India reintroduces cheetahs to wild after big cats airlifted from Namibia
India reintroduces cheetahs to wild after big cats airlifted from Namibia
PM Narendra Modi to welcome the eight animals amid fears that they may struggle with Kuno national park habitat or clash with leopards
A sanctuary created for the cats south of New Delhi is to house eight Namibian cheetahs being transported there after the animals were declared extinct in India in 1952. Photograph: F1online digitale Bildagentur GmbH/Alamy
He will swing open the gates of Kuno national park, a new sanctuary created for the cats, 320km (200 miles) south of New Delhi.
The 750 sq km (290 sq mile) protected park was selected as a home because of its abundant prey and grasslands.
The project is the world’s first inter-continental translocation of cheetahs, the world’s fastest land animal, according to the Indian high commissioner to Namibia, Prashant Agrawal.
“This is historic, global first – game-changing,” he said. “We are all the more excited because it is happening in the 75th year of Indian independence.”
Critics have warned that the Namibian cheetahs may struggle to adapt to the Indian habitat and may clash with the significant number of leopards already present. But organisers are unfazed.
“Cheetahs are very adaptable and [I’m] assuming that they will adapt well into this environment,” said Dr Laurie Marker, founder of the Namibia-based charity Cheetah Conservation Fund, which has been central to the project logistics. “So I don’t have a lot of worries.”
The project has been in the making for more than a decade. Initial discussion started in the 1990s, she told AFP.
India was once home to the Asiatic cheetah but it was declared extinct there by 1952. The critically endangered subspecies, which once roamed across the Middle East, Central Asia and India, are now only found – in very small numbers – in Iran.
New Delhi has since 2020 been working to reintroduce the animals after the supreme court announced that African cheetahs, a different subspecies, could be settled in a “carefully chosen location” on an experimental basis.
The five females and three males, aged between two and five-and-a-half, will each be fitted with a satellite collar.
They are a donation from the government of Namibia, one of a tiny handful of countries in Africa where the creature survives in the wild.
Negotiations are ongoing for similar translocation from South Africa, a government official said on Friday, with vets suggesting 12 cats could be moved.
Cheetahs became extinct in India primarily because of habitat loss and hunting for their distinctive spotted coats.
An Indian prince, the Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo, is widely believed to have killed the last three recorded cheetahs in India in the late 1940s.
One of the oldest of the big cat species, with ancestors dating back about 8.5m years, cheetahs once roamed widely throughout Asia and Africa in great numbers, the Cheetah Conservation Fund said.
But today only about 7,000 remained, primarily in the African savannas.
The cheetah is listed globally as “vulnerable” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species. In North Africa and Asia it is “critically endangered”.
Their survival is threatened primarily by dwindling natural habitat and loss of prey due to human hunting, the development of land for other purposes and climate change.
Reference; Nambia
Russell Brand left devastated after his beloved pet dies
Russell Brand left devastated after his beloved pet dies
Russel Brandt has been left devastated after his pet dog Carly died on Monday.
The comedian, 47, took to his Instagram to announced the tragic news to his followers, alongside a picture of Carly watching him swim.
He revealed that he and his wife Laura had adopted the pet pooch through a friend, after her original owners passed away.
Russell wrote: 'Today our dog Carly died. We inherited her from her first owners (who had died) via a mate.
'She was a lovely dog, all full of spirit and joy and bounce (and farts and night-barking) me and Laura will miss her but carry the love we felt amidst this passing pain.
'Thanks for her lovely life Unknowable, Unquenchable Cosmic Force that makes all possible.'
Russell was immediately flooded with comments from his followers and famous friends offering their condolences.
Kirsty Gallacher said: 'We loved her so much. The kindest soul, now rest easy beautiful Carly'.
While Alan Car shared: 'Aww mate how awful. Sending you lots of love'.
And Fearne Cotton echoed: 'Sending you all the love. She was so special.'
Russell has another dog - a German Shephard named Bear and cats, who he regularly shares to his Instagram.
Last year, the comic was reportedly left devastated after Bear mauled a wallaby to death on a walk near his home in Henley-on-Thames.
Bear caught the female while it had its baby in its pouch, according to The Sun.
The publication reports that Russell got involved with the incident- as soon as he could and managed to save the joey.
Russell has a £4.1million cottage in the south Oxfordshire town which is well known for its population of wild wallabies that are believed to have escaped from a private collection more than 20 years ago.
Locals have told the publication that vegan Russell was horrified by what happened.
One said: 'Absolutely no one is blaming Russell or his dog — it's just a horrible accident.
'In fact Russell was the hero because he managed to save the little joey and it could have been far worse if he hadn't stepped in so quickly.
'He is a very caring man with animals — he has plenty of pets and they're all his babies. I understand he's devastated over what happened. It's really sad.'
The sad news comes as Russell is facing a backlash over his plans to build a recording studio in his 15th century pub.
The comedian has submitted an application to convert part of The Crown pub into a studio where he will record videos for his YouTube channel and its 6 million subscribers.
Russell angered locals by purchasing the only pub in the village of Pishill, Henley-on-Thames, for £850,000 with plans to turn it into a vegan restaurant.
His company, Pablo Diablo's Legitimate Business Firm Ltd, has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for the further changes to the Grade II-listed The Crown.
Planning documents show Russell is keen to get the work as soon as possible ahead of the launch of a new show on September 25.
The pub, used as a popular wedding venue, is temporarily closed and being used as accommodation for Brand's freelance staff.
The Crown has outdoor seating, a car park, a detached barn, a two-bedroom cottage and a garage.
Planning documents to support the application state: 'The entire property has recently undergone a change of ownership and the public house is temporarily closed whilst plans to refurbish the building and formulate the nature of the new establishment are put in place.
'The intention is to re-open the public house in due course. In the meantime, it is being occupied in part by staff working on a freelance basis for the applicant.
'Delivery of the new studio will mean that the production staff can be relocated to it and that plans for re-opening the public house can be driven forward.'
But one neighbour has already opposed the plans, citing a stand-up show Mr Brand put on in The Barn, which is part of the pub.
She wrote: 'A performance by Russell Brand of his stand-up show has provided a taste of life under the new owners; there were cars left anyhow and everywhere, double and triple parked with at least eight on the proposed development site.
'It is therefore our considered opinion that The Crown cannot currently sustain the business model adopted by the owners due to an insufficient number of parking spaces when all areas i.e. the offices, studios and performance venue (The Barn) are operational and that as Russell and Laura Brand continue to become more successful, as I hope and am sure they will be, the parking and road safety issues will only become worse.
'I hope this email expresses my disappointment with our new neighbours' determination to proceed with their plans regardless of the impact on our shared local environment or indeed myself and my family.
'I sincerely hope that you can impress on them the need to stop and wait for appropriate surveys and investigations to be concluded and reported on before they take any further action.'
The Environmental Protection team and Pishill with Stonor Parish Council have also cited concerns over the impact of noise.
On 16 August, Environmental Protection proposed a 'noise Control-Sound insulation scheme-Noise' from inside the building - in an attempt to 'control noise' from inside and out the building.
The team wrote: 'No development shall take place until a scheme for the control of noise from the building has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.'
The parish council added that they wanted to see some progress on the reopening of the pub before any additional uses are considered.
Russell and his wife Laura, who live in Henley, bought The Crown in March 2020.
He said the pub will reopen and be refurbished once his recording studio has been built.
The target decision date is set for 27 September.
Reference: Daily Mail: Milly Veitch For Mailonline
Thousands of donkey penises seized in smuggling operation between Nigeria and Hong Kong
Thousands of donkey penises seized in smuggling operation between Nigeria and Hong Kong
Although the seizure of donkey genitals is rare, donkey skins are known to be frequently exported or smuggled to countries like China where the skins are used in traditional medicines.
This illegal trade is drastically diminishing the donkey population in Nigeria, where many rely on donkeys as work animals.
A total of 16 sacks of genitals were seized last week at the international airport in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.
What's behind the illicit donkey-parts trade?
British charity The Donkey Sanctuary estimates that some 4.8 million donkeys are trafficked and killed each year for their skins. Many are used to produce ejiao - a traditional Chinese remedy.
In July, the Nigerian customs seized €114,000 worth of donkey skins being smuggled into the country from neighbouring Niger.
Attempts to curb the practice have included a 2021 proposal by senators to ban the killing of donkeys. This is yet to be passed into law.
"The major beneficiary in this trade is the donkey [skin] merchants in China," says Muhammad Datti, one of the federal lawmakers supporting the proposed ban.
"This animal is facing extinction [in Nigeria] and it cannot breed in large numbers because of the very low rate of fertility."
An investigation has been launched to find out more information about the seized items, according to the customs service.
Nigerian officials have seized thousands of donkey penises that were about to be exported to Hong Kong.
Reference: EuroNews:
The cat 'slums' of East London where unwanted pets are dumped on the street and attacked by 'sex mad toms'
The cat 'slums' of East London where unwanted pets are dumped on the street and attacked by 'sex mad toms'
East London is reportedly in the midst of a "cat crisis" with "cat AIDS", "scumbag backyard breeders", sex mad tom cats, and inbred kittens. Tireless cat rescue volunteer and property seller Natalie Talbot, 49, from South Woodford has been scooping up feral felines from the streets of Waltham Forest in a bid to stem a tide of abandoned animals being left behind by heartless owners, but told MyLondon the problem just gets "worse and worse".
UK cat owners swelled by 600,000 during Covid, bringing the total to 10.8million. Research by Cats Protection - where Natalie volunteers - found seven per cent of owners got a cat for reasons like being furloughed or spending more time at home. But Natalie claimed the return to the office and cost of living pressures have caused a boom in abandonment, effectively creating cat 'slums'.
She said: "There's a massive increase in people waiting to get rid of their cats for lots of different reasons. I think it's with people wanting to go back to work after Covid and now we are in the summer holidays people do not want to pay for catteries. And with the cost of living people do not want to pay to look after a pet."
Cat rescue centres like The Scratching Post Cat Rescue Shelter in Waltham Forest are bursting at the seams. Founder manager Susan Delaney, 59, said it was "absolutely dire" and there is "no space anywhere". She added: "People are breeding left right and centre, the market is flooded with kittens. It gets worse every year."
She blamed the closure of vets during lockdown which meant cats were not being neutered (Kittens should be neutered by four months to stop kittens having kittens). With all 90 spaces full at her centre, she can't deal with people "literally crying and begging down the phone" trying to offload their cat. She said people had reported colonies of up to 30 cats at a time and warned without regulation there would be a cull.
'People will lie and tell you they will put them to sleep'
The desperate backlog of homeless cats has led to threats from owners to have them killed. Natalie said: "There are lots of people wanting to sign over their cat but the rescue centres are full. People will lie and tell you they will put them to sleep to pull your heart strings."
Natalie explained the problem extends to Kent, Hertfordshire, and Essex, but the worst areas in Waltham Forest were Walthamstow, Leyton, and Leytonstone. She also pointed to "hotspots" like Lloyd Park, Fulbourne Road, and Lea Bridge Road. "We get called back time and time again," she added.
With rescue centres full, some cruel owners are just giving up. Natalie said: " Quite a lot of people are abandoning them in vets. One guy went into a vet in Chingford and just literally left a pet carrier in the waiting room and then walked out. Cats are just left on the door step in a carrier or cardboard box."
When MyLondon asked Goddard Veterinary Group - who have a surgery in Chingford - it confirmed abandonment is "definitely a common thing across our branches". Best Friends Vet Oakhill also confirmed it "does happen" and called it "horrific". Pets Clinic in Walthamstow said they often had people come in with abandoned cats but could not help if they aren't chipped.
Natalie said she responds to calls for stray cats by going out with scanners to check their chips. She also uses "paper collars" which have stickers saying "Please call me if this is your cat", stick up posters, and spread images on social media. " These are not ferals or strays you would expect to find but people do not want them. They just dump them hoping someone will find them," she added.
'It's FIV but I call it Cat Aids'
The problem is so bad Natalie admitted she's not afraid to scare people if it turns heads. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a viral infection that weakens the immune system, much like HIV does in humans. It's not transferable to humans but if untreated it can leave cats suffering.
"It's the AIDS of cats," Natalie said. "Once they have cat AIDS that's it. They have to live with it." FIV can leave cats with "flu, different viruses, and problems with their mouths and gums". Natalie warns it can be spread by sex and fighting which is why it's so important to get neutered.
She said: "Fighting is a big risk. Even if your lovely natured cat is neutered the other cat could be aggressive and attack your cat. I think if owners tested a lot of cats they would have it and they would not even realise. I have heard of people who have taken their cats in who are not well and then they test them and then they are FIV positive."
Of a colony of six cats found in East London, one died, two were FIV positive, and two had full mouth extractions. Natalie said she treats cats with abscesses as a priority and wanted to share gruesome photos so people could see the consequence of backyard breeding and failing to spay.
Inbreeding is another problem that can leave cats with horrific disabilities. Natalie also blamed unneutered cats for hit and runs. She said: " They get lost and they get hit by cars. Their heads are in another place, they are not thinking about the road, they are just thinking about sex. They have the minds of teenage boys."
'Not all breeders are scumbags but they need educating'
With cat breeding unregulated and 68 per cent of all cats bought in 2021 sold online, the scale of backyard breeding has caused a headache for cat rescuers and adoption centres. When MyLondon checked Gum Tree there were 967 ads for kittens and cats in London, with a single kitten going for as much as £1,900.
Cat campaigners like Natalie and Susan are calling for government regulation - like with dog breeding - with limits on the number of litters a mum can have, and an end to ruthless inbreeding which leads to painful deformities. Buying kittens from an adoption centre means they come with vaccines, neutering, and a pet plan "so you are actually saving money".
In lockdown with the demand for cats up people realised they could "make a few bob". Natalie raged: " These breeders are just scumbags trying to make a few quid. The mummy cat has just gone outside and had sex with a tom cat but they do not know what diseases they are bringing back."
But, she warned any breeders they can expected a knock on the door if they carry on. Natalie follows the crumbs and challenges people "in a nice way". She tries to educate people about FIV and neutering and has realised "they are not all scumbags, some are really grateful".
She added: " Some people follow through and neuter - I am quite persuasive. What we want to do is scream and shout but I am really calm and explain the reason. You can't bark at people, it's about educating people."
Reference: My London: Callum Cuddeford -
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