Page 65 - BBC Wildlife - August 2017 UK

AGENDA NEWS

YOND

THE
headlines

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION

Shows such as this WITH THE LATEST of diverse wetlands
may look innocent, but BEAVER RELEASE IN increases biodiversity.
elephants are often CORNWALL, IT’S EASY
treated badly and kept
in poor conditions. TO BELIEVE THAT THE Are there any wild
SPECIES IS BACK IN beavers in Britain?
BRITAIN FOR GOOD, Yes–three recognised
ELEPHANT ALARM BUT MUCH NEEDS TO populations. One in
BE DONE TO SECURE Knapdale, on the west
Animal welfare group says “When not giving rides or ITS FUTURE, SAYS coast of Scotland, is the
tourism in Thailand is leading to performing, elephants are DEREK GOW. result of the only official
more abuse of elephants. typically chained day and night, trial and numbers about
most ofthe timewith chains less Are beavers being 12. There are several
The use of captive elephants than 3m long,” WAP said. reintroducedto Britain? hundred on the River Tay
tooffertourists rides or other Other problems identified Yes and no. In most cases, catchment on Scotland’s
forms of entertainment grew by by investigators included poor beavers are being placed east side and some 30 on
30 per cent in Thailand over six diets, limited veterinary care and in large enclosures with the River Otter in Devon
years, according to new research. elephants beingkept on concrete naturalhabitat so their – both these populations
World Animal Protection floors nearloud music. impact on the environment camefrom unlicensed
(WAP) found nearly3,000 “The cruel trend of elephants can be studied.
elephants used in 220 facilities used forrides andshows is It's hoped this
across six countries –the others growing,” says WAP’s wildlife will provide
were Sri Lanka, Nepal,India, and veterinary advisor Dr Jan scientific
Laos andCambodia. Schmidt-Burbach. “We want evidence to
Three quarters of these tourists to know that many of reinforce the
animals were in Thailand, these elephants are taken from casefortheir
and 77 per cent were found their mothers as babies, forced widespread
to be living in what the toendure harsh training and restoration here. Beavers could have
organisation called “poor suffer poor living conditions a positive impact
and unacceptable conditions”. throughout their life.” What’s being on the British
environment.
studied?
Scientists are
6 Kielder Forest in Northumberland, should an interested in how beaver releases. Other groups of
The number of lynx that will be released into
unsanctioned wild beavers
dams affect theway water
application for a reintroduction of the species be
exist elsewhere, too.
is retained in a landscape.
given the go-ahead by Natural England. The Lynx
Beavers were recently
UK Trust says the species – which is native to the
released into an enclosure
UK – could even be back here by the end of 2017.
in Cornwall, and farmer What about the future?
Beavers are so well
Chris Jones estimated that established it would be
the 15cm dam they built in almost impossibleto
the first five days had held eradicate them. But if
3
back 400m of water. they are to be more widely
reintroduced, we need a
Why does this matter? programme of pragmatic
HUN
Extreme rainfall events in beaver management,
The Government has dropped recent years have led to based on systems in other
plans to introduce legislation to frequent flooding in towns European countries, one
repeal or amend the Hunting
Actinthhis parliament. Lorraine andcities. It’s believed that takes into account the
Platt, of Conservatives Against that, by slowing down interests of landowners.
Fox Hunnting, welcomed the the flow of water, beavers
news, but suggested one third of could helptoreduce the DEREK GOW is an ecologicalW
Conservvative MPs would, in any scale of these floods. By consultant and farmer.
case, voote against such a move. filtering water too, dams www.watervoles.com
O Want tocomment? Email Jack H cks
purify it, and the creation wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk
August 2017 BBC Wildlife 65