World-First Operation To Treat Rhino’s Broken Leg
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A rhinoceros with a broken leg is back on its feet after a world-first operation.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Amara, a southern white rhino at Knowsley safari park, was given keyhole surgery and had to wear a cast for four weeks.
Surgeons took what they knew about operating on horses and applied it to Amara because there was so little information about rhinos which had been injured in this way.
A team of 10 vets was involved in the operation, which they described as “unlike anything we’ve experienced previously”.
I bet it wasn’t like a horse, as equines in my experience don’t have a bodger on their bonce.
The BBC featured the story in BBC Breakfast this morning and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it turn up later or on the Internet.
Some may say, is the expense worth it to operate on a rhino.
But I would say, that the experience gained by the University of Liverpool, will be applied to the treatment of other large animals, like buffalo, bison, draught horses, elephants and hippotami.
Also, knowing Scousers as I do, I suspect that some of the techniques used, will be scrounged by Liverpool’s medics and applied to humans.
England’s First Onshore Wind Farm Of A New Generation
This document from the Department of Business, Industry and Industrial Strategy lists all the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6 results for the supply of zero-carbon electricity.
There is only one English onshore wind farm listed in the document and it is the 8 MW Alaska Wind Farm in Dorset.
It has its own web site and this is the sub heading.
Alaska is a wind energy project comprising 4 wind turbines that are currently under construction at Masters Quarry in East Stoke, near Wareham, Purbeck. This website aims to update you on progress and provide ways to get in touch with the project team.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Alaska Wind Farm is the first of its kind in the county. Dorset has a limited potential for large-scale onshore wind development due to a variety of environmental and technical constraints, such as landscape designations and grid connection opportunities. Extensive technical assessments undertaken during the planning process have demonstrated that the quarry off Puddletown Road makes an excellent site for a wind farm. At present, all four wind turbines have been installed and the team is working on connecting them to the local electricity network. Grid connection is taking longer than anticipated, but the project team are working with the Distribution Network Operator, SSE Networks, to get the wind farm connected over the summer. Once operational, the amount of green electricity generated is expected to meet the annual demand of up to 5,200 average UK households every year*.
This Google Map shows the site on Puddletown Road.
This second Google Map shows an enlargement of part of the site.
Note that are sixteen segments of wind turbine towers.
This article on the Swanage News is entitled Twenty Year Battle To Build Purbeck Wind Farm Is Finally Over.
It gives full details of the history of the wind farm.
The wind farm and a solar farm, will be surrounded by a new heath.
I particularly like this paragraph.
The new heath is expected to be home to all of Britain’s reptiles, including rare smooth snakes and sand lizards among other animals, as well as threatened butterflies, birds, bats and plants.
Renewable energy doesn’t have to wreck the countryside.I shall be watching how this project develops.
Beware Beaver At Work!
Some years ago, I went on a wildlife tour of Sweden, called Sweden’s Mammals.
The company; Wild Sweden, have just sent me this YouTube video.
Enjoy!
Shell And Eneco Joint Venture Looks To Build Greener Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ecowende, the joint venture (JV) of Shell and Eneco, has unveiled plans for building an offshore wind farm that will be in harmony with nature, with minimal impact on birds, bats, and marine mammals.
This is the first paragraph.
Ecowende, which presented its holistic approach at WindDay 2023, said it is going to implement various innovations, large-scale mitigating and stimulating ecological measures, and an extensive above and under-water monitoring and research programme.
This is all good stuff.
These two paragraphs outline some ideas that will be tried.
Specific measures include increasing the height of the lowest tip of the rotor blades, creating a corridor to Natura 2000 area by placing the turbines extra far apart, and an option to bring the turbines to a standstill that adapts to the flight movements of birds in the wind farm.
This way, Ecowende expects to minimise the number of bird and bat collisions.
The Natura 2000 areas are described in this web site.
Other innovative ideas are described in these two paragraphs.
Biodegradable reef structures are being constructed using fruit trees sourced from Dutch fruit farms. These tree reefs offer a place for fish to shelter and reproduce, according to the press release.
Ecowende said it will also install various forms of eco-friendly erosion protection and the oyster larvae network will be expanded to spread the native flat oyster population.
It certainly looks like Ecowende are making sure, that Just Stop Oil’s offshoot; Just Stop Wind doesn’t take root!
Top Meerkats Like To Live Fast And Die Old
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in today’s copy of The Times.
Cambridge University researchers led by Dominic Cram, have found that the Alpha Male meerkats get all the meercrumpet, have a good life and live to an average of 4.4 years. Their subordinates have an average of 2.8 years.
I wonder if it applies to humans. Think David Attenborough, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Bruce Forsyth, the Duke of Edinburgh and Mick Jagger.
A Station With A Wildlife Park
Freshfields station is close to a very unusual wildlife park; the Formby Red Squirrel Walk.
I did get a brief glimpse of a baby squirrel, but I did have a good walk and will go back in the future.
High Seats In The Forest
There are high seats in the forest from where you can observe the wild life.
Unfortunately, in my two hours in the seat, we only managed to see one rather skittish roe deer, despite it being a clear, moonlit night.
Others were more lucky and saw several wild boar and a raccoon dog.
European Bison
These European bison were in a reserve.
There were about fifty in the herd.
The birders in the party were excited about the number of yellowhammers. I know them well, as the birds seem to like the post-and-railed fields of studs in the Newmarket area. The birds are also regularly seen in Cambridge.
Only In Liverpool
I like this story of a grey seal that has been found in the middle of a field in St. Helens seventeen miles from the nearest coastline.
Liverpool is a city, where fun is never far from peoples’ minds.
As it contains a video of a man with a broom trying to move a large sea mammal, everyone in the city will be trying to write an appropriate joke.
When the story broke, someone high-up in Boots was on the radio and he suggested that some of their up-market trout pate would be good for the seal.
Where Do Vets Go For Their Christmas Outing?
I’ve just been talking on-line to a vet and their practice is going to see Cats?
I’ve never seen it myself!
In fact, I don’t think I’ve been to a show this year!
I don’t like going alone, as you’ve no-one to talk about it with afterwards.
The Anonymous Widower 