West Mersea mammoth tusk found on beach

30 March 2017

Archaeologists on the Essex coast have discovered a 6ft (2m) long mammoth tusk during an unusually low tide.

The find was made by members and volunteers with Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network (Citizan) on Thursday morning off Mersea Island.

Project officer Stephanie Ostrich said: "We came across it by chance. It is incredibly fragile and quite a rare find."

Samples and photographs were taken of the tusk, which was then left in situ.

Citizan works with amateur archaeologists along the coast.

The mammoth tusk was found during a "field walk" in which participants walk along a stretch of beach in a long line and record what they find.

The tusk was discovered about 1km (0.6m) from the coast off Cooper's Beach.

Continued  

Stranded long-finned pilot whale on Essex river starved, says expert

James Meikle

Friday 21 November 2014 20.24 GMT

The young long-finned pilot whale calf found dead in an Essex river on Thursday probably died from starvation, according to preliminary results from a postmortem by a specialist at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The 2.18-metre female was one of a pod of up to 40 whales that frequented coastal shallows in and near the Blackwater estuary and was seen feeding on herring earlier this week. Experts said they should have been in far deeper water.

She is only the second long-finned pilot whale, part of the dolphin family, recorded as stranded since the present reporting system for UK whale and dolphin strandings was introduced in 1990.

A case in Norfolk in 1992 was the only other one among more than 12,000, indicating just how rare this week’s events have been.

The calf had stranded alive before dying on a beach near the village of Goldhanger. Rob Deaville, manager of ZSL’s cetacean strandings programme, said the whale was in “very poor nutritional condition” with no significant evidence of recent feeding, although their were remnants of crustaceans and squid beaks.

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Happy ending for Boris the cat

A mystery moggy who turned up in East Devon – 200 miles away from his Essex home – is finally enjoying the goodlife again with a new owner.

Experts were baffled as to how Boris managed to find his way from his house in Basildon to Upottery.

He weighed just two-and-a-half kilos when he was found, in July, and was covered in fleas. He also had to have 30 ticks remove.

Honiton branch of the Cats Protection League Boris in and during treatment, at the vets, a microchip was discovered showing where he had originally been registered.

But attempts to contact his owners failed as they had moved home, leaving no forwarding address.

Then just as rescuers thought they had found someone to take Boris in he was diagnosed with a heart condition which the new owner felt unable to cope with.

After reading about his on-going troubles Musbury resident Christine Pearce, finally came to the rescue and has given the loving cat a permanent home.

Continued:  http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/happy_ending_for_boris_the_cat_1_1660508

World's Deadliest Snake Turns Up In... Essex - via Richard Muirhead

The world's deadliest snake has been captured in Essex after it was transported to the UK on a container ship from India.

Workers discovered the 18in (45cm) saw-scaled viper - which had survived a 5,000 mile journey - after the vessel was unloaded at Tilbury dock.

In regions where it is found, the viper is thought to kill more humans than all other snake species combined. This is because it is extremely aggressive and lives in highly-populated areas.

Reptile expert Steve Mitchell was called to the dock to identify and capture the snake, which has been taken to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Grays.

Sue Schwar, founder of the hospital, told Sky News: "We got a call from the shipping company. They got a shock when they opened the container - as soon as they saw the snake they just shut it back in and called us.

"Our reptile guy Steve was available so he went down to scope it out. Thankfully, he recognised what it was straight away and knew how to deal with it.

"He has various bits of specialist equipment and used a snake hook and box to capture it.

Continued:  http://news.sky.com/story/978943/worlds-deadliest-snake-turns-up-in-essex

Police Call Off Search For Essex Lion

Police have called off a search for a lion reportedly on the loose in Essex.

Officers have spent almost 24 hours combing the countryside around Clacton-on-Sea after a group of residents yesterday claimed to have seen the king of the jungle near Earls Hall Drive in St Osyth.

But after search teams found no evidence of the big cat, the force this afternoon decided to stop looking.

Witnesses reported seeing a lioness in fields stalking up and down a hedgerow before it was disturbed by a farmer and ran off.

Armed officers and Colchester Zoo workers armed with tranquiliser guns searched for pawprints after sightings of the animal were reported at 7pm on Sunday.

Police urged residents in the village to remain inside their homes as the search for the big cat continued.

But on Monday an Essex Police spokesman said: "We believe what was seen on Sunday evening was either a large domestic cat or a wildcat.

"Extensive searches have been carried out, areas examined and witnesses spoken to; yet nothing has been found to suggest that a lion was in the area.

"We would like to thank the local community and holidaymakers for their patience and support throughout the past 24 hours as the police and media presence would have been somewhat overwhelming for them."

David and Susan Wright said they photographed the lioness from their back garden after spotting it in the field.

Mrs Wright told Sky News: "It definitely looked like a lion, the head, the body. When it stood up you could see the tail as well and it was massive.


Continued:  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/police-investigate-lion-loose-212334109.html

One of the UK's rarest spiders discovered in Hainault Forest for first time in 32 years

Midas tree-weaver spider in Essex

July 2012. Staff from the British Arachnological Society have discovered one the UK's rarest spiders, the Midas tree-weaver (Midia midas) at the Woodland Trust's Hainault Forest in Essex. A female specimen was found in one of 20 traps which were placed amongst the 6,000 hornbeam pollards found in the ancient woodland.

Nationally endangered
A money spider, associated with ancient trees, the Midas tree-weaver is listed as nationally endangered and is identified as a Priority Species for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP). In the UK, the spider has only ever been recorded in five locations, one of which is Hainault Forest - but the last known recording of the spider on site was over 30 years ago.

Geoff Sinclair, Woodland Trust Site Manager, said: "Ancient woodland is one of the most precious habitats we have and the fact that a Midas tree-weaver has been recorded in Hainault Forest highlights the importance of ancient trees and woods as a wildlife habitat. We must do all we can to protect them to ensure the survival of such creatures."

The surveying was carried out by sorting litter, birds nests and squirrel dreys from ancient trees and placing aerial pitfall traps in the crowns of trees.

Tony Russell-Smith from the British Arachnological Society added: "Despite the heavy rainfall in May and June which flooded many traps, the fact that we have found the tree-weaver again is a great result and confirms its continuing survival at this site, the only one so far recorded in the whole of the UK this year."

The work forms part of a wider survey to establish the distribution and status of Midia midas in different regions of Britain. It is hoped to use the information obtained to clarify the need for future conservation work for this species and to help define the scope of such work.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/midas-spider.html#cr

Search for 6ft boa on the loose in Wickford, Essex

A 6ft (1.8m) long pet boa constrictor is on the loose after escaping through a bathroom window in Essex.

Police started the for the snake, called Diego, on Friday after its owner realised it was missing from his home in Barnfield, Wickford.

Diego slithered out of the bathroom window. Officers said the snake was not fully grown but members of the public were warned not approach it.

An Essex Police spokesperson said it could be a danger to small animals.

Anyone who spots the snake has been asked to call 999.

Neighbours have been sent leaflets warning that it could be in their gardens and urged to keep children and pets indoors.

Essex Police's wildlife liaison officer is speaking with specialists and the RSPCA.

It is possible the breeding season could have encouraged the boa constrictor to go out hunting and it may have travelled out of town.

Boa constrictors are commonly found in tropical forests in South America and are from the family of constricting snakes, which kill their prey through asphyxiation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-10826439