Conservation Volunteers and Other Animals

There's been a lot of activity down at the badger sett in recent weeks, with fresh spoil heaps appearing outside many of the entrances. I'm rather hoping there are cubs below ground, but it will be a few more weeks before they appear. I put the camera trap out last week, to see when the adults were emerging. The first badger was out at around 7:30, so at the weekend I got down there in good time, put out some peanuts and set up my ladder. The early badger catches the worm Sure enough, just after 7:30 the first badger emerged. It wandered towards me, stopped and stared at me for a moment, then continued to the peanuts apparently unconcerned. It ate for a good 20 minutes (they're very slow peanut eaters), before wandering across the wood and onto the road. I'd assumed it would cross over into the fields on the other side, but instead it trotted down the road and went back into the wood at the far end of the sett. As the light faded, two roe deer came across the f

The two most common birds on the island of Dhigurah are the Asian koel and the Maldivian house crow. The koel, being a type of cuckoo, is a brood parasite and the crow is its host - the koel lays its eggs in the crow's nest. The koel is a protected species in the Maldives, whereas the house crow is regarded as a pest. Both are noisy birds. The koel is more often heard than seen, as they tend to perch in the densest vegetation and betray their presence only by their extremely loud calls. The house crow is a bolder bird. It will call loudly at passing humans, apparently in defence of its territory. Call of the Asian koel Call of the Maldivian house crow The Oriental garden lizard is often seen around the village. They are large lizards, up to 37cm in length, including a very long tail. They can move each of their eyes in different directions, like chameleons, and change colour to match their surroundings. During the breeding season, the male's head and shoulders turn