Conservation groups are renewing calls for China to maintain a 15-year moratorium on the trade in tiger parts with a poll showing 95 percent of Chinese support the ban.

Full article here: Xinhuanet

A rare Coati has been rescued by the RSPCA, after a tip off. The animal was found in a farm shed in Eskdale, Cumbria. The Coati is currently at a rescue centre, and has been named Cyril.

For full story: News & Star

You don’t have to have a big garden to take part in the RSPB’s big garden bird watch. In fact, you don’t need a garden at all; for all you flat and bedsit dwellers, take a trip to your local park.

All you have to do is count the number of birds you see on either Saturday 26th or Sunday 27th January 2008.

For further information on how to take part visit the RSPB’s website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

Last years wet summer is blamed for the decreasing number of common birds such as blue tits and starlings. The warmer winters have had a positive impact on some birds, goldfinches are expected, for the first time to be amongst the top ten most common birds.

Full report: The Argus

A father of 3, was shocked to find a snake in the shower. Nasir Javed thought at first that his wife had left a toy snake in the bathroom as a prank, but he soon leapt out when it started uncurling. The RSPCA were called out to remove the reptile, which turned out to be a non-venomous corn snake.

Read more: Daily Mail

Members of the Welsh Assembly say a badger cull should be part of a ‘holistic’ approach to tackling TB in cattle. But the RSPCA and Badger Trust Cymru strongly disagree, the Trust’s Mike Sharratt says:

“The science clearly shows that badgers’ small role in this disease occurs when they are in farm buildings looking for food.”He added, “Better cattle testing and excluding badgers from farm buildings is a win-win solution and we hope that the assembly government has the wisdom to implement it”.

Full report: BBC News

A report by Queen’s University and the University of Ulster, for the National Trust, warns that the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s biggest tourist attraction, is threatened by rising water levels and coastal erosion. The report warns that by the end of the century part of the Little and Middle Causeway could be submerged in water, for much of the winter.

Read full report: Guardian

Fishermen James Robson and Mike Hodge spotted a dolphin caught up in low water amongst the rocks and weeds, whilst taking part in a fishing competition in Batson Creek, Devon. The animal was bleeding from its mouth and struggling to break free. Concerned, the two men followed it around the bay. James whistled to the dolphin, (like he’d seen ‘free willy’), amazingly the dolphin responded by following James to the top of the creek, back into the safety of the open sea.

James said that there were a lot boat owners and passengers around with no common sense. Some were grabbing at the dolphins fin and taking photographs of the distressed creature.

To read more visit: This Is South Devon
 

Animal welfare campaigners say the labelling of free-range pork is often misleading to customers, as there are no EU standards for the welfare of free-range pigs. Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA say that although the animals might be born outside, most of their time is spent indoors being fattened up.

Read more: Pig Progress

Three animal rights activists have been arrested in Gosport and Littlehampton. So far sixteen people have been arrested and charged in relation to the campaign group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC).

Read more: The Argus