Animal Conservation - Page 18

The Abdullah Somali community runs the Ishaqbini Conservancy which is part of a network of 33 community conservancies, operating under the umbrella of the Northern Rangelands Trust.

Badgers are now subject to a controversial cull in an effort to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis, with some arguing that the cull may benefit more than just ailing cattle.

In the last 25 years, Sumatra has lost almost half of its forests, and has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. The orangutan’s forest home is being felled and turned into oil palm plantations on a massive scale.

Examination of some of the dead monkeys have shown that they had full stomachs and only mild dehydration, which rules out a lack of food or water as the primary cause of death.

This debate poses a lot of questions and I certainly do not have the answers, though a scan of the available literature gives considerable food for thought.

Deer are never far from the press in recent times; debated tirelessly and inspiring fierce devotion from people both sides of the cull or not to cull divide. Some seek to control deer, to cull them in aid of economic or environmental gains; others to preserve them for sport or out of sheer goodwill.

Consumed by everything from Barn owls and Kestrels to Weasels and Wildcats, voles occupy a pivotal position in the food chain and their abundance has direct implications on the population dynamics of many predatory species.

Fingers crossed over the next 25 years we should see polecats continue to spread and consolidate their population throughout Britain.

Of all the species monitored by the BBS, the Willow Tit showcased the greatest decline; 77% between 1994 – 2007