I love to travel, mainly to Africa where I was born, I enjoy reading and playing bridge. I go for rambles in the countryside. I collect stamps and go to T'ai Chi classes. I love my two cats and my garden birds. I adore the African wildlife and try to help Conservation groups.
The demise of wolves in Scotland.
Reintroducing wild wolves to the Scottish Highlands would help the local ecosystem, a study suggests.
Wolves, which were hunted to extinction in Scotland in the late 1700s, would help control the numbers of red deer, the team from the UK and Norway said.
This would aid the re-establishment of plants and birds - currently hampered by the deer population, they write in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
But farmers say more livestock would be killed if wolves are reintroduced.
The researchers' findings used a predator/prey model to assess the probable consequences on the Highland's red deer population.
"There has been an ongoing debate about the possibility of reintroducing wolves to Scotland for some time," said co-author Tim Coulson, from Imperial College London.
"So we thought that we would start the ball rolling by looking to see, using mathematical modelling approaches, what the possible impact of reintroducing wolves into Scotland would have on the red deer population."
The researchers found that the red deer population was close to reaching the maximum capacity that the ecosystem could support, and that costly culls were not proving to be economically effective.
Since Scotland's wild wolf population died out, the UK's largest wild land animal has not had any natural predators to help control its numbers.
"For example, many sheep farmers argue for fewer deer because they are concerned the deer compete with sheep for grazing," Dr Coulson told BBC News.
"Many of the conservation organisations, especially those trying to reforest areas, also believe their numbers should be reduced.
"Attempts to get forests to come back are going to be hindered by the fact that there are too many deer, which will munch away merrily on any young trees."
Other groups, Dr Coulson added, were concerned that excessive deer numbers were having an impact on bird species, such as the capercaillie.
The study found that the wolves would prey on the deer and would help rebalance the ecology, giving other tree and bird species a chance to establish themselves.
Livestock worries
But farming groups voiced concern and said that the introduction of wolves would hit their members.
One bird that could benefit from wolves in Scotland is the capercaillie.
Anna Davies, a spokeswoman for the National Farmers' Union in Scotland, said: "The reintroduction of wolves into the wild would present significant problems in terms of sheep predation, and that is the reason why it is not widely popular among farmers."
Dr Coulson agreed that farmers would be affected but he added: "Typically, wolves do not go through and take out an entire flock; they will take individuals when they are hungry."
The study also assessed people's attitudes towards the idea of releasing wolves into the wild. While the public were generally positive, people living in rural areas were more sensitive.
"Although the farmers were slightly negative, they were not completely adverse to the idea provided they were adequately reimbursed for any lost stock," he said.
But Miss Davies disagreed: "Any implication that farmers are simply concerned with support payments and not with the welfare and predation of their animals is unjustified.
"Farmers suffer emotional as well as financial losses when they lose stock, as was demonstrated during the foot-and-mouth outbreak."
Dr Coulson said he believed that any reintroduction plan was still a long way from becoming a reality.
"Our research is just one of the first steps towards understanding the consequences of a wolf reintroduction in Scotland," he added.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
US wolves 'no longer endangered' .
Recovery programmes were begun in the 1970s . Wolves are being removed from the endangered species list in three US states - and wildlife authorities say they plan to do the same in three more.
The move paves the way for the hunting of wolves in the US for the first time in more than 30 years.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said the Mid-West states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin would be removed from the list within weeks. The states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming could be removed in a year.
Wolves were hunted to near-extinction in the US before being classified as endangered in 1974.
In the 1970s, conservationists seized the chance to save the animal with recovery programmes in several states, involving restoring habitat and prey species, and compensating ranchers for livestock killed by wolves.
The wolf has responded so well to conservation programmes that it will now be legal to hunt them again.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Cash offer to find Japan whalers
By Phil Mercer - BBC News, Sydney.
Japan says that hunting whales is its sovereign right.Activists intent on disrupting Japan's annual whale hunt have offered a $25,000 reward for information that leads them to the whaling fleet.
The New Zealand military has filmed the hunters harpooning whales in waters south of Australia, but is refusing to give details.
They are concerned activists could use violent tactics against the whalers.
The Japanese crews are on a mission to kill about 850 minke whales and 10 fin whales.
Commercial hunting was outlawed in the 1980s, but Japan has continued its annual cull for what it calls scientific research.
Critics believe that this is simply a tactic to circumvent the regulations, and amounts to commercial whaling in all but name.
Huge problem
A sophisticated and dangerous game of hide-and-seek is being played out in remote waters off Antarctica.
Conservationists aboard three vessels are hoping to track down the whalers in the Antarctic. Activists have threatened to ram the Japanese ships and force them back to port.
Others intend to use small inflatable boats to put themselves between the hunters and their prey.
Finding the fleet in such a vast area is, of course, a gigantic problem.
Campaigners from the group Sea Shepherd have offered a reward for anyone who can help.
But the Japanese are reported to be using satellites to keep one step ahead of their pursuers.
The New Zealand air force filmed the whaling fleet last week, but is refusing to divulge any details of its location because of the threat of confrontation.
New Zealand and Australia both oppose Japan's whaling programme.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Duck comes back from dead, again !
Perky the duck has had a difficult couple of weeks. A duck which survived being shot before spending two days in a refrigerator has now overcome major surgery - despite briefly dying on the operating table. Florida vets working to repair the gunshot damage to Perky's wing panicked when the duck's heart failed.
But they managed to resuscitate the bird, who shot to fame when she was found alive in the hunter's fridge two days after being shot. Perky now has a pin in her wing, but is expected to make a good recovery.
The duck entered surgery with vets confident that she would survive the procedure despite serious injuries to her wing, leg and beak. But her heart failed during the operation, prompting senior vet David Hale to declare her officially dead. "We lost her. You know, the bird's dead and it's over. I'm sorry," he said, recalling the operation. "And then, you know, up comes that head and the wings start flapping and, honestly, what, 20 seconds later, I mean the bird was, like, up."
Few details have been made public about how the medical team brought Perky back to life, but the Associated Press said she was revived using CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. There were scenes of high emotion in the operating theatre, said Noni Beck, of the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.
"I started crying: 'She's alive!'"
Perky made international headlines when she shocked a hunter's wife who found her alive after being stored inside a refrigerator for two days. Mr Hale said the duck's slow metabolism helped her survive the low temperatures for so long.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
US woman fights off lion with pen.
Jim Hamm is in fair condition after suffering multiple lacerations. A 65-year-old Californian woman has saved the life of her husband, 70, by fighting off an attacking mountain lion with a small log and his pen. Jim and Nell Hamm were walking in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park when the cougar wrestled Jim to the ground.
Nell started hitting the animal with the log but it kept hold of Jim's head. She then tried to stick the pen in its eye. The cougar eventually let go. Mr Hamm is in fair condition after having his lips stitched back together. He also suffered scalp lacerations and puncture wounds. "She saved his life, there's no doubt," said Steve Martarano, spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game.
The park, 320 miles (515km) north of San Francisco, was closed after the incident and wardens tracked down and killed a pair of lions near the trail where the attack happened.
The couple are experienced hikers but said they had not seen a mountain lion before. Mountain lions range from British Columbia to South America Mrs Hamm told Associated Press news agency that when the cougar attacked, her husband did not scream. "It was a different, horrible plea for help, and I turned around, and by then the cat had wrestled Jim to the ground."
She added: "Jim was talking to me all through this, and he said, 'I've got a pen in my pocket and get the pen and jab him in the eye.' "So I got the pen and tried to put it in his eye, but it didn't want to go in as easy as I thought it would." The pen bent, so Mrs Hamm went back to the log.
The cougar eventually gave up. It stared at her as she screamed and waved the log, before it wandered off. After the attack, the couple had to struggle to a trail head 400 metres away, where Mrs Hamm gathered more sticks to fend off any more attacks. A passing ranger then summoned aid.
The dead cougars are undergoing tests to determine if either was responsible for the mauling. Mountain lions are usually tawny in colour with black-tipped ears and range from British Columbia to the southern tip of South America. Adult males can grow to eight feet in length (2.4m) and weigh on average 150lbs (68kg).
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Many die in Iraq pet market blast.
The bombing is the latest attack on a crowded market. A bomb detonated at a Baghdad pet market has killed at least 15 people and injured 35 others, police say. The blast ripped through the Ghazil market in the city centre, a popular destination which sells dogs, cats, birds and other animals.
Baghdad's markets are now a regular target for bombers aiming to kill and maim high numbers of civilians. Officials said a large bomb on Thursday killed 40 people and injured 80 in a central shopping district. Along with exotic animals such as snakes and parrots, the market also sells domestic animals such as goats and sheep.
The Associated Press reported that a man carrying an egg carton apparently full of pigeons for sale arrived at the market and left his goods as he went to buy a drink. The box then exploded as curious buyers gathered around to look inside, a witness said.
The market is popular on Fridays, a day off for people in Baghdad. "I was about 60 metres from where the blast occurred," shopper Raad Hassan told AP. "My friends and I rushed to the scene where we saw burned dead bodies, pieces of flesh and several dead expensive puppies and birds."
Thousands of US troops have begun arriving in Baghdad in recent days as part of a "surge" aimed at defeating insurgents and ending sectarian violence. The US says it has launched major security operations in Baghdad, killing or capturing dozens of insurgents.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has also won parliamentary support for tougher security operations.
However, there are still regular attacks, including mortars fired towards the heavily-fortified Green Zone area on Thursday, the site of Iraq's parliament and the US embassy compound.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
UK in whaling recruitment drive
By Richard Black
Environment corrrespondent, BBC News website.
The UK government maintains there is no humane way of killing whales. The UK is stepping up attempts to secure an anti-whaling majority on the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Last year, pro-hunting nations gained their first IWC majority for 20 years.
The British government will publish a brochure this coming week aimed at encouraging nations opposed to whaling to join the Commission. It says whales are "sensitive, social creatures", with some species risking extinction. Japan says these arguments are "old rhetoric and half-truths".
Japan, Iceland and Norway, the principal pro-whaling nations, believe that many stocks are large enough that hunting can be sustainable. They dismiss arguments that whales are special and distinct creatures as being relevant only in certain cultures.
The issue was given added urgency by Iceland's decision in October to resume commercial hunting, a move which brought diplomatic protest from Britain and its allies.
The UK's recruitment brochure, which will be officially launched next week, is the most formalised attempt yet mounted by anti-whaling countries to regain the majority which they lost by a single vote at last year's IWC meeting, held in St Kitts.
Japan believes the western love of whales is culturally specific It says that protecting whales for future generations is a "global responsibility". "Some whales are particularly at risk of extinction because their populations remain endangered following past exploitation from commercial whaling," it continues.
In two forewords, the distinguished natural history broadcaster David Attenborough writes, "There is no humane way to kill a whale at sea", while Tony Blair makes a direct call to arms.
"We urge your government to join the UK and the other anti-whaling nations in the IWC," writes the British Prime Minister, "to ensure that our generation meets its global responsibility to protect whales."
The arguments contained in the brochure were dismissed by Japan's deputy whaling commission Joji Morishita. "It is always depressing to see the same old anti-whaling rhetoric," he told the BBC News website.
"Its basic position is that commercial whaling automatically means extinction. As we want everlasting whaling, which is totally different from the past industrial whaling of western countries which regarded whales only as an exhaustive industrial material, we would avoid extinction at any cost."
Mr Morishita also warned that the IWC could break up without agreement on the eventual return to regulated commercial hunting.
Japan is regularly accused by conservation campaigners of using fisheries aid to buy the votes of smaller countries in the IWC. In reality, both pro- and anti-whaling blocs have sought to recruit like-minded members in recent years.
At the close of last year's meeting, shocked by their defeat, commissioners from European and South American countries told me they intended to step up these efforts. New European Union members, and those seeking membership, are natural targets.
The plan is clearly bearing fruit. Following representations from anti-whaling countries including the UK, Slovenia joined the IWC last September, and Croatia followed suit two weeks ago.
In theory, their accession overturns the pro-whaling majority.
But IWC votes are unpredictable, and the British government's recruitment brochure indicates its intention of securing forces which can reliably out-vote Japan, Norway, Iceland and their allies.
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Boost for Iraq bird populations.
The Basra reed warbler may be doing better than expected. The first comprehensive survey of bird populations in Iraq seems to show that conservation efforts are working, but some species remain threatened. Conservationists have had grave concerns for birds in Iraq since the drainage of 90% of Iraq's marshes by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The marshes were one of the Middle East's most wildlife-rich areas and supported important bird populations.
Details will appear in a field guide and in several scientific papers. So far, three winter surveys and two summer surveys have been conducted by Iraqi biologists. But the paucity of other data on birds in the country makes it difficult to compare the present situation with anything else, in order to determine how numbers have shifted up or down over the past few decades.
However, the researchers can make some broad statements about the health of bird populations in Iraq. "We have got some surveys that were carried out in 1979. We can't say the numbers have changed, but we can say no species has disappeared. That's the good news," said Richard Porter, Middle East adviser with Birdlife International. "In fact, birds like the Basra reed warbler, which were thought to be globally threatened, may no longer be globally threatened simply due to the fact that they have been found in good numbers."
This might be down to two factors, said Mr Porter. Firstly, the researchers say the two summer surveys could be the first of their kind ever carried out in Iraq. Secondly, the re-flooding of the marshes after the US-led invasion of 2003 may already be delivering benefits to bird populations in the region. About 40% of the marshlands area of Iraq has been restored to its 1970s condition.
Large areas were drained in the 1990s to punish the Marsh Arabs for rebelling against former leader Saddam Hussein. Diversion of water further upstream by some of Iraq's neighbours also hit the wetlands.
Sometimes identified as the site of the Garden of Eden, the Mesopotamian marshes have been home to the Marsh Arabs for at least 5,000 years. They once covered an area of 20,000-15,000 sq km - twice the size of the Florida Everglades. By 2001, only one-tenth of the marshlands remained intact.
There is an international effort to restore the network of watercourses which provided inhabitants with water for drinking and farming, and supported the region's unique ecology. This includes bird populations of national and international importance. The survey recorded 150 or more species of birds, including six globally threatened species - among them the marbled teal, the white-headed duck, the Basra reed warbler and the greater spotted eagle.
Birds like the marbled teal are globally threatened. But there are many others considered to be of "conservation significance", such as bitterns, corncrake and several species of duck. "Clearly, Iraq has a responsibility for their protection. And indeed the marshes offer a tremendous haven for them," said Mr Porter. "Birds such as the African darter and the sacred ibis have been breeding [in the marshes] and that is the only site they are known to breed in the Middle East.
"We're a bit concerned about birds like the white-headed duck. We would have expected to see more in winter. But when you're counting birds, you just have to be there on the wrong day or on the wrong marsh and you have missed them."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Caverns give up huge fossil haul.
The Australian landscape was once dominated by great beasts. An astonishing collection of fossil animals from southern Australia is reported by scientists. The creatures were found in limestone caves under the Nullabor Plain and date from about 400,000-800,000 years ago.
The palaeontological "treasure trove" includes 23 kangaroo species, eight of which are entirely new to science. Researchers tell Nature magazine that the caves also yielded a complete specimen of Thylacoleo carnifex, an extinct marsupial lion.
It appears the unsuspecting creatures fell to their deaths through pipes in the dusty plain surface that periodically opened and closed over millennia. Most of the animals were killed instantly but others initially survived the 20m drop only to crawl off into rock piles to die from their injuries or from thirst and starvation.
The preservation of many of the specimens was remarkable, said the Nature paper's lead author, Dr Gavin Prideaux. "To drop down into these caves and see the Thylacoleo lying there just as it had died really took my breath away," the Western Australian Museum researcher told the BBC's Science In Action Programme.
Animals would have fallen through surface holes to their deaths. "Sitting in the darkness next to this skeleton, you really got the sense of the animal collapsing in a heap and taking its last breath. It was quite poignant.
"Everywhere we looked around the boulder piles, we found more and more skeletons of a very wide array of creatures." In total, 69 vertebrate species have been identified in three chambers the scientists now call the Thylacoleo Caves.
These include mammals, birds and reptiles; and the kangaroos, which range from pint-sized bettongs to 3m giants. Dr Prideaux's team continues to investigate the Nullabor fossils The team even found an unusual wallaby with large brow ridges.
"When we first glanced at the animal, we thought they were horns but on closer inspection we realised they must have performed some sort of protective function," Dr Prideaux explained. "The beast must have been sticking its head into spiny bushes and browsing on leaves."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Diver escapes from shark's jaws.
Mr Nerhus is an experienced diver An Australian diver has escaped from the jaws of a Great White shark which had grabbed him by the head. Eric Nerhus, 41, was diving off Cape Howe on Australia's south-east coast when he was attacked.
A fellow diver said the three-metre (10-foot) shark bit Mr Nerhus from the head down, crushing his face mask inwards and breaking his nose.
He managed to break free and was hauled aboard a waiting boat. His condition is described as serious but stable. "Eric is a tough boy, he's super-fit," his friend and fellow diver Dennis Luobikis told reporters. "But I would say that would test anyone's resolve, being a fish lunch."
Mr Luobikis, Mr Nerhus and his son - as well as other friends - were fishing for abalone off the coast, some 400km (249 miles) south of Sydney, when the attack happened. "He was actually bitten by the head down, the shark swallowed his head," Mr Luobikis said. The shark then took a second bite, this time seizing Mr Nerhus by the body and biting into his torso.
Mr Luobikis said his friend "pushed his abalone chisel" into the shark's head, managing to wrestle himself free before the shark swam away. "He came up to the surface and was going: "Help, help there's a shark," Mr Nerhus's 25-year-old son Mark said later. "And I went over and there was a big pool of blood, and I pulled him out of the water he was just: "Get me to shore, get me to shore"."
Mr Nerhus was airlifted to hospital where doctors said he was suffering from blood loss and shock. Shark attacks are not uncommon in Australian waters, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says. There are around 15 a year - one of the highest rates in the world. An average of one a year is fatal.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Canada acts to protect rainforest.
The vast rainforest is home to a large bear population. Canada has pledged to spend millions of dollars to help protect the world's largest temperate rainforest. The government will allocate CAN$30m (US$26m, £13m) to maintain the area of British Columbia known as the Great Bear Rainforest.
The area is home to indigenous people, ancient trees and rare wildlife.
The 64,000 sq km (25,000 sq mile) forest is about twice the size of Belgium and spans the Pacific Coast from Vancouver Island north to Alaska.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said voters do not believe his Conservative government has focused enough on environmental issues since coming to power.
The federal cash will be matched by money from the government of British Columbia. Another CAN$60m (US$51m, £26m) is being given by international donors, mainly from within the US.
The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the world's oldest and most pristine forest environments. Squeezed between the north-east Pacific coast and the mountains of British Columbia, the area boasts tall trees and rare wildlife. Some of the trees in the forest are up to 90m (300ft) tall, and are about 1,500 years old, experts say.
Among the region's native wildlife are cougars, wolves, salmon, grizzly bears, and the Kermode bear, a white subspecies of the black bear. A deal struck in February 2006 agreement earmarked one-third of the land to protect wildlife in the region. There have been frequent disputes in recent years between the lumber industry and environmental groups.
Announcing the new deal, Environment Minister John Baird said there was a "strong link between a healthy ecosystem, a healthy society and Canada's economic prosperity".
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Tuna conservation talks in Japan.
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo
Conservationists say tuna is facing commercial extinction.A major effort to try to reverse the decline in tuna stocks worldwide is getting under way in Kobe, Japan.
Five regional bodies responsible for managing stocks of tuna, one of the most valuable and endangered species, are at the meeting.
They are to discuss plans to set up a global tracking system to certify the origin of every tuna that is sold.
Conservationists blame illegal and unregulated fishing and unsustainable quotas for tuna's dramatic decline.
In the western Atlantic, the number of bluefin tuna capable of spawning is less than one-fifth of what it was 30 years ago, according to the body that monitors fish stocks there.
Last year, Japan admitted overfishing southern bluefin tuna and accepted a deep cut in its quota as punishment.
It called the meeting of the different bodies that regulate tuna fishing across the globe to discuss measures to ensure the survival of the species.
Delegates from governments and the fishing industry will discuss a proposal to force fishermen to produce certificates of origin for the tuna they catch.
This would expand conservation programmes already in place in some parts of the world.
It would go some way towards meeting the demands of conservation campaigners, like the WWF, who warn that tuna species face a high risk of what they call "commercial extinction" due to weak management of the industry.
The capacity of the world's tuna fleet is now far greater than that required to catch the legal quota, they say, and governments are not doing enough to implement conservation measures or to prosecute those fishermen who break the rules.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Duck survives two days in fridge.
The duck's slow metabolism is thought to have helped it survive A duck in the US state of Florida has survived gunshot wounds and a two-day stint in a refrigerator.
A hunter shot the duck, wounding it in the wing and leg. Believing the bird was dead, he left it in his fridge at his home in Tallahassee.
The hunter's wife got a fright when she opened the fridge and the duck lifted its head, a local veterinarian said.
Staff at the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary who are treating the bird said it has a 75% chance of survival.
The plucky duck was taken first to a local animal hospital, and then to an animal sanctuary for more specialised treatment.
A veterinarian at the sanctuary said he thinks the duck will live, but will probably never be well enough to be released into the wild.
The veterinarian, David Hale, said the duck's low metabolism rate helped it survive its time in the refrigerator, the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper reported.
"This is an extremely tough duck with a lot of spirit to live," he said. "This shows how tough and adaptable wildlife are."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Dog-owners 'lead healthier lives'.
Dogs can provide companionship. If you want to live a healthier life get a dog, research suggests. The companionship offered by many pets is thought to be good for you, but the benefits of owning a dog outstrip those of cat owners, the study says.
A psychologist from Queen's University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular 'walkies' may partly explain the difference. Dr Deborah Wells reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership.
In some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support than another human could offer -
Dr June McNicholas
Health psychologist
She confirmed that pet owners tended in general to be healthier than the average member of the population.
However, her research suggested that dog ownership produced more positive influence than cat ownership. As well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog-owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems. There was also the suggestion that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and act as 'early warning' to detect an approaching epileptic seizure.
Dr Wells said the precise reason for the benefits was not totally clear. "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill-health.
"The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."
Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist who has specialised on research into the health effects of pet ownership said that an important reason for the improved health of dog-owners was not just the exercise received while taking it for walks, but the opportunity for social contact with other dog-owners. She said: "For older people, an animal can fulfil the 'need to be needed', perhaps after children have left home. "
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Islands seal numbers show decline.
Researchers said the decline was a cause of concern Populations of harbour seals in Orkney and Shetland have declined by about 40% over the past five years, according to new research.
The decline, whose causes are unknown, has emerged in a study carried out by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews.
The results, due to be published in the Journal of Zoology, come from long-term monitoring of seal populations. The seals on the west coast did not appear to be affected in the same way.
Professor Ian Boyd, director of the research unit, said: "Further work needs to be done to confirm the scale of the declines that have been detected.
"An apparent decline of 40% in five years is a cause of considerable concern.
"We have no evidence that there has been a short-term, catastrophic event, like an epidemic, but we retain an open mind about what might be the cause."
He said it was not possible to yet suggest a plausible explanation for the reduction, or whether the reduction was a short term or longer term phenomenon.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Australians face snake invasion
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney
A boy in a suburb of Sydney died after being bitten by a brown snake. Australian wildlife officials warn that a serious drought is driving tens of thousands of snakes into urban areas.
Many venomous reptiles are moving into residential and business areas in search of moisture.
Last week a 16-year-old boy in Sydney died from a bite by an Eastern Brown, one of the world's deadliest snakes.
Many parts of Australia have been hard-hit by the drought, described as the worst for more than 100 years.
Experts have warned that an army of snakes is on the move, looking for water. Driven by extreme thirst they have been discovered in gardens, bedrooms and even Australian shopping centres.
Hospitals have reported a rising number of snakebites. Toxicologists have said there have been 60 serious cases since September.
The drought is making snakes far more active - three people have died in Australia in recent weeks after being bitten.
A 16-year-old schoolboy from Sydney had a heart attack, and died a short time later, after being attacked by an Eastern Brown snake, which injects a lethal venom and is one of the world's most dangerous reptiles.
In tropical Darwin a man who accidentally stood on a snake suffered the same fate last month.
In the southern state of Victoria the authorities have urged people to take greater care.
The advice for anyone who is bitten by a snake is to apply pressure bandages and to stay still - walking for help can accelerate the spread of poison through a victim's body.
Conservationists have insisted that many snakes have been unnecessarily killed by worried residents.
The advice is to steer well clear of these usually shy reptiles.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Highlands a winner for wildlife.
BBC Wildlife Magazine looked at a variety of criteria across Scotland The Highlands is the best place in Scotland to enjoy nature, according to BBC Wildlife Magazine. Aberdeenshire, Shetland, Moray and Midlothian also did well in research carried out by features editor Fergus Collins and his team.
They based their findings on the numbers of protected areas, nature reserves and levels of pollution. The seven-page Best Place to Live if You Love Wildlife feature is carried in February's issue. Mr Collins and his co-researchers spent eight months investigating the top places to live in the UK for wildlife enthusiasts.
Wild Scotland
According to BBC Wildlife's research, 19% of the region is wooded Dunbar in East Lothian is identified as a flora-rich hot-spot Despite its size, the Highlands did not have the range of habitats and species to make it overall winner
Puffins, eagles and Jaws too. The magazine team found Cumbria to be the best in England and overall in the UK. A combination of low levels of pollution, lack of congestion, huge reserves, wide range of habitats and having the largest area under protection of any county put the Highlands ahead of the rest of Scotland.
Though the Highlands was hard to beat, Mr Collins said the country as a whole was rich in wildlife. He said: "Trusts such as the Scottish Wildlife Trust have an amazing and vast areas of Scotland protected. "Scottish Natural Heritage also have a lot of land in Scotland." Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire was considered one of the best places for woodland and Moray, Clackmannanshire and Midlothian for ancient woodland. For numbers of bird species, Shetland was the only Scottish entry.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Leopard dies from people attack.
Leopards have been encroaching into populated areas A leopard has died in the city of Nasik located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after a severe beating by panicked members of the public. The incident happened after it strayed into a populated area, wildlife officials say.
In recent years, attacks by leopards have gone up in Maharashtra state, resulting in the deaths of 22 people. Dozens of people chased the leopard all over the densely populated Nasik city before cornering the wild animal. Eyewitnesses said the public panicked on spotting the leopard and attacked the big cat in apparent self-defence.
N Munde, a wildlife official, said the beatings were the result of ignorance about the wildlife in the general public. But he also said the leopard's foray into the human population was a clear indication of the continuing loss of habitat for the wild animals in the state.
"The loss of habitat results in a conflict between man and animal."
Some caged leopards were recently released back into the wilderness near Nasik, about 100km from India's commercial capital, Mumbai (Bombay). A couple of years ago, leopards were venturing out of their habitat in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai and attacking people nearby.
Wildlife experts are worried that regular encroachments on the sanctuary, Mumbai's green lungs, were resulting in animals slipping out into the human population.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Chimp born despite 'sterile' dad.
Staff realised something was up when they could not spot Teresa A chimpanzee at a Louisiana animal sanctuary has given birth to a baby, despite all of the males living with her having had vasectomies. Workers at Chimp Haven in Keithville were amazed to find the mother, Teresa, cradling a baby as she walked through the wooded compound on 8 January. Both Teresa and her daughter, named Tracy, are said to be doing well.
Staff say vasectomies are not always successful and paternity tests are now under way to see who is the father. Chimp Haven is a 200-acre (81-hectare) retirement facility for chimpanzees who have previously been used in laboratory experiments. Workers at the sanctuary first realised something was awry when Teresa, who is in her 40s and was born in the wild, was missing during morning checks.
Much to their astonishment she appeared later in the day carrying a baby. "Well, we were all just a little bit surprised when we heard the news," Linda Brent, a spokeswoman for Chimp Haven, said. The baby is reported to be strong, alert and nursing regularly.
According to Amy Fultz, a chimpanzee behaviour expert at Chimp Haven, Teresa is very protective of her young charge. "Teresa has been holding the baby tight in her arms and allowing the other members of the group to take quick peeks at the baby," Ms Fultz said. "She is spending most of the day out in the woods with her, and seems to like to rest in the sun with the baby. On her second day of life, Teresa had the infant with her while she was high in the trees eating."
The 19 other chimpanzees in the group have taken on similar custodial roles, with Teresa's closest female companions each taking on the role of "aunt", Ms Fultz said. "This group of females is protective of both Teresa and the baby, and they are always alert when she is nearby," Ms Fultz said. A local man has volunteered to pay for Tracy's lifetime of care.
Tracy is Teresa's 11th baby, though her first for 13 years and the first born at the sanctuary. Managers say that all seven of the male residents received vasectomies before arriving at the park, but one at least was clearly not successful. "This really shows that no matter what precautions you take, life finds a way," Ms Brent said.
Now hair samples are being taken from the males in order to establish who is the father, and get him back into the operating theatre as soon as possible. As for baby Tracy, her future is looking rosy. A local donor to the haven, William Robinson, has offered to cover the cost of her care at Chimp Haven for the rest of Tracy's life. "Tracy is one of the few chimpanzees born into an environment where she will be able to learn natural behaviours such as foraging, climbing trees and nesting from a group of wild-born chimpanzees," Ms Brent said. "This is a rare opportunity for Teresa to teach Tracy the skills she learned from her own mother in Africa so long ago."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Battle to save NY pod of dolphins.
At least five dolphins have died since becoming trapped in the narrow cove. Marine biologists in the US have been struggling to rescue a pod of dolphins stranded in a shallow cove off Long Island, east of New York. But sharp winds and choppy seas forced them to suspend efforts to encourage them to swim back intoopen waters.
Rescuers are using boats to "chase" the dolphins out of the narrow inlet. At least five dolphins have died since they appeared nearly a week ago in the cove. Nine managed to swim out into Gardiner's Bay on Tuesday. "Usually, trying to move dolphins is very difficult, it doesn't have much success. All we can do is go back and try again tomorrow," Chuck Bowman, head of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, told AFP news agency.
Mr Bowman said five or six dolphins remained trapped but were "swimming strongly". Rescue efforts were expected to resume on Thursday morning. The dolphins are of the common species, rather than the popular bottle-nosed variety. They are a regular site further north along the coast in areas such as Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Experts say they may have become trapped after chasing herring or other food into the shallow cove.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Protection for 'weirdest' species
A conservation programme for some of the world's most bizarre and unusual creatures has been launched by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
Species like the bumblebee bat and the pygmy hippopotamus will be protected under the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) project.
The scheme targets animals with unique evolutionary histories that are facing a real risk of extinction.
The ZSL says many of these species are ignored by existing conservation plans.
The Society defines Edge animals as having few close relatives, genetically distinct, and require immediate action to save them from extinction.
'One-of-a-kind'
"People have been talking about one-of-a-kind species being particularly important for conservation for a long time, but it has been very difficult to integrate them into conservation planning," Jonathan Baillie, the programme's lead scientist, told BBC News.
"This is the first global-scale programme where we have been able to do it."
This has been made possible because of the development of a taxonomic "super tree" that shows the relationship between different species.
EDGE 'FOCAL SPECIES' FOR 2007
Pygmy hippopotamus
Attenborough's long-beaked echidna
Hispaniolan solenodon
Bactrian camel
Yangtze River dolphin
Slender loris
Hirola antelope
Golden-rumped elephant shrew
Bumblebee bat
Long-eared jerboa
(Image courtesy of ZSL)
"So we know which ones are most evolutionarily distinct, and then we can combine this with threat status," Dr Baillie added.
Scientists have identified a total of 564 species that fall within the new definition, and the ZSL's programme will focus on the top 100.
For the first year, the ZSL has identified 10 "focal species" that will be the first to benefit from the initiative.
The bumblebee bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), believed to be the world's smallest mammal, is one of the beneficiaries.
It is understood that it is the sole member of the Craseonycterudae family of bats, and is thought to have last shared a common ancestor with another species about 43 million years ago.
Since being first described in 1974, the tiny creature has been disturbed by collectors and tourists wanting to see it.
The main threat facing it comes from forest burning near its habitat of limestone caves in western Thailand and south-east Burma.
The slender loris (Loris tardigradus), found in southern Sri Lanka, is another to benefit.
The ZSL says the fossil record of the lorids extends back to the Early Miocene (20 million years ago).
Populations of this small primate are declining because of deforestation, and conservationists plan to restore its habitat and establish corridors between fragmented areas of forest.
'Mona Lisa' species
Dr Baillie hoped the initiative would help raise awareness of the plight of these little-known animals.
"They represent entire lineages. If you were to think about Edge species in terms of the art world, it would be like losing a Mona Lisa - they are totally irreplaceable and unique.
Hirola - Africa's most threatened antelope "At the moment, we are focusing on the 10 focal species where we think we can really make a difference, and we are trying to raise funds to implement conservation actions."
For each of the animals, he says the first step will be to send a team of experts to the region to assess the state of the species.
Local students will then be recruited to act as "Edge conservation fellows" to carry out ongoing research, which will be used to shape strategies to protect the species.
He adds that they are aiming to have action plans in place for the top 100 Edge creatures within the next five years.
The programme will be funded by grants, and from donations made by the public visiting a website updated with the latest field research and blogs from conservationists working on the projects.
The ZSL is currently working on a similar scheme for amphibians, which it hopes to launch in the near future.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Beavers 'helping frogs survive'.
Beaver ponds created favourable conditions for tadpoles. Beavers may be helping to halt the decline of some amphibian populations, a study suggests.
Researchers, surveying streams in the forests of Alberta, Canada, found significantly more frogs and toads where beaver dams were present.
They believe the beaver "ponds" may be providing favourable conditions for developing tadpoles.
The findings may aid amphibian conservation efforts, the team reports in journal Biological Conservation.
The beavers create an environment that seems to allow tadpoles to develop and grow
Dr Cam Stevens, University of Alberta
The University of Alberta scientists surveyed frogs and toads at 15 beaver-obstructed stream sections and nine free-flowing sections.
Three species of amphibian are common to this area: the boreal chorus frog, the wood frog and the western toad, which is currently listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
An analysis of the "amphibian chorus" - where males croak to entice females - yielded a dramatic result.
"We recorded large numbers (approximately 5,000) of male frogs and toads on streams that had beaver dams, but we didn't record any on the free-flowing unobstructed streams," said Dr Cam Stevens, an ecologist and lead author on the paper.
"We were expecting a difference - but this was a noticeably big difference."
Wood frogs are one of the three amphibian species found in Alberta
The team also used pitfall traps on the streams compare numbers of young frogs and toads. It found about six times more wood frogs, 29 times more western toads and 24 times more boreal chorus frogs at the beaver bonds compared with the beaver-free streams.
Dr Stevens said: "The beavers create an environment that seems to allow tadpoles to develop and grow."
Beaver dams were providing relatively still, warm, nutrient-rich water, he said, which made for perfect conditions for amphibian young.
'Surrogate species'
The researchers say their finding that the beaver is a "surrogate species" may aid future conservation efforts.
By encouraging beaver populations in the boreal forests of Canada and North America amphibian numbers could be boosted, explained Dr Stevens.
"The challenge will be to promote modest levels of beaver activity even where conflicts with human interests might occur, such as areas designated for tree harvesting and landscapes with high road densities," he added.
There is a global decline in amphibians; nearly a third now face extinction. A number of factors such as habitat loss and degradation, climate change and infectious disease have been put forward as possible causes.
In 2005, a $400m (£200m) global plan was established to rescue frogs, toads, and salamanders from oblivion.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Acres of Paraguayan wetland saved
By Andrew Bomford
BBC Radio 4
The Pantanal is home to some 3,500 species of plants. Thousands of acres of environmentally important wetland in South America have been saved from destruction by a British charity. The land, in the Pantanal area of northern Paraguay, has been bought by the World Land Trust, working in partnership with Guyra, a Paraguayan bird life charity. It is one of a number of land purchase projects which the UK organisation, based in Halesworth, Suffolk, is working on.
The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world and includes parts of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Large parts of it are threatened by deforestation through logging and agricultural activities such as soy production. One study recently estimated 17% of its native vegetation had been destroyed. It is home to some 3,500 species of plants, 650 species of birds and hundreds of species of mammals, reptiles and fish. Rare mammals include the giant anteater, giant otter, giant armadillo, jaguar and puma.
"There are many reasons why we should save the Pantanal," said Jose Luis Cartez from Guyra. "Like all the knowledge we would lose if it disappears. For instance there are more than 300 species of fish that we know very little about. "There are some reserves and national parks there, but they only tend to exist on paper. Deforestation there is very high," he added.
The Sid Templer Reserve, as it is now known, covers 3,600 hectares (about 10,000 acres) and there are plans to expand it to 10,000 hectares. Although the area has been bought by World Land Trust, it is owned and managed by Guyra.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
US 'celebrity' whale shark dies.
Whale sharks are the world's largest fish, growing up to 50ft long. Ralph the whale shark, a star attraction at Georgia Aquarium in the US, has died. Ralph, one of four whale sharks in the Atlanta aquarium, had not been eating well and had been showing unusual swimming patterns, officials say. The 22ft-long (6.7m) fish was in effect only "a teenager", and the cause of his death was not immediately known.
Ralph arrived at the aquarium in 2005 from Taiwan, where he had faced becoming seafood. He and Norton - the aquarium's other male whale shark - arrived together and were joined a year later by two females, Alice and Trixie. Gasper, one of the aquarium's five beluga whales, was also put down 10 days ago after months of declining health.
Gasper and another 12ft-long Beluga whale, Nico, came to the aquarium from Mexico City, where they had lived in an exhibit surrounded by a large wooden roller coaster. The aquarium, said to be the world's largest, houses more than 100,000 specimens.
Whale sharks are the world's largest fish, growing up to 50ft long.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Climate food threat to porpoises.
Data for the study came from autopsies on stranded porpoises. Climate change is disturbing the food supply of the harbour porpoise, one of Britain's sea mammals, research shows.
Scientists found that the number of sandeels available each spring for porpoises to eat has declined sharply, and more of the porpoises are starving. The mammals need food frequently to survive, researchers say, and are vulnerable to shortfalls in their prey. The problem, reported in the Royal Society's journal Biology Letters, is also affecting some British sea birds. Sandeels are rich in oil, which make them a vital food for many birds and mammals.
"The energy content per gram of tissue is the key factor," observed Colin MacLeod from Aberdeen University. "And harbour porpoises are quite small, so if they don't get enough food, what happens is the blubber layer gets too thin and they die of hypothermia," he told the BBC News website.
The research shows that sandeels have been hard to find for harbour porpoises in the Scottish North Sea in recent years. The team's data comes from harbour porpoises which have been found dead on shore, and autopsied to determine the cause of death. Autopsies frequently include examination of stomach contents.
Between the years of 1993 and 2001, only 5% of the animals dying in springtime died of starvation; in 2002 and 2003, the figure was 33%. Seabirds such as puffins are also affected by sandeel decline.The proportion of sandeels found in their stomachs declined sharply between the two periods.
In an average March between 1993 and 2001, sandeels made up about 60% of the average harbour porpoise's diet; in 2002 and 2003, it was only 7%. The same trend has been seen for the month of May, though not April.
"The biology of sandeels is quite complicated," said Dr MacLeod. "They spend a lot of the year including the winter buried in sand; and what seems to be happening in recent years is that they are coming out of the sand into the water for much less of the time, and it's only then that the porpoises can eat them."
This behavioural change is believed to be linked to a loss of plankton, their key food, as seas warm, though overfishing is also a factor.
The sandeel decline has caused major problems for sea birds such as kittiwakes, arctic terns, guillemots and puffins, and fishing quotas have been cut drastically in an attempt to stem the tide.
The researchers observe that if water temperatures continue to rise and plankton decline accordingly, then a further reduction in the availability of sandeels can be expected.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
EU to ban imports of wild birds.
Only birds bred in captivity will be allowed into the EU. The trade in wild birds is to be permanently banned across the European Union starting in July, EU animal health officials have decided. The move will replace a temporary ban imposed by Brussels in 2005 as part of measures to prevent outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Animal welfare campaigners say the permanent ban will save millions of birds, including many rare species. Only captive-bred birds from approved countries will be allowed into the EU. Tighter controls on the health and quarantine of imported birds are also to be imposed.
Campaigners have blamed Europe's trade in wild birds as a significant factor in the decline of many threatened species such as the African grey parrot. Before the temporary ban was imposed, about 1.7 million wild birds were imported annually into the EU.
About 60% of the birds caught for import died before they reached Europe from poor handling or disease, Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said. The temporary ban was imposed in October 2005 after wild birds at a quarantine station in Britain were found to have avian flu.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Leopard creates bathroom mayhem. The leopard is thought to have come from nearby jungle There's a new joke doing the rounds in the western Indian city of Vadodara. How do you know that you have a leopard in the bathroom? He is the one with the 'L' on his pyjamas and spongebag.
But for one household in the city, there really was a leopard in the bathroom - and it was not very interested in performing its ablutions. In fact, the animal roared with rage once it discovered that it had been locked in the bathroom by frightened members of the house.
"When we woke up in the morning, we heard noises. We saw a leopard walking into our compound," said householder Dhiren Sukhadia. "We closed all the doors, but saw him standing at the rear side of the house where we have a bathroom. "The maid was cleaning there, and we called her in. The moment we closed the door, the leopard went there and started roaring. "It kicked around the stuff lying there. We called the fire helpline and... they said they were on the way and asked us to keep all doors and windows closed."
Thousands of interested spectators converged on the house on Sunday morning once news of the trapped leopard spread. They watched as frustrated forestry officials repeatedly attempted to lure the animal out of the bathroom and into a cage near the outside door. But their job was made more difficult because the noisy crowd frightened the animal from coming out. Correspondents say police were left with no choice but to fend off the onlookers with batons.
The animal was eventually tranquilised and taken away. The BBC's Rajeev Khanna in the Gujarat state capital, Ahmedabad, says that it will be released into the wild in a few days' time. A spokesman for the Gujarat Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that the leopard probably came from the jungle near the city.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Drill ban sought for Alaskan park .
By David Willis
BBC News, Los Angeles
The area has an abundance of polar bears and other wildlife. Legislation has been tabled in the United States aimed at making a ban on oil drilling at a wildlife refuge in Alaska permanent. Wildlife campaigners are hoping the new Democrat-led Congress will adopt such a move, which has been rejected on several occasions in the past. The legislation would make about 500,000 hectares of land along Alaska's Arctic coast a protected wilderness. It is rich in wildlife but also has more than 10bn barrels of oil.
To many environmentalists the area represents probably the ultimate wild place in need of protection. It has been compared to the Serengeti nature reserve in Africa because of its abundance of wildlife - polar bears, oxen, caribou and millions of migratory birds. But it is also thought the area could supply up to one million barrels of oil a day at peak production.
US President George W Bush has said repeatedly that he believes it is possible to protect the environment while still allowing drilling to take place. He believes the area is essential for lessening US dependence on foreign energy sources. Outlawing drilling in the area has been tried in the past without success.
But with Democrats now in the majority in the US Congress and a number of moderate Republicans on record as supporting the move, chief sponsor of the legislation, Representative Edward Markey, believes he stands a good chance of success.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
EU tightens animal transport rule.
European law says calves must have bedding until two weeks old. The stress suffered by animals as they are transported across Europe will be lessened as new laws come into force. Lorries used to carry cattle for eight hours or more must be licensed to ensure they are equipped with drinking systems and temperature monitors. New lorries must also have satellite navigation, to make it easier to check compliance with travel and rest times.
The rules comes into force days after another EU law banned veal crates, in which calves have no room to turn. Animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) said the new regulations on animal transport were an improvement, but regretted that nothing had been done to restrict the length of journeys. It welcomed the fact that the lorries would now have to be licensed, and that from January next year, drivers would have to have a certificate of competence to prove that they had been trained to care for the animals. Transport firms carrying live animals already need to be licensed.
The new regulation also bans the transport of female animals less than one week after they have given birth, and new-born animals. These are defined as:
Pigs less than three weeks old
Lambs less than one week old
Calves less than 10 days old
All lorries, including old lorries already in use for live animal transports, will have to be fitted with satellite navigation by 2009.
Live transports of calves from the UK to Europe resumed in May last year, after a 10-year ban imposed because of the UK outbreak of BSE, or mad cow disease. This important animal welfare legislation aims to reduce the stress and harm that animals can experience during land and sea journeys -Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.
Between May and October, 44,000 animals had been transported to continental Europe, according to CIWF. Some are taken to distant destinations - such as southern Italy - on journeys lasting up to 60 hours.
Peter Stevenson of CIWF said that despite the ban on veal crates, calves born in the UK would still be fattened in conditions that were illegal in this country. Although calves now had to be kept in groups, the British requirement for "appropriate bedding" did not exist in most countries to which the calves were exported, so they were usually kept in buildings with bare concrete or slatted floors.
The law banning veal crates only insists on bedding for calves up to two weeks old. "We are delighted that veal crates have been banned, but it doesn't mean things are perfect for calves - far from it," he said. He added that CIWF would continue to campaign for a ban on live transports lasting more than eight hours, and for a complete ban on live transports from the UK. European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said the European Commission would bring forward new proposals on travelling times, and on the densities at which animals could be kept by the end of 2009.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Drought hits India bird reserve
By Narayan Bareth - BBC News, Jaipur.
A lack of rain is being blamed for bird shortages.The world-famous Bharatpur bird sanctuary in western India is facing a shortage of birds because of severe water scarcity, officials say. Migratory birds visiting the area in Rajasthan state are down to only about 100 compared to some 10,000 last year. The lack of water follows low rainfall. Officials say the situation is so dire that six new wells have been dug. With so little water, many migratory birds are not nesting and are flying back to their areas of origin.
Once the hunting ground of Indian royal families, the Bharatpur area is now one of the world's finest bird sanctuaries. It has more than 400 species of water birds, from as far afield as Afghanistan, Tibet and Central Asia.
There are Siberian cranes from the Arctic, and greylag geese from China have become a regular feature. Last year, the birds made 2,000 nests but this time only a few have been seen. The famous Siberian Crane, for example, was last sighted here in 2002. All this is bad news for the large numbers of bird lovers from around the world who visit Bharatpur during the winter season.
Officials say that although the number of tourists has remained the same, many are leaving the sanctuary complaining that they have seen far fewer birds. "I came here from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and was disappointed when I found there were no birds. People will no longer come here if that remains the case," said one tourist Sudhir Rawat.
Last year, more than 100,000 visitors spent time at the national park, including 34,000 from outside India. Now officials are trying to arrange for extra water from the Chambal River - which originates in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh - through a pipeline network. However, environmentalists say this will not solve the problem, because the birds are used to a natural flow of water which also supplies food.
State officials reserved water from the Panchna Dam for the sanctuary three years ago, but were forced to give up their plan because of protests by local farmers, who said that they needed the water for their crops. The Bharatpur bird sanctuary, also known as the Keoladeo national park, was declared a national park in 1982 and a world heritage site in 1985.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
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