UK man gets H5N1 bird flu because he lived with 20 ducks in his home
The back story is that in the UK currently there is an H5N1 bird flu problem. The poultry industry and wild birds in the UK are going through the worst winter for avian flu...
Tagged: UK
UK government dragging its heels on banning the importation of hunting trophies
NEWS AND COMMENT: Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting has criticised the UK government for dragging its heels on banning the importation of hunting trophies primarily from Africa. Although trophy...
UK law on keeping wild animals needs to be overhauled
Exotic pets are popular in the UK. The word “exotic” means wild animal in this context. Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act licences were issued for the keeping of 3,951 wild animals in Great...
Tips and tricks to avoid being scammed when buying a puppy from a breeder
UK (BUT MAYBE ELSEWHERE TOO): I’m going to think aloud. These are some thoughts about avoiding being scammed when buying a dog or cat from a breeder. Why am I doing this? You may...
Residents seek vigilante tree feller of Elmbridge
NEWS AND VIEWS – Weybridge, Walton on Thames and Cobham, UK: This is a very disturbing story which directly impacts wildlife because trees are the homes of wildlife and, of course they provide a...
What is the UK law on dogs attacking animals?
I’m prompted to write this article because of a well publicised story in The Times newspaper today about a QC’s dog savaging a beloved local seal who the local residents called Freddie Mercury. You...
83 stolen dogs seized by police on travellers’ site
Inline with many recent news media stories about pet dogs being the new currency for criminals because they’ve become so valuable due to pressures on the marketplace brought about by coronavirus lockdowns, police have...
Dog thieves tag targeted homes with UV paint
NEWS AND COMMENT: This is an update on the viral news about the surge in dog thefts in the UK and I assume in other countries. The dramatic increase in dog thefts has been...
Garden birds prefer gardens to be a bit messy in order to thrive
Garden birds don’t like gardens (backyard in America) to be too tidy. “[Birds] need a slightly messy space. They need leaf litter, a bit of rotting wood at the back of a hedge”, said...
How to protect your dog in times of surging dog theft
In the UK there has been a 150% increase in Google searches for “buy a puppy” since the first lockdown. This indicates an almost manic desire by some people to adopt a pet dog....
Organised criminals cut microchips from stolen dogs
Since the beginning of 2019 dog thefts have increased by a factor of 2.5. In one database of stolen dogs the increase is by a factor of three. It is believed that organised crime...
Acid-spitting ants saved from extinction
The narrow-headed ant is England’s rarest. They are identifiable by a deep notch at the back of their heads. They live on the verge of the A38 trunk road near Chudleigh Knighton and on...
Felling of Hackney tree symbolic of human population growth and destruction of the planet
There’s been wailing and gnashing of teeth (and I would have joined them if I had known about it) at the felling of a magnificent plane tree adjacent to a road in Hackney, London....
Great white egret no longer rare in the UK due to global warming?
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) tells me that the population of UK wintering great white egrets is 35. This means the number of individuals present from October to March. Today...
Cost to taxpayer of firefighters rescuing animals in UK
There is an argument that firefighters in the UK should not be involved in rescuing animals. I suspect that not many people subscribe to the argument but there are those that do. The classic...