» Listings for 2019

1. Cull of hippos over-turned by Zambian Government

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 12th Jun 2019

   Thank goodness!  The Zambian Government has done an about-turn on its plan to cull over a thousand hippos in the Luangwa Valley. There had been increasing international pressure for the Zambian Government to justify why such a cull should take place.  The National Association of Community Resources Board in Zambia had also called for the cull to be reversed.  Born Free say local community representatives had also been against the cull.  Hippos across Africa are under more and more pressure – there are only 115,000 to 130,000 of them left, and the IUCN lists them as “Vulnerable”. There has been a lot of effort to end the elephant ivory trade – and now hippos are being targeted more and more for their ivory instead. We must do more to stop such exports.  And to stop trophy hunting in the first place. Born Free say they remain committed to working with the Zambian Government "to help secure a future of peaceful and prosperous co-existence between Zambia’s wildlife and its people." For more info from Born Free, click here

    

2. Equator from the Air on BBC2 on Sunday 9 June 2019

   Posted on 9:00am Sunday 9th Jun 2019

   There are some really good programmes on TV about nature and wildlife - we are very blessed with them.  Their quality is incredible. Here's another - the series is called Equator from the Air.   Gordon Buchanan takes an amazing journey round the Equator with experts who are racing to save wildlife and people.   Tonight (9th June 2019, 8pm UK time on BBC2), he croses the Pacific and drops in on the Galapagos Island. There he discovers huge evidence of human intervention - domesticated pigs have gone wild and decimated the tortoise population.  Drones are helping to track these species in danger. He also joins in to see how a tropical lake may hold clues about how to secure the world's coral reefs. Do watch - the series has been really good so far and is really sending a message home. Visit BBC2's website here.

    

3. Orangutan Jungle School: Extended Episodes is on More4

   Posted on 9:00am Sunday 9th Jun 2019

   Tonight (Sunday 9 June 2019) on More4, there’s a repeat of the fabulous Orangutan Jungle School at 8pm UK time. The series follows the orangutans who are based at the world’s biggest orangutan rescue centre. The orangutans have reached that point in their jungle school curriculum where they need to find out  how to be safe around snakes.   And staff head out to rescue an infant orangutan who, it turns out, has  a broken wrist. Swing over to More4’s website and find out more

    

4. 41 new Marine Conservation Zones expands England’s Blue Belt

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 8th Jun 2019

   In the run up to World Oceans Day (8th June every year), Environment Secretary Michael Gove has created 41 new Marine Conservation Zones. This represents the most significant expansion of England’s Blue Belt of Protected Areas to date. Stretching from Northumberland (where eider ducks live) to the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall (basking sharks, seabirds and fish) , the action Gove has taken safeguards 12,000 square kilometres of marine habitat.   A substantial number of additional zones were created in waters away from the coast – some in the deep sea – thus giving protection to habitats and species such as coral gardens, fan mussel and sea pens. Here’s a map showing the Marine Protected Areas Vulnerable marine wildlife will now have an opportunity to recover.    And if there are richer habitats for marine life, so there life will be better for those whose livelihoods depend on a healthy coastline and sea.  WWF has discovered that in marine protected areas, fish breed more readily and populations recover.  In the Apo Island (Philippines), communities depend heavily on fish.   After a marine protected area was created, catch per unit increased 50%.  Fish populations tripled.  Fisherman were able to save fuel and spend less time at sea. The UK now has over 350 Marine Protected Areas, covering 220,000 square kilometres – that’s twice the size of England. The areas protected include wildlife such as worms, seahorse and oyster.   Sand, tidal mud, rocky reefs and gravel will be protected.  Each as a role to play in the balance of nature.  The evidence about the importance of these new sites was gathered by volunteer divers who dive  for Seasearch, a programme co-ordinated by the Marine Conservation Society.    Divers spent hours diving very diverse seabed habitats to record the marine plants and animals living in our inshore seas.   There were extensive consultations with local fishermen too, and members of the public. This citizen science enabled groups such as the Marine Conservation Society to make a case for protecting many of these sites, and they will now be involved in developing management and monitoring plans for these newly protected areas. After all, protection must be active if it is to mean anything.  It’s no good allocating a protected status to an area if action isn’t taken to ensure that the area IS protected. Bodies such as the Marine Management Organisation and local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities will have the responsibility of ensuring that the zones are protected, working with local fishing communities and other organisations. The UK government has called for 30% of the world’s oceans to be protected by 2030.  It has co-chaired the creation of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance with Vanuatu.  Later this year, the government will publish an international strategy setting out more action to conserve the ocean and use it in a sustainable way. Meantime, its next step closer to home is to stop damaging activities in the Marine Protected Zones which affect wildlife.   Beam trawling, dredging for scallops and langoustines are among these – and surely there must be some action to stop some leisure activities, too.  But this is a great start, and the fact that citizen scientists (e.g. willing volunteers) and world-class marine scientists have worked together to contribute towards such an outcome is heart-warming. Watch this space!

    

5. Huge new conservation area in Bolivia’s Gran Chaco

   Posted on 9:00pm Thursday 23rd May 2019

   There’s a new protected area in Bolivia! It spans over 12,000 square kilometres – that’s 4,650 square miles.  And it includes well-conserved forests – it’s home to 300 species of birds and 100 species of jaguars, pumas and night monkeys.  It’s home too to the Ayoreo indigenous community which is voluntarily isolated.  “Ñembi Guasu” means “the great hideout” or “the great refuge.”  The creation of the protected area is expected to help to offset deforestation in Bolivia’s Gran Chaco region. The Ñembi Guasu Area of Conservation and Ecological Importance is the second-largest protected area in the Gran Chaco.   The jaguar, puma, the southern night monkey, the southern tamandua live here. The area is one of the few places in Bolivia where long-term plans can be made for jaguars and other large animals there. The territory is home to more than 100 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, and at least 80 species of reptiles and amphibians.   The area is described as “a large area where animals can hide”. Some threats put the territory at risk – the extraction of oil is one.  The Bolivian government approved an order that allows the extraction of oil in natural areas.  Land invasions are another problem.  The forest is virgin forest – with lots of wildlife – and it needs protecting