NATURE  & CONSERVATION

If you are involved in conservation work, anywhere in the World, please get in touch

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Rock star launches badger vaccination appeal

A Plea to Widgeripooers from BRIAN MAY

Conservationist and Rock Star BRIAN MAY  has launched a badger vaccination funding appeal  to bolster support for alternatives to the cull.

The Queen guitarist hopes to recruit donors and volunteers for a drive to prove that vaccines are a viable alternative and persuade farmers to adopt the method. He hopes to tap into public disquiet about the cull which saw more than 300,000 sign his Downing Street website petition urging a halt.

More than £200,000 has already been pledged by the guitarist and sponsors such as the Lush cosmetics, and the band HAWKWIND (see left)  –who played a charity concert in aid of animal charities last month – have pledged £10,000.

The aim is to generate enough financial backing and volunteers for large-scale five-year programmes across five of the areas worst hit by TB, which are Somerset and Gloucestershire, where pilot culls have been taking place, as well as Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

Vaccination costs around £120 per badger, the Badger and Cattle Vaccination Initiative (BACVI) says, with costs reducing as more volunteers are found.

One of the criticisms that has been levelled at those of us who have been trying to save badgers for the last three years is that 'something has to be done and you are advocating nothing', said May.

'Well we are advocating something very, very positive. It seems that what is being done at the moment is actually making things worse. Vaccination is, in the end, the only way of eradicating the disease. We hope all those people genuinely in search of a solution will put aside their differences to support BACVI.'

BRIAN MAY 

IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO SPONSOR OR VOLUNTEER

CLICK HERE

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CASSOWARY WATCH

LATEST PICTURES FROM LIZ GALLIE

We have been following the conservation programme of Cassowaries at at Wongaling Creek, Queensland, and have been keeping our users updated.

We first became aware of this, when JANE FRANKLIN visited PETE & NIKKI from Western Australia, turning up at our couple's home in Stevenage, Herts, UK.

Here are the latest sightings, with these stunning photographs by LIZ GALLIE..

ENJOY!

COOL, EH?

For the whole history see below...

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CASSOWARY WATCH

 

 

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PICTURES OF THE US WAXWINGS

By Pete Perry

Recently, we had a response from Jennifer and Chris Spargo of SW Georgia, USA, to our feature (below) about waxwings visiting this country from Southern Europe.

Now Jennifer and have kinmdly sent these photos, but can anyone tell us how they come to be flying around in Southwest Georgia?

NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THESE BIRDS, SUPPOSEDLY NATIVE TO SOUTHERN EUROPE, HAPPEN TO BE FLYING AROUND IN WILD IN GEORGIA?

Maybe they got there the same as Trish's Parrots in the feature below...

Answers please by email to

pete@widgeripoo.net

For the original letter, CLICK HERE

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