"Reports in the British Isles"Click on your County to read reports from your area. Newsflashes, as well as other general UK reports may be found below. "Ref Nos" are a guide to the full report which may found on our forum.
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"Newsflash"
Goudhurst, Kent
RHEA
The owner of a South American Rhea which was found in an orchard.(Kent and Sussex Courier - 5th November 2004)
Contributed & Re-Written by: Lisa Willow
File:
Ref No: 1840
Scarborough, Yorkshire
LUMPFISH
A lumpfish was found alive in a puddle in the middle of a field.Contributed & Re-Written by: Lisa Willow
File:
Ref No: 1838
Shopping for Spiders at Tesco's
It has been reported that a number of people got more than they bargained for when they've bought a bunch of grapes, as they found Spiders sitting amongst their grapes even the deadly "Black Widow Spider" has been found lurking inside the packaging.
The Black Widow spider is native to most warmer parts of the world and can be found in all four of the deserts in Southwest America, the Black Widow is quite venomous carrying 15 times more toxic venom than that of the of the Rattlesnake, But only the female Black Widow is venomous males and young spiders are harmless. You can identify a Black Widow by the distinctive red patch on its rear end
Tesco uses spiders to keep other bugs under control in the country where the food is grown, but somehow the deadly Black Widow spider managed to fancy a nibble.
Tesco used to use chemicals to kill off any bugs, but because it was very unpopular, they then changed to using un-harmful spiders to control the situation.
Tesco has admitted to its customers that they may from time to time find an un-harmful spider in their fruit and are investigating how the grapes got into their country, and say they have made their suppliers aware that they must check all delivers in the future.
(Source: CBBC Newsround - 27th November 2002)
Re-Write By: Cher Jenkins
Ref No: 1786
Help Catch Um!!!
Poisoners active in Scotland
A report from the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency reveals that 32 raptors and wild mammals were deliberately killed by poisonous chemicals in 2003, compared with 23 in 2002 and 25 in 2001. This is 86% of known pesticide incidents, an increase of 56% from 02 and 71% from 01.Investigators from the RSP feel that there are further, unreported incidents.
The report shows 152 suspected poisoning incidents. The causes were found in 64 cases, half of which were deliberately caused by pesticide poisoning.
Buzzards, kites, sparrow hawks, peregrine falcons and sea eagles were among the victims. Ten dogs and cats were also counted in the 32.
Carbofuran, an agricultural pesticide, was the most abused poison. Keith Morton, an investigations officer for RSB Scotland, said deliberate poisoning was threatening the reintroduction of red kites.
18/09/04
Written by: Paul Williams
Ref No: 1718
Slimbridge
SNAKE
Gloucestershire Constabulary have issued a warning after a sighting of a 6 foot snake in the village of Slimbridge
(Source: BBC News 4th August 2004)File: 2004-213
Ref No: 1506
Tonypandy, Mid Glamorgan, Wales
SKUNK
A skunk is on the loose in the Welsh valleys after escaping from his owner’s home in Tonypandy.(Source: BBC News 4th August 2004)
Contributed & written by: Lisa WillowFile: 2004-211
Ref No: 1505
15th July 2004
Bletchley, Milton Keynes
ROSELLA'S
PARROT ESCAPE
8th July 2004?
(Source: MK News - 15th July 2004)
Contributed & Written by: Lisa WillowFile: 2004-193, as well as 2004-194
Ref No: 1432
7th July 2004
Lothians, Edinburgh,
SPECTACLED CAIMAN
(Source: BBC News)
Contributed & Written by: Lisa Willow
File: 2004-189
Ref No: 1414
UK Generally
Shopping for Spiders at Tesco's
It has been reported that a number of people got more than they bargained for when they've bought a bunch of grapes, as they found Spiders sitting amongst their grapes even the deadly "Black Widow Spider" has been found lurking inside the packaging.The Black Widow spider is native to most warmer parts of the world and can be found in all four of the deserts in Southwest America, the Black Widow is quite venomous carrying 15 times more toxic venom than that of the of the Rattlesnake, But only the female Black Widow is venomous males and young spiders are harmless. You can identify a Black Widow by the distinctive red patch on its rear end
Tesco uses spiders to keep other bugs under control in the country where the food is grown, but somehow the deadly Black Widow spider managed to fancy a nibble.
Tesco used to use chemicals to kill off any bugs, but because it was very unpopular, they then changed to using un-harmful spiders to control the situation.
Tesco has admitted to its customers that they may from time to time find an un-harmful spider in their fruit and are investigating how the grapes got into their country, and say they have made their suppliers aware that they must check all delivers in the future.
(Source: CBBC Newsround - 27th November 2002)
Re-Write By: Cher Jenkins
Ref No: 1786
TIGHTER CONTROL CALLED FOR
A 13 year old Burmese python named Cleo, was found on the roof of her owners home in County Durham. Cleo smashed her way out of her sealed glasshouse and forced open and upstairs window. The 19 ft long snake was spotted stretched out on the roof by neighbours. It took RSPCA officers and fire-fighters 3 hours to get the 11 stone python into captivity again.
Recently, a western diamond back rattlesnake was discovered in a luggage bag on ferry destined for Hull. 11 other snakes and 2 tortoises were also found. It is believed that the creatures were being smuggled into the country, having been purchased at a German trade fair.In another case, at a Sheffield home, eight deadly snakes were found and recovered.
It is understood that over 800 cases involving exotic animals have been dealt with in Yorkshire and the North East in the last year. The RSPCA is calling for more strict control measures on the trade and ownership of exotic animals. It is believed that there are far fewer licences held than there are exotic animal owners in the UK. People are urged to reconsider buying these animals without fully understanding the commitment and difficulties involved.
17th November 2000
(Source: Northern Echo)Written By: Steve Jones
Ref: 1438
EXTINCTION CRISIS
Forty years' worth of data, which has been gathered by twenty thousand volunteers, seems to be pointing toward a mass extinction of plant, insect and animal species, according to scientists. The data shows Britain has lost 71% of butterfly species and has seen a reduction of 54% of bird species and 28% of plant species. Experts believe this could be most compelling evidence that the world is heading for a sixth major extinction. It is believed that, if this continues, a mass extinction could be as little as 100 to 200 years away. This extinction would be of the same magnitude as that which killed the dinosaurs. This would be the first mass extinction caused by man. Experts think that a similar study of rainforests would reveal even more concerning results.
It is thought that over-exploitation of natural resources is the main factor in causing these losses.19th March 2004
(Source: icwales)Written by: Steve Jones
Ref No: 1104
RSPCA speak out about exotic pets. (Again)
Laws that govern the keeping of exotic pets are weakly drafted and enforced, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Why is the charity so worried? BBC News Online has highlighted some of the more extreme and bizarre cases giving it cause for concern.BOA CONTRICTOR
Two Devon-based parents of a new-born baby were horrified when their eight-foot pet boa constrictor started taking far too much interest in their child. It kept attempting to approach the child when the couple brought their new-born infant home from hospital in January 2001. A constrictor snake can kill an infant with no problem at all RSPCA. The snake was only 18 inches long when they purchased it five years previously, but despite their pet's massive increase in size they still allowed it the freedom to roam around their home. The concerned couple turned in desperation to the RSPCA as their pet became aggressive when they tried to contain it to a smaller space. Their snake was found a new home and RSPCA north Devon branch animal collection officer Diana Lewis said: "Every time the couple allowed the snake anywhere near the baby the creature would head straight towards it. A constrictor snake could kill a baby no problem at all."MISSISSIPPI ALLIGATOR
Chesterfield Exotica
RSPCA officers were called to rescue a five-foot alligator in December 1999 from a flat in Chesterfield, where it had been living on a pond liner in a 10-foot-square bedroom. The Mississippi alligator, which can grow up to 12 feet in length, was imported from the America to live in a British zoo, before he was sold to a pet shop and then bought by an exotics collector. However, the alligator's new owner, who did not posess a Dangerous Wild Animals Act Licence , found he was unable to cope with the reptile. The licensing system is clearly far from foolproof when an animal like this can change hands in a pub for a few pounds RSPCA Louis, as the creature has been dubbed, is now being cared for at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, a specialist exotics centre in north Norfolk. The alligator had not been licensed so there was no way either its welfare or safety issues could be monitored.SPECTACLED CAIMAN
A man who paid £20 in an Essex pub for what he thought was an exotic lizard ran into trouble as the creature turned out to be a Spectacled Caiman - a type of Crocodile. The Caiman - christened Carmen - was only 12 inches long when it was rescued in June 2000, but at full size could grow up to seven feet in length. When found it was severely underweight, had an infected stub on its broken tail and had two claws missing. Caimans, which require being housed in tropical conditions and fed a diet of fish and meat, have an aggressive nature. The crocodile has now been re homed with the Amazonia reptile collection in Great Yarmouth. RSPCA inspector Chris Nice, who rescued the Caiman, said: "The licensing system is clearly far from foolproof when an animal like this can change hands in a pub for a few pounds."EMU
Emu just wandered into a garden
An Emu was a suprising sight that greeted Mike and Rosie Regan as they looked out across the back garden of their Farnham home in January 2000 - it had escaped by slipping through its owner's fencing about a mile away. It took an RSPCA inspector, an animal collection officer and two local authority dog wardens to corner the escapee in a tennis court, where it was kept overnight before being taken away in a horsebox. Emus should be licensed under the DWA Act (Dangerous Wild Animals Act) but the owner was not aware of his legal obligations.Wednesday, 30 January, 2002, 10:46 GMT
RED KING CRAB
Russian 'Red Army' of Monster Crabs Heads West
An estimation of around 12 million Red King Crabs are making there way westwards from Northern Russia towards the United Kingdom, they may measure anything from 2ft to 5ft or more in width, having an insatciable appitite for anything in it's path and with very little preditation this population explosion puts our own marine life at risk, and making living difficult for our fishermen tearing through their netsIf these large crustaians do reach the UK, it has been suggested that they should be fished heavily to reduce it's numbers and to protect our marine life.
8th February 2003
File: 2003-18 Ref No: 475
When wolves, bears and wild cats outnumbered Britons
By Robert Uhlig, Aisling Irwin, and Sally Pook
Huge numbers of lynx, wolves, bears and wild cats prowled the forests of Stone Age Britain, according to the first snapshot of wildlife populations of 7,000 years ago. Bears numbered up to 14,000, lynx about 5,000 and there were more than two million wild boar. The figures, compiled by Dr Derek Yalden, of the University of Manchester, show the numbers of mammals inhabiting Britain before they were hunted to extinction and their habitat destroyed. His statistics are based on evidence gathered from ancient woodland in the Bialowieza national park, in Poland, which is still home to red deer, wild boar, elk, wolves and lynx. The woodland is the closest surviving example of the kind of environment existing in Britain in the middle Stone Age. Dr Yalden, president of the Mammal Society, said: "We already have information on what the vegetation was like, so it seemed to me it could be possible to come up with the same sort of details about mammals. "It was basic scientific curiosity really, but I thought it would be interesting to see what the populations were like then." In the middle Stone Age, fewer than 2,500 people lived in Britain, much of which was covered in wood and grassland. But there were estimated to be up to three million red deer, compared to 350,000 today, up to 7,000 wolves, which are now extinct in the wild, and up to 8,000 wild cattle, called auroch. Elk probably numbered more than 90,000, beavers up to 25,000 and there were "hundreds of thousands" of wild cats, said Dr Yalden. The populations are thought to have existed between 5,500 and 9,500 years ago, before forests were cleared and the animals hunted. Lynx are thought to have died out in Britain in the year 300, bears between the eighth and 10th centuries and wild boar in the 17th century. The last wolf was believed to have been killed in Britain in the late 17th century. Dr Yalden said yesterday it would be "natural progression" to try to reintroduce some of these animals. He said: "If we used to have these animals here, should we be considering putting any of them back?" Dr Yalden said if the reintroduction of beavers into Britain were to work, a move being considered by Scottish Natural Heritage, it might provide the impetus for further attempts with other animals. Dr Martyn Gorman, senior lecturer in zoology at Aberdeen University and vice-chairman of the Mammal Society, said there was a "moral" obligation to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands to help control numbers of red deer.
It's a zoo out there in the country.
By SUZANNA CHAMBERS.
KIPLING would surely have approved. The man who found the animal world such rich source of inspiration for tales like the Jungle Book and the Just So stories would have been spoilt for choice.Last week it was reported that, of all things, a kangaroo had been scampering around a piece of scrubland in an inner city park. Skippy, as he quickly became known, was the latest of a string of unlikely animals to have been spotted roaming the streets, heaths and highlands of Britain. Earlier this year, reports of a lynx on the links sent Scots living near the Moray Firth into a mad frenzy when a golfer saw a sandy wild cat with tufted ears and long legs run across the fairway. And in Wales a panther-like animal was named the Beast of Trellech after it mauled a boy when he bent down to stroke it. There are also numerous well documented sightings of big cats in South Wales, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and the Midlands.
Zoologist and professional dangerous animal trapper Quentin Rose says he has found 28 areas where leopards had been sighted regularly and 32 areas for pumas. And David Spencer, who runs the "Panther Watch" in Leicester-shire, has logged more than 100 sightings this year. He thinks the cats are descended from animals released into the wild by their owners around the time of the 1976 Dangerous Animals Act. But many, like world-renowned wildlife expert Dr Hans Kruuk at the Centre of Ecology and Hydro-logy in Aberdeenshire, remain sceptical. He puts sightings down to tricks of light, insisting: "A dark shape at dusk can appear to be much larger than it actually is. There are many native wild cats, which can easily be mistaken for pumas or other creatures." But there is no dispute about the colony of red-necked wallabies that are now thought to have just died out after living in the Peak District for more than 60 years. They were released from a private zoo near Buxton when it closed in the Second World War.
Also evident is the eight-inch North American bullfrog, that eats anything it can get its jaws round - including its diminutive cousin the English frog. Originally imported as pets, they were banned in 1997 when experts realised just how lethal they were. But last September they were found breeding in East Sussex and are believed to have infiltrated many other ponds. Another foreign invader is the Zander, a steely-jawed killer fish. Introduced from eastern Europe to the Great Ouse system in 1963. It has spread to Fenland waters, the Thames, Trent and Severn, and numerous lakes and canals. And in the Scottish Highlands conservationists are keen to re-introduce wolves - extinct in Britain for hundreds of years - to cull red deer which destroy hundreds of trees a year. Roger Palmer, of the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, said: "The idea, being pushed by a group called Trees for Free, has been around for a little while - I'm sure it will happen one day." But yesterday, Skippy sadly joined the ranks of Britain's mythical beasts. Experts said a giant pawprint found in a park in Lewisham, South London "had been tampered with and extended to look like a kangaroo's".
29 Oct 2000
Contributed by: Mark Fraser
Scottish Big Cats.
www.scottishbigcats.orgWe are continually looking for new reports, if you have something to share with us then you can conact us at: info@beastwatch.co.uk
