BIG CAT WEEK IS BACK!

So, Big Cat Week is back, starting yesterday at 8pm, I was a little sceptical at the beginning, it seemed like any other Lion documentary. However as it went on it became an amazingly told story of a pride of lions, one female fighting to save her three cubs from the harsh fate of the wilderness and another side of the story from the young males point of view trying to survive on their own and then eventually take over a pride of their own. However the last 30 seconds of this hour long programme was very hard-hitting and  made the whole programme so relevant and true. I won't give away what happens but I think you should all watch the episodes from last night, one of the best animal programmes I have seen and hopefully it will bring it home to lots of people why we need to protect the animals on this planet. I will be posting reviews every day this week so watch along with me and share your opinions!

BBC Wildlife Magazine

This is the best magazine out there for any animal lovers! I got a years subscription to it for Christmas and I would honestly recommend it to anyone who loves or is interested in animals, no matter what animals they are. It covers such a diverse range of animal subjects in every issue it is astonishing! It reads incredibly well and is easy to understand and learn from and it also recommends you about books to read, places to visit and things to do such as courses, holidays and volunteering opportunities! The January issue which is out now is a particularly good issue (pictured above) and I suggest anyone that reads this article should go out and by this magazine, you will learn so much from every episode and never look back, and if you catch the January episode it is sure to inspire you to have an amazing 2014 full of spectacular achievements and animal encounters! 

Mute Swan Communication

Mute swans are strongly territorial animals and normally live as lone pairs on small lakes due to this. Though in a few locations where a large area of suitable feeding habitat is available they can be colonial, one of the largest colonies of Mute Swans have over 100 pairs such as the colony at Abbotsbury Swannery (a place where I must visit!) in southern England. Non mated individuals normally aged under 4 years old can also be found in bigger flocks as this provides them with better protection than if they were on their own and also provides them the prime opportunity to find a mate. Once they have mated they seek out their own territory as a life long couple it is thought and they often live alongside ducks and gulls; and this benefits them because Swans can reach the deep water weeds and bring them to the surface so that the ducks and gulls have the chance to eat them.

As hinted by the name of this species of Swan they are less vocal than the other species of Swan. The most familiar sound that comes from the Mute Swan, that everyone shall recognise would be their hissing to warn off predators, this is their first form of defence and is commonly done in a way to protect their territory from threats. Another common sound associated with the Mute Swan which I think is amazing is the vibrant throbbing of their wings in flight, this sound is unique to the species and can be heard from a range of 1-2km, which indicates its value as a contact sound between birds in flight. They also make a variety of grunting, hoarse whistling and snorting sounds especially in communicating with their cygnets. 

There is so much more to know about Mute Swans behaviour and I have discovered how little information that actually is out their about it which is shocking! Such as how male Swans hold their wings when trying to attract a female and how the male swans will push out other younger swans through nipping and tugging on their feathers and chasing them in order to claim feeding areas and assert dominance, even towards their own young once they are old enough to hold their own. There is so much to learn! 

Animals with Downs Syndrome

These are not edited photos, they are real, and they are of various animal species, suffering from the rare disease known to humans as Downs Syndrome. It is incredibly rare in animals, but can be seen in domestic dogs as well as in exotic animals. Like in humans, it causes facial defects and also causes the animals brains to develop a lot slower and never develop fully therefore these animals are quite dopey. In the wild they would die very young but the animals above have all been raised in zoos. People are almost completely unaware about this disease in animals, but it does exist, little is known about the animal form as downs syndrome but it highlights just how close humans are to other species on this earth. 

Practical Reptile Keeping

A very amazing, informative magazine!

I initially had my doubts about this magazine, thinking that it would only be suitable for reptile keepers and people who already had a great knowledge and owned these magnificent animals. But how wrong was I! It is one of the most informative magazines I have ever read and I would seriously recommend it to any reptile lovers. I have only bought two episodes so far but I have learnt so much from them both, and it is so easy to absorb all of the information from it as it is so easy to read and interesting. It is definitely worth the money and I plan to subscribe for a year after Christmas!

Fast Facts about Grey Herons

• Latin Name - Ardea Cinerea.
• They are the biggest species of heron in Europe!
• They have a wingspan of up to 175cm.
• They are the top of the food chain in freshwater habitats, and their diet consists of fish mainly but can also contain rodents, water voles, ducklings and amphibians.
• Male and female birds build nests up to 40m up trees and usually in the same tree as several other nests.
• Courtship activity starts around early December with eggs being produced around Christmas.
• Incubation of eggs takes 25 days.
• Chicks are fed by the parents on regurgitated fish.
• At 4-6 weeks the baby birds start to wonder from their nest and at around 8 weeks is when they learn to fly, but can remain dependant on their parents till they are up to 10 weeks.
• Their average lifespan is 5 years, but the oldest known individual was 23 years old.

If there are any other things people would like to know about Grey Herons, leave a question in the comments box and I will get back to you!

RSPB - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

So, trying to get my name out there, I saw an advertisement for the RSPB that said they were looking for volunteers, I'd never really considered doing any work with them before because I am not really a bird person but since being at Paradise that has all changed so I thought I would look into it; one of the best decisions ever!!

They have so many great opportunities for animal lovers and don't just work with birds but all wildlife! I chose to volunteer in St. Albans at their Heron nest watching sight by the lake, it was an amazing day and I learnt so much! Worked alongside some great people too, after volunteering with them for just one day I knew they were a lovely organisation to work for. If there is anyone out there that is interested in wildlife and specifically birds then I reckon you should definitely look into volunteering for the RSPB because it is an amazing opportunity and I am so lucky to have got to be a part of it (lots of future volunteering for the RSPB is in the horizon for me!) They have over 200 nature reserves around the country and Scotland and Wales so anyone can get involved. They also have opportunities to volunteer abroad and to travel around the country working on the nature reserves so it really is pretty amazing!

Following this post will be a fact file on Grey Herons which are the largest type of Heron in the whole of Europe! These are the type of heron I have been observing the nests of alongside the RSPB. And I will also be posting a fact file on the RSPB themselves and explaining what they actually do to help wildlife and explaining how people can get involved without volunteering!!

Thanks everyone!!