MrRING
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Day Of The Animals: Tales Of Man Vs Beast (And Man Suffers)
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ramonmercado
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Quake42
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ramonmercado
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FelixAntonius
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From todays Daily Telegraph:-
Wild boar hunting may return to Britain
By Andrew Davies
The burgeoning wild boar population rooting around in Britain's woodlands needs to be culled to halt an impending environmental disaster, scientists said yesterday.
Conservationists and wildlife specialists are calling on the Government to designate the ferocious creatures as game, paving the way for boar hunting seasons.
Wild board have re-established themselves across the country
Three hundred years after being hunted to extinction, thriving packs of wild boar - known as soundings - have re-established themselves across the country. It is estimated that Britain's wild boar population is already in the high hundreds and growing unabated.
Along with the spread of the tusked pigs come increasing fears for the safety of humans, livestock and crops, as well as the threat of an urban invasion.
In Germany, where the boars are vigorously hunted, there are up to 7,000 living in the centre of Berlin.
Apart from carrying swine fever, foot and mouth and bovine TB, the animals eat crops, cause traffic accidents and may, if cornered or feeling threatened, attack humans.
Dr Martin Goulding, a wild boar specialist and former Defra scientist, said designating the animals as game would allow them to be culled humanely and efficiently.
He said: "They are a threat to livestock, crops and people, but they are an important part of the woodland ecosystem."
Dr Goulding said the creature's only predators - wolves, bears and lynxes - no longer existed in the UK. "There is no balance of nature with boars. If there were no controls they would soon move out of the woodlands and become more urban. People would find them rooting around in dustbins, like foxes but bigger and more fearsome."
Dr Goulding said there should be controls on shooting boar so that they do not become extinct in the UK once more.
The wild pigs, which are common in mainland Europe, were last seen on these shores in the late 17th century. They were reintroduced in the 1980s for wild boar farming. Until the storms of 1987 none was living wild, but uprooted fencing and escapes from abattoirs led to the boars reasserting themselves, primarily across south England. Sightings have also been reported across east and northern England and Scotland.
Last December, animal rights activists released 100 from a farm in Devon. More than fifty of the escapees evaded recapture.
The largest soundings are thought to be more than 100-strong in woodlands along the Kent and Sussex border and in the Forest of Dean, Herefordshire.
The Game Conservancy Trust, a scientific research organisation, has added its voice to the growing clamour for more controls. Its spokesman, Morag Walker, said: "We think they need to be vigorously controlled and culling is one of the ways to do that."
A spokesman for Defra said: "We acknowledge that the wild boar population is an issue and are looking at it very closely.
"Designating them game animals is an option."
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... boar27.xml
Wild boar hunting may return to Britain
By Andrew Davies
The burgeoning wild boar population rooting around in Britain's woodlands needs to be culled to halt an impending environmental disaster, scientists said yesterday.
Conservationists and wildlife specialists are calling on the Government to designate the ferocious creatures as game, paving the way for boar hunting seasons.
Wild board have re-established themselves across the country
Three hundred years after being hunted to extinction, thriving packs of wild boar - known as soundings - have re-established themselves across the country. It is estimated that Britain's wild boar population is already in the high hundreds and growing unabated.
Along with the spread of the tusked pigs come increasing fears for the safety of humans, livestock and crops, as well as the threat of an urban invasion.
In Germany, where the boars are vigorously hunted, there are up to 7,000 living in the centre of Berlin.
Apart from carrying swine fever, foot and mouth and bovine TB, the animals eat crops, cause traffic accidents and may, if cornered or feeling threatened, attack humans.
Dr Martin Goulding, a wild boar specialist and former Defra scientist, said designating the animals as game would allow them to be culled humanely and efficiently.
He said: "They are a threat to livestock, crops and people, but they are an important part of the woodland ecosystem."
Dr Goulding said the creature's only predators - wolves, bears and lynxes - no longer existed in the UK. "There is no balance of nature with boars. If there were no controls they would soon move out of the woodlands and become more urban. People would find them rooting around in dustbins, like foxes but bigger and more fearsome."
Dr Goulding said there should be controls on shooting boar so that they do not become extinct in the UK once more.
The wild pigs, which are common in mainland Europe, were last seen on these shores in the late 17th century. They were reintroduced in the 1980s for wild boar farming. Until the storms of 1987 none was living wild, but uprooted fencing and escapes from abattoirs led to the boars reasserting themselves, primarily across south England. Sightings have also been reported across east and northern England and Scotland.
Last December, animal rights activists released 100 from a farm in Devon. More than fifty of the escapees evaded recapture.
The largest soundings are thought to be more than 100-strong in woodlands along the Kent and Sussex border and in the Forest of Dean, Herefordshire.
The Game Conservancy Trust, a scientific research organisation, has added its voice to the growing clamour for more controls. Its spokesman, Morag Walker, said: "We think they need to be vigorously controlled and culling is one of the ways to do that."
A spokesman for Defra said: "We acknowledge that the wild boar population is an issue and are looking at it very closely.
"Designating them game animals is an option."
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... boar27.xml
FelixAntonius
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Sorry for a double posting, but Irather liked this.... again from todays Daily Telegraph:-
Bomb sniffer dog in line for animal VC
By Thomas Harding in Kabul
(Filed: 27/02/2006)
Sadie, a black Labrador that saved the lives of dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan by sniffing out a bomb, could be in line for the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
She has already been put up for a military commendation after detecting a pressure cooker packed with TNT on the other side of a two-foot thick concrete blast wall.
The device had been planted under sandbags yards from where a suicide car bombing had killed a German soldier outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul.
About 200 people, including British, American, German and Greek soldiers were within range of the device.
Sadie, eight, and her handler L/Cpl Karen Yardley, had been called to check for secondary devices after the car bombing.
Leaving a second bomb is a classic terrorist tactic.
The booby-trap was discovered when Sadie suddenly "showed intention" as L/Cpl Yardley, 26, took her on a search of the UN car park.
Sadie's tail wagged vigorously, "enough to break your leg". She then sniffed the air, her tail went rigid and she sat down facing the wall.
"I looked at my colleague who was with another dog and he was off running and shouting at everyone to leave the area," said L/Cpl Yardley, of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
Bomb disposal experts used a robot to make the device safe.
"Me and my colleagues are extremely proud of Sadie," said L/Cpl Yardley. "She definitely saved lives that day and she certainly saved my life."
Sadie has already served in Bosnia and Iraq and is part of 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Sennelager, Germany.
L/Cpl Yardley, who is coming towards the end of a six month tour in Afghanistan, believes that Sadie, who is due to retire soon, could be recommended for the PDSA animal charity's Dickin Medal.
It has been awarded to 60 animals since it was introduced in 1943 and is inscribed "For Gallantry, We also serve".
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ndog27.xml
Bomb sniffer dog in line for animal VC
By Thomas Harding in Kabul
(Filed: 27/02/2006)
Sadie, a black Labrador that saved the lives of dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan by sniffing out a bomb, could be in line for the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
She has already been put up for a military commendation after detecting a pressure cooker packed with TNT on the other side of a two-foot thick concrete blast wall.
The device had been planted under sandbags yards from where a suicide car bombing had killed a German soldier outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul.
About 200 people, including British, American, German and Greek soldiers were within range of the device.
Sadie, eight, and her handler L/Cpl Karen Yardley, had been called to check for secondary devices after the car bombing.
Leaving a second bomb is a classic terrorist tactic.
The booby-trap was discovered when Sadie suddenly "showed intention" as L/Cpl Yardley, 26, took her on a search of the UN car park.
Sadie's tail wagged vigorously, "enough to break your leg". She then sniffed the air, her tail went rigid and she sat down facing the wall.
"I looked at my colleague who was with another dog and he was off running and shouting at everyone to leave the area," said L/Cpl Yardley, of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
Bomb disposal experts used a robot to make the device safe.
"Me and my colleagues are extremely proud of Sadie," said L/Cpl Yardley. "She definitely saved lives that day and she certainly saved my life."
Sadie has already served in Bosnia and Iraq and is part of 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Sennelager, Germany.
L/Cpl Yardley, who is coming towards the end of a six month tour in Afghanistan, believes that Sadie, who is due to retire soon, could be recommended for the PDSA animal charity's Dickin Medal.
It has been awarded to 60 animals since it was introduced in 1943 and is inscribed "For Gallantry, We also serve".
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ndog27.xml
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ramonmercado
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ramonmercado
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Hitchcock's film "The Birds", although set in the USA, was based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier, who lived and worked here in Cornwall.ramonmercado said:
And yes, gulls are aggressive bastards!
(There are notices on all our town's litter bins this year, asking people not to feed the gulls. Not that many tourists will pay much attention... until Bird Flu strikes... :shock: )
PeniG
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When my stepdaughter was 13 she came out to visit and we took her out to the Gulf Coast the day after July 4. I recommend this highly - the crowds VANISH! Since we were the only human beings picnicking on Mustang Island that day, we attracted the interest of the laughing and herring gulls. She wanted to feed them. We told her she'd regret it. As my husband videotaped her strolling along the beach eating potato chips, she tossed one at a gull anyway.
The ensuing footage is classic as every gull on the beach converges on her. She escapes by hurling the contents of the bag into the air and dashing into the ocean with her arms over her head. (But we're not litterbugs - as soon as they flew off with the chips we collected the bag and disposed of it properly.)
The ensuing footage is classic as every gull on the beach converges on her. She escapes by hurling the contents of the bag into the air and dashing into the ocean with her arms over her head. (But we're not litterbugs - as soon as they flew off with the chips we collected the bag and disposed of it properly.)
FelixAntonius
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More on the crows from todays Daily Telegraph, it must be the silly season:-
The crows crying out for an Asbo
They hang around at all times of the day and night, terrorising residents with their noise and petty vandalism.
Cars, property and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught out in the street have been attacked by delinquents with no fear of the law.
But even though anyone brave enough to stand up to them risks injury, the black-clad gangsters still have their defenders. They could be bored, experts suggest. The trouble-makers, they add, are intelligent and when they have nothing to do they can become mischievous.
Which is of little comfort to the residents of the Forbes estate in Warwick, who have endured a fortnight of wipers being wrenched off car windscreens, scratched paintwork, and dislodged roof tiles since the raucous crows moved in.
One woman was said to have been forced back inside her house after being dive-bombed as she tried to shoo them away.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the crows could become aggressive at this time of year when they start mating and nesting. Helpfully, it suggested that residents should wear hats to protect their heads and said one way of keeping them at bay was to walk around flapping their arms like a giant bird.
The advice has come a little late for 70-year-old Jillian Boulton. "The crows are quite intimidating, especially when they're in larger groups," she said. "It has become quite a problem over the last couple of weeks, the crows are pecking at anything they see - and that includes people.
"A woman was trying to shoo them away from pecking at her car and as she waved her arms about they swooped down on her. She was very frightened.
"These birds do not seem to have any fear of humans. They are as bold as brass. You hear them first of all, crowing and then pecking. They peck at cars, windows, fences, anything.
"They even get underneath parked vehicles and start to attack the bottom of them.
"Then you see them swoop down. Some people have started wrapping their car windscreens with plastic bags to deter them but all they do is rip them off.
"I've had my windscreen wipers pulled off and have just got them repaired at a cost of £10. That might not sound much but it all adds up if they keep on doing it.
"Some of the other residents in the road have had to spend up to £100 on their cars because they have been damaged in some way.
"It might sound funny but people are genuinely frightened of the crows, especially as we've heard they've attacked someone."
Linda Pheasey said: "These crows have become more and more aggressive in the way they are attacking cars. I tried to frighten them off by leaving a cuddly toy on the dashboard and that seemed to do the trick for a while.
"But they soon got used to it and ignored it and carried on pulling the wipers off my car. It's so annoying."
Colin Wilkinson, a conservation officer with the RSPB, said that it was extremely rare for crows to start attacking people and property.
"These birds are large and come into regular contact with humans so it is very unusual indeed for them to act in this way.
"Attacking cars occurs from time to time but graduating to attacking humans is more rare. One reason for their aggressive behaviour is that it is simply an instinctive reaction to someone who is close to what they regard as their territory.
"Another reason is that they are bored. Crows are intelligent creatures, and like all intelligent animals, they like to play and explore.
"When they get bored they tend to get mischievous, which is why they are swooping down on cars and property. They are investigating.
"If these birds were young humans, they'd most probably be the subject of Asbos."
A spokesman for Warwick district council said it was powerless. "We've heard they've been causing a nuisance on the estate. However as they are not a statutory nuisance, there is nothing that we can do. If they hospitalise someone then we will act."
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... xhome.html
The crows crying out for an Asbo
They hang around at all times of the day and night, terrorising residents with their noise and petty vandalism.
Cars, property and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught out in the street have been attacked by delinquents with no fear of the law.
But even though anyone brave enough to stand up to them risks injury, the black-clad gangsters still have their defenders. They could be bored, experts suggest. The trouble-makers, they add, are intelligent and when they have nothing to do they can become mischievous.
Which is of little comfort to the residents of the Forbes estate in Warwick, who have endured a fortnight of wipers being wrenched off car windscreens, scratched paintwork, and dislodged roof tiles since the raucous crows moved in.
One woman was said to have been forced back inside her house after being dive-bombed as she tried to shoo them away.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the crows could become aggressive at this time of year when they start mating and nesting. Helpfully, it suggested that residents should wear hats to protect their heads and said one way of keeping them at bay was to walk around flapping their arms like a giant bird.
The advice has come a little late for 70-year-old Jillian Boulton. "The crows are quite intimidating, especially when they're in larger groups," she said. "It has become quite a problem over the last couple of weeks, the crows are pecking at anything they see - and that includes people.
"A woman was trying to shoo them away from pecking at her car and as she waved her arms about they swooped down on her. She was very frightened.
"These birds do not seem to have any fear of humans. They are as bold as brass. You hear them first of all, crowing and then pecking. They peck at cars, windows, fences, anything.
"They even get underneath parked vehicles and start to attack the bottom of them.
"Then you see them swoop down. Some people have started wrapping their car windscreens with plastic bags to deter them but all they do is rip them off.
"I've had my windscreen wipers pulled off and have just got them repaired at a cost of £10. That might not sound much but it all adds up if they keep on doing it.
"Some of the other residents in the road have had to spend up to £100 on their cars because they have been damaged in some way.
"It might sound funny but people are genuinely frightened of the crows, especially as we've heard they've attacked someone."
Linda Pheasey said: "These crows have become more and more aggressive in the way they are attacking cars. I tried to frighten them off by leaving a cuddly toy on the dashboard and that seemed to do the trick for a while.
"But they soon got used to it and ignored it and carried on pulling the wipers off my car. It's so annoying."
Colin Wilkinson, a conservation officer with the RSPB, said that it was extremely rare for crows to start attacking people and property.
"These birds are large and come into regular contact with humans so it is very unusual indeed for them to act in this way.
"Attacking cars occurs from time to time but graduating to attacking humans is more rare. One reason for their aggressive behaviour is that it is simply an instinctive reaction to someone who is close to what they regard as their territory.
"Another reason is that they are bored. Crows are intelligent creatures, and like all intelligent animals, they like to play and explore.
"When they get bored they tend to get mischievous, which is why they are swooping down on cars and property. They are investigating.
"If these birds were young humans, they'd most probably be the subject of Asbos."
A spokesman for Warwick district council said it was powerless. "We've heard they've been causing a nuisance on the estate. However as they are not a statutory nuisance, there is nothing that we can do. If they hospitalise someone then we will act."
Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... xhome.html
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I always wonder about the owners when an animal is that aggressive. At our old place (all of a block away 
) there was a grey cat who used to prowl around, and he would be vicious with cats and people alike. Once he got into our kitchen and he let me stroke him once, then started to growl and lashed out at me. Always wondered what his home life was like.
) there was a grey cat who used to prowl around, and he would be vicious with cats and people alike. Once he got into our kitchen and he let me stroke him once, then started to growl and lashed out at me. Always wondered what his home life was like.- Joined
- Jul 29, 2004
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I think probably some cats are more prone to go feral than others - when my mum was but a wee bitty wee (as Joyce Grenfell would have us say) she lived in a bungalow on the outskirts of Coventry (well, outskirts at the time, now it's well within the city limits - progress, huh?). In this place, from what I understand, they had about 17 million cats, most of whom were very good natured, but one was a right horror, apparently, and on one occasion tried to rip my grandad's face off for looking at her in a hat-box (the cat was in the hat-box, not my grandad 
). However, this one was always nice as pie to my grandma (the cat, not my grandad), and would do anything for her, but woe betide anybody else!
). However, this one was always nice as pie to my grandma (the cat, not my grandad), and would do anything for her, but woe betide anybody else!- Joined
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Blimey!!
www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/03/28/1143 ... ?from=top5
Top marks to the uncle for his commentary though
www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/03/28/1143 ... ?from=top5
Top marks to the uncle for his commentary though
JamesWhitehead
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Her uncle, Ben Angel, told smh.com.au that Grace and her two sisters were "feeding the chooks" when the rooster went "berko".
"It's gone off its tits. I don't know what it was doing. You hear of cranky roosters but I've never heard of one actually attacking anyone like that," Mr Angel said.
Ah, niece-fed chicken! Maybe the rooster felt it was high time he was weaned.
If the kid doesn't make it, there's a Belgian goose-farm waiting for her liver!
:tongue:
"It's gone off its tits. I don't know what it was doing. You hear of cranky roosters but I've never heard of one actually attacking anyone like that," Mr Angel said.
Ah, niece-fed chicken! Maybe the rooster felt it was high time he was weaned.
If the kid doesn't make it, there's a Belgian goose-farm waiting for her liver!
:tongue:
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MrRING
Android Futureman
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JamesWhitehead
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Chimps!
In the days they drank tea, the worst you could expect was your piano smashed to bits.
When the regular tea ad. work folded, their agent got them this thing about animal cannibals and it's been downhill ever since.
Still, my expectations of all close relations are pretty low.
In the days they drank tea, the worst you could expect was your piano smashed to bits.
When the regular tea ad. work folded, their agent got them this thing about animal cannibals and it's been downhill ever since.
Still, my expectations of all close relations are pretty low.
ramonmercado
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Whats worse than a dirty great big crocodile - the same crocodile with a chainsaw:
Timble2
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Chimps get revenge for those being fired from the tea adverts...or they let them watch Planet of the Apes
New Scientist
New Scientist
tastyintestines
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