Latest news with #CuanWildlifeRescue
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Newport town councillor rebuts swan death police cover-up claims
A post-mortem report into the deaths of two nesting swans has been posted online in a bid to counter claims of a "police cover-up".West Mercia Police initially said the swans had been shot with an air rifle in Newport between 30 April and 1 May, but officers later said it appeared the birds had been killed by another Thomas Janke, who chairs Newport Town Council's community safety committee, said a wave of unfounded rumours had appeared online, some casting doubt on the integrity of the police neighbourhood the post-mortem report online, he wrote: "Let me be clear, there is no police cover-up. The case is now closed." Cuan Wildlife Rescue carried out an examination after the swans were found dead on the tow-path at Victoria Park, the Local Democracy Reporting Service eggs that were left abandoned after the swans died later started to hatch. Janke said it was disheartening to see trust in the police undermined by speculation with no basis in wrote: "The local police sergeant has personally examined the swans and consulted the vet who carried out a closer inspection."He can confirm the findings point clearly to an attack by a large animal – likely a dog, fox, or other predator."He said injuries included crushing of the skull and bite marks consistent with a larger animal, with no evidence of gunshot or pellet wrote: "While we may never know the exact species responsible, what we do know is this was not caused by a firearm."I respectfully ask our community to refrain from spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories online." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- BBC News
Newport swans not killed with air rifle, police say
Two swans found dead by a canal towpath were not killed with an air rifle as was originally believed, police West Mercia Police said it appeared they were killed by another birds were found in Victoria Park, Newport, Shropshire, at the start of eggs left behind by the nesting birds are now in the care of Cuan Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock and have begun to hatch. Last week the force described the attack on the two swans as an "unlawful killing" and said: "We believe both swans were shot with an air rifle sometime in the night over 30 April to 1 May."But on Friday a spokesperson said: "Following further enquiries and advice from animal experts, we can confirm that the swans were killed by another animal and there is no criminal activity involved."After an emergency appeal, Cuan Wildlife Rescue was able to buy a large incubator and said it hoped all 11 eggs would hatch. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- BBC News
Eggs found after Newport swan-shooting start to hatch
Eggs that were left abandoned when two swans were shot with an air rifle have started to Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock said it was "fabulous news" and thanked people who had donated money to buy an egg incubator at short said it hoped all 11 eggs would eventually produce eggs were found in a nest at the Newport Canal in Victoria Park, Newport and West Mercia Police believes both swans were shot overnight between 30 April and 1 May. The eggs were passed on to Cuan Wildlife Rescue, which raised more than £2,000 to buy the equipment large enough to hatch the and Wrekin Council said it was reviewing CCTV of the area and was appealing for information about the "cruel attack". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
22-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
RSPCA: West Midlands has third biggest litter problem for wildlife
The West Midlands has the third largest number of incidents in the country of litter endangering wildlife, says the year, there were 87 reports to the charity of animals affected by litter in the region. The only areas with more reports were Greater London and Greater one instance a duck was left struggling to eat after a plastic six-pack beer can holder got caught around its neck and beak on the Walsall Canal. The animal charity is now urging people to sign up for a nationwide litter pick to help protect wildlife. In the reported wildlife incidents in the West Midlands, the RSPCA included Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Solihull, and there were 28 incidents reported in Staffordshire, 20 in Worcestershire, 17 in Warwickshire, eight in Herefordshire, and five in officers rescued the duck from the Walsall Canal and took it for treatment at the charity's Newbrook Animal Hospital in plastic ring around its neck had meant it had struggled to eat and swallow, and there were concerns that it would starve to death or snag the plastic ring on something and then drown. In another incident in the Black Country last year, the RSPCA was called to a pond in West Bromwich after a duckling had ingested a deflated balloon and was taken to Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre in Gloucestershire, where staff were able to remove the string and the wake of the incident, the charity urged the public: "Please always deflate balloons and cut them up before putting them safely into your bin to prevent wildlife casualties." Litter continues to be a blight on the region's wildlife. In an incident in February this year, which was reported to Cuan Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, a hedgehog was found with an elastic band stuck around his middle, cutting into his common causes of injury to wildlife include discarded fishing hooks. Around 34% of all litter-related calls to the RSPCA last year were about animals that had become caught in fishing tackle a bid to protect the nation's wildlife, the RSPCA is now urging people to join Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean, which starts on Friday and runs until 6 RSPCA's anti-litter campaign manager, Carrie Stones, said spring was an ideal time for a litter pick, as it is before the breeding season, when young animals such as fox cubs are at risk of hurting themselves. Litter in hedges is also more visible to pickers before the vegetation starts Stones said: "It's distressing to see how our native wildlife is being affected by litter. Our rescuers deal with so many avoidable incidents every year where animals have been impacted by litter."Sadly, for every animal we're able to help, there are probably many others that go unseen and unreported, and some of our fellow living creatures may even be losing their lives."But the public can help us protect animals and avoid these incidents happening in the first place." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
