Celebrities urge the Government to protect animal rights post-Brexit

Celebrities including Jilly Cooper, Joanna Lumley and Mel C of the Spice Girls have backed a campaign demanding the Government strengthens animal rights laws post-Brexit.

More than 20 well-known figures including Bill Oddie and Ben Fogle called for existing EU laws to be maintained and built upon in a letter to The Sunday Telegraph.

Under the Lisbon Treaty, animals are recognised as sentient beings that can feel and understand pain.

The Better Deal For Animals campaign, run by 36 prominent animal charities, wants the Government to keep this legislation within a new act, which also eliminates some practices currently allowed by the EU.

“The welfare of billions of animals is at risk if the Government does not put in place a new law to replicate current EU animal protections,” the group wrote.

“Losing these would mean that British governments would no longer be bound to ensure good standards of animal welfare when creating laws and policies.”

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who is set to attend an event at Parliament hosted by the campaign group on Tuesday, insisted animal sentience would be recognised.

He said: “Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so it is absolutely right that we recognise this in UK law after we leave the EU.

“Our plans to increase protections for animals include raising the maximum sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years and banning third-party sales of puppies and kittens.

“I will continue to make sure we have the strongest legal protections in place for our animals.”

Vigilantes kill Africa Civet in Benin

A wild African Civet locally known as ‘Edi’ has been killed vigilante at Fanalou Street, Off Country Home Motel Road, Ugbor in Benin City.

Details of how the Civet was killed was sketchy as at press time but pictures of the Civet was posted on Facebook by one Hon Tony Osazuwa.

A Benin based lawyer, Jefferson Uwoghiren, who shared the story and pictures on his facebook page described it as a daredevil leopard but was corrected that the animal was a Civet.

A post by Jefferson reads, “My brother, Hon Tony Osazuwa few minutes ago posted Images of a dare devil leopard killed early this morning by the local vigilante in his area Nigeria. Leopards in Benin?”

However, the killing of the Civet caused outrage online as commentators condemned by some facebook users who preferred that it would have been sent to the Zoo.

Others said it was a mere bush meat that should be consumed.

Abdul Malik in his comment said, “Was it disturbing or attacking the community and if it was, after the capture why was it not taken to a zoo or somewhere safe. Hope say the bush meat belle full una.”

To Bright Edward, “Now that the hungry, lazy and criminal CDA chairmen and their hungry, lazy and criminal followers destroyed their natural habitat selling the land, the poor animals are now everywhere seeking shelter and food. The other day dem turn Bush Baby (Galagos) to witch for Benin city, killed and burn the poor animal for nothing, This is a Civet cat bro. If dem see Leopard the size alone and the looks in its eyes the whole area for don vamoose.”

Aguinede Oghogho said she was traumatised by the killing. “Where are the animals right activist? Am traumatized by a human killing an innocent animal.”

Darlington Ehondor said, “This beautiful cat shouldn’t have been killed, it should have been shot with tranquilizers and, when revived, housed in a zoo or some wildlife facility. So sad we blissfully destroy items of great potential tourist and economic value.”

Norfolk Wind once sought to erect turbines near Bird Island

EDP Renewables' proposal to build a wind farm near Bird Island is not the first time this area in Renville County has been considered for a renewable energy project.

One decade ago, a group of local investors known as Norfolk Wind Energy LLC was very interested in developing what would have been a 40-megawatt wind farm just south of the community. The proximity to a major transmission line and a substation that can serve as the on-ramp to it attracted the group's attention.

The group had to abandon its plans after spending about $750,000 toward the project, with about $500,000 of that amount coming from a large company interested in the renewable energy it would produce, according to David Scheibel of Bird Island, the group's former president.

"A matter of timing," said Scheibel, explaining that challenges that existed at that point in time worked against the investors.

When the group looked to develop its project, demand by prospective wind developers to transmit power basically overwhelmed the entity that oversees the regional transmission grid, according to Scheibel. Known as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, it wanted project developers to contribute toward the costs for upgrades to the transmission system, including a line running from Rochester to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Scheibel said.

MISO initially proposed an interconnection fee for Norfolk Wind that exceeded any potential payout available through a power purchase agreement, he said.

Norfolk Wind was also looking to sell power at a time when major utilities were looking to buy electricity in larger blocks than the 40 megawatts it could offer, he added.

Norfolk also looked at a potential solar power project in the area, but without success. "We chased a lot of avenues trying to get a project together," he said.

Australian birds are way off track as the drought impacts food supply

Birds are on the move around South-East Australia, drought forcing them into areas where they've never been sighted before.

Very few people have ever seen an Australian bustard in Nyngan, NSW,  nor a rare swift parrot in southern Queensland.

The rare regent honeyeater was seen recently in Nowra on the NSW South Coast, far from its normal range in the Capertee Valley near Mudgee.

Also the Victorian mallee's yellow-plumed honeyeater was seen for the first time in Canberra.

The rare swift parrot, which nests in Tasmania, is going far afield to find food, and has been spotted in the high alpine country in NSW for the first time and even as far as southern Queensland.

And an avid twitcher spotted the inland dwellling crimson chat at Sydney airport.

The migration is astounding birdwatchers who are lapping up the rare sightings. Unfortunately, it's a sign things are not well.

The drought has dramatically reduced nestings and forced birds to look further afield for food, as many stands of eucalypts such as the white box have not flowered over winter. The loss of nectar is hurting beekeepers - and birds.

Sean Dooley, of Birdlife Australia, said similar migrations occurred in the millenium drought, but in this drought there had been many very unusual and unique sightings. "The haunting thing is that although many birdwatchers are enjoying seeing these rare sightings, there's this underlying reality that those birds may never return to their normal range," he said.

The city of Sydney for instance has become a refuge for many birds including chats and songlarks, normally only seen in inland open country.

There had also been an "eruption" of sightings of barn owls close to the Victorian and NSW coast as they searched for food, away from their normal inland range. Black and black-shouldered kites had joined them on the coast. Many of the sightings are documented on the website Birdline.

"There's been very little flowering inland because of the drought so birds are moving," Mr Dooley said.

"People think it would be waterbirds that are affected in the drought, but they can move pretty easily. It's with honeyeaters and birds of prey where the drought is really hurting."

"If there's no flowering, they really struggle. There's been a big shift in the distribution of birds. A lot of birds are straying as they struggle to find food." Nestings had also fallen dramatically.

He said the sighting of a rufous songlark in a Sydney suburb of Rockdale recently was a sure sign things were not normal.

The Victorian coasts had seen an influx of birds of prey, including kites and barn owls.

Seeing a critically endangered swift parrot in the high alpine areas was also very unusual. They'd also been seen in Hay and Nyngan.

"We've also seen the first ever record of a yellow-plumed honeyeater in Canberra."

"In many ways it also shows how adaptive some birds are."

The sighting of large Australian bustards far away from their range was a sign there was a natural crisis underway. "They wouldn't move for nothing," he said.

Here's  list of some bird movements:

Regent honeyeater: Normal range: Capertee Valley, Mudgee. Spotted:  NSW Coast, Nowra.

Swift Parrot: Normal range: Tasmania, Eastern Victoria, South Coast NSW. Spotted: southern Queensand, Kosciuzsko,  Nyngan, Hay.

Australian bustard: Normal range: inland Australia. Spotted: North-West victoria, Nyngan, NSW.

Black shouldered kite, black kite: Normal range: inland.  Spotted: Vic Coast

Yellow-plumed honeyeater: Normal range: Victorian mallee. Spotted: Southern NSW, Cootamundra, first ever sighting Canberra.

Barn owl: Normal range: inland. Spotted: Victorian, NSW coasts.

Rufous songlark:  Normal range: inland, open country.  Spotted:  Rockdale, Sydney, Sydney airport.

Crimson chat: Normal range: open country inland. Spotted: Centennial Park, Sydney.

South African lion cubs give hope

New hope

• Sir - It is a matter of great joy that a lioness in South Africa successfully gave birth to two cubs who were conceived with the help of in vitro fertilization. The newborns - a male and a female - are the first "test tube" lion cubs in the world, and spark new hope that the endangered big cat species can be saved from extinction. Recently, the world's last male northern white rhino died, rendering his species nearly extinct. Given the destruction wrought by human beings on the natural world, the same fate awaits species such as lions and tigers, unless steps are taken to make their numbers grow.

Gayatri Ganapathy,

Bangalore
Historic haul

• Sir - India's performance at the recently-concluded Asian Games in Jakarta is a matter of immense pride. The 572 Indian athletes - 312 men and 260 women - who participated in just 36 sports clocked the nation's highest-ever medal tally at the Asiad, with 69 medals. What is most encouraging and humbling, however, is that most of the medallists belong to poor families from far-flung areas of the country. Their performances show that there is immense talent in India just waiting to be tapped. These skills can be properly harnessed if the government introduces better infrastructure and training facilities for athletes.

M.F.U. Tandvi,

Mumbai

• Sir - The athletes who represented India at the Asian Games deserve to be lauded for the nation's best-ever medal haul in the history of the tournament. Track and field athletes did very well. However, Indian teams performed disappointingly in kabaddi and men's hockey - sports in which they were the favourites to win. We would have also been happier had our players done better in archery, shooting and wrestling. The Tokyo Olympics is just two years away. There is an urgent need to ensure that the Asiad medallists keep their winning momentum going so that they can make a mark at the most important international sporting tournament.

Khokan Das,

Calcutta

• Sir - India ended its Asian Games campaign this year with its highest-ever medal tally at the tournament. The 69 medals won include 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze medals. Our sportspersons deserve to be feted for their admirable performances. They have shown that the condition of sports in India has improved, however marginally. But India should not rest on its laurels and be satisfied with its showing at the Asiad, as it still lags far behind other countries such as China, Japan and South Korea in the sporting arena. The minister of youth affairs and sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, must take steps to improve training and coaching facilities for our athletes.

Mohd. Usmani,

Mumbai

• Sir - The Asian Games in Jakarta that ended earlier this month turned out to be India's best outing at the quadrennial tournament. The medal haul also highlights the contribution of people from different religious faiths towards bringing glory to the nation. This sends out a very important message: a nation in which the people are united can progress and develop in leaps and bounds, whereas one in which people are divided by religion will get nowhere. Our athletes must be held up as role models.

Mohd. Tariq,

Mumbai
Time for change

• Sir - It was heartening to learn that the Union health ministry has decided to implement a 'charter of patients' rights' which, among other benefits, gives patients the freedom to purchase medicine and get tests done from wherever they choose, irrespective of the centres recommended by doctors or hospitals ("Charter to uphold patients' rights", Sept 1). The charter also outlines patients' right to get information about their illnesses, possible complications, tests required and additional expenses that may crop up. Clinics and hospitals have to provide emergency medical care to any patient irrespective of their ability to pay. Private hospitals and doctors often force patients to get unnecessary tests done from the places they recommend. Patients and their families do not even know what hospitals are going to charge at the time of discharge, as they include absurd costs in the bill to hike the final amount. It is hoped that the charter will help curb such unfair practices.

Kiran Agarwal,

Calcutta
Parting shot

• Sir - Last month, I had left my jacket in the air-conditioned chair car of the Shantiniketan Express. Given the reputation of the Indian Railways with regard to the retrieval of misplaced or stolen belongings, I had no hope of getting it back. Even so, just before boarding the Shantiniketan Express back to Howrah a few days later, I decided to enquire about my jacket. I was pleasantly surprised at the response. The station masters, the chief ticket inspector and their team at the Bolpur station rushed to help me. Phone calls were made to other stations to trace the item, and I was eventually told to go to the office of the deputy station master (commercial) at the Howrah station. The jacket was even kept in safe custody for a few more days so that I could collect it at my convenience. I was overwhelmed at the efficiency and helpfulness I was shown.

Satyajit Das Gupta,

Calcutta

From shrews to elephants, animal reflexes surprisingly slow

While speediness is a priority for any animal trying to escape a predator or avoid a fall, a new study by Simon Fraser University researchers suggests that even the fastest reflexes among all animals are remarkably slow.

"Animals as small as shrews and as large as elephants are built out of the same building blocks of nerve and muscle," says Max Donelan, a professor of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK) and director of SFU's Locomotion Lab. "We sought to understand how these building blocks are configured in different sized animals, and how this limits their performance."

The study is published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Since an animal's life can hinge on how quickly it can sense and respond to stimuli, the team set out to quantify the speed of the fastest reflex involved in the locomotion of terrestrial mammals, in animals ranging in size from minuscule shrews to massive elephants.

"Not surprisingly, we found that reflexes take a lot longer in large animals -- about 17 times longer than their smallest counterparts," says SFU postdoctoral researcher Heather More. "What was more interesting to us is that these delays are mostly offset by movement times that also increase with size -- relative delay is only twice as long in an elephant as in a shrew, putting large animals at only a slight disadvantage."

More says their findings have implications for all animals, no matter what their size. "When running quickly, all animals are challenged by their lengthy response times which comprise nearly all of their available movement time -- even the fastest reflex for the control of running is remarkably slow." She adds: "If a small animal puts its foot in a hole when sprinting, there is barely enough time for it to adjust its motion while the foot is on the ground, and a large animal has no time at all -- it has to wait until the next step."

More puts these delays in context: "One component of response time, nerve conduction delay, is particularly long in large animals. To compare to engineered systems, it takes less time for an orbiting satellite to send a signal to earth than for an elephant's spinal cord to send a signal to its lower leg."

A different component delay -- the time for a nerve impulse to cross a single synapse in the spinal cord -- is relatively long for small animals and relatively short for large animals. "This synaptic delay is one measure of the time to think -- so large animals have lots of time to think about how to respond to a disturbance, whereas as small animals don't."

The researchers say this means small and large animals likely compensate for their relatively slow reflexes in different ways. "We suspect that small animals rely on pre-flexive control, where their bodies are built in such a way that they can reject disturbances like stepping in a hole without intervention from their nervous system," says Donelan.

"Large animals, on the other hand, may rely more on prediction to think ahead about the consequences of their movements and adjust accordingly."

Donelan's lab has carried out previous locomotion studies involving elephants, giraffes and even kangaroos. A founder of Bionic Power and one of the original inventors of the bionic energy harvester, his research over the years has garnered international attention.