Invasive – See Animals Wild

January 16, 2024January 11, 2024

Chinese water deer, while vanishing at home, are thriving in the UK

There are perhaps only 10,000 of this species in China, though there are around 700,000 living across the border in South Korea (slightly different subspecies).

They are also doing well in the UK with around 2000 living in the country, having been introduced by the Duke of Bedford into his animal collection, and then quickly escaped (around 100 years ago)

This makes the UK an important part of this species survival. It is particularly easy to see in the Norfolk broads, but is also found in other counties in this area.

September 1, 2021January 22, 2024

Recent evidence suggests that dingoes arrived in Australia 1500 years later than first thought: why is this important and should it give us more courage in repatriating Tasmanian devils to the mainland

While the dingo made look like part of the native fauna of Australia, that is not the case. They were bought there by aboriginal people.

the dingo may look like a domestic dog, there has been little or no interbreeding for 4000 years with other dogs that were domesticated

March 17, 2018December 3, 2023

UK extinct species and imported species – Part 2

Grey squirrels- invaders

These animals cause significant damage to woodland throughout the UK. They were first introduced to Henbury park in Cheshire, but have quickly spread. Being less reliant on trees than red squirrels they have done very well though it is thought that red squirrels were not doing well anyway. A great deal of money and time has been spent trying to control their spread, as they often carry squirrel pox which kills red squirrels quickly, meaning they don’t share land for long.

Continue reading “UK extinct species and imported species – Part 2”

March 17, 2018December 3, 2023

UK extinct species and imported species – Part 1

Huge numbers of species have been disappearing from some or all of their original range in the wild. While there are other reasons for animals to disappear from areas, humans are usually the biggest. This is certainly the case on a micro scale. The majority of impacts of climate change has shifted the entire range for a species in one direction or another. Many mountainous species have shifted their range up hill as the planet has warmed. The problem with this shifting is that often it leaves species stuck in small areas of suitable habitat at the top of hills or mountains. Continue reading “UK extinct species and imported species – Part 1”