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Female lynx that were let loose in Cairngorms given names

Female lynx that were let loose in Cairngorms given names

BBC Newsa day ago
Three lynx that survived being dumped in the Highlands earlier this year have been given names at their new home at the Highland Wildlife Park.The wild cats - named Caledonia, Cardrona and Bluebell - were spotted in the Cairngorms National Park in early January, sparking a search before they were captured south of Aviemore.After a period in quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo, the three females were moved to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) wildlife park at Kincraig in May.The cats have been named following a competition involving Scottish schools.
A fourth lynx, a male, was illegally released before being captured in January, but it died a short time later.
Judith Bowman, carnivore team leader at the Highland Wildlife Park, said: "It has been wonderful to care for the three girls here at the park over the past month. "We are already seeing their playful and curious personalities flourish."
Police were first alerted to reports of lynx on the loose in the Drumguish area of the UK's biggest national park on 8 January.The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland used cage-type traps baited with venison and quail to capture the cats. They were caught within two days.Police Scotland has been investigating the January release.
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'Lethal' gas heater which poisoned university student, 18, with carbon monoxide had 'no visible warning label', coroner rules
'Lethal' gas heater which poisoned university student, 18, with carbon monoxide had 'no visible warning label', coroner rules

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

'Lethal' gas heater which poisoned university student, 18, with carbon monoxide had 'no visible warning label', coroner rules

A gas heater that poisoned a university student with carbon monoxide while he was staying at an aristocrat-owned holiday cottage had no visible warning label, a coroner has ruled. Tom Hill, 18, was preparing to take a bath when he became overcome by the 'lethal' gas inside the 'small' bathroom of the remote Scottish Highlands home. An inquest which took place last month, 10 years after his death in October 2015, heard the bathroom where the cabinet heater was kept was 'simply too small' - but the warning informing users of this was not obvious. Now, coroner Jason Pegg has said there was no visible label on the outside of the device which killed the teenager. Mr Pegg said that the warning was instead located on the inside of the cabinet heater and so it was 'not obvious' to users that it shouldn't be used in confined spaces. The area coroner for Hampshire, Southampton, and Portsmouth has issued a prevention of future deaths report to the Gas Safety Register, who have 56 days to respond. Highlighting his 'matters of concern', the coroner said: 'The flue-less liquified petroleum gas cabinet heater was operated in a room which was too small dimension so to safely use the heater without causing a build-up of carbon monoxide. 'A warning label was affixed inside the cabinet heater in the space occupied by the liquified petroleum gas bottle. 'There was an absence of a visible warning label on the outside of the heater. 'It was not obvious to all potential users of the heater that the heater could only be used safely in a room of sufficient dimension. 'The risk applies particularly so in the case of rented cottages and similar premises such as Glenmark Cottage.' A previous inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court, Hampshire, heard that Tom was staying at Glenmark Cottage in Angus, Scotland, with his girlfriend Charlotte Beard and her family. The house had no electricity or mains gas, and the heating was provided by a wood-burning stove and portable gas heaters. Charlotte's father Mark Beard said he had visited the cottage many times in his life, describing the location as an 'idyllic beauty' and a place to 'unwind'. Glenmark Cottage, located near the small hamlet of Tarfside, was owned by the Earl of Dalhousie and his heir Lord Ramsay. Despite being owned by the Dalhousie estate, it was rented out by retired teacher Piers Le Cheminant. Mr Beard told the inquest that the LPG Heaters were 'ubiquitously used' in the property. He said there was a cabinet heater located in the bathroom and a carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen, which 'did activate' the night before Tom died. Mr Beard said that while he switched off devices in the kitchen, it is a 'lifelong regret' of his that he did not do the same in the bathroom. Tom, who studied aquaculture at Stirling University in Scotland, but was from Lyndhurst in Hampshire, decided to take a bath on the afternoon of October 28. Inside the bathroom - which had windows which had been sealed shut with paint - was one of the heaters. Mr Beard described hearing his daughter knocking on the bathroom door and sounding increasingly 'alarmed' as she called out for Tom. The father said he asked his teenage son to fetch a wooden axe which they used to forcibly open the 'solid' door to the bathroom. The engineer described an 'intense' atmosphere upon breaking into the room, which was 'hot and humid'. 'It was a very visceral experience,' he continued. 'It was extremely hot and the air was very humid - you could almost taste it. But, there was also a strong smell of unburnt gases. 'It smelt like the heater wasn't operating properly. The heater was also making a loud buzzing which was very unusual.' Mr Beard said he lifted Tom out of the bathroom and carried him downstairs and outside into the 'fresh air'. An ambulance was called for the teenager but he passed away in the vehicle, which was travelling from Brechin to Dundee. Jerry Hill, Tom's father, told the inquest that his son was 'very interested in life'. 'He was quite an unusual boy,' he said. 'He was very interested in wildlife and nature and he had a real understanding of how different creatures interacted. 'He didn't live a very long life but in the short time he had, he really made the most of his time.' The father said his son Tom was 'very passionate' about the practice of aquaculture. 'He had his whole ahead of him,' Mr Hill added. Mr Pegg delivered an accidental death conclusion. The coroner referred to the LPG heaters in the bathroom and said: 'It is quite clear that this type of heater, and the size of heater, shouldn't have been used in the bathroom which I'm told had the size of 11 cubic metres. 'The bathroom was simply too small for for that heater. 'In addition, there was no ventilation. The windows had been painted shut and could not be opened.' Mr Pegg also said there 'damage to the heater' which 'exacerbated' the combustion of the gas and the rate at which it was emitted. He concluded that Tom inhaled a 'fatal quantity' of this gas while he prepared for his bath. Mr Pegg said: 'There is a warning within the box where you put the gas canister, but anyone, such as the Beard family, turning up to a rented cottage, they would not know that the heater should not be used in such close confines. 'In rented cottages, and tenant cottages, there are going to be heaters of this sort which are in rooms which are too small [and] this gives rise to future deaths. 'As you sadly know, carbon monoxide is very much a silent killer and as much awareness when using potentially lethal devices that can be raised is so much better for everybody.' Tom's father, Mr Hill, said he thinks more needs to be done on what to do when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. 'It should be made really clear to people what to do in these circumstances,' he added, 'I don't think people do know what to do when [alarms] go off.' Burghill Farms, who trade as Dalhousie Estates, and Mr Le Cheminant were prosecuted for breaches of Health & Safety regulations in 2021. Burghill Farms was fined £120,000 while Le Cheminant was ordered to pay £2,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court. A Fatal Accident Inquiry report into Tom's death took place in 2023 and found that the heaters were unsuitable for the property and no system was in place for their regular maintenance.

Rav's Tips for Lost Property
Rav's Tips for Lost Property

BBC News

time2 hours ago

  • BBC News

Rav's Tips for Lost Property

Here are some useful links to help if you're worried about losing your property: external is a website where you can register goods you're afraid to lose to help the police track them down in the event they get lost. external is a website endorsed by the UK Police to report items that you've lost - this can be useful if you need a report to make an insurance claim. Here, external is a link to the online form to report lost property to Police Scotland.

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