"Herefordshire"
Page last revised:
15th October 2004
To aid you in your search for new reports, we've added a quick select menu below.
| DATE: | ANIMAL: | LOCATION: |
| 20th January 2004 | WILD BOARS | Ross-on-Wye |
| 12th March 2004 | GIRDLED SNAILS | Not Known |
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
Ross-on-Wye
WILD BOARS
Farmers warn of
wild boar dangers
An increase in the reported number of wild boar roaming woodlands in certain
parts of England has raised concern for the safety of farm animals. Farming
leaders in the West Midlands blamed the tusked animal for savaging livestock,
damaging crops and impregnating pig sows in the region
In one incident, a farmer said a wild boar chased 19 of his heifers across fields into a neighbouring farm at Coughton, near Alcester, Warwickshire, and attacked a pregnant cow
The National Farmers' Union warned the nocturnal beasts could be dangerous to the public after a woman riding a horse in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, was also chased. Matthew Price, group secretary of the NFU in Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, said he was concerned by the animals. "My main concern is public safety, both from the boar and from people who try shooting them," he said. "A sow with piglets is extremely dangerous. They are impressively large creatures, very fast and aggressive. In my opinion they are dangerous things. "The population is fairly prolific. I have noticed a rise over the last two to three years."
Mr Price said some farmers had shot wild boar after they caused considerable crop damage and a professional stalker had been hired on one farm to thin out the population.
(Source: BBC News - 20th January 2004)
Contributed by: Lisa Willow
File: 2004-107
Ref
No: 1007
N.B. We at Beastwatch UK pride ourselves for trying to write only truthful accounts of all events recorded here, if you know of any reports within these pages to be incorrectely presented then please accept our appologies and contact us immediately letting us know the true facts behind the report, as it is not our intention to write any untruths here.
If you have any further information on any of these, or any other reports for this or other areas, then please let us know
Thank you
Chris Mullins
Co-ordinator
BEASTWATCH UK
info@beastwatch.co.uk