Page 111 - BBC Wildlife - August 2017 UK

Q&A

VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN

I HELP...

British Divers Marine Life Rescue

3 What does thecharitydo?
BDMLR responds to calls to our 24-hour
hotline reporting stranded, injured or
1 abandoned marine animals.
2
How can people help?
By training as volunteer marine mammal
medics.We run a one-day course (fee
£90) involving a morning in a classroom
learning biology, first aid and rescue
techniques, then an afternoon on the
beach learning how to handle and lift a
seal, and how to assess, lift and refloat a
dolphin.We also use a life-size whale
4 model to teach the rescue procedure for
larger marine mammals.Anyone over 16
with an interest in marine wildlife can train.
Wealways need people to transport
animalsand equipment, too, so you can
still help if you don’t live near the coast.
6 Who needs assistance the most?
Grey and common seals, most of which
5 are treated on site or transferred to
rehabilitation facilities, and stranded small
cetaceans, such as harbour porpoises and
common dolphins.
Which rescues are most difficult?
Mass strandings are incredibly tough.
WHAT CAN I SEE IN... but two endemic birds, the Rescuing entangled whales is also difficult
Bolle’s and laurel pigeons. and dangerous – we have a specially
(the latter is illustrated). trained team in place for that.

This underrated archipelago has a subtropical climate and SHORT-FINNED How are volunteers called out?
seven volcanic islands isolated for long enough from the 5PILOT WHALE Names are added to regional call-out lists
mainland to have evolved many unique species. South of Tenerife for rescues in the area, but there's no
Said to be the commonest pressure to respond.
TENERIFE BLUE HOUBARA BUSTARD cetaceans encountered off
1CHAFFINCH 3Playa Blanca, Lanzarote Tenerife, short-finned pilot When you are busiest?
Las Lajas picnic site,Tenerife The arid plains to the north whales are, at least in these From October to January – seal pupping
This is a must-see, even and west of Playa Blanca waters, quite often curious of season. Our volunteers in Cornwall are
for non-birders. Blue are some of the best areas boats and their passengers. busy 24/7 from late September!Septem
chaffinches found on Gran to see this large, turkey-
BARBARY GROUND
Canaria are now recognised sized bird.Also found on 6SQUIRREL Delegates learn to
refloat a whale.
Illustrat on by Dawn Cooper; volunteers: Gavin Parsons 2GIANT LIZARD 4Garajonay NP, La Gomera Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura, and avery
asaseparate species.
Castilo Caleta de Fueste,
few on La Graciosa.
GRAN CANARIA
Terrestrial mammals are
LAUREL FOREST
few and far betweeninthe
Gran Canaria
Measuring up to 0.5m long
Named for two lovers,
Canary Islands, so if you
really need a fix, the (non-
Gara and Jonay,who met
(males only), this endemic
lizard can befound over
native) Barbary ground
a Romeo andJuliet-type
almost all of Gran Canaria,
squirrel will give you that.
end,this nationalpark
includingbanana plantations
near the tourist resorts.
BDMLR www.bdmlr.org.uk
and tomato fields.
dense lush laurel forests
August 2017 is notable not just for its Highest numbers found OJULIA CABLE BBC Wildlife 111