A special badger – with very special protectors

Despite the whispering, our excitement was palpable. “There’s a white one,” one of the volunteers from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said. Not white, as it turned out, although in the half-light of a misty pre-dawn it seemed that way.

Standing closer, the badger appeared more gingery brown, the head’s usual contrast of humbug stripes almost absent. The eyes were a marmalade colour, pretty and rather gentle. This wasn’t an albino but an erythristic badger, lacking black pigment in its fur through a genetic mutation. Their distribution in Britain is patchy; there are more in north Shropshire, for example, but very few in Derbyshire; this was the first badger experts in the county had heard about.

Badgers in humane traps react in all sorts of ways, sometimes hissing or growling; later that morning I’d see one fast asleep. This one remained still, head cocked, waiting to see what would happen next. The head was slim, even a little elongated and the tail somewhat stubby and round, the hallmarks of a female.

Debbie Bailey, taking a career break from nursing to help protect badgers, was busy around the trap, wiggling the fingers of one hand near the badger’s face while the other guided a hypodermic needle towards the badger’s ample rear end, vaccination against tuberculosis. The badger didn’t react as the needle went in but as Debbie clipped fur from the badger’s back, it finally complained. applied a dot of stock spray, so that if this badger were trapped again she would know it.

I could only stand and marvel: at the badger, but also at the dedication of those working on her behalf. It had taken days of patient effort – and lots of peanuts – to treat this badger with the minimum of stress. Procedure complete, Debbie opened the trap and gently coaxed the badger backwards. It paused, tawny snout sniffing the air, and then was off, sprinting in a wide arc round the back of us, bustling through a stand of trees into undergrowth.

Call for ban on wild animals in travelling circuses

Campaigners calling for a ban on wild animals in travelling circuses say quicker action is needed amid "inconsistent" rules across Britain.



England, Scotland and Wales all have different regulations when it comes to beasts such as lions and tigers going on show in the big top.
The UK Government is currently mulling over draft legislation about a ban - which could also include Wales. Scotland is set to have a public consultation on the matter first.

But Animal Defenders International (ADI), who say using wild animals in circuses is outdated and cruel, say less talk and more action is needed.
Charity bosses have highlighted the case of one circus act who has been stopped from putting on a show in Hereford but is allowed to perform across the border in Wales.

ADI President Jan Creamer said: "No circus or travelling show could ever provide conditions that satisfy the complex needs of wild animals, nor do the acts contribute to conservation or education.

"The UK Government must fulfil its promise to ban all wild animals from circuses and travelling shows or be held responsible for their continued suffering."
Using a Freedom of Information request, ADI said Britain's last lion tamer Thomas Chipperfield was not granted a circus licence by the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Documents show officials expressed concern about the living space for his lions and tigers - saying they were less than half the size recommended.

Mr Chipperfield branded Defra's decision as confusing and said his set up was identical when passed by inspectors on five previous occasions.

However, he has since taken his show An Evening With Lions And Tigers to Wales instead - prompting several protests in the process.

Mr Chipperfield insisted his animals were well looked after and argued his shows drew attention to the plight of endangered species.

Speaking to the Tivyside Advertiser ahead of a show in Cardigan, he said: "There's an estimated less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild and I believe by people seeing them and learning about them sparks an interest in protecting them."

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Tropical Fish Keeping Made Easy

Not a big fan of furry animals? Want pets that won’t pee on your carpet? Then fish might just be the pets for you. Keeping fish has many variations. You can make it easy, or hard on yourself depending on what kind of fish you want. There’s quite a lot of choice involved. For the sake of this guide, we’re going to say you’re keeping tropical fish indoors.



Choosing A Tank

You have to know the size of the tank you want. Likewise, you need to have the appropriate space to fit it. Don’t buy a large tank if you know it won’t fit in the room you’re placing it in. Once you’ve determined the tank size you want, you first need to find a stand for it.
Be sure to get a stand specifically for the tank though. You need to know it can hold the weight of the tank filled with water. You also need to make sure the storage cabinets should have openings in the back so you can run wires from the pump up to the tank.

Getting The Equipment

Tropical fish require a few bits and pieces to make the tank habitable for them. We’ve already mentioned that a pump is required, for the purposes of keeping the water oxygenated. You’ll also need a temperature control system and thermometer to ensure the water is warm enough for them to survive.
Other aquarium supplies are needed to ensure the tank is adequate for the fish. You’ll also need a device to measure chemical levels in the water, such as nitrate. You’re also going to want a filter to help cultivate the right amount of bacteria in the water.

Filling The Tank

Before you start filling the tank up with water, you need to lay down some gravel on the bottom. While not required, it gives a more authentic aesthetic to the tank. If you want plants to take root in the tank too, you’ll need a fairly deep gravel base. You can also add a faux-rock wall to the back of the tank if you have it pushed up against a wall.
Next, fill the tank with cold water. Switch all your systems on, and leave the tank for a little while. You may need to monitor the tank’s temperature and nitrate levels for a few days before it settles into something habitable.

Fish


Finally, get some tropical fish you like the look of from a local pet store. Be sure to get the appropriate food for their type too. Some fish are bottom feeders and need specific food in the form of dissolvable tablets.

'Wild' animals in travelling circuses benefit no one

The suggestion by a committee of MPs on Tuesday that zebras, camels and several other wild species are appropriate in travelling circuses will cause dismay, outrage and some measure of agreement.

Whether transportation causes animals unacceptable stress, or circuses represent an environment ripe for abuse, can be argued back and forth. But why does a debate about this even exist?

There is an eternal tension between humans and the rest of the animal world. Our existence relies on some measure of exploitation. Animals are routinely killed and enslaved to further the human purpose. And, apart from cases of inhumane treatment, much of this relationship has a necessary evil argument in its favour.

We engage in these ethical debates, and sometimes fall on one side or the other, every time we pull on a leather jacket or eat a leg of lamb. But where does the line between essential and unnecessary get drawn? Somewhere, I would say, around travelling circuses.

Travelling conditions for animals in circuses cannot be as good as not travelling at all. An animal cannot be abused in a circus if it isn't there. This is a problem that comes with a fairly simple solution.

There is no compelling human interest argument here. Just our insatiable desire to be entertained.

It's important to consider the prospects of the operators of these institutions. Two of them still exist in Britain and they hold licences for 21 animals between them. This is their way of life and undoubtedly there are entertaining aspects to their shows.

But sometimes you get caught on the wrong side of history ploughing an archaic furrow and then it's time to innovate or relocate. Plenty of circuses now exist animal-free. Couldn't the government spend the money set aside for regulating these operators on helping them to hire strikingly talented, well-remunerated humans to entertain crowds and reinvigorate the spectacle?

The argument that circuses give children the opportunity to see animals that are exotic and special is true. And they surely display certain species' physical prowess. But this arena also encourages children to view animals in a decontextualised and subordinate way. There is little educational value here such as exists in zoos.

We should be presenting the natural world to our children as something supra-human and untameable. How can they value an animal as wild and supreme when it performs, no matter how impressively, simply for giggles?

To call these animals "wild" is a misnomer. In this context we define wild as anything not normally domesticated in Britain. But let's not kid ourselves, this is a caricature of wildness. A bit of casual, family-friendly barbarism in which we are encouraged to subjugate principle for the sake of entertainment.

So next time the circus comes to town, save your money, buy a Life on Earth DVD and settle in with the kids to be spellbound by what is truly the greatest show on Earth.

Saskatchewan animals preparing for fall

When it comes to priorities in Saskatchewan's animal world these days, finding enough food and a warm home for the winter are at the top of the list.

Kenton Lysak explained what large animals including moose and bears are searching for to Saskatoon Morning's Leisha Grebinski. Lysak is the Senior Interpreter at Beaver Creek Conservation Centre near Saskatoon.

"At this time, these animals are just looking for a place to hang out and eat a ton of food. They're trying to gain as much weight as possible."

Lysak has spotted a moose in the conservation area and said he has heard reports of moose sightings in recent weeks.

"These moose are looking for tasty treats and trying to get their fat and protein content up so they can survive the harsh winter months."



Birds preparing for flight

Birds are also looking to stock up on food as the temperature begins to fall in the province. 

Lysak said most birds are looking for food to help them prepare for the long migration south to warmer temperatures.

But he also pointed out that some birds stay and brave the cold prairie winter.

"The birds that stay here need as much protein and fat as possible to get through the winter months. So feeding those chickadees and other animals in your backyard do them a big benefit."