Spurn wildlife reserve staff 'told families to kill caterpillars'

BBC News

6 hours ago

A mother-of-two said she felt "physically sick" when families enjoying a tour of a Yorkshire nature reserve were told to "stomp" on caterpillars.Sara said the suggestion was made by a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) staff member at Spurn - a peninsula that extends into the Humber Estuary.She said: "The invasive species had apparently deserved to be squashed because they were eating the leaves of the sea buckthorn. Families killed, with glee, as many as they could."In a statement given to the BBC, the trust apologised and admitted incorrect information was given during its Spurn Safari tour. It said it had since reviewed staff training.
Sara, 37, who did not want to give her surname, said she and her husband had decided to treat their children, aged 10 and 11, to the tour, which uses an ex-military, all-terrain vehicle to get visitors up close to the reserve's vast array of flora and fauna.She said: "The staff member told us, 'the brown tail moth caterpillar should not be here. They are an invasive species. We need to do something about them and I would encourage you to stomp on as many as you can find'."Sara said the comment made her "feel physically sick", as she and her family refused to take part.She said: "I was shocked. People were having fun, stamping on these poor caterpillars. "I was brought up to respect all creatures."
In a statement, YWT said: "We should not ask visitors to kill caterpillars, even invasive ones. The information that was given during the Spurn safari is not correct, we are sorry and thank Sara for letting us know. "While we investigate, we have reviewed our training and reminded colleagues that this is not what we do, and under no circumstances should it be suggested that visitors take such action."Brown-tail moth caterpillars are a "native but invasive species" and active during spring and summer months, the trust said.The creatures have tiny, barbed hairs that can cause a rash when they come into contact with skin, and damage rare plants.YWT said it follows "established practices", under approval from Natural England, to manage the population, with this activity carried out over the autumn and winter.Caterpillars that emerge in the spring should be left to continue their natural life cycle, the trust added.
Sara said she could no longer support YWT."As a compassionate individual, I joined YWT (as a supporter) to support the care of all wildlife, not just a selection," she added."I will not be returning." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.