Brown spider money and red panda arrive at Paignton Zoo
Two new animals have arrived at Paignton Zoo as part of a conservation breeding programme.A female red panda, an endangered species, and a female brown spider monkey, a critically endangered species, have been transported from zoos in France to the Devon site.Brown spider monkeys were added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2020 because their populations in Columbia and Venezuela were declining due to the pet trade and habitat destruction.The IUCN said it believed there were fewer than 10,000 mature red pandas in the wild after their habitats in China had been destroyed.
The panda will join a female called Ember while the spider monkey will join a troop consisting of females Luna and Lena and male Kikou.Zookeepers said the monkey would initially remain off-show to visitors while the primates were introduced.Mammal keeper at Paignton Zoo James Shora said: "The red pandas offer those quieter, more contemplative moments, while the spider monkeys bring incredible dynamic energy from the forest canopies of South America. "It's like having two completely different worlds side by side."The red panda came from Les Terres de Natae, Pont-Scorff and the brown spider monkey from Zoo Amiens Métropole.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Our village is so smelly that we're being told to shove duvets down our toilets – and it's only going to get WORSE
RESIDENTS in a rural village are being plagued by sewage - as a new development could make the problem worse. Local Parish Councillors have bashed the proposed housing development as the village's infrastructure is already struggling. 3 3 3 The village of Feniton, Devon, has been plagued by the smell of sewage, with locals encouraged to stuff duvets down their toilets to prevent sewage from overflowing. Meanwhile, a proposal from South West Strategic Developments Ltd. (SWSD) aims to build 60 new homes in the area. It has led to intense backlash from Parish Councillors who are more concerned with the village's ongoing problems than its expansion, as they worry the development could make things worse. Chairman Martyn Smith told DevonLive: "We've got sewage coming up in people's toilets, it's bubbling out onto the roads - and there were even condoms hanging over the edge of a pipe discharging into a flood alleviation ditch. The sewage problems stem from a Victorian system that wasn't upgraded in line with housing expansion in the area the council alleges. Councillors added that the Feniton sewage treatment works is one of the worst polluters on the River Otter. South West Water have admitted to 14 reports of sewage backing up, Martyn says, but councillors believe it to be more than that. Several councillors are directly impacted by the village's sewage problems which gets worse during heavy rain. Councillor Chris Wilkins said one woman has reportedly had to ask neighbours not to flush their toilets to prevent sewage from flooding her garden. The area was previously declared an "unsustainable location" by a planning inspector after a 2014 public inquiry. Our posh village is now ghost town strewn with empty homes Several large-scale housing projects were refused on these grounds. There was one exception to this - 34 new houses that Martyn says "ended in disaster" when the builder went bust as it left the homes half-finished. Councillor Pam Rink said: "It smells all the time, even when it hasn't rained. With any more building, it just isn't going to cope." Even a flood alleviation scheme intended to deal with surface water hasn't fixed the problem - as that is reportedly receiving sewage too. Martyn said that South West Water has alleged that someone is illegally connected into the surface drain, but he adds "that's just deflection." Despite organising meetings with the sewage company, the villagers have been unable to reach a resolution. In addition to the heightened burden on sewage, locals also worry about the impact on traffic that the development could bring. The narrow lane into the town already causes issues for the existing residents, and councillors worry an expansion would only make it worse. In a statement to DevonLive, South West Water said: 'We recognise the concerns raised by Feniton residents and parish councillors and have met with them to discuss these issues in detail. 'We have investigated reports of sewage problems in the village and carried out maintenance to address blockages. 'We continue to work closely with local authorities and developers to ensure the sewerage system can support future housing, with infrastructure improvements planned as required. We remain committed to protecting the environment and supporting the Feniton community.' A statement from SWSD reads: 'The application has made in line with the draft allocation of the emerging East Devon Local Plan. "South West Water is a consultee in this process and have raised no objections to the proposals. They outline that improvements are already being progressed to address the community concerns around the existing systems and increase its capacity.' The Sun has reached out to Feniton Parish Council for comment.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Removal of hoarding at Gloucestershire Shire Hall welcomed
The removal of "eyesore" hoardings covering the front entrance to a city centre landmark has been "unsightly" barrier was put up at the entrance of Shire Hall in Gloucester last October to undertake "essential maintenance to damaged steps".In February, Gloucestershire County Council chiefs said the hoardings were not expected to be removed for several months while plans to alter the building's entrance were drawn up. However, they have now been taken Hall chiefs revealed in March that the entrance had to be decontaminated after "defecation and urination" on the front steps. Councillor Rebecca Trimnell said: "I really hope the work that has been done for good. I wouldn't want the hoarding to go up again for more months on end."Gloucester City Council leader Jeremy Hilton said he welcomed the removal of the "eyesore" said: "I'm delighted that the unsightly hoardings outside the main entrance to Shire Hall have finally been removed."Over time, they became an eyesore - completely out of place in a conservation area and so close to the cathedral."Their removal under the new Liberal Democrat administration has already made a noticeable improvement to the street scene. "It's a small but significant step in restoring pride in this important civic building."A council spokesperson confirmed that the current essential maintenance works have been completed and they do not have any further work planned.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Why the French have the best sex in the world, by a Parisian sexologist
Recently, a 52-year-old woman came to me for help. She told me she'd been with her husband for over 30 years but had never had an orgasm during sex. 'I just assumed that part of me was broken,' she said. Sadly, that belief – that pleasure isn't for them – is something I hear again and again from women as a French sexologist living and working in Britain. So many women, particularly in this country, struggle with allowing themselves to ask, want and feel. The contrast with the confidence I see when I'm in France is stark. At a workshop I was running in Paris last year, a woman in her early 60s told a room of other women, matter-of-factly: 'Of course I still masturbate – I'd never rely on a man for that.' The whole group laughed, not in embarrassment, but in solidarity. For her, sexual pleasure was just part of life, like good food or good company. And the differing attitudes towards sex in France and Britain aren't confined to women. The entire cultures surrounding the subject are poles apart. Whenever sex is mentioned here, there's an underlying current of prudishness which often manifests as a blush, a giggle – or, as I've experienced many times, a total shut-down of the conversation. In France, sex is embedded in the national conversation. It's not seen as smutty, or risqué, to talk about it; it's not shrouded in nudge, nudge, wink, wink innuendo. People are far more open about the importance they place on it. We have a reputation for infidelity, but in my experience, French people don't necessarily have more affairs. There's less moral panic and more acceptance that eroticism and commitment can be complex, especially over the course of decades. Desire can ebb and flow within relationships – but being unafraid to talk about the subject means the French report feeling more sexually fulfilled, regardless of how long the relationship lasts. I trained to become a certified sexologist to help midlife women in similar situations to mine. Like so many of my clients now, I went through a divorce in 2019, after 17 years of marriage and two children, and wanted to explore my sexuality. I remember thinking, 'I wish I had someone to talk to about how to navigate these very turbulent years I'm going through', and that so many other women must be feeling the same. I embarked on a journey of sexual rediscovery, including having fun with younger men before meeting my current partner. My adventures taught me that pleasure isn't about performance, but truth. Being honest about what I wanted, on my own terms, was about learning to be sexual again, for myself. My confidence improved – in every aspect of my life – along with my sense of overall wellness. Inspired, I qualified as a life coach at first, then quit my 25-year career leading global campaigns in sustainable finance at institutions including the WWF, Barclays and the UN. I decided to devote myself to helping women who, whether in long-term relationships or single, are hungry for something more but lack the tools to go after it. Most people have heard of sex therapists, who help treat sexual dysfunction. Sexology is different. I'm not a therapist or medical professional, but a coach, who helps clients explore their goals around their sex lives and find solutions to attain them. In France, pleasure isn't seen as a luxury, but a life force; something for everybody at every stage of life, rather than the preserve of the young and beautiful. The Pleasure Atelier, the workshop for women I founded in Paris and am now bringing to London, is based on this principle. It's a space for women to have a glass of champagne and learn about ways to reconnect to their erotic selves, on their own terms. Here's what I believe British people can learn from the French about how to reignite their sexual spark. French women are not obsessed with staying 25 When you think of a celebrity British people deem sexy, chances are you're picturing a lissom young thing. The culture here encourages us to think of women, in particular, as sexual beings only when they're youthful, with taut skin and no responsibilities. The moment women have children, or go through the menopause, they're placed in another box: now nurturers, not creatures of desire. One woman in her late 40s came to me after her children had left home. She said: 'I've spent my whole life being everything to everyone else. I don't even know what I want any more.' It's common for my British clients to feel they've lost their identity as they've grown older. In France, there are many more role models of older women who exude sexiness, are vocal about sex and portray characters continuing to enjoy it. Think of Sylvie in the Netflix series Emily In Paris, played by 62-year-old Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, or the 72-year-old actress Isabelle Huppert. They're chic, sophisticated women who continue to take their sexuality seriously, and seeing them inspires French women to expect the same for themselves. French women embrace the freedom of midlife and beyond, once their children are older – it's a time for us. Rediscovering yourself as a sexual being is essential to keep sex alive in long-term relationships, and it starts with not writing yourself off because you've hit un certain age. Treat yourself like a Parisian woman The cliches about Parisian women are broadly true: they often restrict their diets to remain rail-thin and rarely mention the menopause – quelle horreur! There's a vanity and pressure to stay sexually desirable which I wouldn't want British women to emulate. But there's also an innate sense of ourselves as sexual beings that I would like British women to embrace. It's in how we dress, how we speak, how we take up space. It's a mindset of self-worth. For too long here, from the boorish lad's mag culture of the 1990s to the current prevalence of Only Fans and porn, the conversation has centred around male pleasure, and women fulfilling male fantasies. French women, by contrast, view themselves as just as worthy of satisfaction. It might sound trivial, but wearing beautiful underwear under your everyday clothes, taking a moment to spritz perfume or lighting a candle can be a powerful reminder that you're deserving of pleasure. Make yourself your own fantasy. Pleasure is essential, not a luxury In Paris, there's a chain of female-friendly sex stores called Passage du Desir, which are a world away from the seedy sex shops found in London's Soho. They're an example of how sex is woven into the fabric of everyday life there, and how normal it is for French women to pop out and buy a sex toy. Sex toys are advertised on mainstream television and discussed endlessly in newspaper articles. My British clients have often lost touch with any kind of sensory pleasure, so I ask them to start small. Take a moment to feel the sun on your face, drink an ice-cold glass of rose or listen to a song you love – whatever feels enjoyable for you. The more in tune you are with your own body, the more pleasure you allow in. Learn to speak up Desire isn't shameful, it's human – and we French know that the more we talk about it, the more empowered we become. Here in Britain, I often hear women complaining that their partners don't satisfy them. Sometimes, if the issues between them begin outside the bedroom – women are often seething with years of pent-up resentment over their partner's behaviour – I suggest couples' counselling; some tell me outright that they hate their husband, and that's not conducive to reigniting the spark. Often, though, it's a case of years, sometimes decades, passing by with women hoping their partners will somehow intuitively know how to please them, without ever being told. I know it can feel daunting, but we have a responsibility to help guide them, and in my experience, most decent men are happy to learn. I encourage clients to write a fantasy list, starting with 'I've always wanted to…' Then I help them work up the courage to tell their partner one thing they want. Most of the time, he is delighted – and once that barrier has been crossed, it's much easier next time.
