Fireworks? . . Think again!
I do feel the need to express my feelings in regards to the most serious and annoying subject of unsociable behavior.
Every year the time of year comes when I get restless. The end of October and the first few weeks of November are stressful for me. I hate loud noise and fireworks are too noisy. I am not afraid of them at all. I am very concerned about the natural world. All species of animals are much more sensitive than us. Most mammals and birds have excellent hearing, not like human beings that seem to be losing the senses especially the sense of hearing.
Every year the booms from these small bombs seem to get louder. People seem to get off on loud bangs. Why ? and why do they seem not to bother about other people or animals? fireworks are so commonly used now by so many people and more so by young folk in the public streets. This should be made illegal by the government. There in no other form of noise pollution that does so much damage to peoples nerves and causes so much distress in animals. I have always hated fireworks and it makes me mad when people seem to be able to let them off wherever they please, at all times of night and at any time of year. To hell with fireworks! and the idiots that light them. They pollute the air we breathe with toxic chemicals and when it rains, they get washed into our water supply, poisoning us and the environment. The manufacturers of these nasty bombs should be punished. No doubt mainly Chinese !but there are also factories in the UK. The intelligent people of the world should get together and have a sensible debate about these issues. It is mainly in the western world where they are used as toys, as an excuse to make a loud noise. when are the governments of the UK going to see sense in regards to so many public problems? This may seem petty to many people but I must stress that those people are not intelligent enough to know of the damage they do to animals. At this time of year thousands of migrating birds travel two and throw across the nation only to be terrorized by a barrage of deadly bombs let off by insensitive humans. Deer, badgers owls with their very sensitive hearing suffer death by stress. Domestic animals run scared and break down fences, dogs get lost, cats are never seen again. People that have suffered through wars are forced to relive their ordeals because it is like a war zone when thousands of these fireworks are let off. so many British people are so annoyed about this public enemy number one. I just hope that the government said enough is enough NOW.
Bovine TB, Badgers and Cattle
It is a disgrace that D.E.F.R.A has decided to go ahead with a mass badger cull in a bid to eradicate TB in cattle. Science has proven that eradicating badgers only makes the problem worse.
Killing badgers is illegal yet the government seems to think that it can break the law that it made in the first place to protect this species that was hammered by all types of rural people along with the otter and barn owl and many other wildlife species.
Bovine TB more likely comes about due to the way cattle are reared and the way in which they have been subject to mutation and unnatural breeding. Farming methods have been dirty for around sixty years. Modern high yield dairy farming has put much pressure on the land and the cows themselves. Larger herds and more intensified milk yield have led to cows being very prone to catching TB.
Most dairy farms have the cattle standing in their own muck for long periods of time. Farms are very dirty places and with wet weather especially in the West Country, TB breeding grounds are inevitable.
Why are badgers blamed for spreading this disease? It is because the ministry of agriculture is under pressure to find a cause and not to let the public know that it is because of the dirty farming methods. Lets face it, if we stood in our own urine and feces for months on end, then we would also get TB. It is worth knowing that TB is not just a problem in the UK but also in other countries where the Eurasian badger does not occur. It is thought that other wild animals are responsible for spreading it there. Eradication of wildlife seems to halt the spread, so it is said. If this is true then why are wild animals spreading TB to domestic livestock? That is strange. TB does not occur naturally in wild animals except when species over populate. It is more likely a build up of waste matter continually in one place that determines whether or not the disease is triggered. Nature is then led to believe that an over population of the species has occurred and a natural eradication programme of the survival of the fittest is due. That is how disease operates.
As for badgers, well unfortunately they are more prevalent in dairy farming areas as they feed in the pastures of good grass, mainly in western areas where there is more annual rainfall as their main prey item, earthworms are very abundant. This puts badgers and cattle in direct contact and it is more likely that cattle actually spread TB to badgers rather than the other way round because badgers do not move very far being territorial they stay in the same small area and leave territorial markings in the form of latrines at the edge or the territory or near the sett. They do not urinate or defecate anywhere like most other animals. Cattle therefore rarely come into contact with badger waste matter. Cattle on the other hand produce so much waste and plaster it all across the fields everywhere and also drop gallons of saliva around the fields, hedgerows, field borders and water troughs and water ways. Badgers do not do that, they are very clean animals. The badgers do forage around the cattle eating worms and grubs from under cow pats and digging in the soil. It is easy to see how cattle could spread TB to badgers, but it is unclear just how badgers can pass it on to cattle in such a big way. An infected badger could pass it to cattle by drinking from a trough or feeding in its pasture but it would have had to catch it from cattle in the first place or from another infected badger which would have had to catch it from cattle anyhow, and as badgers keep to themselves within the colony the chances are very low. There is small movement of boar badgers to other areas, mainly to breed and their has to be otherwise they would all be inbred but badgers are least likely animal to move large distances. Other animals such as foxes, hares deer, crows are more likely to be spreaders of TB then badgers. Bovine TB was common in dairy cattle after the nineteen fifties and that is why all milk was pasteurized in the first place, because so many humans were getting TB.
To blame it on a protected animal is obscene. Now the Government has caused a real huge stir as they have fed it into the ignorant farming fraternity over the last thirty years that badgers are to blame, and as a consequence farmers now hate badgers and are illegally killing them. They have been filling in their setts suffocating them, gassing them,and poisoning them with slug pellet bait, shooting them and encouraging badger baiting. This very cruel sport is very common and in Dorset nearly all badger setts are systematically operated to retrieve badgers to fight with dogs. If badgers have TB then it could be passed on by these people as many of them are farmers themselves or from farming areas. The disease can be spread in vehicle tires, dog’s feet, wellington boots etc. TB will persist even if there are no badgers left in the UK. What will the government do then? They certainly will not apologize to any wildlife authority, farmers, or the thousands of badger colonies needlessly destroyed. We all know just how dishonest the governments can be and especially DEFRA. It is worth noting that there are many diseases associated with modern farming methods in cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens. D.E.F.R.A will lie through their back teeth to hide the truth, just like they did with BSE, Blue tongue, foot and mouth diseases. Also lies about big cats living wild and breeding in the UK, and misleading information about other animals and conservation. It is very sad that all our government bodies are incapable of being honest, they are all corrupt and they are only adding to the rot of modern society.
I have seen so much destruction of badger setts throughout southern England over the last twenty five years by farmers and gamekeepers and fox hunts. Huge setts that may have existed for hundreds of years, filled in and the occupants suffocated, or gassed. Many of these setts have been on National Trust land and the trust has turned a blind eye to it. Maybe they were actively involved, as I know of many National Trust Workers and Wardens who hate badgers. This is indeed a serious allegation but it is the truth.
The increase in badger baiting over the last twenty years or so has also not helped the situation. Badger setts are dug into with terrier men and the colony disperses, new setts are made. Many baiters net and trap badgers on the forage late at night. Others are shot and taken. Many lambs are killed when these rogue people are out having fun in the countryside. Many badgers maybe taken from one sett, or just a few for the time being.There may be a change to the dominant animals as the natural hierarchy breaks down more sows breed and as a consequence the colonies become larger. Those new setts will be targeted again and the same will repeat itself. The deaths of many badgers on roads also play a vital role. In Dorset maybe half of all the badgers born in one year will be killed by road vehicles within two years. This also has the same effect. The colonies are under a huge strain, animals are stresses and then disease may set in, they are then prone to catching TB from other infected cattle or other wild animals that may have picked it up. It is a nasty vicious circle. But one thing is clear. Humans are to blame.
This small boar badger was found in an urban garden in Bournemouth. It was dead with horrific wounds inflicted on it by a dog. The dog had gripped its snout for a long time and also its rump.
A dog such as a pit bull terrier or a Stafford terrier could have done this. Only a dog with much strength and stamina would be capable of doing this. The badger may have simply come across a dog in a garden or there may have been a more sinister air about it.We rely on British farmers and they do a very good hard job. it is a shame that we rely too much on foreign imports. I respect our farmers in general, having lived among them for most of my life, but there are so many different types within the farming communities.Many farmers are conservationists turning their land over towards making flower rich meadows and attracting wildlife back. well done you farmers. I just wish that more would see sense.
Here are two holes dug by badger diggers.The holes are deep and have entered the sett tunnels to retrieve terriers or to grab a cornered badger to be hauled out with nasty tongs.
The top picture shows a large spade dug hole. the sett was on a chalk downland site.I only knew about it as a local farmer to the area suffered lamb loss(fourteen deaths during one night)He contacted me fearing that large cats may have been to blame. after searching around for evidence, and knowing that it had nothing to do with cats, I noticed the sett on the hill side,and suggested we take a look. It would seem that the badger baiters dogs had a wail of a time with badgers and then these lambs! This kind of thing happens on a regular basis.This particular incident happened a few years ago.
The trouble with dogs and cats
Now I was always a dog lover when I was younger, being brought up with them, they were my companions and best friends. In the countryside most dogs were working animals and had jobs to do. They had a sense of well being and most dogs were happy. There were of course the odd lapdog and mutation. Now though things have become much different.
The rise in dog keeping as grown unchecked over the last twenty years , and seemingly without cause for concern. This in itself is cause for concern.
It is estimated that there maybe over ten million pet dogs in the UK. That is the highest number ever in the history of dog keeping.
It is also estimated that there are over nine million domestic cats kept in the UK.
So what ? you may be asking.
These huge numbers of both species have huge implications on our environment.
Our small island cannot cope with these numbers. Dogs and cats have a detrimental effect on the environment especially the countryside. Millions of cats means millions of deaths of small birds. It does not end at birds.
A prime example is. On heathland in my area of Dorset, there are many housing estates that cropped up during the nineteen eighties. Hundreds of thousands of homes were built, now with families living in them. Lets say for example that one in ten homes has a family cat. That maybe an average. One block of natural heathland only two square miles in size will be home to several colonies of sand lizards, common lizards and slow worms. Also adders , smooth snakes and grass snakes. Smooth snakes and sand lizards are endangered species and are protected by law. There will be other rare heathland birds such as nightjars and Dartford warblers. There will be more common bird species all nesting in low heather and gorse. There will be rare insects such as beetles and dragonflies and butterflies and moths. All of these species will need to be managed if they are to have any chance of survival. There will be natural predators taking some of these animals. That is natural and there will be a balance of nature so that no species would naturally succumb to another species. The problem now is that there maybe thirty or forty cats hunting out on the heath, day and night. These cats do not need feeding and are not hungry so that they do not eat the animals they kill. Catching animals comes naturally by instinct to cats and they will still do it even if they spend much of their time on their owners lap being innocent. Cats are ambush predators, and where they occur naturally as wild animals, they never live in huge numbers, and are always on the move to some extent so that they never out hunt one area. On our small patch of heath, we have thirty animals at least always in the same area, everyday .can you imagine as to what they are doing?. Yes they are stripping the wildlife from this fragile ecosystem. Killing many lizards, one after another. Many birds one after another.
The people who live on the heathland are mainly unaware as to the sensitivity of the precious habitat. Even if they are, they maybe unaware as to what their pets are doing. Even the taking of mice and voles prevents other birds of prey from having a meal. There are many large blocks of fragmented heathland in Dorset, all with these many rare species of wildlife struggling to survive. In effect, the cat owner is responsible for the actions of his or her pets. Allowing them to roam, as is the norm for cats means that they are allowing them to kill protected species. Putting it bluntly, people who keep pet cats on heathlands are responsible for the demise of reptile species, without doubt. Anybody keeping pet cats and allowing them to wonder are in effect responsible for allowing many small birds to be killed. That is what keeping a cat means! A cat is a predator, a killing machine, and ninety nine percent of cats kill. What is being done about it? The answer is nothing. In the meantime, ornithologists and biologists are complaining about the demise of many bird species and are busy delving into answers as to why. It is true that there are many environmental factors and poisoning, shooting on the continent, but surely the keeping of domestic cats must be one of them. Cats were domesticated thousands of years ago to do just that,kill small animals. Yet they were not fed in those times, they were expected to kill and eat mice, rats, snakes and birds. The sad thing is, is that they are still doing it, and in their millions. And still people are breeding them like there is no tomorrow. Then there are the problems that escalate from that. There are Millions of unwanted cats, thousands of feral animals, much cruelty, cats that are not spayed or neutered, and so on. Cats maybe so called domesticated but this in itself does not mean a lot. Cats are independent from humans and they are loners, not evolved to live in colonies. There are many people that obsessively keep many cats. Cats are not allowed to live naturally. Cats should be classed as dangerous wild animals, because they really are. Dangerous wild animals need licenses to be kept by humans.
Isn’t it about time that we, as a animal loving nation stood up and opened our eyes at the huge problem we have. Cats are lovely animals to keep, I have spent a lifetime with them, yet I have not contributed to the problem. I do not condemn all cat owners, I just wish people would see sense, stop the breeding as there are thousands of animals needing a good home. Cats are under pressure as the hordes naturally try to defend their own territories.
The problem with dogs.
The problems posed by dogs are far greater than the problem posed by cats.
Dogs give us much pleasure. They are mans best friend. The dogs natural way of living seems to fit in with our lives within a hierarchical basis , and that that is based on mans ability to control and the dogs natural ability to be submissive, but now most dog owners do not train their dogs or let them know as to who is boss . Most dogs these days are simply a fashion commodity. Within mans balance problem, people now love their animals too much, to an extreme. Dogs are not humans and never will be. Dogs are wolves, Just in case anybody did not know that! that does not mean that they are nasty and viscous as wolves are not that.wolves are loyal intelligent communal living animals that need to be outdoors with much stimulation.
There is not much difference between the loving, eager to hunt , submissive, loyal wild animal, and today’s dog except that man has mutated them to horrendous deformed distortions.
This is not just against nature and the evolutions of things but creates such cruelty on the animals concerned. We have genetically modified dogs , yet people do not seem to be moved by it. Maybe it is because we do not eat them! If we were talking maize or tomatoes it would be a different matter.
It seems strange that just because dirty habits that have gone on for many centuries still prevail, it seems except able to allow them to continue.
The real problem with dogs is actually with the humans that make them and keep them. Ten million wolves gallivanting across the towns and countryside of England is not a good thing. Every park, every nature reserve, every beauty spot, every street, every forest is blighted with dog feces. As if that is not enough, the more serious problems arise with wild animals.
Most people do not consider dog droppings to pose much of a problem except the inconvenience of stepping in foul smelling muck maybe, and some people may have heard that children can catch diseases from it. Yes maybe, but the real issue is, is that tons of it on a sensitive heathland converts the poor acid soils into a rich compost only fit for common grasses and nettles. This means that the heathland plants that have spent hundreds of thousands of years evolving to make use of the acid soils die off. The invertebrates that use these areas go also. So do the reptiles. So do the birds. It is the sheer volumes of dog muck that are on these places that are destroying them all. not only that, dogs that are fed on canned food drop feces that contain preservatives and other chemicals that poison the ground, not just heathland. When one enters a heathland site that has a car park , one can not only see hundreds of piles of dog muck, but also see the green swave along the edge of the pathway. This is the common grasses growing out of place. Every heathland area the southern counties of Dorset and Hampshire have this sad reminder. Yet nothing is done about it.
Now I shall tell you about the problems posed by dogs that are allowed off their leads to chase wild animals. In areas rich in wild animals, dogs are allowed to wander. The owners often turn a blind eye as to what they are up to in the confidence that they will return soon. This usually the case but I wonder just how many people knew what their animals were up to as they obliviously strolled along ?. They may have spent over half an hour calling it, or them. The truth is . is that your dogs would have been chasing deer. Deer that would have been chased several times already that day by other dogs. The deer would have been traumatized and may even have been attacked. The poor deer may have fallen, been injured, may have aborted their own fetus in agony, they may have ran across a road and been hit by a vehicle, they may have even caused a fatal car accident. ! this last example has actually happened on many an occasion. And yet the owner was oblivious. I find this so alarming, So thought provoking. People do not seem to care two hoots, while are wildlife is disturbed in such a way each and every day everywhere across the UK. In many areas, ground nesting birds fail to reproduce. Sensitive deer have abandoned traditional rutting and calving grounds. Amphibians have failed to breed in ponds because of the amount of dogs entering them to chase sticks. I could go on. This is the reality of today, and yet still dog owners can keep their animals without license or responsibility. Of course there are many responsible dog owners out there but the real truth of the matter is, is that if you all were responsible caring people, you would not have dogs in the first place. The countryside stinks of dogs. And that also stresses out wild animals that instinctively smell wolf. one has the welfare of the dog to think about also.Most dogs are bored, left at home to guard while the owner is at work, dragged around boring town streets choked in car fumes, and when it stops to smell the only thing a dog is made to do, it is dragged away by its owner. the poor animal is not even allowed to be itself. The animal is a dog not a human, and we may not like sniffing other dogs poo and wee but that is how a dog operates., it needs to do that. I see this going on constantly and feel so sorry for the poor dog and have anger for the human . The best companion for a human believe it or not, is another human.yes that is right . we are meant to be social animals, in family groups, not living alone at the age of eighty. I know of the good dogs do in helping people and comforting them but other people should be doing that.In reality, keeping dogs and cats are a throw back to ancient times and because we love it so much, could not give it up, it is like horse riding. It is a long time since we first domesticated horses and donkeys to do our work but there is no place for them now.They are not a necessity for living, and horses are just slaves to our greedy selfish way of living. If we need to be close to nature (and I believe that we all do)then everybody should be out in the woods studying wild animals and protecting them, that is real closeness to nature with a good cause.
We create too many problems for animals domestic and wild. there are not enough laws protecting animals from cruelty especially wild animals, and we do not even know about the cruelty we impose on domestic or captive animals. animals are imprisoned in tiny boxes smaller than the largest human prison cell.hamsters and rabbits not allowed to smell green grass, birds unable to fly in tiny cages, reptiles kept in inhumane conditions, these are the so called acceptable aspects of animal keeping, yet to me they are not. I will not even mention the real abuse that takes place all the time especially in other parts of the world. we humans are indeed the most vile, dishonest, greedy, cruel animal that has ever walked the earth and still we are going forth and multiplying as if are numbers are in short supply. People having treatment because they are sterile, and there are millions of children needing a loving home.there are people making big money out of it, but as always , the most money is made by the most greedy to help destroy are lovely planet earth.
The world wide destruction of species
The destruction of marine life is of great concern to me.millions of sharks are finned alive before being dumped back in the sea to die. this is mainly to supply oriental restaurants for shark fin soup. China is the worse candidate for destruction of our natural world, with traditional medicine and remedies responsible for the depletion of thousands of species around the world.the medicine does not work, there are modern alternatives yet china still goes ahead and wrecks havoc . It is a disgrace that world leaders still allow this to continue.There is no need to murder intelligent animals such as wales and dolphins yet china and japan still do.how long is this going to continue ? until there is nothing left?china and Japan also seem to lack morality in regards to many subjects especially that of animal welfare. Southern Asia still has horrendous markets where thousands of animal species suffer hugely. What is the definition of a human being? It cannot be humane , otherwise the people who do nasty things to animals are not human. but we know that don’t we?
Still to come
The human overpopulation crisis
My philosophy of life,
More rants about the way humans behave,
The destruction of rain forests worldwide,
Over fishing, by catch discards, www.fishfight.net.
The new proposed high speed rail way line,
Road building and housing developments.
Controversial revelations.