Aroma Pets

Earl and Countess of Wessex meet famous alpacas on city farm visit

The Countess of Wessex proved popular with a group of celebrity alpacas on visit to Vauxhall City Farm in south London.

“You’ve got as funny face,” Sophie said to Jerry, one of three alpacas at the farm who appeared as an animal extra in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

After a pause, she added, “I suppose you must think I have a funny face too.”

The other two that rushed over to Sophie were Tom and Ben, who were also hired to appear in the multi-million pound blockbuster. The Earl and Countess of Wessex got up close with the animals before seeing the farm’s community engagement programmes in action.

They joined staff, volunteers, local residents and schoolchildren as the farm marked the start of Black History Month. Monica Tyler, the farm’s CEO, said: “They said it was a fantastic community facility. Having such an environment is so important.

“Giving children access to so many different animals in urban areas is great for openness and freedom.”

The farm closed during lockdown on 23 March and opened again on 28 July, lost 80 per cent of its income due to the pandemic. It is trying to raise £600,000 to keep afloat. “We launched an appeal and have so far raised £250,000,” Ms Tyler said. “Visits like this are so important for us.”

The farm’s Black History Month programme is aimed at schools in the local area, with teachers and students sharing stories and poems about important figures in black history. During their visit the royal couple also met graduates of the farm’s New Shoots programme. One of them, Christopher Manturine, spent six weeks on a programme on the farm.

Mr Mantuurine, 28, who suffered from depression, said his time at the farm was the first step to recovery.

“I had never had any contact with animals and as soon as I stepped foot in here it has an amazing impact upon me.

“My time on the programme was a watershed moment for me. Since then I have gone from strength to strength. I have had two promotions and am on the right path.”

The six-week programme, which is free of charge, helps equip unemployed young people aged 16-25 years with the skills to gain employment, and provides access to career guidance, mentoring and training. Staff and volunteers at the farm also spoke to Edward and Sophie about adapting to the new measures in place at the farm since re-opening, and their efforts to continue looking after the animals during lockdown.

Vauxhall City Farm is one of the oldest inner city farms in London, founded more than 40 years ago.

It offers education, recreation and health benefits to the local community, as well as offering regular educational and vocational activities to local schools.

A new community garden is also being created at the farm, which will include an educational therapy hub that uses gardening and horticulture to support children and adults facing physical and mental health challenges.

Reference: Evening Standard: Robert Jobson 4 days ago

Okapi baby born at London Zoo

An okapi at London Zoo has given birth to a healthy, “feisty” young calf.

Oni the okapi, a second-time mother, gave birth to a female calf named Ede by zookeepers on September 20.

Reference: PA Media: 01/10/2020

For sale: 100 Namibian buffalos, buyers must 'bear all risks'

The government said it would auction the powerful wild animals to anyone at home or abroad who could meet welfare and legal criteria. But its newspaper advert for the sale warned: "The buyer will bear all risks."

The most likely buyers will be game farmers - people who rear animals for big game hunters to shoot - environment ministry spokesman Romeo Muyunda said on Friday.

Buffalos, considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, are prized by sports hunters and their meat is also widely eaten.

The 70 female and 30 male buffalos from Waterberg Plateau Park in central Namibia had already been rounded up in "boma" enclosures, Muyunda said.

But the buyers will have to take responsibility of the animals from there. Any foreigners hoping to take one home will have to prove they had the rights to export them, the advert said.

"It makes conservation sense to reduce the number of wildlife whenever their carrying capacity is exceeded so that we can reduce the pressure on grazing and other resources in the park," Muyunda said.

He declined to say how much the government hoped to raise or how many buffalos were currently in the park.

The arid southern African country auctioned 1,000 animals from national parks, including 500 buffalos in 2019 as it faced the worst drought in a century.

It also culled surplus cattle, with the meat going to drought and hunger relief programmes.

All bids for the buffalos must be left in sealed envelopes at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism by Oct. 14, the advert said.

Reference: Reuters: 2 days ago: 03/10/2020

Orphaned mountain lion cub rescued from raging California wildfire

An orphaned mountain lion cub rescued from California's devastating Zogg Fire is recovering from burn injuries it suffered during the blaze.

The cub, which is believed to be only three or four weeks old, was found by a firefighter in Shasta County on Sunday, the Oakland Zoo said. His whiskers were singed off and his paws badly burned.

The animal was then taken to the Oakland facility after being transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is reportedly inundated with creatures displaced by the state's unprecedented fires.

"It's a miracle that he's alive," CNN quoted Erin Harrison of the Oakland Zoo as saying.

The Zoo's staff have since taken X-rays of the cub to check for any broken bones and assess whether his lungs were damaged from smoke inhalation, both of which returned clear.

The Oakland facility will now work with the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital to treat the cub's burn wounds.

He is currently being given pain medication, antibiotics and fluids, and vets say they are "cautiously optimistic" he'll make a full recovery.

In the wild, mountain lion cubs typically remain with their mothers for about two years as they learn how to hunt and survive alone.

However, because the rescued cub is orphaned, he will not be released back into the wild and will instead most likely be placed at an accredited zoo, Harrison said.

Reference: Evening Standard: David Child 2 days ago: 03/10/2020