(Source:
icwales)
12th March 2004
Written By: Steve Jones
File: 1998-62
Ref
No: 1082
Barry
EXOTICS
POLICE RAID IN WALES
A Welsh home was raided by police after receiving a report of Bengal tigers
being kept on the grounds. When police arrived there was no sign of any tigers.
They're efforts were not in vain however, as they did uncover almost 100 exotic
animals including porcupines, raccoons, monkeys, African parrots, a giant
turtle and relation of the Tasmanian devil, at the property near Barry.
There are no records with Customs and Excise of the animals being brought in to the country. This is not the first time that the man in question has been caught with exotic animals. He was also due before courts for keeping monkeys without a license, but failed to appear. However, since there was no evidence of cruelty, he is being allowed to keep the animals until the next court date. He is to be prosecuted over 10 animals.
Police were happy with a successful operation, but couldn't speculate as to what else may have been kept at the property.
1st March
2004
(Source: icwales / The Western Mail)
Contributed
by: Lisa Willow
Written by: Steve Jones
Llanishen
WALLABY
Wallaby wandering in Cardiff
Police have been searching the streets of Cardiff after four sightings of
what has been said is a kangaroo it has been seen hopping about the north
of the City since the first sighting on Thursday 14th October. It was spotted
in the garden of Wayne Joinson who said "I thought it was a small fox
or something in the back garden. But it looked very odd, it had a grey body
and a different sort of pointed nose, So I got my camera out I managed to
get close and take a few shots."
RSPCA said that from the descriptions that has been given it sounds like a Wallaby and they are currently on standby should the animal been found. Judith Haw from the RSPCA advised that the animal should not be approached as the creature is well known to scratch and bite.
It is not yet known how the wallaby is on the walkabout in Cardiff.
(Source: BBC News - 15th October 2004)
Re-Write By: Cher Jenkins
File: 2004-269
Ref
No: 1783
Update:
An animal witch has been described as a kangaroo has been spotted in the Llanishen
area of the City in an office car park. Police searched for the animal last
night but with no avail. RSPCA
officers are waiting for another sighting of the creature to come in so that
they can track it down.
A spokesman for the RSPCA said "It was said to be a kangaroo but we are fairly certain that it is in fact a wallaby. There are a few colonies in the wild in Britain and they seem to survive quite successfully. We need a positive sighting before we can go out to catch it. But we do warn members of the public not to approach it as they can scratch and bite. If it could be contained in someone's garden or garage to give us time to get there then that would be ideal."
Peter Litherland form the welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay explained that the Wallaby is a very hardy creatures and survives on grass and leaves and wouldn’t have no problems what so ever surviving in the wild. A colony which escaped from a wildlife Centre in Derbyshire survived for more than 20 years in the wild but there has been no sight of them recently and it is thought that they have died out.
Mr Litherland said "Anyone can buy the smaller species to keep in a private collection. You only need an enclosure of about half an acre and they are really easy to look after. They just need food pellets, like you would feed a horse, and a few carrots.” "But the most important thing is a good fence." He also said wallabies, a smaller member of the kangaroo family, were only a couple of feet high and so could not leap as high as their larger cousins. But an open gate or a broken fence would prove irresistible to a wallaby bent on escape.
Members of the public are warned to keep their distance as these animals can kick and scratch.
But if attempting a capture he said: "Always catch a kangaroo or wallaby by the base of its tail, get a few people to jump on it and then put it in a sack."
(Source: ic Wales - 15th October 2004)
Re-Written By: Cher Jenkins
Wallaby
or is it a Kangaroo who knows?
It is not yet known what the creature is that is hoping around Cardiff some
people are saying it’s a kangaroo by the way it moves but then again
it looks like a wallaby , so what is it.
Mr Wayne Johnson was busy renovating which is situated between Llanishen and Lisvane on Thursday afternoon when he spotted the creature in his back garden and photographed it.
Mr Johnson said "At first I thought it was a young fox," Mr Joinson, who got within 15ft of the animal with his camera. "But then I thought it was the wrong time of the year. Then I noticed its long tail and how it held its arms crossed. And it looked a little sad and lost."
Also 79 year old Mrs Pamela Ferris spotted the creature among headstones of Llanishen Parish Churchyard. Mrs Ferris said "I've lived in California for 48 years dear," she said cheerfully. "Nothing could surprise me." Lets just hope that the creature whatever it is rescued soon
Source: Western Mail - ic Wales - 16th October 2004
Re- Written By: Cher Jenkins
Eye- witnesses reported that it was either a young kangaroo or a wallaby and officers are contacting local farmers to see if they are breeding the kangaroos for their meet and if so to ask if any have escaped.
It is also thought that they maybe being kept in a private menagerie and have escaped. Judith Haw who is an RSPCA spokeswoman said "We advise people not to approach the creature as they are known to scratch and bite."
Mr Peter Litherland of Colwyn Bay Welsh mountain Zoo houses four wallabies has this to say ….. He said the animals were "incredibly hardy, as hardy as sheep" and well able to withstand British weather, but that they would be at risk from city centre traffic.”
Mr lither land has warned
that the public must keep their distance as these animals can give quite a
kick and that they should not be approached and that distance should be kept
from the animal. But if attempting to catch the animal he said "Always
catch a kangaroo or wallaby by the base of its tail, get a few people to jump
on it and
then put it in a sack."
Source: ic Wales - Western Mail - 16th October 2004)
Re-Written By: Cher Jenkins
More:
The Wallaby has been spotted again in Cardiff but this time it has been seen
in Lisvane A photo . The first time it was spotted in an office car park in
Llanishen on last Thursday . A photograph has been taken of the creature when
it was spotted and Expert Nick Jackson director of the Welsh Mountain Zoo
Colwyn Bay suspects that it is now not a wallaby and that it a young Kangaroo
he said "Looking at the photo, the animal has quite big ears which look
more like a kangaroo," He
also said “"The kangaroo is normally a very large animal up to
two metres tall - maybe it's a young kangaroo." But the Local RSPCA said
that by the description that has been given by the witnesses it is most probably
a Wallaby.
The Creature has been seen on camera several times in Cardiff one of which was a garden photograph. Wayne Johnson a city resident who photographed the creature in his garden said "It looked very odd, it had a grey body and a different sort of pointed nose."
A warning has been given again not for the public to approach it but to contact the RSPCA if it is spotted as the creature can scratch and bite.
(Source: BBC News - 18 October 2004
Re-Written by: Cher Jenkins
Update:
The so called "Cadiff Wallaby"
has been caught and destroyed, due to the fact it was a Fox suferring wih
a very bad case of mange.
File: 2004-269
Ref
No: 1804
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