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.
Eagle owl home after year missing !
An eagle owl missing from her home in Welshpool, Powys, for a year has been reunited with her owner.
Gracie, who has a 6ft (1.83m) wing span, is thought to have disappeared during snow storms in February 2007 while hunting for rabbits. However, the bird of prey was finally spotted in a south Wales garden earlier this month, and taken to an owl sanctuary.
Officials then traced owner Rob Barlow through a ring on Gracie's leg. Mr Barlow said he was "over the moon" to have Gracie back after such a long absence. He had spent much of his spare time in the last year investigating possible sightings of the owl across the UK.
He even took two weeks off work to search for Gracie, without success. Mr Barlow, who has a smallholding at Meifod near Welshpool, believes Gracie has survived so long in the wild because of her hunting ability.
Eagle owls are the world's largest owl which hunt mostly at dusk and the early evening. Their size means they have been known to prey on animals from small mice and voles, all the way up to large game birds such as pheasant.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Dogs trained to aid autistic kids !
By Denise Glass - BBC Scotland news website, Tayside reporter
It is estimated that more than 72,000 children aged between three and 10 have autism in the UK. Now a campaign has been launched to raise £1m to provide specially trained dogs to help youngsters with the condition.
It is understood that the first child in mainland UK to receive one of the dogs was Joe from Dundee. He was diagnosed with autism when he was two. His mother, Paula Craik, said it was hard to cope. She explained: "Joe was frustrated being in shops, noisy crowds, bright colours. "He would get distressed and he would lash out." "If you tried to hold his hand and walk down the street he refused, he didn't like the touch of your hand. "He wanted to go another way and would bolt and you would have to run after him."
Ms Craik then heard about an organisation in Canada that had been successfully training dogs for youngsters with autism and was determined to find one for Joe. She got in touch with the charity Support Dogs who agreed to help. However, Joe had to get used to being around dogs first, so once a week he went with his mother to Forfar Guide Dogs.
Then after many months of searching, Joe was introduced to Lacey and after almost a year of training the Labrador moved in with the family. Joe, who is now five, is attached to Lacey's harness and the dog is trained to make sure he cannot run into dangerous situations.
The family is also now able to go to the shops and to doctors', dentist and hospital appointments without Joe having an episode. Joe's vocabulary has also improved - before he would only say and understand about 10 words, now he is learning Spanish. Ms Craik also believes people are more willing to talk to Joe now he has Lacey.
She said: "Before people wouldn't approach us, because I assume they thought he was a badly behaved child. "Now people will come up and look at Joe and he'll look at them in the face. "They'll ask him questions like 'What's your dog's name?' and say 'What a special dog you have' and he responds. "It may be in gibberish and they can't understand what he's saying, but the fact that he's responding, that's all that matters."
Three-year-old Lacey is about to embark on further training which will see her learn extra safety skills. She will learn how to stand in front of him and push him back if she detects that he is in danger. Ms Craik has said that having Lacey around has allowed them to have a life, whereas before they did not. She added: "I want to thank Support Dogs for giving us hope for Joe's future. "Before it was very uncertain what kind of future he might have, whereas now we have hopes that he could lead a fairly normal life. "Lacey is Joe's best friend."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Highland Diary: The remote munro !
BBC natural history producer Fergus Beeley has headed to the top a remote munro in Scotland to film the spectacular wildlife that live there. Animals such as red deer, mountain hares and ptarmigan can be seen in the rocky terrain. The footage is being recorded for a Natural World wildlife programme, Secrets of the Highlands, to be broadcast next year. Mr Beeley is writing a diary of his experiences on the expedition for the BBC News website.
20-21 FEBRUARY 2008: A LIFE THREATENING START
The helicopter crawled up the edge of the mountain, hugging the barely visible ground through the mist and cloud. No-one had expected that we would soon be fighting to remain on the ground in an extraordinary gale that reached storm force 11 At about 700m, the visibility improved and the snow-capped peaks of Beinn Eighe came into view. The camera was running.
This was day one of filming for a wildlife documentary in the north-west highlands of Scotland and the images today were stunning. This was a good start. For the next week our aim is to camp on the top of this mountain to film ptarmigan and mountain hare.
Our location safety advisor, Jim McNeill, came into vision in the round, deep corrie just below the triple buttresses of the munro known as Ruadh Stac Mor. His earlier reconnaissance had identified this as a more sheltered position than the actual summit. With strong winds soon to be coming in from the south-west, this was our "plan B". And it probably saved our lives - for no-one had expected that we would soon be fighting to remain on the ground in an extraordinary gale that reached storm force 11.
We could not ride out this storm now without some significant danger of hypothermia setting into us. It came on us as night fell, as if an angry dinosaur shared the corrie with us. It first swiped its claws at our tents.
These strikes were sudden odd gusts of wind that reached 160km/h (100mph), smashing the roofs of our tents down heavily onto our faces. These hits were followed by an eerie, empty silence, lasting sometimes 20 long seconds. By midnight, the "dinosaur" was furious. Jim and I, sharing the same tent, could only remain absolutely flat as the gale crushed the now broken tent down onto our bodies, making even breathing difficult.
Cameraman Ian McCarthy was struggling to remain in the last standing tent, as it shifted with him across the ground. Though he was also safely anchored to our own rope-to-boulder lashings, if anything were to go now, our tents would be lifted straight off the ground and away with the dark, the snow, the mouth of the storm. Jim, on all fours, checked the lashings and was lifted off the ground. It was difficult to crawl and impossible to stand; but trained and experienced in conditions such as these from his solo expeditions on the Arctic ice, Jim was calm and clear in his commands.
We could not ride out this storm now without some significant danger of hypothermia setting into us. On all fours, clinging to the rocks, we gathered and lashed together the widely strewn film cases Clearly, Ian's tent, the last, had only a short life now. We had to descend off the mountain if the storm wasn't going to let up soon. I could just make out Jim shouting down the satellite phone through the din of the whipping and flapping.
It was 0900, and our procedural call back to base was in progress. Eoghain Maclean, the Beinn Eighe Reserve manager and Kinlochewe Mountain Rescue Team member, agreed that an immediate descent was advised. Our exit plan and route were agreed.
On all fours, clinging to the rocks, we gathered and lashed together the widely strewn film cases. With the visibility down to just a few metres, and the blizzard making standing impossible, we started our descent. Happy Birthday, dearest Rosie. Today was my daughter's first birthday, and now, back down the mountain, I learn that she took her own first few steps today.
Secrets of the Highlands is likely to be broadcast on BBC Two in the Spring of 2009
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Dog survives swallowing a skewer !
A dog is recovering well after a kebab skewer it swallowed at a child's birthday party nearly five months ago popped out through its ribs. Owner Suzanne Weir had no idea what was causing her pet's pain and was resigned to putting the Collie cross down. However, when she heard Cassie whine in the middle of the night and went to investigate she found the seven-inch stick popping out - still intact.
The vet said it was a "miracle" Cassie, from Fallin, Stirlingshire, survived. Ms Weir believes 12-year-old Cassie swallowed the pointed skewer at her son Ethan's third birthday party in October. She said: "A while later Cassie had started to become ill. "Her weight went down dramatically, she developed some breathing problems and a lump appeared on her side. "I took her to the vet and I was told it didn't look good.
"It was suggested that Cassie may have been shot with an airgun pellet or that it may be a tumour." Ms Weir said things took a frightening turn on Sunday when she spotted the skewer. "She was quite distressed and I noticed there were about three inches of the skewer prodding out from where this lump had been," she said. "I had to be brave and pull it out.
"The vets couldn't believe it when I showed them the skewer, still in one piece. "They said it should have been fatal but it had worked its way through her system before coming out her side." Suzanne said Cassie was now on antibiotics to ward off infection as her wound heals, but she is recovering well. She added: "We are just very glad to see her jumping about again the way she used to."
Christine Paterson, from Brucefields Veterinary Centre in Stirling, said: "It's the sort of situation you occasionally see with cattle if they have picked up a piece of wire or something as they have been grazing in the field. "But I have never seen it in a dog. "We certainly wouldn't expect it to be something a dog would survive, if you think about the amount of damage an object like that could do travelling through the system.
"It is amazing to see what this dog has come through."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Owl saved from pipe turns heads !
An owl has been rescued after being found in a small pipe. Scottish Water said the "less than wise" tawny owl was rescued by contractors working on a sewage project in Aberdeenshire. The six-inch wide pipe was holding up power cables but feathers were noticed falling out. The owl was discovered inside the pipe and, after getting its bearings while perching on the hands of rescuers, it flew off into nearby woods.
Glenn Ford, of the team working on the £1.3m sewage project at Belts of Collonach, said he thought it was "a very unusual incident". He said: "It's certainly the right time of year for these birds to be looking for nests. "Our main contractor has taped over the piping to prevent it happening again and they've bought a couple of professionally-made owl nest boxes, which they'll be putting up in the local woods."
The owl from the pipe was released after getting its bearings. Mr Ford said such "beautiful creatures" deserved all the help they could get. He predicted: "The rescued owl should go on to produce between three and five chicks, helping boost the local population."
The pipe was being held in place by a fence post, several metres in height. It enabled construction traffic to pass safely underneath power cables. Strong winds recently prompted contractors to inspect the pipe. When they removed it from the fence post they noticed the feathers falling out and made their discovery.
An RSPB spokesman said: "The assumption is that the owl was nesting but it's possible that it was using the pipe as a roost because it is rare for tawny owls to start breeding before March. "In rare cases it does happen though, so can't be discounted, and indeed one of the earliest breeding records also concerns Aberdeenshire when in 1974 a pair was recorded laying eggs in mid-January.
"Tawny owls don't build nests but depend on some sort of structure in which to form a scrape for the eggs. One pair even nested in an abandoned car in a conifer plantation. Let's hope that this bird will manage to produce a healthy brood of chicks this year."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Crowds flock to monkey 'wedding' !
By Sandeep Sahu - Bhubaneswar.
Some 3,000 villagers have attended an elaborate Hindu wedding ceremony in eastern India for two monkeys. The "bride" was dressed in a five-metre long sari and decked in flowers. The ceremony took place last Thursday in Ghanteswara village in Orissa state.
The guests were served a feast of rice, lentils, vegetables, fish and sweets. Monkeys are revered idols in Hindu mythology. But the couples that took in and "married" off the two monkeys in Orissa say they love them as pets. The monkey marriage took place some 200km (125 miles) from the Orissa state capital, Bhubaneswar. The "groom", a three-year-old male monkey named Manu, was taken by procession to a temple in the company of hundreds of bemused onlookers, accompanied by loud music, dancing and fireworks.
Women welcomed the groom with loud, synchronised ululations typical in a Hindu marriage while priests chanted sacred hymns. "It was a unique experience for me. It was the first time I conducted a marriage between two animals. But I followed all the rituals that I do in human marriages," said Daitari Dash, the priest. Women prepared the female monkey, named Jhumuri, as they would a human bride, draping her in a red sari and smearing her with sandalwood paste.
The monkeys were showered with gifts by those present. They included a gold necklace for the bride, donated by a local businessman. "I feel as if my own daughter is getting married. I cannot bear the thought that she would not be with us anymore," Mamina, the woman who has been looking after the female monkey said.
Mamina has been looking after Jhumuri since her husband found her at a local temple. The male monkey, Manu, was found in a mango orchard in a neighbouring village by a couple who raised it as their pet. The two monkeys, who were kept in chains before the marriage, have now been released by their owners.They have been spotted hanging out at the temple where the "marriage" took place.
A local villager, Mitrabhanu Dutta, said the event was a "nice way to release the monkeys from captivity".
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Probe call after dog electrocuted !
A couple from Dundee have demanded a "full and formal investigation" after their dog was electrocuted as they walked near their home. Keith Baar and Barbara Miltner were strolling with 12-year-old Milou on Taits Lane on Friday morning.
A technical fault on the low voltage electricity network had caused a lamppost to hold a live current. Scottish Hydro Electric said the problem would not have caused electrocution in a human being. However the company admitted that if someone had touched the lamppost they would have felt a tingling sensation.
Ms Miltner told the BBC Scotland News website about the moment the tragedy happened to the husky/retriever cross. "She suddenly crumpled to the ground and went into a fit, a horrible fit," she said. "It wasn't even yelping, it was a horrible piercing, shrieking noise. "She was writhing on the ground and we had no idea what had happened." "My husband got crouched down on his knees, on the very spot where she was as we tried to hold her very still. "Of course we were holding her right on to the spot where she was being electrocuted."
The couple had originally thought that Milou had broken a leg or stepped on some glass, but realised the truth when Mr Baar bent down to try to pick her up. Ms Miltner said: "He immediately withdrew and said 'something's wrong, she's tingling all over'." "I shouted out, 'there's something wrong with the spot, keep your dogs away from this area, she may have been electrocuted.'"
Ms Miltner believes her husband could have been killed when he tried to help Milou, and only escaped injury because the dog was getting the full force of the shock and not him. And she cannot believe what has happened. "I'm angry and disgusted," she said. "Our dog was part of our family for 12 years. "We flew her across the Atlantic because we couldn't be parted with her when we moved here from the US. "She came everywhere with us and did everything with us for 12 years."
Fraser Macpherson, councillor for the west end, said: "The death of this poor dog has caused tremendous upset amongst neighbouring residents. "As one resident pointed out, the lane has a steady stream of pedestrians every day." A spokeswoman for Scottish Hydro Electric said: "This is thankfully a rare situation and one we are continuing to investigate thoroughly, and we are communicating directly with the owners of the dog. "However, we would like to reassure local residents there was no significant risk to them at any time."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Warning over huge lost fish net !
A large fishing net which is the length of about six football pitches has been lost overboard from fishing boat. It is so big that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a warning to vessels in the Pentland Firth to beware.
It was lost from the Bergen-registered Krossfjord and has been seen by boats.
The Buckie-registered Aubretia was left drifting without power on Saturday after catching its propeller on the net, and was towed into Scrabster.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
S Africa to allow elephant cull !
The issue of culling is extremely divisive.
The South African government has said it will allow elephants to be culled for the first time in 13 years.
In a statement given to journalists on Monday, the government said a cull was needed to control elephant numbers.
The elephant population is thought to have grown from 8,000 to 20,000 since the government banned culls in 1995.
The statement acknowledged that the issue would rouse "strong emotions", and the news will anger many animal rights campaigners.
They have already threatened to call tourist boycotts and take legal action against the measure, which had been expected.
The capture of wild elephants - to be used in elephant-back safaris, for example - is also a matter of controversy in South Africa. In the statement, the government said this would be banned, except for purposes of rehabilitation into the wild.
In the statement, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said culling would be an option of last resort that was acceptable only under strict conditions.
He said other measures, including better management of elephant enclosures, translocation, and elephant contraception, could also be used.
And he said culling - an option which will become available from 1 May - was only being adopted after consultation "with all shades of opinion".
But Mr van Schalkwyk said the interests of "balanced biodiversity or people living in proximity to elephants" must also be taken into account.
People living close to elephants have complained that elephants are dangerous, eat crops and compete with people for water.
But the campaign group Animal Rights Africa says elephants have highly developed cognitive abilities, and a high degree of self-awareness.
"How much like us do elephants have to be before killing them becomes murder?" it asked in a statement anticipating the announcement.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Fire crews sail to seagull rescue !
A fire crew had to launch a rescue boat to save a seagull dangling 10ft (3m) above the River Wear. The bird had got its wings caught up in fishing wire after landing on a old phone cable over the river in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.
The RSPCA called for assistance and fire officers used a rescue boat to get under the animal and cut away the wire to bring it to safety. It was handed over to the RSPCA but was not injured in the ordeal on Saturday.
Station manager Pete McDermott, from Durham Fire and Rescue, said: "The poor thing was dangling by its wings. We don't know how long it had been there.
"Luckily we were able to cut away the wire and, using a pole with a hook on the end, safely got it down. "It certainly drew the crowds, lots of children had gathered on the riverside to watch what was going on."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Police reveal 'Rebel with a paws' !
Tayside Police's newest canine recruit now officially has a name. The 10-week old German Shepherd has been visiting St Ninians Primary School, where pupils had putforward hundreds of ideas. PC Mike Keenan, the puppy's handler, picked "Rebel" as the winner - the suggestion of primary five pupil Greg MacBain.
People across the world have been following the exploits of Rebel through his online training diary. Pupils, parents and teachers at St Ninians had donated 20p to animal charity the PDSA for every suggestion they put forward. Greg was awarded a book token and goodie bag for coming up with the winning name.
PC Keenan said: "It's fantastic that today I can finally give him a name after weeks of just calling him 'puppy'." "As soon as I saw the name I knew it was the right one because it just sums up his personality. "Although he's still just a puppy, Rebel is already showing all the signs of becoming a fantastic police dog. "He's very alert and head strong, into everything, and is already developing a good gripping and biting technique."
PC Keenan added that he would keep in touch with the school to let them know how Rebel is progressing. The puppy has sparked world-wide interest, with people sending emails from places such as America and Australia to wish him luck with his training.
The online training diary saw 20,000 hits in just one day alone. Rebel has completed his course of inoculations and is now free to venture out onto the streets of Tayside.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Stray allotment pigs wreak havoc !
Two runaway pigs have been causing chaos at an Oxfordshire allotment site. The pigs have been munching their way through plants and vegetables at Stockham Park in Wantage since just before Christmas.
Allotment holders want to start planting for the spring but not before the pigs have moved out. The RSPCA said it was trying to trace the animals' owners or rehome them. A spokesperson said it did not want to see the pigs shot dead. They believe the pigs are the Gloucester Old Spot breed, but it is thought they could also be the rarer Oxford Sandy and Blacks.
RSPCA inspector Sharon Chrisp said she had seen one pig, but allotment holders have reported seeing two of them. "The female pig is in good condition as she has access to water and has been helping herself to meals by way of vegetables and other food from the allotments," Ms Chrisp said.
"Obviously this is not an acceptable situation and the allotment holders are understandably upset about the damage to their crops. "Some people have even suggested that the pigs should be shot - which we are desperate to avoid.
"We have made local enquiries but have been unable to discover where this pig or pigs came from. "If the owner can't be found then we are looking for someone who has porcine experience who would be willing to offer these pigs a suitable home as pets."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Staking all on a renewable future !
By Simon Gompertz - Working Lunch.
What does the Iberian wolf think about renewable energy?
Not much, it seems.
Three packs of wolves range across the mountains above the Minho valley in northern Portugal, just beside zones marked out for the biggest wind farm in Europe. The wolves had to be tracked by satellite to see what they got up to once the building work started. Not surprisingly, they were frightened off.
As the first wind turbines were finished and a measure of peace returned to some of the hilltops, they started to move tentatively back into the area. The wolves, an endangered species, are witnessing a monumental change in the way Portugal is powered. They will have to get used to these turbines and more, because 120 are being installed at Alto Minho. The project is backed by the French electricity company, EDF.
The government wants 45% of the country's electricity to come from renewables such as wind, hydro, and solar by 2010. And that's just a start. Portugal's government wants further increases in renewable power."This challenge will create a new industrial revolution," Portugal's economy minister, Manuel Pinho, told the BBC. "The countries that move first will have an advantage," he added.
Just by way of comparison, the UK's ambition is to raise the share from renewables from 5% to 10% over the next three years. If Portugal's revolution succeeds, the country will rank with Sweden and Denmark at the top of the European league for renewables. The economy will be transformed and so will the landscape.
Portugal has a head start because in the past it developed a large amount of hydro-electric power. Now all useful rivers are to be dammed, which means that ten new dams will be built. Several more are being upgraded. An extraordinary solar power station, the biggest in the world, is changing the face of the Alentejo, Portugal's sun-baked southern plain. 2,500 solar trackers, nearly as big as tennis courts, are being lined up in rows across a 130 hectare site.
And Alto Minho is just the latest in a string of wind farms which will crowd mountain tops down the length of the country, supplying 12% of its electricity. "We don't have oil, we don't have coal," points out Jose Miguel Oliveira, the manager of Minho Valley Wind Development. "So we have to use what we have and wind is one of the resources we have." It's true that if you include transport and heating, Portugal depends on imported fossil fuels for 85% of its energy needs. But even in a country which has embraced renewable power there are misgivings about the rapid rate of development.
One controversial project is the dam earmarked for the River Tua, inland from the city of Porto. A 25-mile lake will be created along a valley famous for its juniper and cork forests. Joao Branco from an environmental pressure group, Quercus, showed me the site, pointing out that wolves visited this area as well, along with Bonelli's eagle, black storks and otters. He says they should all be protected. "I think there will be enough popular protest to stop the construction of the dam," he added.
Already, builders have started blasting a road though the rocky Tua gorge, where the 100m high dam will be erected. The work was suspended after Joao's group found that planning permission had not been granted, yet. The campaigners are torn between their concern about climate change and their love for the wildlife. "We should have renewable power but not at any price," Joao says.
Yet the dams are essential if Portugal's ambitious plans for renewable energy are to be fulfilled, because hydro-electric power is being relied upon to keep the Portuguese grid stable when the wind stops blowing. While wind turbines are spinning, any excess electricity will be used to pump water from below the dams to the reservoirs at the top. The stored energy can be released to balance the grid at critical times.
Seven of the new dams are designed specifically for pumped storage. "The combination of wind and water is really the centrepiece of Portugal's energy strategy," explains Manuel Pinho. He expects that by 2020 the proportion of electricity generated from renewables "will be between 55% and 60%". At least the creation of reservoirs can have helpful side-effects in a country where water is precious. Driving to the huge dam at Alqueva in the Alentejo you pass grove after grove newly planted olives, all neatly interlaced with irrigation hoses.
The dam, opened three years ago, was hugely controversial, but farmers have been taking advantage. Tourist developments are starting and a new airport is planned. At Alqueva, I asked Antonio Mexia, head of the main electricity company, EDP, about objections to dams. "Generally environmentalists don't live near the dam," he answered. "The local people tend to be massively in favour."
Meanwhile, Portugal is trying a new way of generating electricity which has no impact on the countryside, but might worry surfers. Three British-designed Pelamis wave generators are waiting on the quayside in Porto to be towed out to sea. The power produced will be tiny, about the same as a big wind turbine, but it will be the world's first commercial wave farm. "If you look at the coast and the Atlantic, there's ample opportunity to site wave farms in Portugal," predicts Ian Sharpe, in charge of Portuguese investment for the Australian financial group, Babcock & Brown.
He is responsible for the Pelamis project and is planning to install 500 wave machines off Portugal, if the first attempt is a success. "We'll run out of suitable locations for wind farms in Portugal, in terms of onshore wind, so we see wave taking over from wind." Maintenance engineers at Alto Minho have no doubt about what renewable energy means for them. "Other factories are closing," explains Marco Lajoso who found a job with the German turbine maker, Enercon. "We have, solar, we have waves, we have wind. That's the future," he adds.
Several thousand jobs have been created in northern Portugal, building and maintaining wind farms. New factories are being set up with state help. It is a deliberate strategy. Seeing that most equipment might have to be imported and that manufacturers in Germany and Denmark where overwhelmed, the government set about creating a home-grown renewables industry. To Portuguese politicians, this seemed a dream formula: cure the climate, cut out imports and create jobs. It was all or nothing.
"The cost of inaction is tremendous," Manuel Pinho warns other countries from his office in the elegant centre of Lisbon. "You have to get moving as soon as you can." The world, and the wolves, will be watching Portugal's progress, to see how well the formula works.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Dramatic rescue for Indian tiger !
Forest guards in India have carried out the dramatic rescue of a pregnant tigress who had hidden in a palm tree after being chased away by villagers. They tranquilised and then caught the Royal Bengal tigress that had strayed into a village near the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in eastern India. The animal was released back into the wild after receiving treatment for minor injuries, officials say.
Tigers have been slowly disappearing from India, mostly because of poaching. Kanti Ganguly, the Sundarbans affairs minister of the Indian state of West Bengal, told the Associated Press news agency that it took officials nearly 14 hours to tranquilise and catch the tiger on Monday.
He said the animal suffered only minor injuries from stones and burning sticks thrown at her by the frightened villagers in Deulbari, about 250km (150 miles) south of the state capital, Calcutta. The tiger quickly made for the safety of the forest
Guards nursed her wounds and then took her in a boat to be released deep inside a mangrove reserve on Tuesday. Officials say that she was only freed after it was felt that she was fit enough to be released into the reserve.
The Sundarbans is a UN designated world heritage site. It covers nearly 10,000 square kilometres (3,860 square miles) of marshlands and mangrove forests along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, straddling India and Bangladesh. Correspondents say it is one of the few remaining natural tiger habitats in India.
Tigers have been slowly disappearing from the country because of poaching, a shortage of space, human encroachment on their territory and a lack of properly trained forestry guards.
Incidents of Royal Bengal tigers being attacked by villagers in the Sundarbans are also becoming increasingly commonplace. The government says India's tiger population has dropped from nearly 3,600 five years ago to about 1,411 today.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Grey wolf 'no longer endangered' !
Some 1,500 grey wolves now roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Grey wolves in the Northern Rockies of the United States have been removed from the endangered species list, the US Department of the Interior has said. The move follows efforts over the last 13 years to protect the animals and allow their population to grow. There are now an estimated 1,500 grey wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
They became a protected species in the US after they were nearly hunted to extinction. The removal of protection means they can be hunted again. Environmental groups have said they will sue the federal government to keep the animal listed.
"The wolf population is doing great. The ESA [Endangered Species Act] worked. We've got a lot of wolves in a lot of places," Ed Bangs, wolf recovery co-ordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said before the announcement.
Last year, the population of grey wolves in the western Great Lakes area was removed from the endangered species list.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Hammerhead in need of protection !
By Helen Briggs - Science reporter, BBC News, Boston.
Hammerheads are among the most commonly caught sharks for finning .Over-fishing and demand for shark fins, an expensive delicacy, have pushed one of the world's iconic animals towards the brink of extinction, say experts. The scalloped hammerhead shark is to be added to the official endangered species list this year, under the heading "globally endangered". Their plight has been discussed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.
It was told that enforcement of marine reserves would aid shark protection. The observation takes account of new research that shows hammerhead and great white sharks patrol fixed routes in the ocean, gathering at hotspots to mate or feed. Dr Julia Baum, a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, US, and a member of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), said excessive fishing was putting many of the ocean's "most majestic predators" at risk of extinction.
Speaking at the Boston meeting, she said: "Sharks evolved 400 million years ago, and we could now lose some species in the next few decades - so that would be just a blink of an eye in evolutionary time."
She said conservation concern for sharks had been mounting for several years, and it was now critical that there was effective management action in order to restore and conserve their numbers.
Fishing for sharks in international waters is unrestricted, but conservation groups are calling for urgent measures to set limits on shark catch and fishing quotas. They say demand for shark fins as an expensive delicacy is greatly increasing the pressure on shark populations. They want a meaningful ban on the practice of shark finning, which involves a shark's fins being removed before the rest of the animal is thrown back into the ocean to die. Hammerheads are among the most commonly caught sharks for finning. A large shark fin can fetch over £50 a kilo.
Research presented at the AAAS in Boston is starting to unravel the mysteries of shark behaviour, and how they might best be protected. Tagging studies show that the scalloped hammerhead gathers at fixed sites around islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean during its long-distance migrations. The animals move between a series of "stepping stone" sites off groups of coastal islands between Mexico and Ecuador. They also congregate around mountains rising from the ocean seafloor.
Electronic tagging of 150 great white sharks found off the coast of central California revealed similar findings - the sharks gather in "hotspots". One site between Hawaii and Mexico attracted so many visitors that researchers dubbed it "the white shark cafe". Salvador Jorgenson, a researcher at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, US, said it was still not clear why the sharks went there.
"They're going there to feed, or they're going there for meeting, where males and females could meet perhaps away from a feeding area, where there's less competition and more focus on mating behaviour," he suggested. The scientists say information on shark "superhighway" routes and stepping stone sites can be used to help fisheries managers focus on protecting these areas.
Previous research by Dr Baum's team has found that sharks are declining rapidly in parts of the Atlantic Ocean. All species they looked at had declined by over 50% since the early 1970s. For many large coastal shark species, the drop in numbers was much greater: tiger, scalloped hammerhead and dusky shark populations have fallen by more than 95%.
A total of 233 shark species are currently on the IUCN Red List, 12 of which are classified "critically endangered". Nine, including the scalloped hammerhead, have been added or will be added this year. Among them are three species of thresher shark and the shortfin mako shark. These are considered "vulnerable to extinction".
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Wildcat population to be surveyed !
Walkers in the Highlands are being asked to help discover the true numbers of one of Britain's most secretive creatures - the Scottish wildcat. It became extinct in England and Wales 150 years ago but continues to be sighted in Scottish woods and moorland. Some estimates suggest just 400 survive - although there could be up to 4,000.
Now Scottish Natural Heritage is asking everyone who uses the countryside to take part in a year-long survey and report sightings of the timid animal. The conservation body hopes to assess numbers and distribution. The count is being carried out as part of the Scottish Government's Species Action Framework and is an effort to safeguard the rare mammal.
Minister for Environment Michael Russell is due to launch the survey at the Highland Wildlife Park, near Kincraig, which has captive purebred wildcats. However, Adrian Davies, who is co-ordinating the research, said it helped if people had seen a wildcat before and knew what they looked like.
He said: "There's obviously a number of occasions where it might actually be quite difficult to determine a wildcat. "They're often seen at dusk and at dawn or in the dark so it can be quite difficult to determine what a wildcat is in the field."
The animal is the last surviving native member of the cat family to be found in the wild in Britain. It has been listed in the Species Action Framework for conservation effort over the next five years in an attempt to improve its habitat and reduce threats of cross breeding with feral domestic cats.
The Scottish wildcat has survived by clinging on in habitat margins between mountain and moorland and forest and fields, preying on rabbits, small birds and mammals.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
'Frog from hell' fossil unearthed !
A 70-million-year-old fossil of a giant frog has been unearthed in Madagascar by a team of UK and US scientists. The creature would have been the size of a "squashed beach ball" and weighed about 4kg (9lb), the researchers said. They added that the fossil, nicknamed Beelzebufo or "frog from hell", was "strikingly different" from present-day frogs found on the island nation.
Details of the discovery are reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team from University College London (UCL) and Stony Brook University, New York, said the frog would have had a body length of about 40cm (16 inches), and was among the largest of its kind to be found.
"This frog, a relative of today's horned toads, would have been the size of a slightly squashed beach-ball, with short legs and a big mouth," explained co-author Susan Evans, from UCL's Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. "If it shared the aggressive temperament and 'sit-and-wait' ambush tactics of [present-day] horned toads, it would have been a formidable predator on small animals.
"Its diet would most likely have consisted of insects and small vertebrates like lizards, but it's not impossible that Beelzebufo might even have munched on hatchling or juvenile dinosaurs."
The researchers added that the discovery of the fossil supported the theory that Madagascar and the Indian and South American land masses could have been linked until the Late Cretaceous Period (75-65 million years ago).
"Our discovery of a frog strikingly different from today's Madagascan frogs, and akin to the horned toads previously considered endemic to South America, lends weight to the controversial model," Professor Evans explained.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Eagle guards Melbourne landmark !
Cockatoos are well known for damaging things with their beaks. Staff at a Melbourne landmark have resorted to unusual methods to try to prevent damage to their building - a wedge-tailed eagle called Zorro.
They hope Zorro's presence on the roof of the city's Arts Centre will scare away white cockatoos that have been attacking its iconic tower.
The flocks of cockatoos have been pecking at the tiny lights that illuminate the 163-metre spire. So far they have caused more than US$63,000 (£32,000) worth of damage. Zorro will also be joined by a peregrine falcon named Bibi and the two birds will be brought to the building every day for the next six weeks as a trial.
"Cockatoos are part of their prey, so it's a natural solution," Arts Centre spokesman Jeremy Vincent told the French news agency AFP. "The cockatoos aren't hurt, because the predators are tethered to the building, but their presence on the building acts as a deterrent."
A handler will also be present to monitor Bibi and Zorro while they are on the roof of the Arts Centre. So far the two birds of prey were keeping the cockatoos away, Mr Vincent said, but they were also attracting groups of tourists.
Cockatoos are parrot-like birds known for their destructive habits.
bbc news report.
Global hit hopes for pooch music !
The CD topped the New Zealand charts at Christmas.The makers of a chart-topping song only audible to dogs say they hope it can become a global hit. A Very Silent Night - a Christmas number one in New Zealand - raised money for the country's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A spokesman admitted he did not know how the CD - recorded at a frequency inaudible to humans - sounded to dogs.
The track, which raised NZ$22,000 (£8,900), could now be released in the US and Australia, the spokesman added. He said the reaction from listeners had been varied. "The most violent one was a dog that physically attacked the radio when it was played and went quite berserk and totally destroyed it. "On the other side of the scale, they just lay down and did nothing," he added.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
First order for pet dog cloning !
A South Korean company says it has taken its first order for the cloning of a pet dog. A woman from the United States wants her dead pitbull terrier - called Booger - re-created. RNL Bio is charging the woman, from California, $150,000 (£76,000) to clone the pitbull using tissue extracted from its ear before it died.
The work will be carried out by a team from Seoul National University, where the first dog was cloned in 2005. RNL Bio says this is the first time a dog will have been cloned commercially. "There are many people who want to clone their pet dogs in Western countries even at this high price," company chief executive, Ra Jeong-chan, told the Korea Times. The firm is expecting hundreds more orders for pets over the next few years and also plans to clone dogs trained to sniff out bombs or drugs.
One out of every four surrogate mother dogs produces puppies, according to RNL Bio's marketing director, Cho Seong-ryul. "The cost of cloning a dog may come down to less than $50,000 as cloning is becoming an industry," he said.
The pitbull's owner, Bernann McKunney, gave the company ear tissue, which an American biotech firm preserved before the animal died 18 months ago.
An Afghan hound was the first dog cloned by the SNU team She is said to have been particularly attached to the dog, after it saved her life when another dog attacked her and bit off her arm. The university's team is led by Professor Lee Byeong-chun, who was previously in a team headed by the disgraced stem cell scientist, Hwang Woo-suk. Mr Hwang's results on cloning human stem cells, initially hailed as a breakthrough, were found to have been falsified and he is now on trial charged with embezzlement and fake research.
But the team did succeed in creating the world's first cloned dog two years ago - an Afghan hound named Snuppy. They continued with the programme, cloning more dogs and also producing clones of Korean grey wolves.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Girl, 10, mauled by bull terrier !
A 10-year-old girl has suffered serious facial injuries after she was badly mauled by a Staffordshire bull terrier dog in North Yorkshire. Emergency crews were called to an area close to Allanbrook Barracks at Thirsk on Thursday evening.
The girl was taken to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough and was due to undergo surgery to repair her cheek.
The dog's owner, a woman aged 21, was arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control in public. The animal was put down immediately. A police statement was expected later.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
'Record year' for butterfly site !
By Mark Kinver - Science and nature reporter, BBC News.
A record number of rare large blue butterflies were counted at a key breeding site during 2007. A survey at Collard Hill, Somerset, counted 354 adults during 2007, beating the previous record of 300 in 2003. Experts believe a warm spring helped the caterpillars at the National Trust-owned site develop quickly before the arrival of a very wet summer.
Efforts to re-introduce the species began in 1983 after it disappeared from the UK in the late 1970s. "Despite the poor summer, 2007 was a remarkable year for the large blue at Collard Hill," explained Matthew Oates, nature conservation adviser for the National Trust.
"It saw record numbers of butterflies in flight and it was the earliest and longest flight season since its re-introduction." -Dr Martin Warren, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, welcomed the survey's findings. "This is marvellous news for one our most endangered species of butterfly," he said. "With seven out of every 10 butterfly species in decline, Butterfly Conservation is delighted to be working with the National Trust to save this, and other species."
In the 1970s, scientists discovered that the reason why the large blue (Maculinea arion) became locally extinct was a result of changes to the way the rural landscape was managed. A team led by Jeremy Thomas, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Dorset, found that the survival of the butterflies was closely linked to a particular species of ant. Professor Thomas observed that up to five species of red ants would "adopt" a large blue caterpillar, but the butterfly would survive in the nest of only one - the Myrmica sabuleti red ant.
But the decline of pastoral grazing saw a demise in the population of these ants, which in turn caused the large blue butterfly to disappear from the UK. He found that the ants thrived in areas with short grass because sunlight was able to warm the soil, which suited this species. Yet a shift away from grazing resulted in sites becoming overgrown, which caused the soils to cool. As part of the reintroduction programme by the conservationists, grazing was re-established on the sites chosen for the butterflies.
Their efforts to manage the habitat paid dividends during the summer of 2006, when an estimated 10,000 of the creatures were recorded at sites across southern England. "Generally, 2006 was a very good year for large blues in England," recalled Mr Oates. "So, in theory, 2007 was set up very well by the previous year. "But then we had this unprecedented spring drought in April which affected different large blue sites in different ways. "One of the many threats facing large blues is spring droughts, and at the original large blue [reintroduction] site the ant populations were adversely hit by the dry April, so the large blue larvae had a very bad time as a result."
Mr Oates suggested that the site at Collard Hill was less susceptible to droughts than other sites, which meant that it was able to cope with the unseasonably dry weather. He added that the butterflies at the Somerset site emerged in early June, allowing them to mate and lay their eggs before the heavy rains arrived in the second half of the month.
Despite the successful year, England's population of large blues has a history of "boom-and-bust" years, and remains listed as a priority species on the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Elephant's pregnancy sparks row !
A row has erupted in Australia after Sydney's zoo announced a nine-year-old Asian elephant was pregnant. Animal rights groups say the elephant, Thong Dee, is too young to fall pregnant, and that the zoo is "irresponsible" in letting it happen.
This was "the equivalent of allowing your 12-year-old daughter to become pregnant", said Erica Martin of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. But keepers at Taronga Zoo say they took expert advice and acted on this. "We took our advice from the experts in elephant reproduction," says Lucy Melo, senior keeper at the zoo. "And based on their findings, when they came here and did elephant reproductive assessments... they suggested that all of the elephants were reproductively viable, and that they actually recommended Thong Dee for immediate breeding."
But Ifaw says under captive breeding plans, elephants should be at least 11 years old before conceiving. If all goes well, the birth will be the first by a captive elephant in Australia, which the zoo described as a "historic event" on Thursday. Thong Dee, who is five months into her 22-month pregnancy, is reported to be the first elephant to become pregnant while in captivity in Australia.
She was part of a group of Asian elephants imported from Thailand two years ago.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Ruff deal for the Staffie !
By Fiona Wickham and Denise Winterman
BBC News Magazine
They're being dumped in record numbers and branded a "yob dog", yet Staffordshire bull terriers are ideal family pets, say experts. So why is this nation of dog lovers turning against them? Extremely reliable, highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children. It's not a description most of us would associate with Staffordshire bull terriers, but it's how the UK Kennel Club sums them up.
In fact, the breed is one of only two from over 190 it recommends as suitable with children, the other being a Chesapeake Bay retriever. But while the thought of a doe-eyed retriever makes people feel all warm and fuzzy inside, a Staffie - as they are commonly known - often leaves them cold. Somehow these little balls of muscle have gone from being considered good family pets to canine outcasts among large sections of this nation of dog lovers.
Staffies and Staffie crosses are being dumped in record numbers and not enough people are willing to give them a new home. So how did the sociable dog that likes to be loved fall out of people's affections?
KENNEL CLUB DEFINITION OF THE STAFFY TEMPERAMENT
Indomitably courageous
Tenacious
Highly intelligent
Affectionate, especially with children
Bold
Fearless
Totally reliable
The breed is a bit of a contradiction and that is a big part of the problem, says the Dogs Trust. While their natures are loving, their perceived physical similarities with banned breeds - such as pit bulls - has resulted in them being tarnished with the "dangerous dogs" label. "Because of their appearance, certain types of people think they've got themselves a fierce dog and in fact they'd far rather be in front of the fire having their tummy tickled," says breeder Veronica Brown.
A result of this misguided association they have become a "macho" fashion accessory among some young men, say welfare groups. They are a "psuedo pit bull" for those who want to look hard. "They have become a status symbol among some youngsters and the type of person who gets one for that reason is not likely to be the most responsible owner," says Ali Evans, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The consequences for the breed are worrying, say animal charities. Selling them has now become a lucrative business among certain groups and people wanting to make some quick cash are intensively breeding them. "Some people now consider them as a source of income and are breeding them in their back gardens," says Ms Evans.
A pure-breed puppy with documentation to prove its Kennel Club registration and a health certificate costs around £600, so there is a market for cheaper dogs. Many are cross-breeds but still look the part. And looks count as the dogs are also being used as a protection, say animal charities.
That's not to say that Staffies can't be aggressive and dangerous. They can. Like all dogs, there can be moments of aggression which, coupled with the Staffie's strength, can lead to serious injuries. There have been many reported cases of Staffies attacking children, but these days the dogs are often trained to be more hostile. Owners build up their strength, making them hang off sticks to increase the power of their jaws.
It all fuels the negative image the dogs have now acquired and makes them harder to home if they are dumped by owners. Birmingham Dogs Home says pure-bred Staffies and their crosses make up at least 40% of all dogs that end up with them. They make up a third of all dogs handled by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which has branches in London, Berkshire and Kent.
The media also has a part to play in attitudes towards the breed. "Sometimes if there's a dog attack, they'll use a photo of a Stafford in the paper before the true identity of the dog has been made," says Ms Brown.
The dogs are being villainised, say responsible owners. Lorien Hill is mum to a five-year-old, Lucas, and has a Staffie, one of three she has owned over the years.
"Billy looks all rough and tough on the outside, yet he's the most gentle dog ever and in touch with the emotions of those around him," she says. "They call them nanny dogs and that's because they're like babysitters. When Lucas is in the garden, Billy sits near him just watching." She agrees they are often just a status symbol. As a result people assume Staffies are aggressive and make assumptions about why she owns one. "Someone at the school gate was sarcastic to me about my dog," she says. "They said 'good you didn't get an aggressive muscly dog then'. People just assume. "I think things are changing and they're beginning to go out of fashion as the hard boy thing. That might be why there's so many in the shelters, because a lot of people are put off because they're seen as a chav dog."
Staffies are not the first breed of dogs to be villainised. German shepherds, dobermans and rottweilers have all suffered bad press. "What they all have in common is they are big and strong," says the RSPCA's chief vet, Mark Evans. "A smaller dog could be just as aggressive but there is less chance of it being a life-threatening attack." As a result it does not make the headlines, he adds. ""We need to educate people about how to care for Staffies and also the wider population to dispel some of the myths," says Mr Evans. "What a dog is like is not down to their breed it is down to their owner."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Secret lives of badgers revealed !
By Rebecca Morelle - Science reporter, BBC News.
The subterranean secrets of badgers have been revealed by a BBC film crew. Over two years, tiny cameras placed deep underground recorded the comings and goings of a wild badger family. While the animals have been well studied outside of their setts, until now, little has been known about their behaviour while underground.
Never-before-seen behaviour was filmed, including the badgers diligently making their beds each evening before leaving the setts for a night of foraging. The crew also captured newborn cubs on camera, as well as grooming and fighting between the older animals. The footage was recorded for a BBC Natural World wildlife programme.
About 300,000 badgers live across Britain, their tracks and trails criss-cross the countryside, yet they are rarely seen. Andrew Cooper, producer of Badgers - Secrets of the Sett, said: "Before we began filming, I knew that there was a gap in our knowledge about badgers. "When I spoke to one badger expert, I said to him: 'How much do we know about their life underground?', and he simply held up a blank piece of paper. "This is the first time we have had the opportunity to see real detail down there."
It took the team six months to prepare for filming, which took place in the Devon countryside. High-resolution, waterproof cameras, measuring less than 8cm (3in) in length, microphones and more than a kilometre of cabling were fed into the badgers' tunnels and chambers, which can be four or five metres deep.
Mr Cooper said: "The most difficult thing was putting the cameras in underground and then trying to get them into a position so we could see what they had got going on down there."Even once the cameras had been manoeuvred into place, the team still faced several setbacks. "Mice and squirrels conspired to nibble through various bits of exposed cables, and plants grew in front of the cameras," said Mr Cooper. "The badgers would also come and lick the cameras or sniff them - one cub even tried to chew a camera."
The producer added: "Badger slobber all over the lens didn't do much for the vision."
During the many months of filming, the team managed to record these highly social, nocturnal creatures as never seen before. Mr Cooper said: "One day, there was a huge thunderstorm. There were five badgers in this one chamber, all piled on top of each other. And right in the foreground of the camera, a cub of about six or seven months old sat.
"There was a huge clap of thunder - you could hear it rolling down the tunnels and around the chambers - and this little cub pulled its paws up over its ears. The images were riveting." The team also discovered that the creatures were very clean and tidy while underground. Before leaving their sett for an evening of foraging, they would "make their beds" by raking up their bedding and leaving it in a fluffy pile in the middle of the chamber. The crew also managed to film the creatures fighting.
Mr Cooper explained: "During the summer months, the young males got fractious. "Daylight lasts a long time, the nights are very short, and consequently they are itching to go outside." Consequently, he said, the badgers would start moving around in the chambers and fights would break out.
All of this action took place in complete darkness, infra-red lights meant it could be captured on camera. The producer added: "Their idea of spatial awareness just through touch, sound and smell must be quite extraordinary." The Devon badger family still remain under surveillance - and can be seen on the Wildlink website's badger-cam.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Panic in the beehive !
By Finlo Rohrer - BBC News Magazine
If the UK lost its honey bees the countryside would face devastation, and that is exactly what beekeepers fear could happen. Imagine a country lane. Hawthorn hedgerow on either side, clouds scudding overhead, apple blossom drifting gently by, the only noise the gentle hum of honey bees and the chirping of birds. What could be a more idyllic vision of British country life?
Then fast-forward 10 years.
The hedgerow is deteriorating, the birds are silent, the orchard is disappearing and the countryside is changed. Why? The hives are empty. Their once-buzzing occupants mysteriously vanished.
BEE PROBLEMS
Varroa destructor mite
Tracheal mites
Small hive beetle
Israel acute paralysis virus
European foulbrood
Kashmir bee virus
Deformed wing virus
Dysentery
Pesticide
Environment and rural affairs minister Lord Rooker envisaged just such a scenario recently when he warned: "Bee health is at risk and, frankly, if nothing is done about it, the fact is the honey bee population could be wiped out in 10 years."
In a few weeks' time, Britain's thousands of amateur beekeepers will face what might be called "Bee-Day". In the south of England, the weather will be warm enough that apiarists can lift the tops off their hives for the first time and find out if their colonies have survived the winter. And these beekeepers are worried. Every winter some colonies are lost. But last year saw widespread anecdotal reports of above average losses, and the enthusiasts fear this year could be worse.
Norman Carreck is both entomologist and beekeeper. And he is one of the anxious. "Last winter a number of very experienced beekeepers lost colonies in very mysterious circumstances." One change is in the varroa mite, identified by Lord Rooker as the main threat. There is a rise in young urban beekeepers, but rural remains the norm The mite, which latches onto bees and sucks their "blood", arrived in the UK in 1992. Within a few years it had spread throughout the country and took the wild honey bee population to the brink of annihilation. Managed hives were also hit hard.
But having long been kept under control using chemical treatments, there is now a new problem. "The mites are becoming resistant, there are no good alternatives for treatment," says Carreck. And as well as varroa, the devil that beekeepers know, there is another cloud on the horizon. Across the Atlantic US honey bees are being wiped out in vast numbers by a mysterious condition that leaves hives deserted.
Scientists are working frantically to identify the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, but UK beekeepers fear it could soon spread to them. One swarm of bees in a ship container might be enough to bring the disease.
"If it did arrive we don't know how to tackle it," says Ivor Davis, an amateur apiarist in Bristol and former president of the British Beekeepers Association, which has 11,000 members. "The government doesn't seem that concerned."
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER
Appeared in US in 2006
Reports in parts of Europe
Exact cause unknown
Hives are found empty
Linked to Israeli acute respiratory virus
Stress could be factor
Varroa mite could be involved
US beekeepers, who make money from taking their bees from state to state for pollination of commercial crops, have been replenishing stocks from Australia. But in the UK, which imports the vast majority of its honey, beekeeping is dominated by amateurs. Many will not be able to afford repeated purchases of new bees in the event of the disease arriving.
"If we give up because it is too hard then the country is in trouble - 99% of beekeepers are hobbyists," says Davis. Beekeepers want the government to contribute more than the £200,000 it currently spends on research into bee diseases and the £1.8m it spends on the National Bee Unit and inspections of colonies.
The position of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is clear. There is no evidence the US disease is spreading in the UK, and while it does liaise with American scientists, it is awaiting compelling evidence that there should be a big increase in spending.
But if CCD hasn't spread to the UK yet, why are bees dying in greater numbers than usual? The answer, according to many beekeepers, may lie as much with a mixture of erratic unseasonal weather as it does with disease.
Mild winters are not good for bees, says Carreck. A sudden warm snap, as experienced in some parts of England at the weekend. can persuade the bees that spring is here. They venture out and expend energy but find there is no food for them, and then the cold returns.
Chris Slade, from Maiden Newton in Dorset, has been keeping bees for 30 years and blames his higher-than-normal losses on a phenomenon caused by excessively long summers. But he believes the bees will adapt to the erratic weather and that concerns over disease are overstated.
"There is a lot of hyperbole. Beekeeping always goes through periods of prosperity and dearth. People do enjoy a good panic." But there is no doubt the consequences of a severely depleted honey bee population would be grim. "Insects are essential for the pollination of a very large proportion of produce," says Carreck. And of the insects, bees are key because of the times of the year they are available to spread pollen.
To take just two examples, the British apple industry would face devastating consequences if there were no bees, while bird populations would also suffer.
The prospect of this catastrophic loss of bees has driven Guardian journalist and beekeeper Alison Benjamin to write her upcoming book A World Without Bees. Benjamin, who lives in Battersea, is one of a growing number of young, urban-dwelling beekeepers. She has five hives, one at her current flat, one at her old flat, and three at the bottom of her parents' garden. "It's about bringing a bit of nature into the city. And it's argued they produce better honey in the towns than they do in the countryside."
In the US they are vital to agribusiness, with their owners taking them on a tour of the nation's foodstuffs. First hives might be taken by truck to Massachusetts, Benjamin says, then on to Maine for blueberries, then Florida for oranges and California for almonds.
This constant movement has been blamed for the prevalence of the varroa mite in the US and the spread of disease, as stressed bees come into contact with a plethora of infections. It is one reason that some believe the UK, which does not have nomadic beekeepers, will not be affected by CCD in the same way. But at the moment all beekeepers can do is keep their fingers crossed as they wait for their moment of truth on Bee-Day
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Hamster prices triple in China !
By Michael Bristow - BBC News, Beijing.
Hamsters have become the must-have pet in China since the Year of the Rat began on 7 February. Pet shop owners say stocks are running low - and prices high - as children clamour for a furry friend. According to the Chinese media, prices have tripled to about 30 yuan ($4.20, £2.10) per hamster across the country.
In the Year of the Rat, this tiny creature has become the most acceptable rodent, a type of animal that is not everyone's first-choice pet. "Rats and mice have a bad image, but hamsters are gentle. You can hold them in your hand a play with them," Xinhua News Agency reported.
Pet stores are also howing an increased interest in other, similar-looking creatures, such as chinchillas and squirrels. But it is the hamster that appears to have caught the imagination at the start of a new lunar year in China.
One father told the media: "I've always wanted to buy my son a small animal and a hamster is an ideal choice. "By bringing up a pet, my son will learn about compassion and caring for animals."
But there is a downside. Experts are warning that rodents have sharp teeth and can deliver a nasty bite. Some could even be carrying the rabies virus.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Eagle eye restored by operatio