It’s not long now before we hit the 21^st June – and of course what’s special about that is that it’s the longest day of the year – which means it’s World Giraffe Day, too!  

World Giraffe Day gives us all an important chance to raise awareness of the challenges giraffes face in the wild. 

Giraffe face a Silent Extinction if we don’t act

Over the past 35 years, giraffe numbers have decreased by nearly 30% and there are only about 117,000 giraffe left in the wild now.  The Giraffe Conservation Foundation needs all our help in saving them.  It initiated World Giraffe Day both to celebrate The Giraffe and to give us all the opportunity to help raise awareness of what giraffes face in the wild.   

The giraffe's decline has been referred to as the Silent Extinction, by Sir David Attenborough in the BBC documentary, “Giraffes:  Africa’s Gentle Giants”.

A video on You Tube from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation made in 2020 tells us that:

• Giraffe have gone extinct in at least 7 African countries
• In the last 300 years, we’ve lost 90% of all giraffe habitat
• Human population growth across Africa is having a huge impact on giraffe and other wildlife

The Foundation updates State of Giraffe every year, and this highlights the conservation efforts that are being made and also the status of wild giraffe in Africa.

Action is essential. 

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is the only organisation in the world which concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa.  Giraffe are still vulnerable to extinction, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

It works in 15 African countries across 45 million acres of giraffe habitat.  And it is making a difference to giraffe and I quote:   

• Over 300 giraffe returned to their historical habitat
• 18 new giraffe populations established
• Over 100 giraffe born in original giraffe habitats
• Over 12 million acres of giraffe habitat reclaimed
• Over 5 million data points recorded
• Impact on over 100 million acres of giraffe habitat
  
  

Enter World Giraffe Day!

 

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Zoos, schools, governments, companies and NGOs are hosting events to help raise awareness, and you can get involved and do your bit.  Stick your neck out and raise awareness of giraffes and remind people of their beauty on social media!

Giraffe Translocation

The charity has a translocation programme, moving giraffe.  Giraffe are moving to areas where there are very few or no giraffe.  They are also caught, and then given satellite tracking units so that they can be tracked which enables conservationists to find out more about their movements.  Catching and tracking giraffe provides an excellent opportunity to find out as much as possible about these beautiful animals.  You can look at these two videos to get an idea of what's involved...

Returning Angolan Giraffe to their Natural Homeland

The Longest Wild Giraffe Translocation Ever undertaken by road. Majete WR, Malawi - October 2021

 

All the giraffes which have moved thanks to the programme are doing well and thriving.  And the great news is that many new calves are being born!  The programme is a key part of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s programme to ensure that giraffe have a future in Africa.

The Foundation works closely with local communities – many African children have never seen a giraffe so it has taken children into the field for a day to see giraffe.

You can read about their recent work and news here.

Ways to help the Giraffe Conservation Foundation help giraffes:

• Share news and photos on social media – why do you love giraffes so much?  What makes you care about them?
• Donate to Giraffe Conservation Fund
• Adopt a giraffe (it’s okay, your giraffe won’t come and live with you!)
• Buy something from the Giraffe Conservation Fund’s online shop e.g. a t-shirt for World Giraffe Day!  There are limited edition prints of giraffes, too! 
• Sign up for updates on giraffe conservation so that you can spread the word here - click here and scroll down to do that

Join in the Social Media Challenge!

#StandTallforGiraffe

Show how you #StandTallforGiraffe – literally!   Take a photo of yourself standing tall – you could make it a group photo, but please bear social distancing rules in mind!  A baby giraffe measures about 2m at birth – whilst the adults reach the giddy heights of over 5m.

Or come up with something that’s giraffe inspired – a cake with a giraffe on it, or paint a picture – just show how giraffes have inspired you and spread the message on social media of World Giraffe Day!

And tag the Giraffe Conservation Foundation on social media - here are the tags…

• Facebook: @giraffeconservationfoundation
• Instagram: @giraffe_conservation
• Twitter: @save_giraffe

And use these hashtags to spread the message!

• #GiraffeConservationFoundation
• #WorldGiraffeDay
• #StickYourNeckOutForGiraffe
• #StandTallForGiraffe

 Visit the Giraffe Conservation Foundation here and remember, Keep Calm and Save Giraffe!

 

November 2024:  There’s amazing news from Peru!

Spectacled Bear Conservation has been successful in fitting the first GPS collars on spectacled bears in the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge in Northern Peru.  It’s a protected area.  The team deployed five collars in a few days – they have years of data collection there and have an amazing expertise in bear monitoring.

This success has been achieved in collaboration with SERNANP, Peru’s Protected Area Authority.

It’s a huge leap forward; SBC Peru say the team has spent over 15 years researching and determined that the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge and the landscape around it covering 75,000 acres represent the most crucial remaining habitat for spectacled bears in this ecosystem. 

The satellite GPS collars track real-time bear movements which gives incredible insights into the daily lives of the bears both in and out of the protected areas.  They will be hugely helpful in increasing understanding of bear health, the bears’ use of habitat and the threats facing them.

This information will empower SERNANP to strengthen park management; whilst SBC will be able to develop science-based conservation actions for bears beyond the park boundaries.

Back in May, SBC launched a collaring programme in collaboration with SERNANP in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary.  Four collared bears have been giving lots of very useful insights into their daily lives which have enhanced the understanding of their habits, behaviour and needs.

And more news...

Back in August 2024, SBC  emailed with their annual report.  They are the Spectacled Bears Conservation and they work in Peru towards the conservation of the spectacled bear, otherwise known as the Andean bear.

The bears suffer from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and conflict between people and wildlife.  There is a lack of knowedge about them, which impinges on the ability to plan for their conservation, and make decsisions.  And they're the only bear species in South America.  It's estimated there are about 2,500 mature individuals now.  

SBC's mission is to:

To conserve and protect spectacled bears and their habitat in Peru through scientific research, education and collaboration with local communities, government and land owners.

You can read the Annual Report here

 
We need to look after these bears and all wildlife
These bears are vulnerable and they need our care.
Please support SBC Peru 

More about Spectacled Bear Conservation

Spectacled Bear Conservation was registered as a non-profit organisation in Peru back in 2009.  The aim was to continue research into spectacled bears and to partner with local communities to protect spectacled bear habitat. 

Bears are fascinated by the camera traps,
and SBC Peru have had to work to make sure they can 
protect these vital cameras against the most persistent paws!

Take a look at this bear here!

Their Annual Report gives you an idea of the work they are doing.  For instance, their camera trap study in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary gave unprecedented data to help strengthen conservationa ction for spectacled bears and the other wildlife in the area.  Data caught on camera really gives wildlife conservation organisations evidence of the presence of wildlife and shows those in government that there is truly a need to protect these areas.

This bear has climbed to the top most branches of a tree!

Spectacled bears are keystone species:  they are essential to keep the ecosystem healthy.  And they are an umbrella species, too - they have large habitat ranges.   Protect spectacled bears, and you're also protecting other species such as the mountain tapir, the puma, ocelot and jaguarundi.

Take a look at this beautiful bear relaxing...

You can find out all about spectacled bears from the charity's website and donate to the cause of spectacled bears and the work the charity does, too!   Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter - it's free to do!

There are plenty of things you can do to support SBC Peru, such as:

• Donate (you do this through the Wildlife Conservation Network)
• Shop online
• Volunteer
• Spread the word
• Follow them on social media
  
  You Tube
  
  Facebook
  
  Instagram

Visit Spectacled Bear Conservation here

 In the UK, Knowsley Safari Park give resource support to Spectacled Bear Conservation - their staff contribute to technical projects, education programmes and communication campaigns, for instance.  They have a couple of Andean Bears, and they have keeper talks so that people can find out more about these gorgeous bears!  

 

I love the charity Free the Bears.  They are an Australian wildlife conservation and animal welfare organization and they work with local communities and governments in Asia to help sun bears, moon bears (Asiatic black bears) and sloth bears.  

So they need protecting.

As governments work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, so Free the Bears has more to do, rescuing bears who have been held captive for bear bile farming, educating the public, looking after the bears they have rescued – so far 950 in all.  As more bear bile farms close and Free the Bears rescue those bears, so they need to build more enclosures.   These bears have been captive, in some cases for a very long time.  They cannot go into the wild upon release – they need gentle, loving and knowledgeable expert care.

 

   

 

These bears have bear necessities

• They need a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, with dog biscuits for protein and also pulses and grains
• They are clever so they need a variety of enrichment activities to stimulate their minds
• They love to have their own space so they have climbing platforms and hammocks – most bears don’t see other bears in the forest;  they are very private
• Many of the bears need veterinary care, some for a while.  Remember that many have been used for bear bile farming – a needle has been injected into their gallbladders to access their bile whilst the bears have been drugged
• Their enclosures have an environment that’s as near as possible to the natural habitat the bears would normally enjoy – these enclosures need maintaining.

 Of course, this all costs. Donations help Free the Bears do these things:

• Give immediate medical attention and care to the orphaned cubs
• Procure essential supplies – food, medication, specialised equipment
• Support on-going conservation efforts to protect both bears and their habitats in the years ahead.
  
  

Free the Bears need help! 

There are a number of ways you can help care for the bears in the care of Free the Bears:  

• Be a bear carer – there are different levels available from £5.00 a month. 
• Sponsor a bear (£240 for a year)
• Send a gift to the bears such as a jar of honey, a hammock, a climbing frame, a cub care kit donation, a bathing pool donation, a treat ball donation
• Send a gift for a bear lover to your human!
• Simply donate!
  
  

Night in a Cage 2025 - 10th May

You can also support their Night in a Cage when teams around the world will be raising funds to care for these bears.  The idea is that you spend a night in a cage and get sponsorship - or  you can donate to a team or individual who is choosing to spend a night in a cage, thus showing what the bears have had to endure until their rescue.   Please support this event here.

More about sun bears

Sun bears are the smallest of all bears, but they have a tongue which is 30cm long (that’s a foot!), huge paws and a sun-shaped patch on their chest which gives them their name. 

Sun bears are excellent climbers – they live in tropical forests in South East Asia.  There they spend more time than other bears in trees, and make nests there.  They are crucial for seed dispersal and  pest control. The problem sun bears have is that they have lost 60% of their land due to habitat destruction and over-exploitation.  Not only that, they are hunted for their paws and their gallbladders – these are sold on the black market. 

Send rescued bears a pot of honey for £11.00

The bears need us all to act.  They have been rescued and they need our help to ensure they get all the wonderful loving care and attention they need for the rest of their lives.

Visit Free the Bears' website here.

 

 

The Wildlife Trust for  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire wanted to bring beavers back to Northamptonshire.   It had been over 400 years since beavers – a keystone species - were last seen there, and the Trust has been given permission to release a family group at the Delta Pit wetland, at the Nene Wetlands nature reserve.  And here's an update here!  

You could also look at the Trust's Wilder Futures Fund - they are aiming to raise £1.5 million (£500 a year over a three year period) to help nature recover across the three countries.   Please find out more here.

Here's the background with the original blog...

The Beaver Trust visited the site and did a full feasibility study and identified the site as a suitable feeding site – it’s also quite away from the public.  Furthermore, the site is a difficult one to manage, with breeding birds in summer and overwintering birds in winter, giving the Trust very limited time to do any work.  so the beavers will be able to manage the habitat work for the Trust.

The beavers will be in a safe, enclosed area surrounding a lake.  They are excellent eco-engineers, and have an excellent ability to create habitats that will benefit a whole range of animals.  

The beavers will be busy restoring the wetland habitat – beavering away – and the humans have to do some work of their own beforehand, managing trees and constructing a fence.  This fence is constructed and installed to an exact specification from Natural England – it follows a full site survey. That survey involves considering the risks, so that the Trust can  make sure the beavers are safe and don’t escape.  The stock gates are designed to an approved beaver-proof spec.

The beavers’ work should benefit wetland birds, creating more roosting and feeding habitat, and invertebrates and bats should benefit from it as well.  The beavers will be doing what humans would be doing, but they will be doing it better (and the Trust themselves said that!)

One of the exciting things will be the monitoring of the site, to see how the beavers are doing and how their introduction and work is benefiting other species.

The public visiting the shopping centre next to the reserve will also benefit as they should be able to see the beavers when they visit!

You can still donate to their Beaver Appeal here.

Anyway, take a look at the project here, and you can find out more about the Wildlife Trust BCN here.

 

 

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have a new appeal, Common Farm, and the goal was to raise £300,000 by 30th November 2023. 

Update on 18 March 2024:  SUCCESS!!!

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to say that they could officially announce they'd completed on the purchase of Common Farm!!!  

Over 2,000 donated to the appeal (only launched last October), contirbuting nearly £300,000 to the purchase.  Major donors and philanthropic organisations gave the rest of the funding needed to secure the site.  Locals have been critical to the success of the appeal, organising walking tours for potential donors, delivering leaflets, donating and encouraging people to get involved.  And the Trust is working closely with the community to develop the site as a great place for people and nature.  

This is great news, well done Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and to everyone involved!

The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust want to re-wild 83 acres,
creating vibrant habitat for wildlife

It’s made up of 18 sheep-grazed grassland fields which the Trust is going to transform into a wildlife reserve.  The team will make every field count, as they make the most of the different types of habitat;  they will re-wet the land, by filling in ditches, as drainage ditches flush vital rainwater from the site.  Blocking or filling them in will create pools by filling in the ditches to re-wet  the land. 

As the land gets wetter, so trees and vegetation and wildlife will benefit. And cattle and ponies may come in as grazers, their manure enriching the soil and their grazing stopping trees from becoming dominant.

Please find out more and donate here

The project should form a diverse habitat – woodland expansion, scrubby thickets and open grassland that are species-rich and will benefit barn owls and skylarks and curlew, as well as plants such as the ragged robin and harebell.  This will give a new territory to wildlife – native plants and animals will thrive – hopefully within a year!

Please find out more and donate here.