Transition Island Blog

Margaret is the first female Rothschild giraffe born at Chester Zoo.

At only 5ft tall, she is also the smallest ever born there.

Tim Rowlands, team leader of the zoo’s giraffe section, said: “Margaret is one of the smallest giraffe calves we have ever seen. Her mother, Fay, isn’t the largest of giraffes and Margaret was 2 weeks premature - which might go some way to explaining her size.”

welcome addition

The birth of Margaret - who is named after Tim’s mum - is all the more welcome as there are only 600 Rothschild giraffes left in the wild, primarily in Kenya and Uganda.

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Conserving red squirrel requires a mass culling program for the eastern gray squirrel*, the UK government in January 2006 announced.

The Red Squirrel Protection Partnership (RSPP) are charged with the duty of the cull. They claim their methods prove the foreign species can be cheaply and quickly brought under control. And effectively - they say they have killed 12,000 - or one third of the county’s population, in just over a year.

Why? UK native red squirrels are dying out because they cannot compete against the larger gray populations. Until recently, there were only 1 red to 20 gray squirrels. The reds are on the brink of extinction. (more…)

Ancient trees are living relics.

They have stood and watched many generations of native humans pass.  Their incredible age inspires awe and mystery. Some began their lives before the Norman Conquest!

They have helped shape our history, and could help shape our future. They are survivors - for example, many ancient oaks will have lived through the medieval mini-ice-age.

This may mean they are important genetic reservoirs, which could be very relevant as we enter the climate change era.

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India is set to spend around £76 million over the next five years in an attempt to save its endangered tigers.

The number of the animals has plummeted to between 1,300 to 1,500 from about 40,000 a century ago, according to provisional government survey results. The fall in numbers is blamed on humans encroaching on their habitat and killing them for their body parts. This is nearly four times as much as has been spent in previous years. (more…)

Logging fires cause 75% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Brazilian government has announced a huge rise in the rate of Amazon deforestation, just months after celebrating its success in achieving a reduction.

In the last five months of 2007, 1,250 sq miles were lost, unprecedented for the time of year. The Brazilian Tapir Nell, living at Amazon World in Arreton, is safe now, but her relatives are endangered by this habitat destruction. (more…)

A tropical octopus found alive & well in the Solent.

The baby octopus, nearly 8 inches long, was found in the Solent off Portsmouth. It was taken to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea, where staff have put it in a Mediterranean tank.

A spokesman for the aquarium said it was odd for a common octopus to be found so far north. Especially in mid-winter when sea temperatures were at their lowest, we might add!

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Put a wind farm underwater.

It would work almost all the time, stay out of sight, and hardly disturb ecology.  The Solent is a good spot for a tidal power electricity generator. The tides are strong, regular and deep. With a chalk bottom, it can be anchored easily.

Bearing in mind we have beached whales from time to time, safety to underwater creatures is important. Turbine blades spin at about 6 mph, and the creators of a large model tested off Devon: “they won’t be a threat to sea life”.