Adopt an Animal - News

Four Guide Dogs for the Blind have had a change of career, and will now be trained up as explosive detection dogs! The four pups were bred to be guide dogs, but it was felt that they were more suited to careers as police dogs with the Sussex Police.

Becks, Ernie, Paddy and Zara, three black Labrador cross Golden Retrievers and one black Labrador, started their new jobs as part of the security team at Gatwick Airport on 13th March 2012. These amazing animals will now be used to sniff out explosives at the airport, let’s hope they don’t find any.

Kirsten Godden, of Leamington Guide Dogs, said -

Guide dogs need particular characteristics to help blind and partially sighted people get out and about on their own. Becks, Zara, Ernie and Paddy are lovely dogs, but all have traits that mean they aren’t quite suited to careers as guide dogs. The four dogs like using their noses to search for tennis balls, so we thought they would make good police dogs. We often work with other organisations in this way and are sure that they will have a long and happy future with Sussex Police.

The four dogs will be joining another ex-guide dog, Yogi, who also now works for Sussex Police looking for drugs and firearms. The team will be an essential part of the security squad that will be on duty during Olympic Games in the summer.

Inspector Di Lewis, of Sussex Police’s Dog Unit, said -

Using dogs allows us to search a large volume of people in an effective and unintrusive way. Since joining us the dogs have all done really well and we are very grateful to Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for introducing us to these dogs.

Aspinall Foundation staff at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Ashford in Kent were over the moon to welcome a new member to the critically endangered western lowland gorilla family. The baby was born just in time for Mother’s Day to parents Mumba and Djala, though it is too early to determine the newborn’s sex.

Since arriving in the UK in 1986, Djala has fathered an amazing fifteen babies, with this being Mumba’s third birth. Djala was rescued when he was just 6 months old from the Congo after his family had been slaughtered by poachers, and displayed signs of trauma from the abuse he had been subjected to. It just goes to show you what love and attention can achieve now that he has overcome his past and fathered so many children.

The Aspinall Foundation’s two parks look after the largest group of western lowland gorillas in human care, and the latest addition takes the number of successful births to an unbelievable 132. The Aspinall Foundation run several conservation projects around the globe, with their main project in Congo where they protect 1 million acres of land known as the Batéké Plateau.

Head Gorilla Keeper at Port Lympne, Phil Ridges, said -

I am absolutely delighted to welcome this new arrival to our family group. Mumba and Djala are fantastic parents, very protective and caring and the little one is doing very well. Infants are vital to the survival of this critically endangered species and I always look forward to watching them grow and develop. Western lowland gorillas are one of the species that The Aspinall Foundation’s wild animal parks are best known for and we are justly proud of our breeding programme, which is the best in the world. As well as caring for gorillas at our parks we also protect them in the wild, and where possible, reintroduce gorillas born at the parks back into their natural environment.

Congratulations to all the staff at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, and of course Djala and Mumba! We look forward to watching their latest additions first few steps over the coming months.

Guide Dogs for the Blind unveiled their latest interactive attraction at last week’s Crufts 2012 event, held at the NEC in Birmingham. The new Sensory Tunnel allowed visitors to walk through the pitch black tunnel and experience a taste of life without sight.

along the way, people were able to smell freshly mown grass and hear traffic and countryside noises. Whilst under their feet, they can feel a a different selection of surfaces, like that grass, and a Braille pavement, whilst the walls were made of brick and different types of fencing. The tunnel was designed to provide an insight into the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people every day, and how they use all their senses.

Guide Dogs for the Blind work tirelessly in an attempt to break down barriers so that visually impaired people can enjoy the same freedom of movement as you and I. Thanks to your kind donations, this work will continue long into the future.

Guide Dogs for the Blind are offering you the chance to name this super cute puppy in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. All entries must be in by Monday 12th March 2012, with the puppy’s new name being revealed the following Monday.

Simply click here to add your suggestion to Facebook to be in with a chance of naming this beautiful female golden retrieve/Labrador cross. What Guide Dogs for the Blind will be looking for is something that -

• reflects the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
• is ideally two syllables long
• is a female name

I’ve just entered myself and gone for ‘Tiffany’, one of the most famous names across the world for diamond jewellery. Yes, I know it’s not two syllables, but I’m not naming two silly bulls, I’m naming a guide dog, so don’t nick my idea! If you want to enter you need to get cracking as soon as possible to make the most of your chance to name this little bundle of joy.

Check out this hilarious video of the the Capuchin Monkeys at the Aspinall Foundation Port Lympne Wild Animal Park on Pancake Day. These cheeky black capped Capuchin monkeys hail from South America and usually enjoy a diet than can include fruit, eggs, insects, even bats. But as you can see from the clip below, they’re not adverse to joining in a national tradition when the need arises!

Head Primate Keeper, Simon Jeffery, said -

It’s very important that our primates have a varied and full diet to provide them with the nourishment that they require to remain healthy. Our capuchins are very partial to these pancakes and they are very healthy — no sugar, salt or additives.

Adopt an Animal with The Aspinall Foundation

Each Keep Me Safe animal adoption from The Aspinall Foundation comes in a presentation box which includes a cuddly toy of your adopted species, fact sheet and £5 voucher accepted as part of entry cost to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, plus -

• Animal PC wallpaper
• Animal e-factsheet
• E-certificate for your adopted animal
• Twice yearly update on your adopted animal by email.
• As well as one FREE entry to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks – so you can come and visit your animal!

>> Click Here to Adopt an Animal with the Aspinall Foundation

The Aspinall Foundation are offering up an amazing prize for the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign which kicks off on Monday 5th March 2012. Bidders will be taking part in a live on air auction on the Heart Kent Breakfast Show on Friday 9th March 2012, with the prize a once in a lifetime stay for up to eight people at the park’s brand new accommodation, Livingstone Cottage.

The winning bid will also receive a VIP behind the scenes tour of the wild animal park from them and their guests the next day, giving you the chance to come face to face and feed the animals at the park!

Livingstone Cottage offers guests the chance to wake up in the midst of the park with a their own private chef, luxury rooms and a VIP safari of the 100 acre Kent resort. The winner will be welcomed with a champagne cream tea, a private safari, followed by an authentic African dinner. Delightful!

The Have a Heart charity began in July 2009 to help improve the lives of disadvantaged children. This year the appeal will run from Monday 5th March and will be supporting the work of ChildLine, so if you would like to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize, be sure to tune in to the Heart Kent breakfast show on Friday 9th March 2012.

Sales Manager at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Sam Lloyd, said -

At Port Lympne we work tirelessly to protect rare and endangered species, but we are also committed to the communities who support us. We are delighted to offer this prize and hope that it will prove popular at the auction and raise much needed funds for this great campaign. Livingstone Cottage is a wonderful experience that we are justly proud of and we hope that the winning bidder will be delighted with their prize.

Adopt an Animal with The Aspinall Foundation

Each Keep Me Safe animal adoption from The Aspinall Foundation comes in a presentation box which includes a cuddly toy of your adopted species, fact sheet and £5 voucher accepted as part of entry cost to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, plus -

• Animal PC wallpaper
• Animal e-factsheet
• E-certificate for your adopted animal
• Twice yearly update on your adopted animal by email.
• As well as one FREE entry to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks – so you can come and visit your animal!

>> Click Here to Adopt an Animal with the Aspinall Foundation

The Aspinall Foundation is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a special three course Mother’s Day lunch at The Mansion & Gardens in their Port Lympne Park near Ashford in Kent. The historic mansion is not normally open to the public, so if you fancy doing something totally unique for the special little lady, this could definitely be the one!

There’s a great selection of dishes available on the day including pan fried cod, roasted sirloin of beef or roast loin of pork for main. Simply click on the link below to download the Mother’s Day Lunch Menu in all it’s glory!

> > Click here to download menu

The Mansion & Gardens are right in the middle of the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, so you could work up an appetite before lunch by taking a safari in the morning and checking out all the animals on show like gorillas, lions, elephants and tigers. Prices start from £29.95 for an adult and £17.95 for children, though please do book early as space is very limited.

Please call 01303 234111 for bookings or email info@aspinallfoundation.org for more information.

Head of Events, Sam Lloyd, said -

Mothers Day is the perfect opportunity to say thank you and what better way to show you care than by taking Mum out for lunch. Start the day with a safari to see giraffe, black rhino, ostrich, zebra and other animals wandering freely as if on the plains of Africa and then join us in the Mansion for a mouth watering Mothers Day meal.

Adopt an Animal with The Aspinall Foundation

Each Keep Me Safe animal adoption from The Aspinall Foundation comes in a presentation box which includes a cuddly toy of your adopted species, fact sheet and £5 voucher accepted as part of entry cost to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, plus -

• Animal PC wallpaper
• Animal e-factsheet
• E-certificate for your adopted animal
• Twice yearly update on your adopted animal by email.
• As well as one FREE entry to Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks – so you can come and visit your animal!

>> Click Here to Adopt an Animal with the Aspinall Foundation

WWF charity officials were over the moon when one of their night vision camera captured a snow leopard going about it’s business in the Wangchuck Centennial Park in Bhutan, India’s largest protected area. These amazing images below were taken at the end of 2011 through a camera trap, used to study many different endangered species, including the Tibetan wolf, the musk deer, and of course the amazing snow leopard!

The camera filmed both predator and prey, showing that this protected area is now a key refuge for Himalayan biodiversity, and must be properly protected to ensure the many different endangered animals that call this area home are looked after. The Wangchuck Centennial Park connects two protected areas covering the entire northern frontier of Bhutan, linking the Himalayan landscape in Nepal and India.

There are thought to be as little 4,500 snow leopards left on the planet due to poaching and loss of habitat, with climate change resulting in the loss of as much as 30% of the snow leopards habitat in the Himalayas.

WWF research team leader, Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, said -

It’s thrilling to actually see snow leopards—perhaps the most elusive of all the mountain species in the Himalayas—engage in behaviour we would otherwise only read about.

Adopt a Snow Leopard with WWF UK

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt a Snow Leopard scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Snow Leopard with WWF UK

Truly amazing scenes last week, as WWF charity officials floated an 11 metre Western Grey whale down the River Thames to highlight the plight of one of the world’s most endangered species. With as little as 130 whales left on the planet, the Western Grey is becoming extremely close to extinction unless something is done immediately.

A critical whale feeding area is now under threat due to a new bank funded oil platform being built off the coast of Sakhalin Island in Russia. You can help try and persuade the banks to do the right thing by signing the WWF petition to tell the banks that are funding the build – BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered, that they need to help act to save the whales before it’s too late.

Simply click on the link below to sign the petition to help make a stand and try and save these beautiful giants of the sea, before it’s too late. I just did it and it literally takes less than a minute, which at this rate is how long the western Grey whale has left to live…

> > Click here to sign petition

Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt a Animal with WWF UK

WWF charity officials are asking for your support to stop Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) destroying any more rain forests in Sumatra. The company is currently the fastest growing brand of toilet paper in the America, and have been logging in Sumatra since 1984.

During that time, APP has pulped an estimated 5 million acres of forests, forests that are the last remaining natural habitat for Sumatran Tigers. With only around 400 left in the wild, consumers should not have to choose between tigers and toilet paper. Yet any responsible company should not source their tissue products in an area where the endangered inhabitants are close to extinction.

Please take a minute out of your day to sign the WWF pledge to help ensure a future for Sumatran forests and their inhabitants.

Simply click on the link below to choose Tigers, not toilet paper…

> > Click here to sign WWF pledge

Adopt a Tiger with WWF UK

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt a Tiger scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Tiger with WWF UK