Are these the most valuable birds in Britain?
While there are multiple definitions of what makes something valuable, there’s no denying the fact that certain wild animals are viewed more fondly by the public than others. For example, there are approximately 600 wild species of bird found throughout Great Britain, each with their own unique evolutionary traits and survival skills. Many people pick … Continued
Back to the wild: Inside the RSPCA’s wildlife rehabilitation programme
Each year some 16,000 injured, sick or orphaned wild animals pass through the doors of the RSPCA’s four wildlife hospitals, while hundreds of thousands more receive care at other wildlife centres throughout the UK. All kinds of creatures can find themselves in need of rescue, but according to Llewelyn Lowen, RSPCA Wildlife Scientific Officer, certain … Continued
Rewilding Britain
Rewilding Britain, a new charity, spearheaded by environmentalist George Monbiot, launched in 2015—its objective to ‘make Britain a wilder place’. We take a look what rewilding could mean for Britain’s uplands and ask if it presents an impossibly romantic vision or a genuine opportunity for people to reconnect with nature, for the benefit of both. … Continued
Following the team filming the animals (Or, a Scottish adventure in the field with Love Nature)
The rain blurs the twin humps of a Bactrian camel, standing motionless at the back of its enclosure; watching our lone car trundle down a muddy road. The downpour, a product of erratic storms breaking over the nearby Cairngorm National Park, is in fact obscuring every detail of the place we’re approaching. It’s eerily quiet … Continued
Scientists struggle to explain the mystery of mass starling drownings
Wild birds rarely die from drowning, and when they do, it’s usually an isolated incident. Yet, over the years, there have been several mysterious accounts of groups of common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) found floating in garden ponds in apparent mass drownings. Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) set out to shed some light … Continued
A 5,000-year-old tree in Scotland is changing sex
Something strange is happening to Britain’s oldest tree: it appears to be changing sex. Reputed to be 5,000 years old, the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland, has awed visitors for centuries due to its immense age. Now, the ancient tree, which could be the oldest in the UK, is causing more wonder by apparently undergoing … Continued
Incredibly rare deepwater animal found in Scotland
Marine biologists have found a rare deepwater shark off the coast of Scotland, which they have nicknamed a ‘sofa shark’ due to its ‘saggy, chilled out’ appearance. Dr Francis Neat and his team from Marine Scotland were undertaking a routine fish population survey around the remote islands of Barra and St Kilda when the bizarre … Continued
One in five Brits hate bats
Bats have been voted the UK’s third least favourite mammal after rats and mice in a recent survey, with one in five respondents claiming to dislike or hate them. Women, young adults and people living in London or the North East are the most likely to have an aversion to bats, according to the OnePoll … Continued
Plastic pirates: Rubbish in the ocean ferrying invasive species to Britain
Invasive species are hitching rides to foreign coasts on the backs of our discarded rubbish, say experts at the National Museum Wales. These ‘plastic pirates’ can include bivalves like mussels that have journeyed all the way from south-east coast of the US to the shores of Britain, and are subsequently attempting to outcompete native species … Continued
Gardeners urged to help hedgehogs
Over 30,000 gardeners have pledged to help Britain’s dwindling hedgehog population by cutting holes in their garden fences, as part of the ‘Hedgehog Street’ initiative. British hedgehogs have fallen by a third over the last 10 years, making them as critically endangered as tigers. Experts believe that increasing urbanisation and the trend for small, tidy … Continued