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Safari Park’s Baby Boom Arrivals
The North West may be facing its first hosepipe ban for more than a decade, but the prolonged dry spell is suiting one group of Merseyside residents down to the ground.

As most of the animals at Knowsley Safari Park are ‘programmed’ for the warm climate of the African savannah, they’re making the most of the current conditions which are in sharp contrast to the wet and chilly British summers of recent years.

The dry conditions are also proving a more familiar environment for many of the new arrivals at Knowsley, born in recent weeks as part of the park’s annual baby boom season.

This year’s breeding successes have included the Pere David’s Deer herd, who have produced 18 fawns, closely followed by the axis deer with 12 youngsters. The Pere David’s in particular have proved to be a real Knowsley success story. Critically endangered in the wild, they are breeding in such numbers in Prescot that the park has been able to ‘export’ groups to other attractions.

Elsewhere at the attraction there are a dozen new baby meerkats, ten bison calves, eight red lechwe antelope calves and numerous baby baboons. Sharp-eyes visitors will also spot eland and blackbuck antelope calves and ankole cattle and forest buffalo youngsters. It’s also been a vintage year for camels, with four calves having been born, and for rhea.

This large flightless bird lays its eggs in a simple scrape on the ground. In typical British wet weather, the nests often become waterlogged, with the result that the eggs are abandoned by the mother.  However, in this year’s dry conditions seven chicks have hatched successfully and survived.

According to Safari Park bosses, more babies are on the way. There are a number of expectant mums amongst Knowsley’s nilgai antelope and fallow deer herds which are just coming into their main breeding season. And three of the park’s female white rhinos are also pregnant again, thanks to bull Bud who has proved so fertile that he was recently sent to another attraction on a breeding loan.

General Manager, David Ross, commented: “This is a very exciting time of the year with the patter of tiny - and not so tiny - feet all over the park. Looking round our paddocks it’s clear from the appearance and behavior of our animals that the current dry and warm conditions really suit them.”

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.