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.
'Decade to save Asian vultures' !
By Mark Kinver - Science and nature reporter, BBC News.
Fewer than 11,000 white-backed vultures could remain in India. Asian vultures could be extinct in the wild within 10 years unless a livestock drug blamed for their rapid demise is eliminated, scientists warn. A survey showed that the population of the oriental white-backed vulture had crashed by 99.9% since 1992.
India has banned the manufacture of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug for cattle, but it is still on sale to the nation's farmers, the team says. The findings appear in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. The researchers also found that the populations of long-billed vulture and slender-billed vulture had fallen by about 97% over the same period.
"Year on year, these two species are declining by about 16%," explained co-author Andrew Cunningham, from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). "This is pretty horrific but when you think that the white-backed vulture is declining by about 45-50% each year, that is truly staggering."
The team of Indian and British researchers say the unprecedented demise is a result of the birds being poisoned by traces of the anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, in animal carcasses. Although India's government banned the manufacture of the drug in 2006, Dr Cunningham said the measure has had little impact. "They have only banned its manufacture for veterinary treatments," he explained, "the manufacture for medical treatments are unaffected by this ban.
"The treatment of animals with diclofenac also hasn't been banned, so people are now just using the medical version to treat animals rather than buying the veterinary one." It also appears as if the drug is still being imported from producers in other countries, which means fresh supplies are making their way onto the market. A few years ago, researchers identified an alternative drug called meloxicam that was not toxic to vultures.
But the take-up of meloxicam was inhibited because it was about twice the price of diclofenac. However, as more companies began to produce the vulture-safe alternative, the price fell. "The price difference is not as much as a problem as it appeared to be two or three years ago," observed Dr Cunningham. "It appears to be a painfully slow process, and far too slow to be sure that the vultures are going to survive."
In order to ensure there is viable population of the threatened species, conservationists have set up a number of captive breeding centres. The Indian network, underpinned by the UK government's Darwin Initiative, is being led by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), with support from overseas organisations, including the RSPB and ZSL.
Captive breeding may be the only hope for a number of species.One of the centres recently enjoyed its first success when two oriental white-backed vulture chicks were born. "They look as if they are doing well," Dr Cunningham told BBC News. "It is quite heart-warming to have a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, but it is going to be a long, long haul over the next 15-20 years before we get anywhere near to being able to release any birds. "These birds are difficult to catch in the wild now because there are so few of them, so it is easier to find where they are nesting and get them as youngsters. "But they are not sexually mature until they are about five years of age, and successful breeding normally takes two or three seasons."
The ZSL researcher is also concerned that the problems facing vultures in India could occur elsewhere in the world. "We are particularly worried about Africa because diclofenac has recently started to be marketed as a veterinary drug. "There are vultures there that are very closely related to the Indian vultures, so we know that they are susceptible.
Dr Cunningham added that the drug was also being used in South America, but the vulture species there were evolutionarily distinct from old world vultures and not affected. "I don't think we should take our eye off the ball as far as getting this drug out of the ecosystem is concerned."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Tourism crash threatens big cats !
The compensation scheme has been very successful
Big cats living in Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve are being threatened by a collapse in revenues from wildlife tourism, it has been claimed.
The Mara Conservancy says tourists have stayed away since the violence which followed last year's disputed election.
The group, which manages a 510 sq km area called the Mara Triangle, can no longer pay pastoralists compensation for cattle killed by lions or leopards.
This could force local people to kill the cats in order to protect livestock.
It may be only a matter of time until rangers won't be so lucky in stopping cattle owners from taking their own measures to protect cattle
William Deed, Mara Conservancy
William Deed, from the Mara Conservancy, told the BBC that it was facing a shortfall of $50,000 (£25,000) per month.
The non-profit organisation relies on a percentage of park entrance fees paid by tourists.
Since it was founded in 2001, and the compensation scheme established, the number of lions in the reserve has doubled to 80.
Strained situation
But now the fund has been suspended, some Maasai have threatened to resume hunting the lions and leopards which kill their cows, goats and sheep.
"We have now had several close calls with locals hunting lions and leopards in return for the cattle that have been killed by these predators," said Mr Deed.
"Previously, the cattle compensation scheme we had in place would help placate such situations, however with no funding to pay for such a scheme the local communities are no longer seeing the benefits of living so closely with the wildlife."
He said the current situation was leading to strained relations with local communities.
The Mara Conservancy has met with local elders, but each time one of their animals is killed with no money for compensation, the "tension mounts", Mr Deed explained.
"It may be only a matter of time until rangers won't be so lucky in stopping cattle owners from taking their own measures to protect cattle," he added.
Cuts in electricity are also making the job of rangers increasingly dangerous. Part of their job involves catching armed cattle rustlers who often make their escape through the Mara Triangle.
But the area now lacks power for 11 hours out of every 24, meaning that communications are often down between the main station and patrol teams.
The dire funding situation has also forced the organisation to stop night patrols.
Poachers were already profiting from the situation, said Mr Deed: groups of men had been seen using torches to hunt Thomson Gazelles at night.
Last month, the rangers have caught five poachers, including three men who killed a hippo for its meat.
Even though the worst of the violence in Kenya has subsided, Mr Deed said it would take time for the tourist trade to pick up again.
For now, he explained, the organisation was operating only on small donations from individuals across the world.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Grouse decline 'can be reversed' !
Black grouse numbers have been falling as their habitats disappear. A huge decline in the black grouse population can be reversed, experts involved in a major conservation project believe. Numbers of the endangered bird had plummeted from 25,000 pairs in 1991 to only 5,000 pairs at the last count.
But a concerted effort to protect the iconic species has led to an upturn in its fortunes at two Highland sites. It is hoped similar work in other areas will allow more of the game birds to feed, display and roost in safety. The projects at the Corrimony reserve, near Cannich, and Glenmore Forest close to Aviemore, were undertaken by the Scottish Forest Alliance (SFA).
The body brings together RSPB Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Woodland Trust Scotland and BP. It said the numbers of black grouse at Corrimony increased from 35 to 57 between 2002 and 2007, while at Glenmore Forest the population doubled, with a recent count spotting 28 birds in the area. SFA planted thousands of native trees, restored wetlands and reduced the number of deer to create the perfect habitat for the black grouse.
Andrew Fairbairn, development manager of the Woodland Trust Scotland, said: "Black grouse are one of our most threatened species - on the UK red list of conservation species due to their massive decline in range. "These increases [at Corrimony and Glenmore] are a real measure of the additional benefits to biodiversity and wildlife that the SFA project is bringing. "We hope that this success will be mirrored at all SFA sites in the coming years, and play a major part in helping the recovery of this species."
The vast majority of black grouse are found in remote Highland areas, but with small pockets remaining in Dumfries and Galloway and the northern Pennines of England and Wales.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
US ordered to act on polar bear !
By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website.
Listing the polar bear might lessen industry's impact on the Arctic .A judge has told the US government to decide within weeks whether to list polar bears as an endangered species. The decision was hailed by conservation groups which have been hounding the government on the issue for years. The federal judge rejected the Bush administration's pleas for a further delay, and ordered it to make and implement its decision by 15 May.
A listing could restrict oil and gas exploration in the US Arctic, and lead to curbs on greenhouse gas emissions. Defendants have been in violation of the law requiring them to publish the listing determination for nearly 120 days
"Today's decision is a huge victory for the polar bear," said Kassie Siegel, climate program director with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the conservation groups behind the legal challenge. "By 15 May, the polar bear should receive the protections it deserves under the Endangered Species Act, which is the first step toward saving the polar bear and the entire Arctic ecosystem from global warming."
The conservation groups argue that with polar bear numbers declining, there is an urgent need to protect its remaining habitat. But the government had stalled on making a decision since the original petition went forward in 2005. At the court, Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that the slow progress put the government in breach of its obligations. "Defendants have been in violation of the law requiring them to publish the listing determination for nearly 120 days," she concluded.
Judge Wilken also denied the government's request for a further delay, and ordered it to forgo the traditional 30-day waiting period between making a decision and implementing it.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service must now decide whether to list the polar bear as endangered, or to put it in a lesser category of risk such as threatened, or to keep it off the list entirely - an option which would immediately lead to further legal action from the conservation coalition.
If it is listed, campaigners will argue that anything that might impinge on the creature's habitat, such as recently announced plans for oil and gas exploration off the Alaskan coast, must either be cancelled or put under much more rigorous scrutiny.
They will also argue that the only way to prevent the Arctic becoming entirely ice-free in summers in the coming decades is to make drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Two years ago the internationally recognised Red List of Threatened Species included polar bears for the first time, giving them a listing of Vulnerable to Extinction.
Warming Arctic seas and a marked decline in sea ice during the summer months had, said the Red List, reduced numbers by about one third in three generations (45 years).
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Tiger and zebra among NI 'pets' !
A tiger is among the animals privately owned in Northern Ireland
A tiger, a wolfdog and a zebra are among the wild animals currently kept by private owners in Northern Ireland, the assembly has been told.
Monkeys, emus, racoons and poisonous snakes are also being kept, Environment Minister Arlene Foster said.
Alliance party deputy leader Naomi Long said the public would be concerned that such animals could be living nearby.
She said there should be rigorous checks to ensure the animals are kept in secure and comfortable conditions.
"Both to secure the humane treatment of the animals involved and to reassure people about public safety serious questions should be asked about the reason for dangerous wild animals being kept by individuals," she said.
Ulster Unionist Robert Coulter called for dangerous animals to be tagged.
The minister said the current arrangements whereby owners had to renew licences every year provided a good means for monitoring the animals.
"As well as the annual inspections by vets we can also call in a vet if we believe there is reason to do so," she explained
"We believe the way in which the licence holders are monitored is effective and we will continue the way it is at present moment of time."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Woman trampled to death by cattle !
A woman in her 40s walking her dog in a field has died after being trampled by a herd of stampeding cattle.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon near South Elmham in Suffolk. The woman has not yet been formally identified by Suffolk Police.
An ambulance crew sent for the police who cordoned off the area and called in the Health and Safety Executive.
"The woman was walking on a footpath through a field with cows and a bull in it, when they stampeded," police said.
Suffolk Police said her next of kin had been informed.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
The demise of Turkey's pork butchers !
The role of Islam in Turkish society is a subject of continual debate. Secularists are protesting against what they see as the government's increasingly Islamic agenda, and as Sarah Rainsford found out, the latest battleground could be across the butcher's counter.
"We're going filming at a pork butcher's and a pig farm," I told my Turkish cameraman in a text message. Slightly anxious, I added: "Is that OK with you?"
A moment later a message from Gokhan flashed back.
"Yes," he wrote. "I like a good pork steak!"
He is not the only one.
Another Turkish friend told me that eating pork, which is forbidden by Islam, is increasingly popular in secular high society here. She described this as an act of defiance by some Turks who fear religious dictates have begun creeping into their lives since a government led by devout Muslims took power. But those people could soon be looking for a new way to rebel because Turkey's pork industry is on the brink of extinction.
Lazari Kozmaoglu describes himself as the last pork butcher in Istanbul. We met at his unmarked shop, in the shadow of a towering, Orthodox church. Outside, hungry-looking cats sat pawing the window. As Lazari showed me round, he reminisced about the cosmopolitan Istanbul of his youth - filled with ethnic Armenians and local Greeks like himself. The days when the pork business was booming. Many of those Christians have long since left or been forced out. But Lazari stayed on.
For more than 40 years he has been selling pork to his own fast-shrinking Christian community, to defiant Muslims, and to foreigners. Now, he is being squeezed out of business. Lazari's being prevented from slaughtering pigs and the stock of meat in his freezer is running critically low. He owns an abattoir but the Agriculture Ministry has refused him a licence to operate it, saying it does not meet strict new regulations.
Curiously, all the other slaughter houses that once dealt with pork have been closed too. Lazari's reluctant to say what he suspects is happening. "There are only 2,000 Greeks left in Istanbul," he grumbled. "None of us dares speak out."
So a rare customer filled in the gaps. "It's all about Islam," Sami said, as the shop assistant wrapped his sausages in greaseproof paper. "Most people are more religious these days. They don't want to eat pork, and they don't let others produce it either."
In a typical "Istanbul" twist, the customer himself was Jewish. Behind him I spotted my Muslim colleagues - munching contentedly on ham sandwiches. Today's governing AK Party is far more conservative than my workmates. It is extremely popular in rural Turkey, and with the new urban, religious-conservative middle-class here.
But the AKP's leaders once belonged to a more radical, pro-Islamic party, and strictly secular Turks suspect their agenda has not changed.
To such sceptics, the fate of the pork business is proof. A couple of hours' drive towards the Bulgarian border, I found a farm that seemed at first to be thriving. Trees heavy with honey-blossom did nothing to disguise the stink of some 300 pigs, snuffling through the mud for food. "You'll find the smell addictive," Zafer the farmer laughed, as I tried in vain to block it out.
A lively man, with bushy brown curls, he invested heavily in his farm, spurred on by visions of British tourists breakfasting on his bacon, and diplomats barbecuing his pork chops. But four years on, Zafer cannot sell a single animal for slaughter. Just like Lazari with his abattoir, Zafer's farm has failed the new hygiene test.
On top of that the regulations now say you can only farm pigs if you say which abattoir will slaughter them: Catch-22 when they have already been closed. Back in Istanbul, the local Agriculture Ministry man denied the situation's anything to do with Islam "The government doesn't announce out loud that it has banned the pig farms," Zafer told me. "But at the end of the day, that's what's happened here. They're trying to send a message to their religious constituents," he said.
Back in Istanbul, the local agriculture ministry man denied the situation's anything to do with Islam. He insists the regulations were introduced to bring Turkey up to European standards. "We've got no problem with pork," Ahmet Kavak told me. "The farmers just need to meet the criteria." As evidence, he claimed the ministry was now working closely with Lazari to help open his slaughter house.
If that does finally happen - after years of fruitless negotiation - the butcher believes farmers could be lured back to the pork business. "This lot are eating me out of house and home," he laughed, pointing to a wriggling pile of pink and black-spotted piglets. His herd keeps on expanding.
But Zafer's passionate about pig farming, so he keeps the animals as pets, holding out for a solution. "The authorities thought we'd give up." Zafer told me. Then, he continued, "at the elections, they could say: 'Look, we're Muslims, we finished off this business,' but we're still here - and determined to solve this".
He smiled as a three-day old piglet clambered across his feet, then trotted off after its mother across the field.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Rapid rise in dumped pets - RSPCA !
The RSPCA rescued 2,621 animals in the first four months of 2008.
RSPCA staff rescued 23% more abandoned pets in 2007 than in the previous year, the charity has said - and it warned the upward trend could continue. The RSPCA says it was called on to save nearly 150,000 animals last year. Many of these were farm animals and pets rescued during the summer floods, or birds injured by oil spills.
However, 7,347 rescued animals were abandoned pets, compared with 5,959 in 2006. The charity warned that abandoning pets was an offence. Examples of dumped animals included a litter of kittens left in a dustbin bag, and a rabbit abandoned in a box in a crushing machine at a recycling centre. Excuses given by owners who no longer wanted to look after their pets were said to have included: "My dog hurts my legs when she wags her tail," and "my cat doesn't match my new carpet."
Within the first four months of this year, 2,621 abandoned animals had been rescued, the charity said. Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA inspectorate, said: "From birds injured by oil spills to stranded cattle, and cats in road traffic accidents to dogs simply abandoned by their owners, the RSPCA was on hand last year to help all types of animals whatever the emergency.
"Last summer we deployed the biggest number of RSPCA staff for a generation to the rescue of farm animals, horses and other much-loved pets from the severe floods that swept the country." But, he added: "Sadly we also noticed a rise in the number of animals callously abandoned. "It is an offence to abandon any animal and there is never any excuse for doing so.
"If people have pets they cannot care for, for any reason, then help and advice is always available from the RSPCA."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Greyfriars Bobby breed in danger !
Greyfriars Bobby is Scotland's best known dog. A memorial to Scotland's most famous dog, Greyfriars Bobby, has helped to highlight that the breed is in danger, event organisers have said.
Skye terriers and their owners took part in a commemorative walk in Scotland's capital on Sunday. Greyfriars Bobby spent 14 years guarding his master, John Gray's grave. A walk took place from Edinburgh Castle to the graveyard where the dog's master was buried 150 years ago. A wreath laying and blessing also took place.
The event was organised by the Skye Terrier Club which wanted to highlight the point that the breed was in danger because of the falling number of puppies being born. The current number of puppy registrations is just a third of the number registered a decade ago.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Rhinos where you least expect them !
By Sarah Mukherjee - BBC environment correspondent.
"Good morning. It's time to go on safari." The clock says 5.30. Getting out of bed and opening the flaps of the tent, you pause for a while on the small veranda.
The vista is stunning: flat open fields with the gentle curve of the coast and soft blue of the sea in the middle distance. Close by, some giraffes lope past, and the wildebeest are grazing by the watering hole.
Southern Africa? Kenya? No. Try a bit closer to home. Try Kent. For this is the "African" safari experience at Lympne Wildlife Park near Dover. The idea is to recreate a mini-safari, with authentic lodge tents and African rangers, in 100 acres of land where more than 300 animals roam free.
Warren Cathro is the ranger and host on the two safaris you take on the overnight stay. He's got more than 20 years' experience in conservation work in Zimbabwe, and is never short of a tale of his exploits in Africa, whether it's catching black rhino or transporting giraffes by train.
"If you look at it in the context of what we have available here, it is very, very close - as close as you are going to get in Europe," he says. "And if we can get parks like this functioning, and breeding up stock to send over to Africa, there is hope for the wildlife out there."
Warren is talking about the crash in the African wildlife population, which is now being addressed by European wildlife parks. Money from these mini-safaris will go towards the conservation work at Lympne.
It is the only conservation body in the world to be sending critically endangered black rhino back to African countries such as Tanzania to help boost populations there. It also has re-introduction programmes for gorillas in Gabon in West Africa. Obviously, it's never going to be exactly like the African safari experience - predators such as cheetahs are going to be introduced, but they will be penned in, and won't be reacting with the herbivores (another thing that's different about Lympne and Africa - health and safety requirements).
But, the organisers say, it does give you a little slice of the work that is being done thousands of miles form the Kentish coast.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Polar bears 'at risk' in Canada !
By Lee Carter - BBC News, Toronto
Canada's polar bears are at risk from hunting and melting ice in the Arctic. Polar bears in Canada are at risk from climate change but not threatened with extinction, a panel of experts has advised the Canadian government. The government should develop a plan to protect the country's estimated 15,000 polar bears, the panel said. The plight of the polar bear has long concerned environmentalists.
The animals face loss of habitat on two fronts, the panel said - hunting, and melting ice in the Arctic, which is widely blamed on climate change. While recognising both problems, the panel found that Canada's polar bear population was not declining enough to place it in the most serious category as an endangered species.
Instead, it has been classified as a species of special concern. "Based on the best available information at hand, there was insufficient reason to think that the polar bear was at imminent risk of extinction," said Jeff Hutchings, the panel's chairman. "That's not to say that it's not in trouble. A special concern species is a species at risk in Canada and requires legislative action."
Canada's environment minister, John Baird, is obliged to accept the government-commissioned report's findings and address threats to the animal's survival, including climate change.
But a management plan for Canada's polar bears will not be required until 2014 - by which time some scientists believe the summer sea ice in the Arctic may have completely disappeared.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Three people bitten by rabid dog !
The UK is still classed as 'free from rabies'
Three people are being treated for exposure to rabies after being bitten by an infected puppy which was in quarantine. The puppy had been brought to the UK from Sri Lanka, said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The people bitten were at the centre, thought to be in the Chingford area of Essex, and are being vaccinated.
The dog died while in quarantine and this contained any public health risk, the Health Protection Agency said. The dog had been held at the centre since 18 April, and died on Friday. Other animals that may have come into contact with the puppy were being checked, Defra said.
But it stressed that the likelihood of further infections was "highly unlikely" and the UK remained "free of rabies" because the case had occurred in quarantine.
Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Alick Simmons said: "While initial tests show that this puppy has tested positive for rabies, this shows that the system is working and the case has been picked up while the animal is in quarantine. "We are now tracing animals that have moved from the kennels to ensure that all animals that have come into contact with the puppy are monitored."
The location of the quarantine premises has been given by officials only as the South East, but Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith said he had been told it was in his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency in Essex.
He said he had received a call on Friday evening from Environment minister Lord Rooker. He said: "Naturally, I am very concerned about the welfare of the staff who have been affected. "I was assured by the minister that the situation is under control."
Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth said it was "concerning" that rabies had returned to the UK, but it appeared the quarantine system had worked. He called for "swift action" to ensure the disease did not spread to the wider environment.
Rabies is a viral disease which affects the central nervous system. Once symptoms appear it is almost always fatal, but patients can be treated with antibodies and a vaccination to fight the virus after being bitten.
Professor Hugh Pennington, an expert in bacteriology at Aberdeen University, told the BBC the treatment for rabies had a very high success rate. "Basically it starts with washing the wound out with soap and water, which is highly effective at killing the virus," he said. "Then the wound itself is infiltrated with anti-serum and finally there's the immunisation set-up where people are given injections over several days to build up their immunity. "The virus often takes a long, long time to do anything and all these processes stop it dead in its tracks."
Rabies was eliminated from the animal population in the UK in the early 20th century, but it continues to infect a variety of animals in other parts of the world. The World Health Organisation estimates the annual global death toll from the disease to be between 40,000 and 70,000, with the majority of cases occurring in south and south-east Asia.
Twenty cases of rabies have been reported in England and Wales since 1946, which were all imported. A licensed bat handler died in Scotland from a rabies-like infection caught from a bat in 2002. Initial symptoms of the disease include anxiety, headaches and fever, with the effects of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) intensifying later. The patient may also suffer spasms of the swallowing muscles, making drinking difficult or impossible. Death from respiratory paralysis is almost inevitable once the symptoms have appeared.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Giraffe's tongue destroys webcam !
Gerald's tongue is about 18 inches long .
A webcam set up to stream live pictures of the imminent birth of a baby zebra has been destroyed - by the over-active tongue of a neighbouring giraffe. The webcam was set up recently by the BBC Bristol website at Noah's Ark Zoo farm in Wraxall. But Gerald the giraffe, housed in the next pen along, had other ideas.
Owner Anthony Bush said: "I do apologise for Gerald, but he couldn't believe his luck. He saw this amazing webcam fruit within licking distance." "He had nothing else to do all night and licked it until he destroyed it. I'm sorry it's in bits, I hope it's recoverable."
BBC website journalist Chris Kelly spent most of Friday trying to fix the device. "We underestimated how long Gerald's tongue was, but you have to laugh. We've installed a new one - 6ft higher than the last one," he said.
Mr Bush said giraffes were notorious lickers. "Visitors sometimes have their ankles licked. Gerald has a huge tongue." The cost of the damage was less than £30.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Shark kills swimmer off US coast !
Several miles of coast in California have been closed after a 66-year-old man died in a rare shark attack. David Martin was bitten as he swam in the Pacific Ocean off Solana Beach, 14 miles north of San Diego. The retired veterinarian was training with a triathlon team 150 yards (137m) offshore when he was attacked across both legs before the animal swam away. He was carried ashore and taken to the Fletcher Cove Park lifeguard station, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials cleared all beaches within a 17-mile radius of the attack. Beaches will be closed within eight miles of where the attack took place for the weekend. The mayor of Solana Beach, Joe Kelleejan, said: "We are very concerned about public safety, we are wanting to make sure everybody gets out of the water, not only on Solana Beach but in the surrounding area. The shark is still in the area, we are sure of that."
The shark was "probably" a Great White Shark, officials said. Shark attacks are extremely rare: since records began in the 1950s, there have been only 11 fatal shark attacks off the California coast, according to the state's Department of Fish and Game.
Worldwide, there were 71 shark attacks recorded last year, of which only one was fatal.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Grey squirrel 'may have hitched' !
By Steven McKenzie - Highlands and Islands reporter, BBC Scotland news website.
Grey squirrels are a non-native species originating from North America The first grey squirrel to be officially reported in the Highlands may have arrived on the back of a lorry carrying hay or straw bales. The region is deemed to be a stronghold for native reds, free of the risk of competition for food and a disease carried by the American species.
Conservation project See Red Highland has raised concerns at the appearance of a grey near Inverness. The rogue squirrel may be trapped and humanely put down due to the risks.
Ian Collier of See Red Highland - an organisation backed by several public bodies including Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage - told the BBC Scotland news website one of the theories on how it arrived was on a transporter. It is illegal to release the animals into the wild.
The Highlands grey was spotted in Milton of Leys on the outskirts of Inverness. The A9 road - the main route into the north from the central belt - runs close to the area suggesting a possible way it reached the area. Households in Milton of Leys have been asked to look out for the mammal.
Mr Collier said: "This is the first grey to be confirmed in the Highlands. "The main problem having a grey in the Inverness area is that it may be carrying squirrel pox virus, which is fatal to red squirrels, and that it competes for food."
Ron Macdonald, head of policy and advice at Scottish Natural Heritage, added: "This is one of the areas that have until now been grey-free and has previously been a stronghold for native red squirrel. "That no longer appears to be the case with this first confirmed sighting of a non-native grey squirrel."
This week tests confirmed cases of the virus at three sites on an estate in the south of Scotland. The disease, which can be carried by greys without harming them, was found on the Queensberry Estate near Dumfries. Routine monitoring of greys confirmed the infection.
The non-native species, which was introduced to Britain by the Victorians, has not previously been confirmed in the Highlands. Strathdon in the heart of Aberdeenshire and Blair Atholl have been the nearest the animals have come to the region's borders.
Highland Red Squirrel Group was established to help monitor and conserve reds. Mr Macdonald added that SNH was asking people to get in touch if they spotted a grey squirrel or to log any sightings on its squirrel survey website.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Egrets? Nature reserve has a few !
It is the first time two of the birds have been seen in Scotland.A rare bird has made an unprecedented double appearance at a nature reserve near Crimond in Aberdeenshire.
A great white egret appeared at the RSPB's Loch of Strathbeg reserve on Monday, only the seventh to have been spotted in the north east of Scotland.
The following day another great white egret arrived at the reserve, making it the first time two of the birds have been seen together in Scotland.
The great white egret is a large species of heron, with white plumage.
Its nearest breeding colonies are in the Netherlands and it is thought the birds were probably carried across the North Sea on the recent easterly winds.
RSPB Scotland's David Parnaby said: "We have been carrying out a huge amount of work to improve the habitat for wetland birds at the reserve in the last couple of years, so it is no surprise that many unusual birds call into the site."
The Loch of Strathbeg reserve is also currently playing host to a little egret, a smaller member of the heron family, which has been present since Christmas Eve.
Mr Parnaby added, "The little egret is a scarce spring migrant to north east Scotland, so to have one spend the winter here is unheard of.
"The fact that you can now watch it feeding in the same pools as a great white egret is an incredibly rare occurrence in Scotland.
"I hope these birds will stay around and give people the chance to see them, although there is always something to see at the reserve."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Wild bee decline 'catastrophic' !
Wild bee populations around the UK are experiencing "catastrophic declines", the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has warned. Mary Celeste Syndrome - where a honey bee hive is found almost completely deserted - has appeared in Scotland. The Stirling-based trust's Dr Ben Darvill described bumblebees as an "insurance policy", given the problems facing colonies of honey bees. Bees are important pollinators of flowers and crops.
Dr Darvill said: "The whole suite of pollinators are declining simultaneously." The UK has 18 true bumblebee species and many are seriously threatened due to habitat loss. The great yellow - the rarest bee in the UK - clings to survival in the Highlands and Islands. Dr Darvill said the insects' demise has serious implications for food supply and the price of goods. He said: "When a bee visits a flower, it picks up pollen on its fur, and transports it to another flower, pollinating it in the process.
"Without pollination, flowering crops like beans, peas, strawberries and raspberries won't produce anything to harvest, and wildflowers won't produce any seeds. "The loss of the nation's pollinators is likely to affect your dinner plate, and will change the wider countryside beyond recognition." Mr Darvill said the "catastrophic declines" could be eased with help from farmers and the general public.
Government-backed agri-environment schemes offer payments to farmers to help them maintain flower-rich areas for bees and other wildlife. Gardeners have also been encouraged to plant wild flower varieties. Tony Riome, vice president of Ayr and District Beekeepers Association, said it had been estimated every third mouthful of food consumed could be linked to pollination by bees.
He said: "If there are no bees there will be no steak. "A lot of pollination is wind blown, but bees play a very large part in pollinating the plants that animals eat." Bumblebees along with wild and managed honey bees are suffering following a poor summer last year. Honey bees have also fallen prey to varroa mite.
The parasites leave bee larvae deformed and can spread a condition called Israeli Paralysis Virus. These attacks in turn have been suspected as the cause of Mary Celeste Syndrome, named after a ship discovered deserted in 1872. Mr Riome said it had appeared in Scotland and only outer islands had escaped varroa mite. He said: "With Mary Celeste Syndrome a healthy colony of bees is found to have disappeared, or only 100 are found with the queen.
"Because the bees die while out foraging it cannot be established how they died." The beekeeper said the US government was spending about £8.1m on research into Mary Celeste Syndrome, called Colony Collapse Disorder in the US. But he said: "The British government is supporting beekeepers with £200,000.
"Due to a lack of funds the only research laboratory, which was based in the Home Counties, was closed and one of the leading experts in this country on bee diseases was made redundant."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Police cracking down on poachers !
By Danny Savage - North of England correspondent, BBC News
Police say the stereotype of poachers taking "one for the pot" is not true anymore. Now the National Wildlife Crime Unit is targeting the poachers to address what is seen as a growing problem. It's late at night on the edge of Grizedale Forest near Hawkshead in Cumbria. A stag has been caught in the light of a bright lamp. It stops still and then begins to walk slowly across the field.
"Lamping" can make these normally timid animals behave almost as if they are tame. Within a few seconds this young male deer, with its long antlers, has walked almost right up to the lamp. At this point a poacher would set a dog off down the beam to bring the deer down – or use a rifle with a silencer.
Luckily for this deer, though, the man standing next to me holding the lamp is Pc David Hall, who tonight is running an anti-poaching operation in south Cumbria. “You don't often see them this close,“ he says as his lamp tracks the animal back into a nearby wood.
"Poaching is on the increase in this part of the country." PC Hall says. "The old romantic image of a guy living in the country with a family, on a low wage, nipping out of the back door into the woods and fields at night to take a rabbit or a pheasant or two to feed the family just isn't true anymore." "These people are in it mainly for the money and sometimes what they would call sport. I certainly wouldn't."
A carcass can fetch £300 to 400 when sold at the back door to pubs and restaurants which may ask few questions. The evening had begun hours earlier with a briefing in an old chapel on the nearby Braithwaite estate. In the shadow of several stag head trophies on the walls – some nearly 100 years old – Pc Hall briefed a varied collection of local people who were taking part in the operation.
They included conservationists, gamekeepers and landowners such as Miles Sandys, whose estate we were on. “ I regard poaching as stealing. If someone came into your house with a gun and nicked your television that would be regarded by the police as armed robbery and I really can't see the difference, quite honestly," Mr Sandys told me.
During the briefing the watchers are given specific vehicle registration numbers to look out for belonging to poachers known to be active in the area. But the big problem with prosecuting this crime is gathering sufficient evidence.
A car can be stopped and a deer found in the boot, but if the driver claims he just found the carcass by the roadside, there is little chance of taking the case to court. Poachers really have to be caught red-handed.
Shortly before midnight PC Hall gets a call reporting a suspicious pick-up vehicle in the area. We rush towards where it was sighted but it has gone – somewhere down a maze of country lanes. A short time later, the network of watchers spot the vehicle again – this time it is parked up. But when we get to the scene it emerges that it belongs to a local farmer who had been out lamping rabbits and keeping an eye on his own deer.
“ Well it proves the system works”, says PC Hall as the operation begins to wind down So, we didn't find any poachers but those involved believe that is good news. They feel the word is out that poaching is being taken seriously in this part of the country and that deer in Cumbria are being afforded some protection.
Whether that means the crime is simply being moved on to a different area isn't yet clear, but the neighbouring police force in Lancashire are running a similar scheme. And the reason is that poachers are often found to be part of organised crime gangs, with the illegal taking of deer and other animals just part of their activities. Unlicensed guns and cars are also found in many cases.
This is a difficult crime to quantify - it is estimated that thousands of deer go missing each year. In rural areas, where there can be miles between houses, extensive poaching can go unnoticed - which is why the National Wildlife Crime Unit are prioritising poaching as a crime which needs to have more resources to tackle it.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Donkey campaign unites Cypriots !
The Karpas wild donkeys are seen as a symbol of Cyprus.Greek and Turkish Cypriots have teamed up on their divided island to save endangered wild donkeys. The initiative was launched on the social networking website Facebook after 10 of the donkeys were found shot dead at the end of March. "Let's stop the massacre of Karpas donkeys!" says a message from the group, which has attracted more than 2,000 members.
The Karpas Peninsula in northern Cyprus is home to several hundred donkeys. The Facebook group says the Karpas donkeys "are the symbol of Cyprus and it is our responsibility to protect them". The messages, in both Greek and Turkish, are a new gesture of unity on the island, whose communities remain divided by a UN-patrolled buffer zone. The breakaway self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey.
A group of Greek and Turkish Cypriots rallied on a beach in the Karpas Peninsula on 13 April to "Save the Cyprus Donkey". The Karpas donkeys are a legacy of the 1974 Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus, when Greek Cypriot farmers fled the area, leaving their animals behind, the AFP news agency reports.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
A dog that's not for life !
By Megan Lane - BBC News Magazine.
Gucci, an 18-month-old pomeranian, is a fluffy ball of fun who loves walks in the park. And he can be your dog - for a price - as part of a new service renting out canine companions.
Living in London, with a garden not much bigger than a picnic blanket and a working day lengthened by a long commute, it seems unfair to own a dog. But wouldn't it be nice to have a furry friend to take for walkies?
To the average British animal lover, the idea of canine timeshare might jar a little. A dog is famously for life, not just for Christmas. Shelters are full of forlorn dogs, surrendered by owners who found themselves without the time or effort to look after an animal.
So perhaps there is sense in the dog hire company Flexpetz opening a branch in London, its first outside the US. There the business is well established, with dogs-for-hire in New York, San Diego and Los Angeles.
To borrow a dog for four days a month costs a tail-drooping monthly fee of £279 in the UK (in the US, it's $279.95) - plus extra for drop-off and collection, if needed. The company says the high cost of maintaining and paying for vets' bill explains the disparity. The target clientele in London will be much like those who have signed up in Los Angeles and New York - urbanites whose busy lives make full-time pet ownership difficult. So far it says 100 have pre-registered in London.
Gucci is the first and only canine recruit to London's Flexpetz, but more will be available soon, says Pippa Woolard, the company's UK representative, who will run orientation sessions and arrange the pomeranian's movements around the capital. The New York branch usually has five dogs.
Families with young children are among the target clientele
Most Flexpetz dogs in the US have been given up by their owners, who no longer have time to spend with their pets. Others are ex-show dogs or breeders.
Chelsea McNabb is a Los Angeles-based actress and Flexpetz customer with an extremely varied schedule, but who aspires to eventually looking after an animal full time. "I had considered adopting a dog a few years back, but decided against it because the idea of first-time-dog-ownership was a bit intimidating. "Typically I spend time with this beautiful coonhound named Sasha. She is very, very, smart. We regularly hike together at many trails adjacent to Hollywood/ Santa Monica mountains. Once I took a Cocker Spaniel named Stevie, who I liked a lot too. But Sasha fits my lifestyle better with the hiking so now I only spend time with Sasha."
Once she has a house with a garden, she hopes to take full ownership of a dog like Sasha. And this is something that is encouraged by the firm. "The hope is that a member will fall in love and adopt it, once they've seen if a dog will fit into their lifestyle," says Ms Woolard. All of the dogs are available for adoption, at a price subject to negotiation, if a customer finds that a permanent dog does fit into their lifestyle.
It only takes an hour in Gucci's company for my toddler to regard him as her dog. And vice versa. "He takes everyone he meets into his pack," says Ms Woolard, as small dog and small girl nuzzle noses. As thunderclouds gather over London's Green Park to curtail our dog walking, she is reluctant to relinquish control of the lead. A bottom lip trembles. "But I don't want to give him back. I love him."
Also keen to shower Gucci with love and puppy treats is Huwgh Taylor, a wine buyer who lives in a Chelsea flat, who plans long walks in London's parks to get fit. He heard about the scheme from a friend who travels to New York on business. Most dogs need the security of a proper routine with one owner
RSPCA's David McDowell
"I saw they were hoping to open in London and put my name down for pre-registration. I work long and unsocial hours, which would make it incredibly unfair on any animal, especially a dog. "When I was growing up I had a German shepherd collie cross. This scheme means I can have the companionship of a dog without having to leave it alone while I am at work."
And the whole idea of renting a pet fits into modern lifestyle trends. The US economist Jeremy Rifkin suggests in his book the Age of Access that the world was moving away from an emphasis on owning things to renting being the norm. It may be hard to see how you might get true companionship from a pet that you only see for four days a month.
And animal behaviour experts worry that shunting a dog between multiple owners will cause it distress. The RSPCA's man groans on hearing that the London branch is about to open.
"There will almost certainly be an emotional impact for the dogs as they are moved from owner to owner, from home to home, and then back again until someone decides they want them again," says veterinary adviser David McDowell. "Most dogs need the security of a proper routine with one owner and without this they could become stressed and unhappy."
Instead of renting a pet, he advises that anyone desperate to spend time with a dog could volunteer for their local RSPCA branch or animal centre. Flexpetz's founder Marlena Cervantes says only dogs with temperaments suited to the upheaval are chosen.
"Our ideal dogs are extremely social, not owner dependent, good with children and other animals. We carefully screen our dogs for temperament and social ability." A former behaviour therapist for children with autism, she came up with the rent-a-dog concept after taking her Labrador along to several therapy sessions and seeing how enthusiastically her clients took to the dog.
"And I had many years experience sharing a pitbull/boxer mix named Valencia with my ex-boyfriend. It worked out for my dog to have two loving homes, and she was never left unattended." Gucci, when not rented out mainly at weekends, will live with a carer. But not Ms Woolard. She is a cat person.
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My jaw dropped when I saw this story, this is consumerism gone potty. Dogs are not fashion accessories, rent-a-cars or, how can I put this, escorts. They are living beings with individual personalities and needs. They need stability, care and discipline of one owner, 'a pack leader' for them to look up to and obey. Dogs that have no such patriarch become confused, depressed, and lonely. They also have a tendency to be unpredictable. I have no doubt that the child in your story, or her mother would have loved the Pomeranian so much if it had been aggressive to either of them. What's next? Renting out toddlers and babies to the money rich, time poor bourgeoisie?
Martha, oxford
Speaking for Dogs Trust, which has commented on this issue before, I'd say this is a concerning story. Whilst this service undoubtedly provides dogs with a wealth of treats and affection from various owners, the Charity is concerned about the emotional impact this will have upon these dogs; who does this service really benefit? Certainly not the dogs who need a stable routine and a constant owner to bond with. We would also question where these dogs would be coming from once the company sets up a base in London - currently there are already over 100,000 stray or abandoned dogs already in the UK, many of whom are already being cared for by re-homing organisations like Dogs Trust. If you are desperate to spend time with a dog but perhaps don't have the time or the financial ability to have one for yourself full-time then why not consider volunteering at a Rehoming Centre where, for no cost whatsoever, you can spend time with many different dogs of all shapes and sizes, pedigrees and crossbreeds, as well as having the knowledge you are really making a difference to their lives. Or you could consider fostering a dog in your own home (perhaps as part of the Freedom Project, helping women escape domestic violence) or even sponsoring a dog. Getting a dog is a huge responsibility and a service whereby you can 'rent a pet' for short periods only encourages people to get a dog without thinking it through properly - please remember, A Dog IS For Life.
Alex, London, UK
Rather than waste money and continue turning animals into commodities, volunteer as a walker for the Cinnamon Trust. This way you can give as little or as much time as you like to a dog who is depended on by an elderly or sick person, who is no longer able to walk the dog, but loves and needs it company. It's a win-win situation, costs nothing and helps another person and their dog.
Sally King, Southend, UK
Wonderful story, wonderful service, but very interesting this story appeared between two stories "Even buying bread is a challenge in Zimbabwe" and "Families at risk from Gaza's bursting sewage ponds" Will the world ever get it's priorities right?
Robert Adair, Camberwell Australia
Do it for Free most dogs homes/animal shelters are desperate for people to walk dogs and help and most don't charge for the pleasure.
Greg Dawes, Bristol South Gloucestershire.
My heart sunk when I heard that this scheme was coming to the UK. Canine psychology is such that dogs shunted from home to home often exhibit problem behaviour as a result. They are creatures of habit and need to bond with their pack and pack leader to fulfil their species needs. Dogs are complex social animals, not commodities, and this scheme is clearly only for the benefit of the "carers".
Claire Mendelsohn, London, UK
I'm willing to rent out my dog. You may borrow it for a £100 per week. The last week in July would be good, as we're going on holiday
Ian,
I think this is ok a couple of times a week for sociable dogs but unfair on them if more than this and unscrupulous people could do this without concern for the dogs at all. All such businesses should be registered and safeguards for the dog's welfare ensured.
Ann Richards, Bournemouth
Geeesh! Not another example of people wanting all the benefits without the responsibilities. What does that teach your children?
Trev, Poole,UK
Oh dear, oh dear. If you don't have the time for a dog don't get one. If you still want to see them then head for your RSPCA shelter or maybe buy a cat instead!
Nathan, Edinburgh
BBC MAGAZINE REPORT.
S Korea trains sniffer-dog clones !
The cloned sniffer puppies have already shown their potential. The world's first cloned sniffer dogs have begun training in South Korea. Seven puppies have been created using cells taken from a labrador considered by customs officials to be their best sniffer dog. The puppies were born last year after the country's customs service paid a biotechnology company to reproduce a Canadian Labrador Retriever.
Their handlers say they are already showing the same high level of skill as the original dog. Only about 30% of naturally-born sniffer dogs make the grade, but South Korean scientists believe that could rise to 90% using the cloning method.
The puppies were born to three surrogate mothers after scientists used the nuclei of somatic cells from a sniffer dog called Chase. The state-funded project cost about 300m won ($300,000; £150,000).
A spokesman for South Korean customs said the pups have passed the first round of tests for behavioural patterns and genetic qualities and will report for duty in June after completing a second round of training.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Atkins diet hedgehog slims down !
George has lost an average of 40g (1.4oz) per week. An overweight hedgehog has shed nearly a quarter of its body weight after adopting a high protein diet similar to the Atkins plan. George the hedgehog weighed 2.2kg (4.8lb) when staff at the Wildlife Aid Centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, discovered him in a volunteer's garden.
He was put on a high protein diet in November before starting a daily exercise regime in February. He now weighs 1.7kg (3.7lb) shedding 500g (1.1lb) on the strict diet. Becky Banning, General Manager at the Wildlife Aid Centre, said George had originally grown overweight due to eating high fat foods intended for birds.
"Hedgehogs normally feed on whatever they find in the garden, so George was picking up peanuts and bread. "Now he's on a strict food regime, so he's fed cat food once a day in the evening, and no bread," she said. "It's the hedgehog equivalent of the Atkins diet, and it's about keeping him away from the fat and giving him more protein, so there's a tenuous similarity with the human Atkins diet," she added.
Staff at the Wildlife Aid centre said the average adult hedgehog should weigh between 600 and 700g (1.3 and 1.5lbs). They expect George to reach that weight in 4 to 5 months.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
'Bends' goats to get foster homes !
A search for foster homes for a herd of goats used in Navy decompression experiments has been launched.The 28 goats were used in trials for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the effect of pressure on submarine crews during emergency escapes.
The tests were designed to help crews judge whether to abandon a stricken vessel or wait for rescue. The animals are being sent to the Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats in Maidstone, Kent, before being re-homed.
The MoD announced in February that it would end the testing following controversy about the use of goats in such experiments. Buttercups Sanctuary founder Bob Hitch said the goats were aged from 18 months to eight years and included a mix of male and female Saanan, Toggenburg and Anglo-Nubian breeds. Mr Hitch said: "With limited space and resources at the sanctuary we really need to identify new homes and conduct the necessary home visits as quickly as possible." Mr Hitch said Buttercups was unable to financially support the goats but would continue to oversee their welfare, so was looking for suitable homes in the Kent and East Sussex areas.
Defence research group QinetiQ carried out the tests to assess the risk of Navy personnel getting "the bends". The "bends" - the effect of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream - is the sickness caused when divers rise to the surface too quickly.
Tim Sharman, team leader for maritime life support at QinetiQ, said they are giving Buttercups financial support to help re-home the healthy animals. He said: "We simply no longer have a requirement to conduct animal trials and are now making every effort to find suitable and appropriate new homes for all of them."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Train crew rescue runaway terrier !
Daisy disappeared under a high speed train.
A small dog had a narrow escape on a Derbyshire railway line - thanks to a high speed train crew. Daisy, a west highland terrier, strayed on to track near Long Eaton just as a London train arrived at the station.
She disappeared underneath the train but the driver and train manager coaxed her out, then took her to the next stop, Loughborough. There, station staff contacted police, and Daisy was eventually reunited with her owners.
They believe the dog must have wandered from their back garden near the station on Monday.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Captive tigers 'may save species' !
Captive tigers with pure-bred heritage could be vital for conservation plans. Many tigers held in captivity have "pure-bred ancestry" and could play a key role in the survival of diminishing wild populations, a study suggests.
A team using a new method for assessing the genetic ancestry of tigers found that a number of "generic" animals were actually pure-bred subspecies. Writing in Current Biology, they added that these tigers also had genomic diversity no longer found in the wild.
Current estimates suggest that only about 3,000 tigers remain in the wild. In contrast, the international team of researchers noted, the global population of captive tigers numbered between 15,000 to 20,000. But they highlighted that only about 1,000 of these were managed within co-ordinated breeding programmes that aimed to preserve the animals' genetic variability.
They wrote: "As of 2007, there are approximately 421 Amur, 295 Sumatran, 72 South China, 198 Bengal, 14 Indochinese and 113 Malayan tigers in captivity as recorded in regional and international zoo studbooks.
"Debates persist over the role of captive tigers in conservation efforts, whether managed captive populations serve as adequate genetic reservoirs for the natural populations, and whether the generic tigers have conservation value," they observed.
"The most direct way to address the dilemma is through a thorough understanding of the genetic ancestry... and the level of genetic diversity of captive tigers relative to wild populations."
By analysing 20 years' worth of DNA samples from 105 captive tigers, and using data from tigers with known ancestry as a reference, the team was able to identify genetic patterns that would suggest a match with one of the pure-bred subspecies.
TIGERS IN PERIL
Wild population in 1900: 100,000
Wild population in 2007: 3,000
Captive population: 15,000
Main threats to wild tigers: hunting, poaching and habitat loss
"Assessment of 'verified subspecies ancestry' (VSA) offers a powerful tool," explained co-author Dr Shu-Jin Luo, from the US National Cancer Institute. "If applied to tigers of uncertain background, it may considerably increase the number of pure-bred tigers suitable for conservation management," she added.
Of the 105 animals studied, the researchers identified 49 individuals that belonged to one of the pure-bred subspecies. However, they suspected that the study overestimated the proportion of pure-breds in the captive population because 43 of the tigers tested were already enrolled in established breeding programmes.
But they added that 14 of the 62 un-enrolled animals were deemed VSA: "If [up to 23%] of the 15,000 existing captive tigers would prove to be VSA, the number of tigers with pure subspecies heritage available for conservation would considerably increase. "Also, an important fraction of captive tigers retain genetic diversity unreported, and perhaps absent, in the wild populations.
The team concluded that their findings suggested that a comprehensive programme to identify captive VSA tigers could help secure the long-term survival of the wild population. "Their potential for inclusion into comprehensive, integrated in-situ and ex-situ management plans could significantly increase population sizes and help maintain genetic variability and population viability of this iconoclastic species."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
Beavers believed to be on loose !
Further evidence has been discovered to suggest beavers are being illegally released into the wild in Scotland. Damaged trees have been recorded in Perthshire, Angus and Fife, and it is thought the animals could be to blame.
Plans to officially reintroduce beavers into Argyll are being considered - but conditions have to be controlled. Last year an illegal beaver was caught in Perthshire. The punishment for the crime is up to two years in jail or a £40,000 fine. The beavers have apparently been released near Forfar in Angus and near Aberfeldy in Perthshire.
Gnawed trees have also discovered in Fife - although it has not yet been confirmed that beavers are to blame. The exact locations of the animals cannot be released because attempts are under way to catch them.
Martin Gaywood, from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), told BBC Scotland that the beavers would find it tough to survive. "They live in these family groups in the wild," he said. "Once the youngsters reach about two years of age they leave their family groups and go off to look for mates.
"I suspect what may be happening with these two individuals in Tayside is that they are by themselves, spring is in the air, they might be looking for mates which they're never going to find. "So there is a bit of a sad case here of some lonely beavers looking for mates."
There are international guidelines which must be followed when any animal is being reintroduced. They include, checking the animal, assessing the habitat and finding out local people's feelings on the idea.
PC Douglas Ogilvie, from Tayside Police, is convinced the beavers have been deliberately released, rather than escaped from a collection. He said: "If they've escaped they've come a long way, we don't know of any collections in this area. "There are lots of people out there who'd love to see beavers in the wild, but they have to be released under certain conditions.
"We have absolutely no idea what species this beaver is - it could be American it could be European. "And there are also certain diseases which beavers can carry, so we must capture the beaver to find out if it's clean and got no diseases."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
'Extinct' turtle makes a comeback !
Just three Swinhoe's turtles were believed to be left in existence. A giant turtle that was thought to have been extinct in the wild has been discovered in Vietnam, according to a group of US researchers. The scientists, from Cleveland Zoo, say they discovered a solitary creature in a lake in the north of the country.
The team has spent three years searching for the species, called Swinhoe's giant turtle. Correspondents warn that it is difficult to verify the existence of a species based on a single sighting. And some experts have cast doubt on the find, suggesting the creature could be a member of a much more common, similar-looking species.
However, the zoo believes the discovery to be "incredibly important". "The Swinhoe's turtle is one of the most critically endangered species of turtle in the world," Doug Hendrie, the Vietnam-based co-ordinator of the US zoo's Asian Turtle Program, said in a statement. "This species has legendary status among the people of Vietnam, so this is perhaps an opportunity for the legend to live on."
Swinhoe's turtles grow up to 1m long and can live to be 100 years old. Just three other members of the species are thought to be alive in zoos.
BBC NEWS REPORT.