Queen has a new dog named Lissy - and she's not a corgi
Queen has a new dog named Lissy - and she's not a corgi
Her Majesty the Queen has introduced a brand new dog to her litter. However, this time she hasn't chosen her favoured corgi or dorgi breed.
The Queen, who recently celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, is now the owner of an award-winning cocker spaniel, affectionately named Lissy.
The monarch already has a dorgi, Candy, and two corgis, one of which is called Muick. The other was gifted to her by Prince Andrew and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice after the death of Muick's sidekick, Fergus.
Adding Lissy to the mix means she has reversed her self-imposed year-long ban on new royal dogs.
The four year old cocker spaniel is listed under the pedigree name Wolferton Drama, but is also named Lissy after the queen, as it is a nickname for Elizabeth.
As well as being a rare choice of breed for the Queen, Lissy recently won the 91st Kennel Club Cocker Spaniel Championship, seeing off 38 competitors to gain the top spot. This makes her the Queen's first gundog champion.
Gundogs, also known as bird dogs, are hunting dogs who assist their owners in finding and retrieving game.
The Queen's new dog is an award-winning cocker spaniel affectionately called Lissy
It's no secret that the Queen is an animal lover, and she even struck up an unlikely friendship with a New Zealand farmer.
She met Don Ferguson, a renowned Jersey breeder, in 1975 at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.
However, he seemingly wasn't a fan of her cows.
Don's widow June recently told the Daily Mail that her husband had told the monarch his cows were far better.
But rather than taking offence, the Queen instead asked Don to introduce two of his cows into her own herd, and they remained friends for over 40 years.
"She's easy to talk to," said June. "She's a countrywoman, she has a good eye for cattle and horses, and that's what she and Don had in common."
The Queen is famously known for owning corgis and dor
The Queen recently made the decision to allow Camilla to become Queen Consort when Charles becomes King , which she announced on her eve of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
A Queen Consort is the usual title given to the wife of the king, sharing his rank and status.
It was originally thought Camilla would be known as 'Princess Consort' due to the controversial opinion of their relationship, which is thought to have begun while Prince Charles was still married to the late Princess Diana.
Reference: Kirstie Sutherland:okay
Dog owners could face a £1000 fine for breaking these rules
Dog owners could face a £1000 fine for breaking these rules
Dog walkers who refuse to clean up their pet’s mess could be hit with a £1,000 fine for breaking this common rule.
Anyone walking a dog is obliged to pick up their poo in public areas, however, this rule is often ignored by many.
If you’re with the dog the responsibility is yours - even if the pet does not belong to you.
How much dog walkers could be fined
The Dog Fouling Act (2016) places responsibility on the person “in charge of the dog” at the time of the misdemeanor.
Dog owners can be fined between £50-£80 on the spot if they fail to clear up after their dog’s mess.
That fine can escalate to £1,000 if you refuse to pay and the case is taken to the courts.
In some constituencies, you can be struck with a penalty for forgetting to carry bags or pooper scoopers when walking your pet.
The fine varies between councils and refusing to pay can land you in court.
People with disabilities restricting sight or mobility are exempt, including pet owners that are registered as blind.
Local authorities can implement a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to exclude dogs from certain areas or to have them on their lead.
If PSPO regulations are ignored, you could face a fixed penalty notice of £100 on the spot.
Those who go to court for breaching a PSPO or a Dog Control Order could be fined up to £1000 if prosecuted.
What other fines could dog walkers could face?
Dog walkers could also face a fine of up to £1000 for taking a dog off its lead in certain areas across the UK.
Although talking your pet off its lead is permitted in the majority of UK parks and wooded areas, it is illegal in some areas.
If there are no signs alerting any restrictions then it is likely acceptable to allow your dog off its lead.
Dogs need to typically stay on their leads near roads, footpaths, car parks, play areas and certain ponds or streams during some times of the year.
Flower beds, pitches and beaches are considered off limits, however it is vital to be wary of any signs saying otherwise.
A version of this article originally appeared on NationalWorld.com
Reference: Edinburgh News:
Magawa, the landmine-sniffing hero rat, dies aged eight
Magawa, the landmine-sniffing hero rat, dies aged eight
Magawa, the famous mine-clearing rat who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has died at the age of eight.
In a five-year career, the rodent sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia.
Magawa was the most successful rat trained by the Belgian charity Apopo to alert human handlers about the mines so they can be safely removed.
The charity said the African giant pouch rat "passed away peacefully" at the weekend.
It said Magawa was in good health and "spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm". But by the weekend "he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days".
Bred in Tanzania, Magawa underwent a year of training before moving to Cambodia to begin his bomb-sniffing career. There are thought to be up to six million landmines in the South East Asian country.
Magawa was awarded the PDSA medal for gallantry - sometimes described as the George Cross for animals
Trained to detect a chemical compound within the explosives, Magawa cleared more than 141,000 square metres (1,517,711 sq ft) of land - the equivalent of 20 football pitches.
He weighed 1.2kg (2.6lb) and was 70cm (28in) long. While that is far larger than many other rat species, Magawa was still small enough and light enough that he did not trigger mines if he walked over them.
Magawa was capable of searching a field the size of a tennis court in just 20 minutes - something Apopo says would take a person with a metal detector between one and four days.
In 2020, Magawa was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal - sometimes described as the George Cross for animals - for his "life-saving devotion to duty". He was the first rat to be given the medal in the charity's 77-year history.
The rat retired last June, after "slowing down" as he reached old age.
"All of us at Apopo are feeling the loss of Magawa and we are grateful for the incredible work he's done," the charity said in a statement.
His "amazing sense of smell" allowed "communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play; without fear of losing life or limb", it added.
Apopo has been raising its animals - known as HeroRATs - to detect landmines since the 1990s.
Reference: BbC News:
Fish brought back from extinction with help from zoo
Fish brought back from extinction with help from zoo
A fish which became extinct in Mexico has been reintroduced to the wild with the help of conservationists from a UK zoo.
The tequila fish, which grows no longer than 70 millimetres, disappeared completely from the wild in 2003 following the introduction of invasive, exotic fish species and water pollution.
But more than 1,500 of the fish have now been returned to the Teuchitlan River, in the state of Jalisco in south-west Mexico, thanks to conservationists from Chester Zoo and the Michoacana University of Mexico.
Professor Omar Dominguez, from the university, said: “The tequila splitfin has, for many years, been used by scientists to study the evolution, biogeography and live bearing reproduction techniques of fishes and is a very important species.
“We could not stand back and allow it to disappear.
Not only has Chester Zoo been involved technically and financially, the breeders, which became the founding population for the reintroduction of the tequila splitfin, originated at Chester Zoo
“Successfully reinstating this fish in the wild also offers a wider positive impact. Not only has the fish itself been saved, but the environment it lives in has been restored.
“The springs are now healthy and the community that lives around them can now enjoy this beautiful place again, along with all of the benefits that a healthy freshwater habitat brings.
“Meanwhile, local people, particularly schoolchildren, are fully embracing an ongoing education programme, which is changing the way that many act towards the freshwater environment that surrounds them – something that’s absolutely vital if we’re to ensure long-term change.”
The project started in 1998 when the university received five pairs of the fish from Chester Zoo and founded a new colony in a laboratory.
Provided by Indy 100 Conservationists from Michoacana University of Mexico return the tequila fish to the wild (Chester Zoo/PA)
Experts maintained and expanded the fish population for the next 15 years, until 40 pairs were released into artificial ponds at the university.
After four years there were an estimated 10,000 fish in the semi-natural environment and the colony became the source for reintroduction into the wild.
Dr Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo’s curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said: “It is a real privilege to have helped save this charismatic little fish and it just goes to show that with the skill and expertise of conservationists, and with local communities fully invested in a reintroduction project, species can make a comeback from environments where they were once lost.
“This is also a great example of how good zoos can play a pivotal role in species conservation.
“Not only has Chester Zoo been involved technically and financially, the breeders, which became the founding population for the reintroduction of the tequila splitfin, originated at Chester Zoo.
“Without the zoo population keeping the species alive for many years, this fish would have been lost forever.
“It’s humbling to think that a small population, being cared for by aquarists in Chester, has now led to their revival in the wild.”
Experts say the wild population of fish is now thriving and the project has been cited as an International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) case study for successful global reintroductions.
It is hoped to lead to future reintroductions of other highly endangered fish species.
Dr Garcia added: “With nature declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history – and the rate of extinction accelerating – this is a rare success story.
“We now have a blueprint for what works in terms of recovering these delicate fish species in Mexico and already we’re on to the next one – a new rescue mission for the golden skiffia is already well under way.”
Reference: Indy 100: Eleanor Barlow
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