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Pioneering RAF sniffer dog given ‘animal Victoria Cross’ award

A pioneering RAF sniffer dog has been recognised for his work in Afghanistan with the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

Hertz, a German shorthaired pointer, was the first – and so far only – dog in the British military to be trained to sniff out “personal electronic devices”, including mobile phones, SIM cards and GPS devices.

Now retired, he was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal at a ceremony in London on Tuesday – the 74th animal to receive the honour.

Warrant Officer Jonathan Tanner, Hertz’s trainer and handler in Afghanistan, told the PA news agency: “In terms of British military working dogs, he is a one-off.

“He’s very much a unique animal.”

Hertz was trained to sniff out electronic devices by Warrant Officer Jonathan Tanner (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire/PA Images - Kirsty O’Connor)

WO Tanner said he and Hertz were assigned to address the issue of mobile devices being used to “pass messages and data and details to people on the outside that might pose a threat to those on the inside of camp”.

He spent around two months training Hertz to sniff out such devices.

“It was a capability that in the British military had never been tried before,” he said.

“It was something that we’d never even considered before.”

The technique turned out to be “very successful”, WO Tanner said, with Hertz going on to find more than 100 items of contraband.

He worked in Camp Bastion and locations throughout Helmand and Kabul over a period of 13 months and is said to have saved many lives.

Hertz, born in Croatia, joined the RAF as a one-year-old puppy and was chosen for the special assignment after demonstrating exceptional skill in drug detecting.

WO Tanner said Hertz was “by far the best” dog he’s worked with, and that the pair became “best friends”.

“There were many times that one of us would be having a bad day not, enjoying ourselves as much as we possibly could, and I would take him away, put him back in his kennel at night and just sit there and have a chat like you do with your mates at the end of the day,” he said.

“He wasn’t very good at giving advice, but he said he certainly listened and I can tell you that he never gave me bad advice.”

PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin said: “Hertz is a truly remarkable animal hero and a trailblazer in his field.

“His exceptional skills undoubtedly protected troops from the ever-evolving advances in digital intelligence.

“His actions changed the course of countless missions, saving the lives of military personnel and civilians.

“For this bravery and devotion to duty, we are honoured to welcome him as the latest recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.”

Reference: Indy 100: Alistair Mason 

World's largest venomous spider discovered in Yorkshire after travelling 5,000 miles across globe

The largest species of venomous spider in the world has been found in Yorkshire after getting into a shipping container that came from China.

The Huntsman spider had 12-inch long legs

The huge Huntsman spider made it 5,000 miles from eastern Asia to Hull, East Yorkshire.

The Huntsman spider, native to Australia, has 12-inch long legs, and terrified staff when it crawled out of the container, according to Metro.

Huntsman spiders rarely bite, and aren't deadly to humans if they do - but can still cause heart palpitations, vomiting and headaches.

The spider was eventually caught after officers from the RSPCA were called in, HullLive reports.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said the spider had given staff "quite a fright", and was now at a specialist rescue centre.

The spokesperson added: "He fancied a holiday so he hopped on a shipping container in China and ended up in Hull."

Both the UK and Ireland saw a rise in the amount of false widows found during 2021.

These are again, unlikely to bite, but symptoms can be severe if they do - including chest pains, burning sensations, severe discomfort and swelling, and numbness.

Two people nearly died after being bitten by false widows, and one woman had to be hospitalised three times.

However, ecologist Graeme Skinner previously told Metro false widows are "not aggressive", and any spider species native to the UK are "generally shy".

Reference: Yorkshire Lice

On This Day in Space! Feb. 22, 1966: Soviet space dogs launch on record-setting mission

On Feb. 22, 1966, two Soviet space dogs launched on a mission that would set a new record for the longest spaceflight. 

The Soviet space dogs Veterok and Ugolyok, still in their spacesuits, after their historic 22-day space mission in February 1966.

Veterok and Ugolyok, whose names translate to "Light Breeze" and "Coal" spent 22 days orbiting the Earth. 

This record was not surpassed by humans until 1971, and the record has never been surpassed by dogs! 

The space dogs returned to Earth safe and sound, and their contributions to the Soviet space program helped pave the way for humans to safely fly in space, too.

Reference: Space:  Hanneke Weitering

Police probe after sea eagles are found dead on 'game shooting estate'

Police are investigating the deaths of two rare white-tailed eagles amid fears they may have been killed.

Conservationists have claimed that the rare birds, which had only been reintroduced into the UK in 2019, were recovered from game shooting estates in Sussex and Dorset in late January using GPS tracking devices. 

Both eagles are undergoing post-mortem and toxicological examinations to determine the cause of death, Dorset Police said, as they urged anyone with information about what happened to them to come forward.

Some 25 of the birds of prey, nicknamed 'flying barn doors' because of their 8ft (2.4m) wingspan, had been released in the region to bring back a long-lost species to the skies of southern England. 

'Sadly, two of the Sea Eagle England Isle of Wight reintroduced white-tailed eagles have recently been recovered dead on multi-agency operations in the south of England, including one in Dorset in late January,' the force said in a statement.

'These birds are extremely rare and we ask the public to be vigilant and to report any information they may have relating to the death of these birds to Dorset Police', or to Crimestoppers, the force added. 

Provided by Daily Mail Conservationists have claimed that the rare birds, which had only been reintroduced into the UK in 2019, were recovered from game shooting estates in Sussex and Dorset in late January. Pictured: A forensic officer picks up the body of a dead white-tailed eagle in Dorset

White-tailed eagles went extinct in the UK in the early 20th century due to illegal killing.

Reintroduction efforts have seen them return to Scotland and a five-year programme by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to bring the species back to England began in 2019.

The Isle of Wight was chosen as a location to reintroduce the birds, also known as sea eagles, as experts say it provides good habitat for the coast-loving creatures. 

The flock that was most recently released into the wild have all been fitted with GPS tracking devices to enable their flight paths to be regularly monitored. 

Provided by Daily Mail Some 25 white-tailed eagles nicknamed 'flying barn doors' because of their 8ft (2.4m) wingspan, had been released in the region to bring back a long-lost species to the skies of southern England

Reference: Daily Mail: Jacob Thorburn For Mailonline