Chester Zoo – Good news for animal conservation

For the first time in its nearly 90-year history, Chester Zoo has recorded the highest number of animals! This is amazing news for the charity's conservation efforts, as it continues to protect the future of threatened species. 

Welcome little one; photo courtesy of Chester Zoo

The annual headcount revealed that the wildlife conservation charity is home to a grand total of 35,139 animals from more than 500 of the world's rarest species. The site is home to:

• 1571 mammals
• 1759 birds
• 339 reptiles
• 677 amphibians
• 6739 fish
• 24,054 insects

Last year saw many breeding successes, which resulted in thousands of births and hatchings at the zoo, including a critically endangered West African chimpanzee, an Eastern bongo calf, a Sumatran orang-utan, and thousands of rare Bermudian snails.

Mother and baby; photo courtesy of Chester Zoo

"The huge new figure is an absolute credit to our teams, who are working incredibly hard to prevent the extinction of a multitude of species. The data gathered will help to form future plans of international breeding programmes for the world's most endangered species."  

Mike Jordan, Chester Zoo's Director of Animals and Plant Collections 

The site also welcomed a host of new species to its state-of-the-art habitats, including three new lemur species, fossa (Madagascar's cat-like carnivore), and the world's most threatened small carnivore, the Grandidier's Vontsira.

A Grandidier's Vontsira; photo courtesy of Chester Zoo

This news comes as 2019 saw a record two million visitors pass through the zoo's gates: especially encouraging after the devastating fire at the end of 2018. The income generated enables the zoo to make a hugely positive impact on wildlife through its carefully-managed breeding programmes and it's field project in more than 30 countries worldwide. Some of the projects undertaken last year include: helping return five critically endangered Eastern black rhinos to an area of Rwanda where they were previously extinct; carrying out the world's first radio tagging of a giant pangolin, one of the world's most trafficked animals, to gather data of their movements in Uganda; bred hundreds of endangered large heath butterflies ready to release this year in Manchester's mosslands.

Here's hoping that 2020 is just as successful for Chester Zoo and conservation efforts.

A giant leap … backwards

It's fair to say that last year was an unusual year in many respects, and despite most of the world moving forward with plans to reduce our impact on the natural world, some countries took a big leap backward. One such leap stood out as particularly out of kilter with the modern worldview: Japan's return to whaling. 

Many coastal and island cultures have strong associations with whaling, and Japan's goes back over 1000 years to the seventh century. Supplementing a poor diet with whale meat is quite low-scale, and has enabled many cultures to survive war, famine, or natural disaster: it's more like 'subsistence farming,' not the big-money commercial whaling of today.

Although whales have been hunted for centuries, more modern, industrial-scale whaling really took-off after WWII. From the late 40s to mid 60s, whale meat was the biggest source of meat in Japan, helping its starving population to recover from the impact of war.

Globally, whaling was banned in 1986, led by the International Whaling Commission, and because of the decimation of the world's whale populations. Many countries had outlawed the practice before this, but the IWC's ban is considered the benchmark.

Some cultures continue to whale in some capacity, some due to culture, some due to geographical reasons. However, none continue to sail fleets across the globe to hunt whales, or maintain factory ships capable of processing hundreds of whales at sea, as Japan does.

Japan has continued whaling under what it describes as ‘scientific purposes,’ arguing that there is insufficient scientific evidence to show that whale populations are in danger from commercial whaling; therefore, it hunts and kills whales to gather data on species’ stocks and health.

Once the ‘science’ is done, however, the whale meat is sold on the open market, and that’s where many believe the issue truly lies. The practice and implementation of ‘scientific’ whaling has, and continues, to artificially generate a market for whale meat among consumers. In Japan, consumption has been falling for years. Most Japanese don’t eat whale meat, seeing this as more a throwback to post-war decades, and preferring meat such as beef: in 2015, average consumption was just 30g per person.

Unsurprisingly, this has caused much debate, discussion, and derision, both in commercial and scientific circles, with Japan now arguing that some whale stocks are large enough to support commercial whaling. Equally understandably, the IWC and the international community as a whole, see this as a ruse to continue the practice, and create a new marketplace for whale meat.

In 2014, the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Japan to cease whaling in Antarctica, and declared Japan's programme illegal. The ICJ found that Japan’s Antarctic whaling did not comply with the International Whaling Commission’s definition of scientific permit whaling, and that Japan is in contravention of the moratorium on commercial whaling. It also found it in contravention of the moratorium on factory ship whaling, of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and ordered the country to cease all Antarctic whaling and no further permits to whale in Antarctica.

In December, Japan announced that it was resuming full commercial hunting of whales. The 2017/2018 Antarctic whaling season took 333 Antarctic minke whales, and 134 sei and 43 common minke in the North Pacific summer season. When it resumes commercial whaling in July this year, Japan has said it intends to hunt minke, Bryde’s and sei whales, but it’s unclear how many animals will be killed per season.

You don’t need us to tell you how cruel and damaging whaling is, and how vital it is not to let large-scale commercial whaling resume in any capacity. We can all do our bit, and to find out how you can help, take a look at the Whale & Dolphin Conservation website, see the incredible work they’re doing across the globe … click below

https://uk.whales.org/wdc-in-action/stop-whaling-1

The Big Butterfly Count 2018

This summer has already brought us more sunshine than we Brits are used to, but that's not the only good thing. The ferocious cold snap we endured back in March, combined with the now settled weather we have been experiencing for the last couple of months, has created the right conditions for butterflies to flourish!

Beginning 20 July, The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey organised by the Butterfly Conservation, that's aimed at helping to asses the health of the environment, encouraging us to spend 15 minutes at a time – whether that be daily, weekly, or whenever you can – counting butterflies, and submitting the sightings online. 

This time of year is the optimum time to hold this survey, because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, and so are more likely to be seen. 

So, why is it important to count butterflies?

These insects react very quickly to changes in their environment, which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. A decline in butterfly numbers is an early warning sign for other wildlife losses. It can be viewed as even more of a crucial practice this year, because if the hot conditions continue and create a drought, the results could be catastrophic: plants will wither and all manner of insects will die due to lack of food.

Likened to taking the pulse of nature, counting butterflies can assist in identifying trends in species that can aid the Butterfly Conservation in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as gain a better understanding of the effects of climate change on wildlife. 

And it's not just the ecosystem that can benefit from this activity. The mental health charity Mind says that spending time in nature can help alleviate human problems such as depression and anxiety. 

As President of the Butterfly Conservation, Sir David Attenborough actively encourages the public to take part in the Big Butterfly Count, saying that spending time with nature offers "precious breathing space away from the stresses and strains of modern life."

The Big Butterfly count officially runs from 20 July to 12 August, but that doesn't mean you have to stop looking out for these wonderful insects when it ends. Whether you head to the local park, walk along your favourite woodland trek, or are simply spending an afternoon in the garden, get counting those butterflies!

Bees who buzz ...

Bees are fantastic creatures, and are a vital part of our ecosystem. In today's post, we're bringing you two stories about these buzzy little creatures; the first is about how remarkable these insects really are ... 

Latest research, conducted by the University of Bristol, reveals not only that bees can identify the shape, colour, perfume and even electrical charge of flowers, by also that bees know how the concentration of a scent varies across a flower's surface.

"[This study shows that] bees can tell the difference between flowers where the only difference is their spatial arrangement of scent – and that suggest they could use this information to make their foraging more efficient," says Dr David Lawson, co-author of the research. 

Further to this research, scientists have found that bees appear able to apply what they have learnt from patterns of scent to patterns of colour, suggesting that these small but very significant critters might be even smarter than first at thought.


The research undertaken by the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London centered around 31 bumblebees, and how they exposed them one at a time to plastics discs in which an array of tiny wells were filled with peppermint oil to create either a cross or a square pattern.

One group of bees encountered a sugar solution placed in the centre of the discs with a circular pattern of peppermint oil; the other group found the sweet rewards in discs with a cross-shaped pattern. Meanwhile, water was placed on the 'flowers' with the alternative pattern to those bearing the treat.

Once the bees drank from the sugar-bearing 'flowers' on more than eight out of ten consecutive occasions, the team deemed them trained and let them lose, one at a time, on another set of ten 'flowers.' Half of these had a peppermint cross pattern, and half had a circular pattern, with water placed in the centre of all of them.

The team found that the bees trained to head for flowers with a circular scent pattern preferentially spent time drinking on such flowers, even though there was no sugary treat, while those trained to go to the cross pattern preferred to drink from flowers with a peppermint cross.

Then, the team presented a group of trained bees with two sorts of unscented paper discs bearing a sugar drink, one with red dots arranged in a cross, the other with the dots arranged in a circle, and watched where the bees went on their first ten landings. The results showed that bees trained to bumble off to a peppermint-scented cross were more likely to choose to visit the cross-shaped array of red dots.

How un-bee-lieveable! Now, from the other side of the pond, comes this story from Ford, about how the company is going to do be doing its bit to help with the conservation of bees.

Back in June, Ford launched a global beekeeping programme, with six new honeybee hives at its Dearborn World Headquarters, in support of honeybee populations, the local ecosystem, and gardening and farming communities. 

"Sustainability is more than improving fuel economy and reducing waste," says Kim Pittel, Ford group vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering. "It's about improving the environment we live in for all, and that includes honeybees, pollinators and the ecosystems that depend on them."

According to the nonprofit organisation, Pollinator Partnership, honeybees are essential to the world's food supply, and are in dire need of help. 

The six new hives will be situated inside a walking path extension north of Ford World Headquarters. Ford employees who initiated the programme will serve as beekeepers managing the hives. This effort builds on Ford's beekeeping initiative at the historic Rouge factory in 2016. 

Ford designers created special hive shells, with over a dozen design concepts submitted, spanning a variety of formats and employing numerous materials ranging from wood, plant matter, acrylic, ceramics, mill foam, fibreglass, and metal. In the end, the concept of Chris Westfall, a designer of vehicle interiors, was chosen for its overall benefits to colony health. Titled, "Honeycomb Sail," the design features two sails that wrap around each beehive to provide a peaceful space away from the elements. The design takes cues both from bee wings and a thick drop of honey. One side allows for easy access by the beekeeper and the other entrance is sized just for the bees. 

Ford beekeepers will provide data on the 360,000 honeybees expected to inhabit all six hives, as the colonies grow to their full potential of 60,000 bees per hive by the height of summer, to the Sentinel Apiary Program, a collective of nearly 70 beekeepers from 26 states who track honeybee health and diseases nationally.

There are many ways in which you can get involved at home with helping the bees; a quick internet search will bring up a plethora of ideas, so you can get started straight away!

Dying for some fish?

Think whale and dolphin conservation is all about far-off oceans and crystal-clear waters? That, sadly, couldn't be further from the truth …

Yes, balmy waters, blue bays, and breaching behemoths may be the first things that spring to mind when the words 'dolphin' and 'conservation' appear in the same sentence. But, even here in not-so-balmy Britain, efforts to protect and defend our sea creatures and marine mammals are even more important than ever.

You may be shocked to learn, that UK government estimates show that static net 'bycatch' (the term for unwanted creatures that become trapped in commercial nets) contained around 1250-1500 porpoises last year – in UK waters alone.

Current UK laws protecting sea mammals from dying in fishing gear come from the EU. Of course, the UK will be leaving the EU over the coming years, but EU laws will be used as the base for our own, new legislation, initially.

The EU, however, is currently reviewing its laws for marine mammal conservation, so Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC) took its campaign to keep our whales, dolphins, and porpoises safe, to Brussels, to encourage MEPs to ensure that any new laws are stronger and better than the existing ones.

This is important, not only for the continued safety of our marine life, but also to ensure that laws created by the UK, after leaving the EU, are built on a sound, effective, scientific base. And that's where YOU come in.

English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish governments – each needs to ensure that the law is robust, fit for purpose, and policed. Of course, getting them in place won't be a quick process, and your support is absolutely vital, at every step …

Click here and sign the WDC petition and show your support 

The petition is targeted at George Eustice, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affaris (Defra), and the more signatories, the better. There are other ways to help, too, including signing up to WDCs email newsletter, or making a donation – but whatever else you decide to do, please sign the petition.

WDC has created a short film that we'd like to share with you … watch it, share it, and spread the word …

WDC is the leading charity dedicated to the protection of whales and dolphins. Its vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free, and its mission is to amaze people with the wonder of whales and dolphins, and inspire global action to protect them. 

Visit the WDC website, and find out how you can help protect these amazing animals – everywhere in the world. And you can stay up-to-date with all the latest news in the world of WDC on its blog, via facebook, or on twitter.

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

In today's post, we take a look at Whale & Dolphin Conservation, an organisation undertaking some amazing work, helping some amazing animals.

Minke can sometimes be seen off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Being situated along Dorset's Jurassic Coast, many H&H staffers are used to seeing dolphins and porpoises … you may even be lucky enough to see Minke and Long-finned pilot whales, around the Lyme Bay area. In the last few years, some of our local harbours have had 'summer residencies,' with a dolphin or two deciding to stay and enjoy the warm seas and watch our antics.

So, in a change to spotlighting a land-based charity, we thought we'd focus on a charity that deals with marine mammals. Dedicated to the protection of cetaceans throughout the world's oceans, Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has become a true authority on these animals.

The critically endangered Vaquita.

WDC aims to make the world a place where every dolphin, whale, and porpoise is safe and free. Established in 1987, it has grown to become a leading NGO in this field, operating globally from offices in the UK, North America, Latin America, Australia and Germany.

As with all charities, its work is pretty varied, and, aside from the usual campaigns to engage the public and raise awareness, it carries out vital field work and research, as well as education and outreach programmes to ensure that people are aware of the threats faced by these animals. Public awareness is vital, of course, but so is communicating the science behind its work, and a large part of WDC's work involves advising governments on the latest scientific findings, and fighting attempts to restart commercial whaling, stopping the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity, banning the trade in whale meat, and managing marine environments to create protected areas … enough to keep them pretty busy, as you can imagine.

A Blue Whale – Balaenoptera musculus. Looks pretty musculus to me.

WDC Kidzone. Not just for kids.

Unsurprisingly, WDC's work covers many areas, so there's no better place to explore its work, and see its latest projects in action, than on the WDC website. You can also learn about the 80-plus species of whale, dolphin, and porpoise that make up the cetacean 'family' – from the highly endangered, 1.4m Vaquita, to the mind-blowingly enormous 29m Blue Whale. If you've children, checkout the WDC Kidzone … not only is it a great introduction to the issues confronting our seas and cetaceans, but there are also plenty of fun facts and activities. In fact, it's a pretty good place for adults to learn stuff, too.

Download your own 
colour-and-keep mobile!

For all you teachers out there, you can download resources and activities for your students, too – from the award-winning Dolphin Diploma initiative, to colouring sheets, cutout-and-keep mobiles, and education packs.

Of course, all charities need supporters, and there are plenty of ways you can help the WDC to help these animals. From whale or dolphin adoptions, to sponsored walks, swims (of course), and even an Icelandic trek, to name a few. Or, of course, if you're more of an 'armchair participant,' you can make a donation to help WDC. And no charity would be complete without an online shop.

If you're more of a 'days out' person, then the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay should most definitely be on your bucket list. From land-based dolphin watching, wildlife walks, and other events and activities, to an interactive exhibition that lets you control dolphin and river cams … all without getting your feet wet! There's plenty of gifts, too, and a café so you can refuel … or why not check out the recommended places to stay, and make an adventure of it! You can even volunteer and help with the Centre's vital work. In the words of Simon King OBE;

"Scotland is one of the best land-based dolphin-watching hot spots in the world"

… and there's nowhere better placed for a spot of cetacean spotting than the Scottish Dolphin Centre.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and goings-on at Whale & Dolphin Conservation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube …

Paws for a cause – Peace by Piece

Peace by Piece is Animals Asia’s new landmark campaign to help rescue and rehabilitate over 130 moon bears in Nanning, China. These bears have been kept in horrendous conditions – many trapped in tiny cages from birth – and farmed for their bile.

Animals Asia is taking over custody and care of the bears, leasing the land and facilities. This will be the largest rescue of its kind in the world – a remarkable project to turn the old bear farm into a home for these amazing animals. Not only that, the site will also house a sanctuary and education centre. By uniquely working with the Chinese government, Animals Asia will also ensure that this new sanctuary will provide meaningful jobs to the nine existing farm workers, who are being retrained to become skilled bear carers at this new groundbreaking sanctuary. So, this isn't just a bear rescue, it's a landmark initiative to help change the hearts and minds of other farmers in the region.

The farm will be transformed into an amazing sanctuary, with cosy dens where the resident bears can
sleep at night in hanging-basket beds, and retreat for shade and rest during the day; pools to play and relax in; a special indoor/outdoor cub area with climbing structures to keep them happy and active, and a play area with ever-changing enrichment toys to challenge the cubs and keep their intelligent minds stimulated. Additionally, there will be an onsite veterinary clinic, bear kitchen (where the bear's healthy meals of chopped fresh vegetables, grains, dog food and fruit are prepared), and an accommodation and training centre for our onsite vet and bear care team, including the retrained farm workers.

The project has had a lot of attention from celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench and Olivia Newton
John. Even the cast of Downton Abbey is helping to spread the word!

 

This inspiring, groundbreaking project hopes not only to give the 130 bears of the Nanning farm better lives, but through education and rehabilitation, raise awareness of this amazing animal in surrounding communities, with the aim of preventing the needless cruelty that many of China's bears still endure.

To find out how you can help, or to learn more about the project, visit the Peace by Piece website.