Week in wildlife in pictures: a new shrew, itchy deer and tortoises on rafts
Leaf-cutter ants take their haul back to their nest at the Metropolitan Natural Park, a protected area in Panama City Photograph: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images
A newborn albino red-bellied short-necked turtle resting next to its sibling at the Ferme aux Crocodiles in Pierrelatte, south-eastern France. The birth of an albino individual of this aquatic species native to Australia and New Guinea is an extremely rare phenomenon Photograph: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP/Getty Images
Wild boar roam the streets near Calpe, Spain. The boar are causing problems for the tourist hotspot: thousands of the animals have come down from the hills to the towns of the Costa Blanca. Calpe has even hired wildlife experts to round up the boars and remove them Photograph: Mats Rennstam/BNPS
An endangered tortoise clings to a floating branch in a flood in southern Madagascar. During Cyclone Dikeledi, thousands of critically endangered tortoises were swept away from the Lavavolo Tortoise Center, where they had been confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers, and were left swimming for their lives … Photograph: AP
… Sanctuary staff, local volunteers and even police officers joined together in a rescue operation, wading through the floodwaters with large baskets to collect the bewildered tortoises. Some rescuers converted damaged building structures into makeshift rafts for the tortoises to ride on as they moved around to find others. They believe they managed to save more than 10,000 tortoises Photograph: AP
Valentine's day may yet be a happy one for the greater mouse-eared bat: this female, found hibernating in the South Downs, joins Britain's loneliest bat as very nearly the only members of their species in the UK. The male, who is elderly, spends the winter in a disused railway tunnel in Sussex. Ecologists believe population recovery is possible if the two of them can only get together Photograph: Daniel Whitby
A robin perched on a tree sings out, his breath visible in the crisp air in Kidderminster, UK Photograph: Lee Hudson/Alamy Live News
Introducing the Mount Lyell shrew, the only known California mammal never photographed alive, until now. Three young scientists caught five of the tiny shrews in their pitfall traps overnight (all were quickly released). The furry creatures are less than 4in long, and weigh only a gram and a half – about the same as two paperclips Photograph: California Academy of Sciences
A red fox hunts for mice on a snowy field in Kars, Turkey Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
A baby cream-bellied thrush waits to be fed in its nest in Asunción, Paraguay Photograph: Andre M Chang/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Yoko, a baby swell shark, surprised marine researchers in Louisiana, US, by hatching from an egg laid in a tank inhabited by female sharks that had not had any contact with males for three years. Biologists were unsure whether the egg was produced by parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) or delayed fertilisation Photograph: Shreveport Aquarium
Deer play at Nara Park, near Osaka, Japan Photograph: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier this week a young minke whale swam up to a ferry approaching Sydney, Australia – a rare sight, since these whales usually stay in Antarctic waters. Scientists were unsure why it had come so far north. A wildlife researcher said it could just be a case of 'misnavigation'. 'The good thing is it looks in good condition, and it was observed going out to [sea], which is a good thing,' she said. 'If we'll see it again, I'm not sure' Photograph: Jamie and Steve/Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises
A pelican patiently waits close to fishing boats, hoping to feast on leftover fish from the day's catch in Balıkesir, Turkey Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
A giraffe walks past golfers during day one of the SDC Open in Bela-Bela, South Africa Photograph:Migrating gray cranes roam the Agamon Hula conservation lake near the Lebanon border, northern Israel. Hula Lake nature reserve, home for thousands of migrating birds in the autumn and spring, reopened to the public in December 2024 after being closed for more than a year due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah Photograph: Atef Safadi/EPA
Monarch butterflies alight on the branches of an oyamel fir tree in the Piedra Herrada sanctuary, Temascaltepec, Mexico. The monarch butterfly biosphere reserve was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2008
Photograph: Carlos Santiago/Eyepix Group/Rex/Shutterstock
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
Veteran, 100, witnessed official ceremony marking Japan's surrender
Veteran, 100, witnessed official ceremony marking Japan's surrender Reg Draper was a stores assistant on Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York, which was sailing off the coast of Japan in August 1945 when the country surrendered. JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 01: World War II. Pacific front. The American Marines in Sasebo (near Nagasaki) going past a Japanese poster about the army, September 1945. (Photo by Roger Viollet via Getty Images) (Image: (Photo by Roger Viollet via Getty Images)) A 100-year-old Second World War veteran who witnessed the official ceremony marking Japan's surrender has spoken of his memories 80 years on from the end of the conflict. Reg Draper was a stores assistant on Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York, which was sailing off the coast of Japan in August 1945 when the country surrendered. His memories of his time at sea include rationing out a daily tot of rum for every member of the crew and coming off worst in a hockey tackle with Queen Elizabeth II's future husband. Mr Draper, who grew up in Leeds, West Yorkshire, said the crew cheered when news of Japan's surrender came from the captain. He said: "All the ships mustered in Tokyo Bay with the USS Missouri, which was the American ship, and it was on the Missouri where they signed the peace treaty. "Then we all came back down to Australia and we went and celebrated – we went down to Tasmania and everybody had four days leave in Hobart. Article continues below "Everybody wanted to take us to their home and there were a couple of dances in the dance hall." Mr Draper witnessed the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender document firsthand when he went on board the USS Missouri to assist his friend, the ship's official photographer. The 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day is being marked on Friday with a commemorative event organised by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum. Mr Draper is planning to watch the ceremony on television from his home in Elton, Cheshire. He volunteered for the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday and said the worst part of joining up was having all his teeth removed after a medical examination found he had problems with his gums. He completed his training at the Butlins holiday camp in Skegness and was sent to HMS Ambrose, on a submarine base in Dundee, Scotland, before serving on HMS Duke of York. One of his duties on ship was rationing out the rum for everyone to have an 11am tot. Chiefs and petty officers were served theirs neat, while the rum would be watered down for the rest of the crew, he said. "I've drunk Navy rum since I've joined up, whenever I could," Mr Draper said. Asked if that had contributed to his long life, the 100-year-old said: "Well, that's the only thing I put it down to." Mr Draper served on HMS Duke of York when it carried out Arctic convoys to deliver supplies to Russia, and in 1945 when it sailed to Sydney, Australia, before joining the East Indies Fleet. He said: "We started going up to the islands, kicking the Japanese out of the islands as we went." Japan surrendered on August 15 1945 after the US dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki earlier in the month. Mr Draper said: "We didn't hear much about it until it got to the captain." HMS Duke of York was escorted by two Royal Navy destroyers including HMS Whelp – which Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, served on as first lieutenant. Mr Draper said he had a lasting memory of Philip coming on board when the ship was docked. He said: "We used to have deck hockey on the quarter deck and it was murder playing deck hockey. "He knocked me over once and then the next time he came round he hit me, there's still a mark there, he gave me a clout with his hockey stick. "He came to see me just to see how I was. They just put a stitch in and it was alright." The pair met again years after the war, when Mr Draper was in the Royal Navy Reserves and training sea cadets in Wirral and Cheshire for the Duke of Edinburgh awards. He said Philip saw his medals and remembered he had been part of the crew which escorted his ship, but there was no mention of the hockey games. Mr Draper turned 21 on the return journey from Japan, with more than 2,000 people on board the ship because they were carrying prisoners of war home. The father-of-two, who went on to work as an insurance salesman, said it took time to adjust back on dry land. He said: "When we went through the Bay of Biscay at one time it was that rough that the ship's bows would go 24ft up, 24ft down, just like that. Article continues below "You get used to it. Especially if you're in your hammock, it rocks you to sleep. "One of the most comfortable sleeps I've had is in a hammock!"
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
What can students expect from this year's exam results?
What can students expect from this year's exam results? Here is your guide to this summer's exam results (Image: monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images) Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to find out their exam results on Thursday. Here is your guide to this summer's exam results: – Who will receive their exam results ? Schools and college leavers will receive their A-level and AS grades, as well as results for vocational technical qualifications (VTQs) at Level 3, on Thursday. Students in England will also receive their results for T-levels – which were launched to provide high-quality technical alternatives to A-levels. – What can students expect? Article continues below Last year, more than one in four (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade – up from 27.2% in 2023. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic, 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. – How does the situation differ in the devolved nations? In 2023, GCSEs and A-levels returned to pre-pandemic grading arrangements in England. In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators returned to pre-pandemic grading last summer – a year later than in England. Scotland has a different qualification system and students received their results on Tuesday last week. Figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed that 78.4% of those sitting National 5 exams passed with grades A to C – up from 77.2% last year. For Highers, 75.9% passed with the top bands, up from 74.9% last year, and for Advanced Highers 76.7% of students achieved A to C grades, up from 75.3% last year. – Will it be tougher to get university places? A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to be successful in securing their first choice of university this A-level results day – even if they narrowly miss their grades, the head of Ucas told the PA news agency. Jo Saxton, chief executive of the university admissions service, said it was a "good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old" that wants to go to university. She has suggested that British universities are keen to recruit UK school and college leavers because there is more "uncertainty" around the international market and which overseas students are going to turn up. More than 22,500 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England were available on the Ucas clearing site as of Wednesday afternoon, a PA analysis of 129 of the UK's largest higher education providers showed. Eighteen of the 24 elite Russell Group universities had nearly 3,500 courses with vacancies for English residents on clearing the day before results day. – What can students do if they do not get their first-choice university? Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers. Students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use the clearing process through Ucas. Applicants will be able to add a clearing choice from 1pm on results day. In England, if a student is unhappy with their grade they can ask their school or college to request that the exam board review the marking. Article continues below If there are still concerns, the student can ask their school or college to appeal against the result.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners urged to prune 5 plants in August 'before it's too late'
These five plants should be pruned back in August (Image: Getty Images/Image Source) Gardeners are being urged to start shearing away at these five plants – or risk producing lacklustre growth the following year. As the weather continues to heat up and the sun blazes, more Brits are spending time outside – which means you want your garden looking as well-maintained as possible. Aside from the usual mowing, watering and weeding, a task which is often overlooked when it comes to gardening is pruning. Pruning is one of a gardener's most important tasks when it comes to keeping plants healthy. By cutting away dead, wilting or excess blooms, branches and leaves, you help redirect energy and resources back to the plant. READ MORE: 'I'm a professional gardener - these are the most beautiful flowers to plant in August' READ MORE: Gardeners told to put one common food on their bird table as soon as possible Pruning is an important gardening task (Image: Getty) It also helps bushes and trees keep their shape. This in turn prevents them from growing out of control and taking over large swathes of your garden. When it comes to flowers, pruning also encourages them to produce fresh blooms and can lead to a more vibrant appearance. In turn, it will help your garden maintain a lush summer look. Another important benefit of pruning is that it can help curb disease by cutting away afflicted parts of the plant. This way, you can help stop the spread. So, which plants should be pruned back in August? According to a gardening expert, there are five plants in particular that you should pay attention to this month. Richard Barker, a gardens expert and commercial director at LBS Horticulture, told Country Living: "When left alone, lavender can become woody, so it will need to be pruned in late summer after flowering has finished to keep the plant compact.' Richard advised that climbing hydrangeas should be pruned in summer, once it has finished flowering. This way, the plant will have had enough time to develop flowering wood for the following year. Wisteria should be pruned twice a year to ensure more blooms (Image: (Image: Getty)) According to Richard, wisteria should be pruned twice a year – once in July or August and once in January or February. While it can be left to ramble, pruning at these times helps the plant flower 'more freely and regularly'. Rambling roses should cut back in summer once they've produced flowers and hips, as per Richard. They can be pruned at any point up until late autumn or winter. You should prune apple trees in the summer (Image: Getty) Richard advised that apple and pear trees grown in restricted form should be pared back in summer, and that the plant will be ready to prune 'when the bottom third of its new shoots are stiff and woody, with pears ready before apples.'
