Micconceptions on our wild animals?

I found this interesting and thought I would share it on here for those who may be interested. I must admit that I did have a few misconceptions relating to our wild animals. Was astonished at the number of birds killed by domestic cats.


The number of foxes on British streets remains “stable” despite hysteria suggesting otherwise, new figures reveal.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species [PTES] said misconceptions over the apparent booming population of foxes across the country are harming the perception of a species that “are easily shooed away”.

Added to that, commonly held myths that you are never more than six feet from a rat, that bats fly into your hair and that grey squirrels are responsible for the decline of red squirrels are equally as unfounded.

“Giant foxes are apparently ‘mugging’ people of their groceries in dark alleyways,” said PTES chief executive Jill Nelson. “Grey squirrels are eating all the birds’ eggs and rats are apparently jumping at our throats.

“Squirrels (grey and red) do occasionally eat eggs and fledglings, but not that many. And rats jump to escape not to attack. Contrast this with over 5,000 annual hospital admissions resulting from people being attacked by dogs. Or the annual toll of about 50 million birds killed by domestic cats.”

So what are the most common misconceptions surrounding animals? Let’s take a look at debunked myths featured in this year’s PTES ‘Living with Mammals’ report:

Myth - The number of foxes is increasing

Fox populations are stable in the long-term. Mange has had a big impact in many areas and populations are slow to recover. Numbers in Bristol five years ago were only a fifth of those in 1994, before an outbreak of mange. ‘Living with Mammals’ found that numbers in urban areas nationally have changed little in the last decade.

The pre-breeding (adult) population in urban areas is estimated at about 35,000; within the M25 there are fewer than 10,000.

Myth - You are never more than six feet from a rat

There are fewer than 10 million brown rats in Britain. In 2007, the English House Condition Survey found that rats occupied four of every thousand urban properties and were present in the gardens of just 3%.

Myth - Inhaling rat droppings or coming into contact with their urine can be fatal

Rats are fastidiously clean unless overcrowded, spending a considerable proportion of their time grooming themselves and others. They do carry some human diseases, particularly leptospirosis, but the risk of infection is low and is smaller from urban rats than those in rural areas.

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Originally Posted by monday21

Myth - Inhaling rat droppings

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Who on earth is snorting rats dropping for their kicks?

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Originally Posted by Squashed_Fly

[quote author=monday21 link=1332272804/0#0 date=1332272804]
Myth - Inhaling rat droppings

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Who on earth is snorting rats dropping for their kicks?[/quote]
your telling me you never done a line of the brown balls? :D ;D

I've 'enjoyed' many things. Rats poo was never one of them!

Wrong on a couple of counts there Ken:

Grey squirrels (aka American Tree Rats) are responsible for the decline of our native Red Squirrels for two reasons:
1. They are larger and more aggressive, displacing the reds and over-running their habitat.
2. Grey Squirrels carry the parapox virus to which they are immune, but Red Squirrels succumb quickly to it.
Yet another example of mankind ****ing around with nature, Grey Squirrels are not native to Europe and should be culled and eradicated so our own species can re-establish itself (give me a .22 rifle and enough ammunition and I'd happily spend my time doing just that).

Secondly, contact with Rats' urine can be fatal - in the drought of 1976 a number of still waters (lakes) were closed to anglers due to the risk of contracting Weils disease from increased concentration of Rats' piss in the water and on the shorelines. Ransome Road gravel pit in Northampton was one such water that I was prohibited from fishing at the time.

The drawbacks of quoting something random found on-line elsewhere, especially if it's bollocks. ::)

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Originally Posted by Scotty

Wrong on a couple of counts there Ken:

Grey squirrels (aka American Tree Rats) are responsible for the decline of our native Red Squirrels for two reasons:
1. They are larger and more aggressive, displacing the reds and over-running their habitat.
2. Grey Squirrels carry the parapox virus to which they are immune, but Red Squirrels succumb quickly to it.
Yet another example of mankind ****ing around with nature, Grey Squirrels are not native to Europe and should be culled and eradicated so our own species can re-establish itself (give me a .22 rifle and enough ammunition and I'd happily spend my time doing just that).

Secondly, contact with Rats' urine can be fatal - in the drought of 1976 a number of still waters (lakes) were closed to anglers due to the risk of contracting Weils disease from increased concentration of Rats' piss in the water and on the shorelines. Ransome Road gravel pit in Northampton was one such water that I was prohibited from fishing at the time.

The drawbacks of quoting something random found on-line elsewhere, especially if it's bollocks. ::)

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+1 although running around in the woods with the 12g is much more exciting :D i live in fear of weils (vile) disease, disgusting vermin luckily there are about 60 cats at the farm and only ever seen 1 rat, fyew, i wouldnt be any good on im a celebrity i tell you!

Any animal, or human for that matter, can look clean, fit and healthy whilst carrying all sorts of interesting parasites by which they are largely unaffected and diseases to which they are immune. :o

BB

Scotty, don’t shoot the messenger – Like you I did find some of the brief extracts from The People’s Trust for Endangered Species report questionable, particularly the assertions about rats.

In addition, I was always led to believe that the biggest threat to the indigenous red squirrel was the American Grey. A little confusing, but after reading the report in its entirety the authors do indeed confirm this to be the case. It’s worth noting that man’s decimation of the red squirrel’s natural habitat is also a huge contributing factor to the dramatic decline in the animal’s population.

I’m always happy to post up quotes from bodies/organisations/trusts etc, which rely on public funds/donations.
If they are"Bollocks", peeps like you are always ready to castrate them. ;D

Public forums are great for holding the above to account. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

I could quite easily believe the number of wild birds killed by domestic cats. There is at least 14 million domestic cats. Even if each one only killed one bird a year, that's still 14 million birds. I bloody hate cats... :(

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Originally Posted by Mark_Able

I could quite easily believe the number of wild birds killed by domestic cats. There is at least 14 million domestic cats. Even if each one only killed one bird a year, that's still 14 million birds. I bloody hate cats... :(

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I know they gotta go somewhere Mark, but they always do it a yard from my front door - I have to clear it up at least once a week.