Polecats: A British Conservation Success Story.

When discussing species and conservation efforts to protect them, it is not always good news. Rarely do you see such impressive recoveries like the UK polecat population is currently undergoing.

European polecats (Mustela putorius) are part of the mustelid family and are related to weasels and stoats. They are native to the UK but were almost made extinct here due to persecution.  Polecats can be identified by the mask-like pattern of dark and light fur on their face.  They are elusive animals that can be found in a wide range of habitats and can sometimes be spotted crossing roads, particularly at night. 

Polecat - Photo by Lily Mendes

The UK population of polecats was historically decimated in order to protect poultry and game birds such as pheasants. As a result of this, in the early 20^th Century, polecats could almost only be found in mid-Wales. Due to a decline in the numbers of gamekeepers and also through legal protection, the persecution of polecats has gradually diminished, allowing the population to recover. 

A recent survey shows that polecats are re-colonising and are turning up in areas where they haven't been seen for over 100 years. They have moved east into Norfolk and Suffolk, and also into South Yorkshire. A population that was introduced into Cumbria in the 1980s is continuing to thrive.

The results of the survey show a dramatic increase in polecat distribution.

This is especially good news as elsewhere in Europe there has been an unexplained decline in the population of polecats, whereas they previously did very well on the continent.

Although the polecat is recovering, it is still rare or absent in many parts of the UK.  They are capable of travelling long distances and current research is lacking so it is unknown as to whether roads hinder their progress.  Many are hit by cars in collisions and the increasing use of concrete central reservations in large roads can be a major physical barrier that is thought to make it difficult for them to cross. 

Another issue faced is the hybridisation of polecats with feral ferrets that may be affecting the true polecat population in some areas.  The hybrids usually have pale fur on their paws, white chest patches and more substantial pale face markings. 

However conservationists are optimistic, and it is expected from the current trend that over the next 25 years their numbers will continue to increase and they will re-colonise the areas they were once native to.

More information can be found at The Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Poaching for African Ivory: Perceptions and Problems.

Poaching for ivory, particularly in Africa, has been a huge topic in the international community for a while now and many people are outraged at the large numbers of animals being illegally killed for this black market trade. 

Poachers often come from local villages. It is the intermediate trade and export that is run by organised crime. In countries with poor government administration, the military and police may also poach regularly. 

Very recently an article was circulating about a poacher who was killed in a shootout by police in Zimbabwe. Currently it is unclear as to whether the man was a front line poacher who hunted the elephants, or an organised crime gang member who buys or collects the ivory to sell on to international buyers for export.

Either way, this subject provoked a lot of emotion from readers and this got me thinking about public perceptions of poachers and the anger and hatred people feel towards them. Below are some example screenshots I took of a few responses tweeted in reply to the article.

As a conservationist, I am strongly opposed to poaching and would seek to find solutions to solve the problem in order to protect endangered wildlife. However, I disagree with comments like these and actually found them to be a tad unsettling.

This is because, areas that are most rife with poaching generally suffer with widespread poverty, unemployment and bad governance. Many of these poachers are desperate, with most trying to support their family in any way possible, they know the risks, they know the danger. But a shootout with police is a risk they will take in order to survive. 

"Interview with an elephant poacher."

An interesting case study can be seen through the interview conducted with a man named John Kaimoi, a 33-year-old Kenyan who was caught poaching and completed a two-year prison sentence for this crime. In the interview he discussed how famine and drought drove him into poaching for ivory. Some extracts from the interview conducted by Stephen Messenger of "The Dodo" are below.

John Kaimoi

 "I would plant maize and millet with my family; they would assist me. We could plant. We could till a small piece of land. We would just survive from that. That's how I [could] earn my living. So when problems arose, what I could I do?" 

".. because of the kind of life I was living by then, I had to risk it. I had to risk it. That's the time when I lived like that until I was arrested."

".. I had young kids, I could divide this money to meet the needs of my family -- to buy food and pay for my child to go to boarding school. This amount could change things."

".. If given an opportunity, I would work. Because what concerns me is the issue of my family, my young children who are still in primary school. So I don’t have another way. If given even something, anything."

The full interview can be found here. 
 

An African Elephant I was fortunate to see in the wild on a visit to South Africa.

The overall poaching problem is only going to be solved by addressing the demand for ivory, but lasting solutions are going to have to involve simultaneous action on the side of supply as well as the side of demand.

On the national level, appropriate legislation and effective law enforcement will be essential, as well as properly functioning authorities that are at less risk of corruption. Effective international cooperation will also be vital in combating the illegal trade on a global level. 

It is not guaranteed that increasing wealth of locals will reduce poaching incidents but currently the levels of poverty are a huge factor in driving people to poach. Bad governance in nearly all locations is also a decisive factor.

It is because of this that many protected and conservation areas have to gain funding from outside and external sources and prevent poaching with limited money and resources. They often use patrols and armed rangers that aim to stop poachers before they kill an animal, but this is a very short term solution and is not always successful in stopping deaths. 

Regulations and tighter rules and punishments for these crimes are clearly not working so this is likely to come down to national and international politics. Many charities run behavioural change communication campaigns in key consumer countries as well as public outreach initiatives, but in the end change is likely to only be achieved dependent on the political will of these countries to implement proper strategies and legislation and put a stop to the trade in ivory.

I don't think that arresting, punishing or even killing poachers is ever going to be sustainable or work as a solution to poaching as these are largely poverty stricken people who are in need of help and support in order to survive. I'm sure most would much rather work safely and legally if it was possible, rather than risking everything, including their lives, out in the wild.

"Penguin Awareness Day" - 10 Interesting Facts.

Today is "Penguin Awareness Day" so I thought i'd share some interesting facts on everyones favourite flightless aquatic birds.

1. There is debate as to whether there are 18 or 20 different species of penguin. The uncertainty comes from the White-flippered Penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata) which is considered by many taxonomists to be a colour morph or subspecies of the Little Penguin., with others believing it to be a seperate Eudyptula species. The other debated species is the Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) due to the controversy as to whether it truly is a seperate species or just a colour morph of the Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus).

Macaroni Penguin (left) and Royal Penguin (right).

Galapagos Penguin

2. All the species of penguin are found in the Southern Hemisphere,
but they are not exclusive to Antarctica or cold climates.

3. The Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is found close to the equator. It is endemic to the Galapagos islands and is the most northerly breeding penguin species. There are estimated to be less than 1200 mature individuals of this small endangered bird.

 4. The tallest penguin is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) reaching up to 48 inches in height. In comparison the smallest is the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) which grows to an average height of 13 inches.

Approximate height difference between an adult Emperor and Little Penguin.

5. The tuxedo-like colouring the penguins have is called counter-shading and is a form of camouflage that is used to protect them whilst they are swimming.

6. Most penguins return to the same nesting site each season and in many cases, the exact place they themselves were born. 

7. They are colonial and mostly breed in large colonies which can consist of tens of thousands depending on the species. The numbers vary greatly, however, for example Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colonies tend to be around 100 pairs whereas King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) colonies can reach into the several hundred thousands. 

Huge King penguin colony.

8. The majority of penguin species are monogamous, often returning to the same partner for many years in a row. In 2012, researchers in Argentina found a pair of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) had remained faithful to one another for sixteen years.

9. It is believed the earliest penguin relative lived over 60 million years ago. This means an early relative of the penguin survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event which wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. This is probably because..

10. Penguins used to be able to fly! Penguins used to fly but changed and evolved to be swimmers. A theory as to why this is suggests that their once flight-adapted wings simply became more efficient for swimming and so they eventually lost their ability to fly off the ground. Others suggest that it was because flying takes a lot more energy than swimming, so as their bodies adapted more suitably to the water, they began to hunt in the seas rather than the skies.

  Happy Penguin Awareness Day! :) 

Waste Prevention : The key to a resource efficient and sustainable society.

Waste prevention initiatives aim to reduce the amount of waste generated as well as the toxicity in its contents. This is extremely important for the environment, but also for individuals and businesses and it plays an important role in the creation of a resource efficient and sustainable society.

The planet has finite resources and it is estimated that it would require the resources of three Earths for future generations to exist with the same level of consumption that we currently do in Europe. The ever increasing population is going to need to implement vast change in the way that resources are used and waste prevention action is going to be key in achieving this.

There has been a large increase in recycling and people are more aware than ever of the benefits of recycling wherever possible. Though this is without a doubt a positive action, waste prevention is better, as it seeks to reduce waste even before the point of recycling and use of any other solution.

The hierarchy for waste as set by the EU Waste Framework Directive.
Prevention is shown as the first step and most desirable, with disposal being the least desirable waste solution.

Reducing waste can start from the very beginning at the point of manufacture. This is known as "pre-waste" and examples include reducing the quantity of waste such as product size, to re-usable packaging as well as changing the content of materials and products to remove harmful substances that are damaging for the environment as well as human health.

Over the past few years, you may have noticed foods you buy in the supermarket are aiming to cut out excess packaging and are making a big point in advertising this fact to the consumer. One of the examples I noticed most recently, was the bizarre looking new "Quavers" multipack, that I first thought resembled baby wipes or a nappy pack when it caught my eye. PepsiCo advertise this "30% less wrap" as making the product more convenient at home and easier to store in cupboards, however it certainly serves as a form of waste prevention and will also save money due to less materials being required.

Reducing packaging is waste prevention during manufacture, the less material used leads to less overall waste.

Individuals changing their habits and behaviour as consumers is another important part of waste prevention. This can involve avoiding over-buying and being more thoughtful about what food is definitely needed and being mindful of expiry dates to avoid food waste. Other examples can be getting items such as electronics fixed rather than throwing them away and buying a new one. We can definitely all do our bit in this area!

There is no single action that will fix the impending waste problem. Governments, businesses and individuals are all going to need to take steps to change the way we use resources and switch to more efficient and sustainable practices.

Recycling is great, but prevention is better!

More information on waste prevention can be found here:

http://www.prewaste.eu/
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/prevention/

"London breaches annual pollution levels" - Contemplating green ideas and potential solutions.

According to new data, parts of London have already breached the EU hourly limits for nitrogen dioxide pollution. The EU has set an hourly limit of 200 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre of air and this may only be breached 18 times annually. However, it was just over a week into 2016 and locations in Putney and Chelsea and Kensington had broken the limit for the 19th time.

This is not a new occurance as the UK has been in breach of the NO2 pollution limits for 5 years and as such was taken to court last spring and subsequently ordered to draw up an action plan to tackle the air pollution problem.

Around 30,000 people in the UK die prematurely each year due to particulate pollution according to figures released by Public Health England. This figure, however, has not been revised to include the health impacts of NO2 which has been linked to respiratory and heart problems.

2010 nitrogen dioxide levels in London shown in map form.

Nitrogen dioxide is a gas that is mainly produced by motor vehicles and although the human health impacts of this pollutant are known, it has been difficult to find sufficient evidence to determine the mortality rates and impacts of NO2 specifically, when people are also being exposed to particulate pollution and various combinations of other harmful gases.

So what can be done?

Some cities like Paris, have introduced Odd/Even schemes which serve as an access restriction. Vehicles are regulated by their number plates and whether the number ends with an odd or even digit. In addition to the odd even scheme they also implement speed restrictions and free public transport is available during the days that the alternating numberplate scheme is being enforced. Encouraging more people to use public transport can be a very positive way to tackle air pollution by decreasing the numbers of vehicles within the city.

Green roof, green wall and other foliage installations can be very good for improving air quality. Trees, shrubs and turf have been shown to remove pollutants as well as smoke and dust from the air. One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere anually which equates to approximately 11,000 miles of car emissions.

A Chicago study estimated that 1,675kg of pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and particulates were being removed by 19.8 hectares of green roofs annually in Chicago. Green roof installations are already being implemented in London. I got the opportunity to visit a variety of completed roofs that have been put on numerous Transport for London properties and depots when I carried out a work placement with them. My project was on the biodiversity benefits of the green roofs but these sites also play an important role in saving energy and countering air pollution which is why they are becoming increasingly popular in the capital.

The green roof at 55 Broadway, (TFL headquarters at the time of the project).

Overall, it is going to be very difficult to solve a problem like this, especially for a city such as London. Schemes are being put in place and green solutions are becoming more popular, but the fact is, in the whole of the EU the population of London is huge in comparison to other capital cities. In 2014 the official population of London was over 8.5 million people and this is followed by Berlin, the second largest city in the EU, with around 3.6 million people. Perhaps the problem lies with the UK being too London-centric, and therefore the only way to reduce pollution as a result of such a dense population, may be to further encourage and promote the use of other major cities and relocation, through better funding and improved infrastructure.

Discovering New Species - 60 African Dragonflies!

A couple of days ago the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced 60 new African dragonfly species had been described. Dragonflies are freshwater species and indicators of healthy ecosystems and so play a very important role considering freshwater habitats such as wetlands are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. With these new discoveries, the number of known species of dragonfly in Africa has now risen to 760. However there are likely to be even more than this! It is estimated that only a fifth of all species on the planet are currently known. This includes animals as well as plants. The IUCN predicts there may be up to 9 million species in total on Earth.

The IUCN will now work to assess these newly discovered species for rating on the Red List of Threatened Species so that conservation efforts may be applied.

One of the new species of Dragonfly, a Robust Sparklewing (Umma gumma).Fun fact: It was named after the 1969 album by Pink Floyd.
Photo by Jens Kipping.

When people hear that a new species has been described, it is often expected they must have been discovered in the deepest jungle or an inpenetrable forest. However, often new species can be found by finding genetic distinctions between species that were previously thought to be the same.

Even so, it was only in 2013 that an entirely new bird species was discovered in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, with a population of 1.5 million people! The Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk) is in the warbler family, and became one of only 2 bird species to be found solely in Cambodia.

The Cambodian Tailorbird.
Photo by James Eaton.

Discovering new species can be done by anyone with a keen interest but is an incredibly long process. If a person believes they have come across a new species, they must first check that it has not already been described. This could involve genetic testing and studying its DNA as well as studying existing museum collections. Many wonder what the point is, for example, do we really need to find and name the estimated 90% of undiscovered fungi species, or the other 50% of all algae species? But many of these species could turn out to be incredibly useful to us. This could be in the form of food, pollination, water cleaning as well as medicinal benefits. If the variations between species can be identified, it will allow us to find any benefits and preserve these benefits, as well as preserving the natural world.

More information on the 60 new dragonfly species can be found on the IUCN website here:
 http://iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/news/?22353/60-new-African-dragonfly-species-described

Tromsø, Norway, 2015.

Firstly, happy new year! I am resolving to keep my blog up to date and to write more frequently, as there is definitely plenty going on to talk about!

I ended 2015 with an amazing trip to Norway, up inside the Arctic circle. I stayed in Tromsø and took trips out in the area including an Aurora Borealis hunt and a whale watching boat trip.

A tiny Norwegian house amongst the mountains.

Norwegians have been whaling around Tromsø from as early as the 10th century and it is an activity still carried out to this day, except exclusively hunting Minke whales in the North. These days whale watching trips are increasingly popular, and most ships out there such as the boat I was on, are shooting with cameras rather than harpoons, helping to make ecotourism a thriving industry.

The boat ride was great fun and the scenery was beautiful, but on top of this we were also lucky enough to see Humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) and Orca (Orcinus orca) thanks to our knowledgeable guides from the Tromso Friluftsenter.

Orca pod. 

Orca, or Killer Whales, are the largest species in the oceanic dolphin family and can be found in all of the oceans. The population off the coast of Norway is estimated to be between 500 and 1500.

The Orca here are often following the large amounts of Herring that make their way up the coast of Norway in the winter months. As a result, November - February can be some of the best times to see them in Tromsø.

Adult and calves. 

 

Humpbacks are a species of baleen whale and are a highly migratory species that can also be found in all of the oceans. Coincidently, I also saw a Humpback mother and calf on a boat trip in South Africa back in 2012.

Humpback Whales.

Synchronised swimming!

 

Attempting to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is something most tourists try to do whilst they are on a trip to northern Norway. It is not guaranteed, and the weather, such as cloud cover, can be one of the most obstructive elements when trying to view them.

The lights are the result of gas particles in the Earth's atmosphere colliding charged particles released from the Sun's atmosphere. These particles from the Sun's atmosphere are usually deflected by the magnetic field surrounding the Earth, however the magnetic field is weaker at the poles and it is when these particles make it through and collide with Earth's gas particles that the lights can be seen from the reaction. The northern lights are Aurora Borealis, and the southern lights are Aurora Australis. Aurora being Latin for the Roman Goddess of the Dawn, Borealis meaning northern and Australis meaning southern.

Credit: Arctic Guide Service

There is no definite time that you can guarantee the lights will be stronger or most visible. It has been discovered that the activity is cyclic and peaks every 11 years, but the last peak was in 2013. The best chance you have is to go to areas of low light pollution on a night with a clear sky. Our trip had pretty bad weather and was 8 hours long, and we drove around in a coach heading to the darkest areas where the clouds were seperating. We caught some glimpses of the lights with our naked eye that were bright and then faded away and managed to have a few decent pictures at the end!

Both companies I used were excellent and i'd recommend them if you are taking a trip to Tromsø, however there are numerous good and different guides offering various excursions and activities depending on what you are looking for.

Our whale watching guide: http://tromso-friluftsenter.no/
Aurora Chase: http://www.arcticguideservice.com/

    

( Please feel free to use any of my photographs, but credit would be great, thanks! )