Drop-in sessions ahead of Exmoor pine marten release
Drop-in sessions will be held in Wheddon Cross, Holford and Allerford in June.Ms North added: "We hope to explain how landowners can aid the recovery of pine martens and how to mitigate any potential conflict as well."We're keen for people to understand what a pine marten is, how to look for one and to know what they're looking for."Fifteen of the mammals were released across Dartmoor - eight females and seven males who were all fitted with radio collars so they can be tracked.The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is being led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust, which is working with organisations such as Exmoor National Park Authority and Somerset Wildlife Trust.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Red panda twins born in Isle of Wight zoo breeding programme
A zoo has announced the birth of red panda twins after introducing the parents in cubs were delivered at Amazon World, Isle of Wight, on 17 mother Xiao, 10, was paired with 10-month-old male Flint after he was imported from Belfast Zoo with a view to breeding "in the next couple of years", the zoo previously species, which lives in the eastern Himalayas and China, is endangered and on the decline, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In a Facebook post, the zoo, near Arreton, said it was "over the moon" at its added: "The cubs are still young and there is always a risk but Xiao has done such a fantastic job so far."The cubs will remain hidden in the nest boxes until at least three months old. "Senior staff have been and will continue to monitor the enclosure, nest boxes and cubs via CCTV installed to make sure all is well."Red pandas are poached for fur, get caught in hunters' wild pig and deer traps and are also under threat from forest clearance, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Go-ahead for sofa surfer's 'unique' Dartmoor home
A sofa surfer with a plan to transform a redundant chapel on Dartmoor into an affordable home has been told his ideas are just what the moor Sinjun Saunders told members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) that he was the custodian of the old Methodist chapel at Crockernwell and he planned an "aesthetically pleasing" new said he was currently "sofa surfing" – staying with friends – but he and his partner would live in the new home which would have bird and bat boxes to care for local concrete-block pebble-dash chapel was built in 1980 but closed due to falling numbers and an ageing population. There were no objections to the plan and West Devon Borough Council's affordable housing team gave its support as did Drewsteignton Parish said it would help keep the village "vibrant and alive".Mr Saunders agreed to a condition that the property should always be occupied by a local person who was in need of a home and could not afford the current market prices in the director of spatial planning Dean Kinsella told the meeting the plan was "unique" and would not open the door for anyone with a derelict building on the moor."Every site is different," he said. "This is a single unique position."Members voted unanimously to let Mr Saunders go chairman Mark Dracup said: "This is exactly what Dartmoor needs."
Times
14 hours ago
- Times
Find a way to live with swooping seagulls, Scots told
Homeowners and businesses have been urged to learn to live with attacks by seagulls rather than asking for permission to destroy their nests. Due to declining populations, the birds have protected status even though there have been increasing reports of them stealing food in coastal resorts. Last year NatureScot, the government agency, turned down a record 620 applications submitted by individuals and businesses to demolish gull nests, many more than in previous years. Just 40 applications were rejected in 2023 while only one was turned down the year before that, according to data obtained by The Mail on Sunday. The agency said it has a duty to balance health and safety concerns with gull conservation and the birds were facing 'serious declines' in their populations. Its approach now was to support individuals, businesses and communities to 'better manage gulls without the need to kill the birds or destroy their nests'. A spokesman said: 'There will be times when gulls are causing a health and safety issue. In the longer term, we need to find ways to live with gulls and other wildlife.' The gull threat is most obvious in seaside communities where they forage for food such as chips, pies and pasties in people's hands. The birds can also be aggressive when defending nests during the egg hatching season. • Eat with your back to the wall: smart ways to keep seagulls at bay The threat has been raised in parliament by the Scottish Conservatives as concern grows over gull attacks. Douglas Ross, the Highland list MSP and former party leader, said he had been 'inundated' with complaints. 'It's an escalating problem that's putting public safety at risk,' Ross said. 'The SNP government and NatureScot are completely out of touch with reality.' Richard Lochhead, an SNP MSP who represents Moray, said he had contacted Jim Fairlie, the agriculture minister, about the issue. One mother wrote to him about her and her children being regularly attacked by the birds. She said: 'I'm terrified to even leave my house at times. I've been dive-bombed and there comes a point where it's a serious problem. I am genuinely developing a phobia of them.' • Seagull after your chips? Fear the squadron, not the loner Capturing, injuring or destroying any wild bird in Scotland, or interfering with nests or eggs, is illegal. However, licences are granted to get rid of nests in areas where gulls are a menace. While 2,041 such licences were granted in 2023, only 505 were in 2024. Gulls are a common sight in many areas near the coast but some species, such as herring gulls and kittiwakes, are on the UK red list as species of conservation concern. The latest Seabirds Count census shows all five breeding species of gull continuing to decline, with numbers in Scotland down by between 44 per cent and 75 per cent depending on species. The declines are attributed to factors such as changes in food availability and land use, with some species also suffering losses because of recent outbreaks of avian flu.
