| Holidaymakers set to reap sterling benefits
Long haul destinations like South Africa, Dubai, Egypt and Mexico join Turkey, best value in Europe, as the countries where the pound will stretch further for UK holidaymakers this year.
According to a travel money survey by the Post Office, comparing currency movement trends in 16 destinations, sterling has gained ground in three-quarters of the countries surveyed over the past year.
The most marked growth has been in South Africa where sterling strengthened against the rand by nearly 21%.
Post Office Head of Travel Kevin McAdam said: “The continued growth of sterling is part of a long term trend that has seen the South African rand more than halve in value over the past decade. In that time demand for safaris, Garden Route tours and Cape Town breaks has mushroomed.
Turkey days - Hunting season opens Sunday
Hunters should have another good year in the field, based on wild turkey population counts prior to the spring general season opening on Sunday. "I think it will be as good or better than it has been in the last three years. We have some indications from our winter surveys that bird numbers are up," said Mick Cope, upland game manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. "The winter didn't seem to have a negative effect on populations. There were times when the winter was pretty tough, but not long enough to make a big difference for winter survival," Cope added. Since 2002, hunters have killed from 4,465 to 4,730 turkeys during the general spring season. Cope said there is no indication there will be a decline this year. Cope expects between 14,000 and 15,000 hunters to head afield this season, down from about 17,000 last season.
California to Consider Lead-free Ammunition to Protect Condors
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, Apr. 12 -/E-Wire/-- Conservationists will urge the state of California to immediately end the use of toxic lead ammunition in the range of the critically endangered California condor at a California Fish and Game Commission hearing in Bodega Bay tomorrow, April 13th. The Commission will take public testimony on a Department of Fish and Game proposal to amend state game-hunting regulations to require non-lead ammunition in the condor range. The hearing begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory Lecture Hall at 2099 Westside Road.
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Poachers target rhinos' ivory
Johannesburg - Images of rhinos with severed horns and elephants with bleeding feet mangled by snares illustrated a report on wildlife poaching in southern Africa released by an animal rights group on Monday. Rhinos and elephants are being increasingly targeted by poachers for the rhino horn and ivory trades, while smaller mammals such as antelope are being tracked for bush meat, said Animal Rights Africa (ARA). In its Consuming Wild Life: The Illegal Exploitation of Wild Animals in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia report, the group notes the illegal killing of wild animals, using guns, snares, poison or hunting dogs, falls into three categories. Traffickers, often operating as part of international criminal networks, trade meat, ivory and rhino horn on local and international markets.
Ban sought on African bird trade
South Africa has become the major conduit in Africa for the international trade in wild birds. Now concerned conservationists want to put a stop to it by trying to follow Europe's example and getting the trade in wild birds completely outlawed on the continent. Apparently, the major source of the wild-bird trade in Africa is Tanzania. Not only its own birds get transferred to South Africa but, because of its slack controls, it has also become the preferred export hub for birds from other countries. One of the most over-traded is the grey parrot from the tropical forests of West and Central Africa, which is favoured for its beauty and its exceptional ability to mimic the human voice. Though not yet considered endangered, BirdLife International says its formerly large numbers are declining rapidly as a result mainly of trapping for the wild-bird trade.
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