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.
Elusive wolves caught on camera !
By Rebecca Morelle - Science reporter, BBC News.
Remarkable new footage of Canada's Arctic wolves has been caught on camera by a BBC crew. The team managed to film the wolves taking to the water to hunt waterfowl - behaviour that has never been seen before, according to an expert. Arctic wolves live in the Canadian Arctic and northern parts of Greenland; observing them is a difficult task as they rarely interact with humans.
The team followed a pack on Ellesmere Island for several weeks last summer. This glimpse into the lives of these elusive animals was filmed for the Natural World wildlife programme: White Falcon, White Wolf, which also features other animals, including gyr falcons, Arctic foxes and snowy owls, that live on the remote island.
Wolf expert David Mech, from the US Geological Survey, said: "I'd never seen wolves try to catch waterfowl before and this was interesting to see." Usually, he said, wolves eat large hoofed animals, although they will vary their diet as circumstances dictate. He explained: "They take advantage of whatever food opportunities are available, and in this case, these waterfowl were available, so they took advantage of trying to get them. "I'm interested in the challenges these animals overcome to hunt their food. I've been intrigued with how the wolf manages to solve problems in so many different ways, with so many different species."
Ellesmere Island sits at the northernmost tip of Canada; it is only during the brief Arctic summer that the snow thaws to reveal the true features of the rugged landscape beneath. Here, the BBC Natural History Unit tracked down a pack of eight wolves, including a dominant male and three one-year-olds. The wolves, especially one called Lucy, were bold and playful
Harry Hoskyns-Abrahall, assistant producer of White Falcon, White Wolf, said the team was lucky to come across the wolves almost as soon as they arrived on the island. He told the BBC News website: "We went to this particular area because wolves had been spotted there a few years earlier. "We were immediately encouraged when we found wolf tracks and marking posts on day one; and then the next day, we went out on the same route and we saw a wolf, which was absolutely unbelievable and very exciting." By following the wolf and its tracks, the team was eventually able to track down a den. "We were incredibly lucky," said Mr Hoskyns-Abrahall. "Once you've got the den, you have somewhere where the wolves are going to focus their behaviour."
THE ARCTIC'S WHITE WOLF
The Arctic wolf is actually a subspecies of the grey wolf
In comparison it has a shorter stature but a bulkier build
Scientific name for the Arctic wolf is Canis lupus arctos
It ranges across the Canadian Arctic and north Greenland
Packs will prey on caribou, musk oxen, hares, lemmings
The crew was able to film the animals going about their daily business. "The most incredible part was when we saw the young wolf swim out to the middle of a lake and go after the geese, we just couldn't believe that it could seriously consider getting a goose in that way," he added. The team was also amazed by the wolves' boldness. "The younger wolves in the pack would come right up to us, and they would come up to our camp and empty our rucksacks - you would wake up and find your clothing spread all over the place. They were very inquisitive," explained Mr Hoskyns-Abrahall.
Arctic explorer Jim McNeill, who worked with the crew and kept a diary of his experiences for the BBC News website, was particularly taken with one young wolf who he nicknamed Lucy. He said: "The highlight for me was one afternoon when the crew was off filming. "Lucy came near the camp and I spent the best part of an afternoon with her in spectacular sunshine. We just shared a space - it felt extremely special." He added: "I've been exploring this area for 25 years and to spend this time with these animals gave me another perspective on Arctic life. "To be part of the process of finding them and then capturing that footage was a fantastic feeling."
Fergus Beeley, producer of the programme, said making the film was something of an accomplishment. He said: "Arctic wolves have been an aspiration [to film] of mine for about 15 years. "I have a bit of a reputation for going for animals that are a tricky: filming the wolves posed the ultimate challenge. "We didn't know where they would be 'denning', what their movements would be, so we had to do a lot of planning based on 'guestimates' - and luckily they worked out to be right."
White Falcon, White Wolf is on BBC Two on Friday 1 February at 2000 GMT and Sunday 3 February at 1755 GMT
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Hefty hound wins slimming prize !
Oscar's story
An overweight dog who piled on the pounds after munching on sausages, roast chicken and creamy pasta has been named pet slimmer of the year. Oscar the Labrador's waistline ballooned to such an extent that he collapsed under the weight. But he lost one-and-a-half stone after his owners, from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, put him on a strict regime of diet and exercise.
Oscar has now lifted first prize in the UK-wide Pet Fit Club competition. Oscar weighed 7st 7lb before owners Gordon and Louise Critcher signed him up to the 100-day diet competition, run by veterinary charity the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). His previous fatty meals became a thing of the past, and 10-year-old Oscar was put on a diet of dried food and water.
Oscar, who was 32% overweight, now weighs in at a healthier 6st. Mrs Critcher, 53, said: "We were always under the impression that Labs were big dogs and we didn't think we were doing anything wrong by giving him treats. "We used to feed him everything and anything. "But then he collapsed and we thought he might have had a stroke. It turned out he had arthritis, but the vet recommended he go on the Pet Fit Club programme."
The couple have started taking Oscar on twice-daily walks, and their pet's progress is monitored by weigh-ins every fortnight. His owners say he is healthier and happier after losing weight .Mrs Critcher said: "At the beginning Oscar didn't take to the diet and used to look at us, as if to say 'is that it?' "But he soon got used to it. Now he is a totally different dog. He is full of life, has tonnes of energy, his coat is glowing and his eyes are sparkling. "It has been hard work but Oscar has done absolutely brilliantly. We are very proud of him."
PDSA senior veterinary surgeon Elaine Pendlebury said pet obesity was an increasing problem. She added: "PSDA has seen a steady rise in pet obesity and related health problems over the past five years."
Seven overweight pets were enrolled in the programme in October 2007.
In joint second place were 10-year-old cocker spaniel Poppy from Nottingham, who lost 12lb, and 13-year-old mongrel Scooby from Gillingham, Kent, who shed 5lb. Scooby's owner, Jennifer Thompson, said her pet had gained weight due to her love of chicken curry, fish and chips and ice cream. Overweight cat George, from Everton in Liverpool, took third place after losing 3lb.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Indian rhino loses fight for life !
Anna-Marie Lever - Science and nature reporter, BBC News.
A female Indian rhino and her calf have been killed for their horns in Kaziranga National Park, India. The female survived for 35 hours after the attack, but slowly bled to death after her horn was sawn off and shot twice by poachers. The region's rhinos had recently featured in the BBC's natural history series Saving Planet Earth.
Despite best efforts by conservation groups, and increased funding, poaching has recently escalated in the region. Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, from Aaranyak, a conservation charity based in India, told BBC News: "The vet tried to save her but it was not possible.
The attack took place under the cover of darkness on 19 January. The next morning the female was found in a critical condition. She struggled to survive until 21 January. Animal ambassador David Shepherd said: "Can man, the most lethal animal on the planet, sink any lower in depravity just to make money? "In 50 years of conservation, I have seldom seen such a sickening example of wildlife abuse. I love rhinos and they deserve a better fate than this."
Mr Shepherd is the founder of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), which supports Aaranyak in its mission to protect the Indian one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Kaziranga National Park.
Melanie Shepherd, from the DSWF told BBC News: "Between 1998 and 2006 rhino poaching in Kaziranga was brought under some control. "However, last year poaching increased at an alarming rate, with 20 rhinos killed in 2007. Despite increased funding, there have already been four deaths in 2008."
Ms Sherpherd suggests poaching has escalated in the region as the market for rhino ivory has increased in China, for use in traditional Chinese medicine and because the location of Kaziranga National Park makes it particularly vulnerable and difficult to patrol. The park is situated in the far eastern corner state of Assam, close to the Chinese border.
"Kaziranga National Park is a key pivotal area. Assam is on the doorstep of the consumer market. It is easy for poachers to get across the border and then into China, Thailand, and Myanmar. The park is an obvious target," she says. Another problem is that the Bhamaputra river makes up the Northern park boundary and is currently exploited by poachers to gain access to the park, especially in the monsoon season.
INDIAN RHINO
Numbers have increased from 200 in 1900 to about 2,500 today
Rhino horn, kilo-for-kilo, is five times more valuable than gold
Rhinos can reach speeds of 55km/h (34mph)
Males mark their territory with dung piles measuring up to a metre high
Indian rhinos have scent glands on their forefeet, and leave scent trails for other rhinos to smell
However, it is hoped a patrol boat, funded by a £62,000 donation from the BBC Wildlife Fund after Kaziranga's rhinos were featured on the BBC's Saving Planet Earth series, will help provide extra reinforcement to this problem. The money is also going towards the ongoing project, started in 1995, of equipping the 400 park rangers with radios so they can report poaching incidents and call for reinforcements.
The ongoing conflict between rangers and poachers has claimed the lives of 60 people over the past 20 years. Ms Shepherd says: "Bibhab and his team make a tremendous effort. It is very dangerous work but they still pursue busting the poaching gangs. The Indian rhino's future lies in Kaziranga National Park. Everyone is gutted - but we can't give up."
The world population of one-horned Indian rhino is estimated to be 2,500 animals, three-quarters of these are found in Kaziranga National Park. The species was once found throughout the northern Indian sub-continent, but can now only be found in India and Nepal.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
The rodent to ruin?
By Finlo Rohrer - BBC News Magazine.
Plans are afoot to reintroduce beavers, wildcats and wolves to habitats in Britain from which they have long disappeared. But is it right to offer a helpful human hand or is this immoral manmade meddling? Picture a forest. A Scottish crossbill rummages for conifer cones, a capercaillie fans its tail, a red deer skulks in the shadows, while a beaver gnaws thoughtfully on a tree.
It could be a classic picture of wildlife in Scotland, but for one thing. No beavers. Hunted for their pelts, there have been no wild beavers in the UK since at least the 16th Century. Now two groups in Scotland plan to remedy that. The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland have submitted an application to the Scottish minister for the environment to bring back beavers in a small-scale experiment which could lead to a wider reintroduction.
Such "reintroductions" are now a common tactic in the global conservation movement, with plans in the UK to reintroduce wildcats and bring wolves back to Scotland. The measures are aimed at restoring habitats and providing a more natural path to conservation. Wouldn't it be better to control the deer population in Scotland with wolves, rather than rely on man-made methods, the proponents suggest.
But reintroductions are not without controversy. In mainland Europe, the reintroduction of bears and wolves has met with hostility from farmers worried about livestock being killed. And there is a key question. Should man attempt to manipulate habitats and eco-systems, even if only to repair the damage done by man in the past? There is a certain poetry in the return of some animals, something compellingly romantic about a wolf staring cold-eyed out of a snowy forest. And the beaver has its own appeal.
If wolves are reintroduced would hunting them be allowed? The Scottish Wildlife Trust talks of a "charismatic creature", citing a study which estimates that beaver-tourism could be worth £101 per household. Regarded as a "keystone" species, beavers will help renew and create wetland which will help "frogs, toads, water voles, dragonflies, birds and fish".
But in Estonia, the return of the beaver has caused problems. "Beavers have caused floods in forests, which means the forest may perish because of the excessive damp," says Kaarel Roht, senior specialist in the forest department at the Ministry of the Environment. "Beavers can also close drainage canals with dams to get the food, flooding big areas of land and hindering agriculture."
And the solution to this? In 2006, 7,368 beavers were killed in Estonia. This raises a serious question. Is it acceptable to reintroduce a species which then has to be controlled with culling? Professor Andrew Linzey, director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, says no.
BEAVER TRIAL
Application for trial in Knapdale Forest, Argyll
15-20 beavers in control zone
Trial could start spring 2009
Aim to create more wetland
First wild beavers since 1500s
"It can't be ethical to introduce a species which one is then going to kill. Many people who want to reintroduce species don't seem to have an understanding that ecology is an evolving process. "To reintroduce a species after hundreds of years is to profoundly disturb that ecology. There is no pristine state we can move back to."
But this ethical position is diametrically opposed to that of the conservation fraternity. Craig Hilton-Taylor, manager of the Red List Unit at the World Conservation Union (IUCN), says culling is sometimes necessary.
In Africa, after years of conservation work, including animals being moved to new areas, the elephant population has risen in many countries to the point where culling is seen as necessary by the authorities. "You want to keep the balance in the system. You have to allow culling... but the thing for us is that it is humane," says Dr Hilton-Taylor. Accepting culling as a last resort, conservationists focus their efforts on making sure reintroductions are sufficiently well-evaluated that episodes of dramatic overpopulation and animals failing to thrive in areas are kept to a minimum.
"There are lots of reintroductions happening without them being well thought through. Huge amounts of money gets spent on these things," says Dr Hilton-Taylor "In the case of gharial [Indian crocodile-like reptiles], 10,000 animals had been put back into the wild but the success rate has been appalling, losing them so rapidly."
If beavers should be re-introduced across Scotland or indeed across the whole of the UK, no-one can guarantee that in 20 years they will not have thrived to the point of needing to be culled. And how the British public will react to the prospect of cute beavers being killed is anybody's guess. The Confederation of Forest Industries is, needless to say, worried about the prospect of beavers returning, and it questions exactly how "native" beavers can be regarded as in its submission to the beaver consultation exercise.
"Due to the interval since beavers were extant in GB (around 400 years) the proposal is in reality one of an introduction of an alien species, and that into a completely different, man-made environment compared to that which existed all those centuries ago." It is a sentiment that Prof Linzey agrees with. "It is a big mistake to treat it as though it was a page with holes that have to be filled because they were once filled. "An act of introduction is an act of profound disturbance. It needs to be looked at very carefully indeed."
The plans to reintroduce wolves in Scotland could be timed to coincide with the return of beavers, in the hope they would help manage the population. But no-one can say that the wolf and beaver will thrive to the same degree. And exactly how one chooses to interfere with habitats is a complicated business. The Aspinall Foundation is working on a plan to reintroduce the native "wildcat" or reinforce a current population, using captive animals. It is said there are still wildcats in Scotland.
But before an application is made, there must be a study of the DNA of the captive animals. If they prove not to be a separate species from the domestic cat, the reintroduction plan will go no further. If they are demonstrated to be separate it will provide another battleground for the proponents of species reintroductions and those who favour a different approach.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Chameleon colour not to blend in !
Anna-Marie Lever - Science and nature reporter, BBC News.
Chameleons first used colour change to make them more noticeable rather than, as is popularly believed, to blend in, a study suggests. The reptiles change colour for a variety of purposes - communication, camouflage and temperature control. However, the reason why they first evolved this ability to flash bright colours was previously unclear.
Scientists report in the journal Plos Biology that it was to allow them to signal to other chameleons. Co-author Dr Devi Stuart-Fox, from The University of Melbourne, Australia, told BBC News: "[Our research] suggests that chameleons evolved colour change for signalling, to fend off rivals or attract a mate, and not so they could match a greater variety of backgrounds."
Dr Stuart-Fox's team looked at the colour changing ability of 21 southern African dwarf chameleon species (Bradypodion spp), to compare species colour changing ability and consider evolutionary relationships. As chameleons have a different visual system to humans, they have a fourth type of cone which is ultra-violet (UV) sensitive, the researchers had to first measure what the chameleons were actually seeing.
The Melbourne-based researcher explained: "We measured colour with a spectrometer, which measures both the UV and visual colour range, and combined this with information on the chameleon visual system to model chameleon colour perception."
CHAMELEON FACTS
Colour change is rapid (milliseconds or seconds) as under direct neural control
Its eyes can move independently
It can see in two different directions at once
Its tongue is twice as long as its body
By setting individual chameleons up in a duel with a series of opponents, the colour range between the submissive and dominant colours could be measured. "If a male is challenged by another male they both begin by showing their brightest colours - until one figures out the other is going to win and changes to a submissive, dark, 'don't beat me up colour'," said Dr Stuart-Fox.
The team also looked at how chameleons change colour in response to a predator, by presenting them with a model bird or snake. It was shown that the most dramatic colour changes were used to socially signal to other chameleons. "We found that chameleon species that changed colour the most had displays that were most conspicuous to other chameleons. But they didn't have a greater range of background colours in their habitats," said Dr Stuart-Fox.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Sea lions massacred in Galapagos !
Ecuadorean officials are investigating the slaughter of 53 sea lions from the Galapagos Islands nature reserve, which were found with their heads caved in. The dead animals included 13 pups, 25 youngsters, nine males and six females. Galapagos National Park official Victor Carrion told AFP news agency that each was killed by "a strong blow from someone", though the motive is unknown. They had not been injured in any other way, he said, discounting the notion they had been killed for their parts.
The animals were found in a state of decomposition on Pinta island, part of the archipelago which lies about 1,000km (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos sea lions have no natural predators on land and generally do not fear humans. Mr Carrion said no other dead animals had been discovered, but that patrols on the other islands would be increased. He added that the sea lions were a vital link in the island's food chain and therefore any threat to them is a threat to the whole eco-system.
Sea lions are sometimes hunted for their skin, or the teeth and genitals of the male animals are removed for use as a supposed aphrodisiac in Chinese medicine. In 2001 poachers killed 35 male sea lions in the archipelago, removing their genitals and teeth. However, according to Mr Carrion none of the animals killed in this latest attack had been mutilated and no cuts were found on their skin or limbs. "It was a massacre whose motives the prosecutor's office must clarify," Mr Carrion told AFP.
The Galapagos Islands are known throughout the world as a home to unique flora and fauna, including exotic birds, marine iguana and giant tortoises. The wildlife was the inspiration for British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. The islands were the first place on the planet officially designated as a World Heritage site, but last year the UN Environment, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which administers the list of sites, declared the Galapagos "in danger".
Experts said the 19 islands and surrounding ocean were under threat from "invasive species", increased tourism and growing immigration. In a statement, the organisation said international interest in the islands - which are Ecuador's most popular tourist attraction - was contributing to their gradual decline.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Bangladesh's majestic dolphins at risk !
By Alastair Lawson - BBC News, in the Sunderbans of Bangladesh.
Dolphins are a powerful tourist attraction in Bangladesh.Seeing the river dolphins of Bangladesh is not something that is easily forgotten. They rise arc-like and majestic out of the water only inches from boats that ply the rivers of the country's south.
In a country where the wildlife population has been denuded because of over-crowding and pollution, dolphins provide visitors with a beautiful and memorable surprise. But conservationists say they are increasingly concerned over the future of the country's river dolphin population, some of which they warn may even be at risk of extinction. They say that it is rapidly declining because of over-fishing, a shortage of prey, pollution and declining freshwater supplies.
Experts are particularly concerned over the fate of two species - the Ganges river dolphin and the Irrawaddy dolphin whose numbers they say have significantly reduced over the last decade. "This is probably because of intense human activities - such as farming and fishing - that takes place in their river and near shore water habit," said dolphin expert Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur. "But they are also at risk because of the clumped nature of their overall distribution, which results in a patchwork of relatively small groups demographically isolated from each other."
While Bangladesh currently supports relatively large populations of Ganges river dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins, conservationists argue that it's crucial to address the threats they face now, while the potential for long-term survival of both species is still relatively high in comparison to other areas in Asia.
While other species such as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are not currently threatened, their future can by no means be taken for granted. But it's the Ganges river dolphin and the Irrawaddy dolphin which give the most cause for concern.
"The most dire threat to them comes in the form of accidental deaths caused fishing nets," said Ms Mansur. "Fishermen don't target the animals, but when they often become entangled in nets they easily drown because they are breathing mammals. "A more long term threat comes from declining freshwater supplies - primarily due to water extraction upstream in India - and sea-level rises which have led to profound changes to the ecology of their habitat."
The bulk of the country's freshwater dolphin population live in the south-west of the country, especially in the rivers and waterways of the Sunderbans mangrove forest. Experts point out that these rivers are particularly affected by toxic and industrial waste which is dumped in the water further upstream. "Rising salinity through both climate change and declining freshwater supplies is also a real and a long-term challenge to the ecology of the Sunderbans," said Ms Mansur.
Dolphins in the forest tend to partition themselves according to the level of salinity - Ganges river dolphins for example are found in mangrove channels with high freshwater inputs, while Irrawaddy dolphins live in more salty mangrove channels further downstream. Experts say that the level of salinity in these areas is crucial to the survival of the animals and to the livelihoods of over 30,000 fishermen in the Sunderbans. Already at least 11 species of fresh water fish are extinct.
In what many environmentalists see as an ominous development, salt water species of pin dolphin in the Sunderbans have recently been discovered, which provides another indication of rising salinity. Steps are now being taken to combat the problem. The Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP) and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) are proposing a protected area for dolphins, which would consist of three priority sites in the Sunderbans.
In addition to monitoring salinity levels, accidental killings of dolphins by fishermen would also be surveyed. "The idea is that fishermen will be provided with relatively inexpensive global positioning systems and depth sounders, in addition to being trained how to use them so that they can navigate safely to shore during storms," said Ms Mansur.
"In return the fishermen would safely release live animals found entangled in their nets, and collect samples and basic information on animals found already dead. "But the battle to save these animals is not going to be easy. Salinity and over-fishing are in many respects facts beyond our control. We are the local end of a global battle."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Rare victory for Madagascar tortoises !
By Jonny Hogg - BBC News, Antananarivo.
Conservationists are celebrating a double victory over tortoise smugglers in Madagascar. Earlier this month, a Nigerian man was arrested with 300 tortoises and another 20 have been returned to their habitat after being seized on a neighbouring island. But campaigners' relief might not last long. The live animal trade, particularly in reptiles, is big business. The island's unique wildlife, which makes it so exciting for conservationists, also attracts financial interest.
The haul of 300 seized from a house after a tip-off may be the largest in the world, conservationists say. Collectors could have netted as much as $200,000 (£100,000) for them in exotic pet markets. "Of course I am very happy that the tortoises are still in Madagascar," says Hasina Randriamanampisoa of the Durrell Wildlife Trust. "But on the other hand I am very frustrated because it means they are still leaving the country."
Eight of the tortoises saved were of the rarest species in the world. Conservationists believe that only about 1,000 of these ploughshare tortoises remain.
THE PLOUGHSHARE TORTOISE
Latin name: geochelone yniphora
Called angonoka by the Malagasy
Live in clearings in woods near bamboo forests
Gets the name ploughshare because of a protruding scoop under the head
Males use the scoop to wrestle other males during courtship
They also use the scoop to turn the female over during mating
Hatchlings are 3cm long
Juveniles can take 20 years to reach sexual maturity
There are less than 1,000 left in the wild
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has bred 250 in captivity - 40 have been returned to the wild
In 1996, 73 tortoises worth $3m (£1.5m) were stolen from a breeding centre on Madagascar
Source: www.wildscreen.org.uk
They are found in a small area of north-western Madagascar, and the loss of even a small number would be devastating, conservationists say. According to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the ploughshare will be extinct within 10 years if they continue to disappear at the same rate.
It is a global trade. The Nigerian man, who faces up to 10 years if he is convicted, was found with three passports with three different names from three different countries. The reptiles could have been bound for rare animal markets in Bangkok, Thailand, conservationists say. Although tortoises are protected, some species are still eaten in parts of the country, but the real risk lies from international collectors.
To buy a tortoise to eat might cost $10 (£5). To buy one as a pet might cost you $10,000 (£5,000). "Why do people do it? If you're talking about Malagasy people they are poor, so they can easily be attracted by big bucks from the smugglers," says Mr Randriamanampisoa. "As far as foreigners are concerned, well I can imagine, some people are so rich they just want something rare in their possession. "It has something to do with their mind, to possess something that no-one else has."
Felicitee Rejo Fienena, who works for the government in southern Madagascar, wants more to be done to protect wildlife. "If buyers continue to exist on the international market, then collectors will continue to exist in Madagascar," she says. "Therefore on that point there must be really strong collaboration. On the ground here we're already on alert, we're already mobilised but we must be able to react quickly if we're to get positive results."
The game of cat and mouse between the collectors and the authorities continues. People trying to protect the tortoises here are wary of advertising the sheer value of the trade for fear of attracting even more fortune-hunters to the island. On the other hand, if they do not draw attention to the threat the trade causes, for certain species their desirability may lead to their extinction.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Five-legged cat to lose two paws !
A five-legged cat is to undergo surgery to remove a superfluous paw growing from the left side of her body. The stray was found by a US family in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, and taken to a local animal shelter, where she was named Baby Girl. The operation will not make her a four-footed feline, as vets also plan to amputate a deformed left hind leg. But staff at the shelter say Baby Girl is already adept at getting around using only 60% of current paw power.
Chrystin Rice, who works at the Washington Area Humane Society, says Baby Girl is in good health as she waits for her operation, scheduled to take place within the next fortnight. "She's a little bit wild, but she is very easy to handle," she said. "The veterinarians who have seen her are just amazed that she has five legs. It's probably from in-breeding."
The operation will improve the cat's quality of life, the society says. So far no one has applied to adopt Baby Girl, although there have been a number of calls to inquire about her progress. But Chrystin Rice says people shouldn't be put off by the extra leg - or the forthcoming lack of one which should be there.
"It's actually a really, really nice cat," she said.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
UK's bird watching event begins !
Thousands of people are expected to spend an hour this weekend taking part in a national survey of garden birds. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds's annual Big Garden Birdwatch aims to find out which species are the most common visitors to UK's gardens.
In 2007, some 400,000 people took part in the survey and counted six million birds in 236,000 gardens. The RSPB says the goldfinch is likely to make it into the top 10 of species spotted in gardens and parks.
During the past 30 years goldfinch numbers have increased by half in the survey. Gemma Rogers from the RSPB told the BBC the bird was benefiting from warmer temperatures. "Goldfinches usually would go to Southern Europe for the winter but they just haven't really needed to as much this year, so we're expecting that more will be around the UK in January than usual."
The RSPB expects people to see fewer blue tits because they are laying their eggs earlier and because of the wetter weather."The caterpillars will have been washed off the leaves and their food generally will have been harder for them to find," said Ms Rogers.
While chaffinches and great tit numbers have grown in the past three decades, other birds such as the starling and the once-common sparrow have seen a serious drop in the average seen per garden. Since the event began in 1979, the number of starlings counted has fallen by 76%.
The number of house sparrows counted has also fallen by 52%. According to the RSPB, gardens are a vitally important habitat for wildlife, and many garden birds are doing well because people provide them with safe havens with food, water and shelter.
The scheme originally began as an activity for children who were members of the Young Ornithologists Club. Participants are asked to submit their results online and the results will be published in March 2008. The RSPB will use the information to record patterns in bird numbers and prioritise conservation efforts.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Stranded cows saved from floods !
A herd of cows had to swim to safety after being stranded by major flooding in the Highlands. Coastguards, police, firefighters and the Red Cross were called to a flooded field near Cannich to help rescue the 25 animals.
The alarm was raised by four local farm workers who also became trapped when their tractor was swept away as they tried to reach the animals. Inflatable rescue rafts were used to help float the cattle to safety. The farmers also managed to make it safely to dry land. The flooding was caused by the River Beauly bursting its banks.
Coastguard manager Mike Armitage said: "Our main concern was the safety of the farmers who may have put themselves in danger if they had continued in trying to rescue their animals. "There was a certain feelgood factor about this for all our personnel once the job had been completed successfully.
"We train regularly and work well with the specially-trained Red Cross personnel and their two boats, and fortunately a member of our Coastguard Rescue team is an SSPCA inspector, so we were particularly careful in our handling of the distressed animals."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear' !
A campaign has been launched to build a permanent memorial to a bear which spent much of its life in Scotland - after fighting in World War II. The bear - named Voytek - was adopted in the Middle East by Polish troops in 1943, becoming much more than a mascot. The large animal even helped their armed forces to carry ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino.
Voytek - known as the Soldier Bear - later lived near Hutton in the Borders and ended his days at Edinburgh Zoo. He was found wandering in the hills of Iran by Polish soldiers in 1943. They adopted him and as he grew he was trained to carry heavy mortar rounds.
When Polish forces were deployed to Europe the only way to take the bear with them was to "enlist" him. So he was given a name, rank and number and took part in the Italian campaign. He saw action at Monte Cassino before being billeted - along with about 3,000 other Polish troops - at the army camp in the Scottish Borders. The soldiers who were stationed with him say that he was easy to get along with.
"He was just like a dog - nobody was scared of him," said Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives near the site of the camp. The bear travelled with troops."He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man."
When the troops were demobilised, Voytek spent his last days at Edinburgh Zoo. Mr Karolewski went back to see him on a couple of occasions and found he still responded to the Polish language. "I went to Edinburgh Zoo once or twice when Voytek was there," he said. "And as soon as I mentioned his name he would sit on his backside and shake his head wanting a cigarette. "It wasn't easy to throw a cigarette to him - all the attempts I made until he eventually got one."
Voytek was a major attraction at the zoo until his death in 1963. Eyemouth High School teacher Garry Paulin is now writing a new book, telling the bear's remarkable story. Local campaigner Aileen Orr would like to see a memorial created at Holyrood to the bear she says was part of both the community and the area's history.
She first heard about Voytek as a child from her grandfather, who served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers. "I thought he had made it up to be quite honest but it was only when I got married and came here that I knew in fact he was here, Voytek was here," she said. "When I heard from the community that so few people knew about him I began to actually research the facts.
"It is just amazing, the story is totally amazing."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Animal charity starts mole count !
Contrary to popular opinion wildlife experts say moles are beneficial. A conservation charity is calling for thousands of volunteers to take part in a national survey of moles. The People's Trust for Endangered Species says the much-maligned mammal is actually a misunderstood creature which can help gardeners and farmers.
The survey will involve a molehill count because the underground-dwelling animals are rarely seen. The trust hopes to compile a map of the distribution of the animals to help with future research. Britons have historically had a mixed relationship with the creatures.
Conservationists say farmers would hang moles from gibbets to ward off other moles, and moleskin clothing became so fashionable in the 19th Century that up to 13 million skins were sold a year. Ways of deterring or terminating moles are a frequent topic of conversation among gardeners.
However, wildlife experts say moles are beneficial because they eat insects and aerate the soil with their tunnels. The online survey will be taking place until September 2008.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Force reveals four-legged recruit !
Tayside Police have revealed their latest recruit in the fight against crime. He is a six-week old German Shepherd from the first Lothian and Borders Police dog breeding programme. The name of the pure black puppy will be chosen by pupils at St Ninian's Primary School in Dundee.
Training will not begin in earnest for another year-and-a-half, but the pooch is already being prepared for life as a general purpose working police dog. Members of the public can monitor his progress online by looking at his training diary on the Tayside Police website. PC Mike Keenan will be in charge of moulding the puppy into a crime fighting force.
He said: "The benefits of using German Shepherds are that they are generally very loyal and hard working, as well as being intelligent. "From that point of view they are excellent to work with. "As far as I am concerned the training starts straight away, in that they are conditioned from day one. "Their specialised upbringing will prepare them for the jobs they will do in the future.'"
Royal Canin has sponsored the new dog and will provide the force with free specialist puppy food for the next year.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Huge dog is reluctant media star!
At 6ft 5ins (1.96m) on his hind legs, Samson must be the perfect guard dog. But to his owners, Julie and Ray Woods, of Boston, Lincolnshire, the three-year-old Great Dane-Newfoundland cross is simply a much-loved pet. Samson - who weighs in at 19st 10lb (125kg) - is being billed as "Britain's biggest dog" after scrap merchant staff who weighed him contacted the media.
But the placid dog has been unsettled by the attention and has missed his quiet life, Mrs Woods said.
The couple adopted their pet from the local RSPCA centre when he was six months old and weighed a mere 16st 2lb (102kg). Mrs Woods, 54, had only kept small dogs before while her husband, Ray, had kept larger dogs, including Alsatians. "I said to my husband that, if he wanted a bigger dog this time then he could go for it," she said. "When we called the RSPCA they said Samson was available, and if we arrived that day we could have first option."
When they arrived at the kennels, Mrs Woods said Samson "bounded over and pinned us both to the wall". "But he really is a gentle giant and he has the kind of nature that means you can't help but love him," she added. Samson is still growing and, after going through several dog collars, he now has to have them specially made.
But the vet says Samson is not overweight and is just a big dog, she added. With a 59in chest some body builders would envy and a 29in neck, Samson also wears pony coats to protect him from the rain. Mrs Woods said it was visitors to their home who made them realise Samson's expansion.
"Because we live with him, we didn't really see that he was growing so much. "But people kept saying he was getting larger and larger." Mrs Woods says Samson has been "very unsettled" by the media interest and so she and her husband have ruled out any more photographs or filming. She added: "He's a very placid, laid-back dog and I don't think he liked being ordered about - he just likes the quiet life."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Diary: Protecting mountain gorillas !
In July 2007, armed men entered the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and killed five critically endangered mountain gorillas at point-blank range, leaving the bodies where they fell.
To date, 10 gorillas have been killed by gunmen or poachers, and two of the great apes are still missing.
Rangers Diddy and Innocent monitor and protect the remaining gorillas in the war-torn region. In this weekly diary, they describe life on conservation's frontline.
MONDAY 21 JANUARY - CHARCOAL CLAMPDOWN CONTINUES
The patrols against the illegal charcoal trade in Virunga National Park continued this week with success. We now have more than 25 tonnes of confiscated charcoal, which will be distributed to orphanages, schools and hospitals once the judicial process against the culprits is complete. The Rangers beaten up last week by charcoal burners during these patrols are out of hospital and are now recovering at the park station.
As a result of widespread insecurity since September, we have noticed a 10-fold increase in illegal charcoal production, and it must be stopped. So we will continue these patrols relentlessly. Rangers injured in last week's attack are back at the patrol station.The fuel wood for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) next to the Gorilla Sector is about to be distributed to the 4,500 IDPs at the camp at Kibati, just north of Goma. This wood has been purchased with the $20,000 (£10,000) donated by the readers of our blog in December.
We need to provide fuel wood so that people do not chop down the forests of Virunga, threatening wildlife habitat. We cannot provide fuel wood indefinitely; it is a stop-gap measure until the UN and the humanitarian agencies take over.
Innocent has travelled to Rwanda to check on the Kwitonda gorilla family, which migrated from DRC to our neighbouring country in October 2004; as you know mountain gorillas do not respect international borders! Kwitonda, meaning "he who is calm", has taken good care of his family of 16. He remains placid, and is visited by tourists almost daily who pay $500 (£250) each for this privilege.
Some of these funds are sent back to DRC, as Kwitonda is still considered Congolese. We notice that the gorilla babies are now juveniles and the juveniles sub-adults, while the two blackbacks (Kigoma and Karevuro) are turning silverback. The family has grown up just like our own.
BBC NEW REPORT.
Three Little Pigs 'too offensive' !
By Sean Coughlan - BBC News, education.
A story based on the Three Little Pigs has been turned down from a government agency's annual awards because the subject matter could offend Muslims. The digital book, re-telling the classic fairy tale, was rejected by judges who warned that "the use of pigs raises cultural issues". Becta, the government's educational technology agency, is a leading partner in the annual schools award.
The judges also attacked Three Little Cowboy Builders for offending builders. The book's creative director, Anne Curtis, said that the idea that including pigs in a story could be interpreted as racism was "like a slap in the face". The CD-Rom digital version of the traditional story of the three little pigs, called Three Little Cowboy Builders, is aimed at primary school children.
But judges at this year's Bett Award said that they had "concerns about the Asian community and the use of pigs raises cultural issues". The Three Little Cowboy Builders has already been a prize winner at the recent Education Resource Award - but its Newcastle-based publishers, Shoo-fly were turned down by the Bett Award panel, run the government's technology agency.
The feedback from the judges explaining why they had rejected the CD-Rom highlighted that they "could not recommend this product to the Muslim community". They also warned that the story might "alienate parts of the workforce (building trade)". The judges criticised the stereotyping in the story of the unfortunate pigs: "Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?"
Ms Curtis said that rather than preventing the spread of racism, such an attitude was likely to inflame ill-feeling. As another example, she says would that mean that secondary schools could not teach Animal Farm because it features pigs? Her company is committed to an ethical approach to business and its products promote a message of mutual respect, she says - and banning such traditional stories will "close minds rather than open them".
Becta, the government funded agency responsible for technology in schools and colleges, says that it is standing by the judges' verdict. "Becta with its partners is responsible for the judging criteria against which the 70 independent judges, mostly practising teachers, comment. All the partners stick by the judging criteria," said a Becta spokesman. Becta runs the awards with the Besa trade association and show organisers, Emap Education.
Merlin John, author of an educational technology website which highlighted the story, warns that such rulings can undermine the credibility of the awards. "When benchmarks are undermined by pedestrian and pedantic tick lists, and by inflexible, unhelpful processes, it can tarnish the achievements of even the most worthy winners. "It's time for a rethink, and for Becta to listen to the criticisms that have been ignored for a number of years," said Mr John.
BBC NEWS REPORT
Man saved from croc shot in error !
By Phil Mercer - BBC News, Sydney.
A man has been accidentally shot by a rescuer who was trying to free him from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia. The victim, in his late 20s, was attacked by the reptile near a popular tourist spot on the Mary River south-east of Darwin. He was flown to hospital by helicopter for emergency surgery for bite and bullet wounds. He is currently in a stable condition in hospital.
Crocodile attacks and shootings are rare in Australia. To suffer both at once is - to say the least - unfortunate. Jason Grant was collecting crocodile eggs at a remote reptile farm when he found himself locked inside a giant set of jaws. For a few terrifying moments the animal wildly shook its victim before the intervention of a fellow worker.
He fired two shots at the saltwater crocodile. One hit the target, while the other struck the arm of his stricken colleague. It was enough though to bring the drama to an end.
The injured man was flown to hospital in Darwin, where he is recovering.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Badger culls urged for bovine TB !
Badger culls should be part of a "holistic" approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis (TB) in Wales, according to Assembly Members. There was a "real link" between TB in cattle and the disease in wildlife, said the report. But the RSPCA said a cull would make no meaningful contribution to the problem.
Although broadly welcoming the report, the Badger Trust Cymru said a cull would have "no scientific validity and will serve no useful purpose". The report into controlling the disease in cattle was undertaken by the assembly's rural development sub committee.
Their findings concluded that only a combination of increased on-farm biosecurity, the control of TB in the wildlife population and the accurate identification of reactors would control the disease.
Animals who test positive as a bovine TB reactor means they may have come into contact with the disease and under government rules, these cattle must be shot. Annual testing of cattle was one of the recommendations made in the report, and the report also stressed the importance of farmers and wildlife groups "taking ownership" of the problem.
The committee urged the assembly government to review the extent of its powers and if more were needed to implement their recommended approach to tackling bovine TB, they should seek them urgently. Alun Davies, chair of the sub-committee, said previous policies used to bring the disease under control had failed to stop its spread. "There is a real link between bovine TB in cattle and the disease in wildlife," he said. "At present we are simply not convinced that we have the tools available at our disposal to either control or eliminate the disease. "It is clear the assembly government will need to make substantial investments in the animal disease control and biosecurity infrastructure in Wales."
The sub committee's report comes in the wake of advice from the UK government's chief scientist Sir David King who claimed in October that killing badgers could help prevent the spread of bovine TB. The disease can take years to develop and damages the animal's lungs, eventually leading to death. But in its Back Off Badgers campaign, the RSPCA said the advice to cull badgers went against the conclusions of the government-appointed Independent Scientific Group (ISG).
The ISG's study suggested badgers played a role in the spread of bovine TB, but warned that culling would have to be so extensive it would be uneconomical. Mike Sharratt, for Badger Trust Cymru, said: "Killing badgers in one area, that is not randomly selected and has no scientific control with which to compare the results, will have no scientific validity. "The science clearly shows that badgers' small role in this disease occurs when they are in farm buildings looking for food.
"Better cattle testing and excluding badgers from farm buildings is a win-win solution and we hope that the assembly government has the wisdom to implement it," he added.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Canada man survives Rocky ordeal !
A Canadian man has described how he survived trapped under his vehicle for four days in the Rocky Mountains after it hit a rock and landed on top of him. Ken Hildebrand, a paramedic, said eating rotten animal meat, collecting moisture on tape and thinking of his family kept him alive. Mr Hildebrand, who was out checking animal traps, said he kept wolves and coyotes at bay by blowing on a whistle.
He is in hospital with leg injuries, frostbite, dehydration and hypothermia.
Facing the prospect of dying of cold or starvation in freezing temperatures, Mr Hildebrand, who gives lessons in first aid in the Canadian province of Alberta, said he went into "survival mode". "I knew I had some [orange] surveyor's tape. I took it and tied one end around my wrist. I threw it at different angles to make an X. If someone flew over they would see me no problem," he is quoted as saying in the Globe and Mail newspaper.
He stayed alive by eating the animals he had collected, even though the rotting flesh made him sick, and used some of his surveyor's tape to get a little bit of the dew that dropped onto it. "I ate a lot of dirt to get a little moisture," he said.
He was also harassed by wolves and coyotes, which he managed to ward off with repeated blasts on an emergency whistle. "I thought of my family and God and that was it," he told the Reuters news agency from his hospital bed in Lethbridge, Alberta. Mr Hildebrand, who has a weak leg due to polio, said he tried to lift the vehicle off his good leg using an axe, but did not have the leverage to move it.
He was trapped on 8 January in the high-mountain Crowsnest Pass area about 80 miles (130km) south-west of Calgary, Alberta, where he was checking animal traps in an area where ranchers had complained of wolves preying on livestock.
"He was stuck there for four days and three nights - almost 96 hours straight," Troy Linderman, director of Crowsnest Pass emergency medical services, is quoted as saying in the Globe and Mail. "He had told some people where he was going, so people knew he was overdue," Mr Linderman said. "Several people looked for him, but they couldn't find him."
Mr Hildebrand was finally rescued by hikers on the fourth day of his ordeal.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Seized pet dogs back with owner !
Two dogs saved from a destruction order by a magistrate earlier this week have been returned to their owner in east Belfast. Mongrels Roxy and Hooch spent the last year in a dog pound, because it was thought they were pit bulls.
The animals were seized by Belfast City Council last January after a report that their owner, 64-year-old Irene Chambers, kept dangerous dogs. However, on Wednesday a magistrate accepted the dogs were mongrels. Dismissing the charges he said the dogs were owned by a "loving and caring lady".
Mrs Chambers cried when the ruling was made. The dogs are now back home in Knock Way but have to be kept apart until they get used to each other again.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Terrier saves girl from attacker !
A teenage girl is recovering after a man tried to drag her down a path as she was out walking her dog in Edinburgh. Police have appealed for help in tracing the man who was seen acting suspiciously in Pilton on Friday. The 16-year-old was out with her dog on the walkway between West Pilton Green and Granton Mill at about 2200 GMT.
The man tried to pull her down the path, but the girl's Staffordshire bull terrier jumped on him, and he ran off. The man was described as Afro Caribbean, 5ft 8ins, well-built with a foreign accent. A police spokeswoman said: "This was a frightening situation the teenager found herself in. "Although she wasn't hurt she's been left shaken by the ordeal. "We would urge anyone with any information to come forward."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
What is 'ethical' veal?
WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
Supermarkets want us to buy UK-reared veal because the welfare standard of calves is much higher. But what is "ethical" veal? It's safe to say veal has an image problem in this country. For years even hardened carnivores have found it hard to stomach.
It accounts for just 0.1% of the meat bought in Britain and fewer than one in 100 households buy and eat it, according to the English Beef and Lamb Executive. This is mainly down to images of baby calves packed into crates and being exported to mainland Europe.
But veal is making a return to the nation's menus and some supermarkets have announced they are to ban imported veal and promote the more "ethical" home-reared meat because the welfare standard of calves is higher. So what is better about it?
THE ANSWER
Calves reared in the UK have bedding, more space and a better diet
Calves reared for veal in the UK are legally required to have bedding, more space and a better diet. Conditions meet the welfare standards of both Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and the RSPCA.
Marks & Spencer has already stopped selling imported veal and Tesco has now pledged to phase it out in favour of the British-reared meat. Veal is a result of the dairy industry. Cattle are encouraged to give birth to bring on milk, but an estimated half a million male calves born each year are not needed by farmers and are mostly considered to make bad beef.
They are either killed or reared for veal. Largely unable to sell male calves for veal or beef in Britain, most farmers export them to Europe.
Those exported abroad are usually taken from their mothers at just one day old and undertake journeys of up to 100 hours to Spain and Italy, says CIWF.
SPACE COMPARISON
Calves under 150kg - EUROPE 1.5m sq/UK 1.5m sq
Calves of 150kg - 220Kg - EUROPE 1.7m sq/UK 2m sq
Calves over 220kg- EUROPE 1.8m sq/UK 3m sq
Source: CIWF
The conditions they travel in are cramped and when they arrive they usually spend their short lives in wooden-sided crates which are so narrow they cannot turn round, it adds. They often have no bedding and are forced to stand or lie on the uncomfortable, slatted floor. They are fed a predominantly milk-based diet to ensure the whiteness of their meat. As a result the majority of calves tend to be anaemic and this method of rearing causes the calves great mental distress, says the charity.
British-reared calves have more space and flooring that allows them to move. They also have a dry, bedded area to lie down in. Another important difference is that they are have fibre and iron added to their diet, which enables better development and maintains health. They also have access to natural daylight.
As a result of these differences the meat produced has a slightly pinker tinge to it and is known in the industry as "rose veal". The farming industry and animal welfare groups say that buying British-reared veal is a way of stopping hundreds of thousands of unwanted calves being slaughtered at birth or exported to veal farms in mainland Europe. "We support eating British veal if the calf is reared to the highest standards," says a spokeswoman for CIWF. "There are still some issues with veal reared in this country, but it is so much better than veal reared on the continent."
National Farmers' Union (NFU) also wants more people to buy it, saying in an ideal world calves would be reared and slaughtered for veal in the UK and the meat then exported. It says the main barrier to veal calf production in this country appears to be low demand for it, rather than the higher UK standards. "The more veal you eat in this country, the greater the incentive for farmers to rear veal calves here in Britain," says a spokesman for the organisation.
BBC NEWS MAGAZINE
Bid to end rare otter fur trade !
A charity is working to help end the illegal killing of rare otters in South east Asia and the trade in their furs.
Scottish-based Furget-Me-Not is backed by the Skye-based International Otter Survival Fund (ISOF). The first area it is concentrating on is Cambodia, where Asian small-clawed, smooth-coated and the rare hairy-nosed otters are caught for their pelts.
Grace Yoxon, of ISOF, said the plan was to find alternative sources of money for fishermen who hunt the otters. She said the survival fund was prompted to investigate the trade in otter fur after receiving a call from a company asking if it would supply them with pelts. Mrs Yoxon, who runs a sanctuary with her husband Paul, said many of the furs ended up in Tibet for use in traditional dress. She said: "In the West, people accept otters, but in the East they are small mammals that are just not important." The hairy-nosed otter had previously been thought extinct, but Mrs Yoxon said it, along with the smooth-coated, Asian small-clawed and Eurasian otter, were still being hunted in Cambodia.
Fishermen trap the animals to supplement their incomes. Otters are listed on the database of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The international agreement between governments aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
Furget-Me-Not is attempting to raise $100,000 (£51,160) to pay for workshops for wildlife rangers, leaflets and to help find alternatives for the fishermen.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Kittens 'adopted' by pet rabbit !
Six abandoned kittens have found an unexpected new mother figure - a pet rabbit. Veterinary nurse Melanie Humble took the three-week-old kittens to her Aberdeen home. The kittens seemed to think Summer the rabbit was their mother and began to climb all over her and try to feed from her. Efforts will be made to find the four males and two females permanent homes in the coming weeks.
Melanie, 29, told the BBC Scotland news website: "The abandoned kittens were handed in when they were about three weeks old and I took them home. "Summer the rabbit was taken inside on Bonfire Night because of the fireworks and the kittens seemed to really like her and thought she was their mother." She added: "They were trying to get milk from her and climbing over her. And Summer was not bothered by them at all.
"Summer is five months old and she's gigantic. It is lovely to see them all together. "They are all doing well and Cats Protection will re-home them."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Husky's head gets trapped in wall !
A husky had to be rescued by firefighters after it trapped its head in a brick wall. The six-month-old male husky, called Keano, had become trapped by his jaw in a garden in Whitchurch, Hampshire, on Friday afternoon.
A neighbour alerted the dog's owner, who found Keano's head stuck in the ornamental brick wall and called in Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. A chisel was used to chip off part of the wall that was trapping the dog.
Rural safety officer Anton Phillips said: "This was quite an unusual call and the owner did a great job in keeping her pet as calm as possible before I got there.
"Without the owner's patience and ability to keep the dog quiet, this could have resulted in a much worse scenario for Keano."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
The nuances of a dog's barks, howls, yaps and growls can now apparently be discerned by a new computer programme developed by Hungarian scientists. The software is said to distinguish the emotional reaction of 14 dogs of the Hungarian Mudi breed.
After analysing 6,000 barks, it aims to determine when a dog has seen a ball, when it is fighting, playing, meeting a stranger or when it wants a walk. But the scientists admit the technology only just out-performs humans.
While the computer correctly recognised the emotional state of 43% of dogs, humans did almost as well with 40%. But the author of the research - Csaba Molnar, from Eotvos University in Budapest - says the software can be improved, and told the BBC it may have applications for analysis of human communication.
"I would say that we proved there are very strong contextual differences between the barks, but that very long further work is needed to determine which emotional states and which characteristics belong to each (different breed). He added: "In the future we can use this software for any other vocal or any other signal categorisation."
The scientist also believes that later versions of the software could help owners and dog trainers identify more about dogs' well-being. "A possible commercial application could be a device for dog-human communication," the scientist told Reuters news agency.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Disease risk to mozzarella output !
By Christian Fraser - BBC News, Rome.
The production of one of Italy's best known exports, mozzarella, is under threat from an infection spreading through herds of water buffalo. The Italian government has set up an emergency commission to try and stop the spread of the disease, which affects milk production. The plains of Campania, around Naples, are home to large buffalo herds.
As much as 30% of the herd who live in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius are reported to be infected. The area is the exalted home of mozzarella di bufala: not only an essential part of the Italian diet, but one of Italy's most important exports. But the Neapolitan farmers who make this famous milky cheese are facing a crisis.
In the next two months, the Italian government will start the slaughter of 32,000 buffalo, infected with Brucellosis - a contagious bacterial disease that in livestock leads to abortion, infertility and reduced milk production. It can be transmitted through food to humans, causing severe intermittent fever - though the milk which produces the cheese is perfectly safe when it is pasteurised.
Brucellosis has been present in the herd for 10 years. But the Italian papers say the local vets who are supposed to test and put down infected animals have been intimidated by the local mafia - the Camorra - who also control some of the farms.
Consequently, it is reported, the disease has been allowed to spread to almost 30% of the herd. Caserta, one of two key mozzarella-producing areas, is the worst affected. In the coming weeks, armed police will accompany government vets to help with the cull.
They say every infected animal destroyed will be burnt - and it is estimated the cost to the Italian government will be 66m euros ($97m; £49m).
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Diary: Protecting mountain gorillas !
In July 2007, armed men entered the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and killed five critically endangered mountain gorillas at point-blank range, leaving the bodies where they fell. To date, 10 gorillas have been killed by gunmen or poachers, and two of the great apes are still missing.
Rangers Diddy and Innocent monitor and protect the remaining gorillas in the war-torn region. In this weekly diary, they describe life on conservation's frontline.
MONDAY 14 JANUARY - NEW YEAR, SAME PROBLEMS
Best wishes to you all for 2008 and apologies for an extended absence from this diary.
Anti-charcoal burning patrols, gorilla orphans and ranger arrests have occupied the opening days of the New Year.
On 2 January, two lowland gorilla babies w