Vulture Awareness Day (4th September)

Vultures are categorized on whether they are Old World or New World vultures. There are 23 species altogether, with the New World species being found across the Americas and Caribbean and the Old World vultures being found in Africa, Asia and Europe.  The New World vultures include the Turkey Vulture (Cathertes aura), the Lesser Yellow-headed

Great Hornbill – Buceros bicornis

Great Hornbills are similar to that of Rhinoceros Hornbills, with the Male being larger and measuring 121-150cm in length, and the female measuring 112-125cm in length. The males have an average weight between 2.6-3.9kg, and the females have an average weight between 2.1-3.4kg.  The Great Hornbill is a very large hornbill species. They have a

Rhinoceros Hornbill – Buceros rhinoceros

Rhinoceros hornbills are usually 99-125cm long (both male and female). The male usually weighs more with average weights of 2.4-3kg; the female is lighter with average weights between 2-2.4kg.  These hornbills are very large, with black plumage, except for white thighs and vent; the tail is also white with a broad, black band.  Rhinoceros hornbills

How Covid-19 Zoo Closures Have Affected the Animals

With zoos reopening across the UK on Monday (12th April), I figured this was a fairly logical topic to write about this week.  A study undertaken by Williams. E. Et al (2021), looked at the effects of zoo closures on animals’ behaviour. The study looked at a few species including Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus), Grevy’s zebra

Easter in the Wildlife Calendar

Easter is a holiday that a lot of us look forward to, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and even more especially when you’re involved in wildlife conservation and have a general interest in wildlife. Easter marks the start or very near start of baby season in the wild and in a lot of farm animals

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

Total length: 3.4-4.2m Shoulder Height: 1.5m Tail length: 30-50cm Weight (mass): 1,000-2,000 kg (males), 1,000-1,700kg (females) IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable  Population Trend: Stable Population numbers: estimated at 115,000 – 130,000 individuals Hippos are semi-aquatic mammals, spending most of their day in water. They are large animals, with smooth, hairless skin, short legs and a

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

The Red Fox is the only member of the Canid (dog) family in the UK. A lot of the time, they are seen as pests by farmers and the public as they have a reputation for stealing chickens and going through our rubbish when scavenging for food.  Red Foxes however do have quite a varied

Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)

The Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) is a fairly common animal to spot on safari in Africa, with them being found mostly in protected nature reserves. They have otherwise been eliminated throughout South Africa, southern Namibia, and central Zimbabwe. Other than these areas, they are found in most African countries, as far north as Guinea, Ghana

It’s Not All About the Big Animals

When people are planning a trip, maybe abroad, maybe only a few hours away from home, and that trip specifically features the topic of wildlife watching, you only ever hear people talk about going to see the big animals. For instance, people travelling to Africa will talk of hopes that they get to see all

CITES

What does CITES stand for?  CITES stands for: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. So what is CITES about exactly?  CITES is an agreement between governments, which has aims to ensure that any trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not have an impact on that