canal argy-bargy

Good Q Ben; I was told a few years ago that rescuing a GCN from the path of an oncoming car would not require a licence, provided it was immediately released on the other side of the road.  Likewise a pond with lots of well grown larvae which was in imminent danger of drying out could also have its larvae taken to a nearby pond so they could complete their metamorphosis as an emergency action without a licence.  But what if this act were to become an annual event, ie the translocation of larvae from one pond (known to be liable to desiccation) to another was planned in advance ?  my interpretation is that this would then be licensable, but I don't know what others think?

lalchitri wrote: Ken Livingstones 'criminal' record also involves newts AKAIK.On LBC during a mayoral debate he was asked about his criminal past and I remember him saying it involved rescuing newts from a drying up pond where they would otherwise have died.They must have been GCN's and he must have been unlicensed.

So where is the crime in that? - rescues do not need
licenses!!!

J

I also saw that Ken Livingstone herping documentary with the GCNs in the swimming pool, it was great.

I also remember running away from quite a few farmers, gamekeepers etc as a youngster ("Hey!@! Don't you know this is private property?!?!").

Wonder what would have happened if I had stood my ground and told them I was simply looking for frogs?




Edited by Donny

Lovely story Gemma. Brave girl you were - expect you still are!

Leaving out the 'modern' tales of newt surveys which
include having my car door blocked by an over ambitious
security guard one night amongst other things and the
usual 'have you lost something' inquiries whilst
searching the vegetation, of which I have about 40
replies to now,(my favourite being I work for British
Nuclear Fuels Limited and I'm checking on a reported
leak) my earliest recollection of a herping confrontation
was when I was about 13 years old.

I had found a couple of toad corpses on the road outside
a local fishing pit so planned a night trip to find the
population.

This turned out much easier than I had expected as the
male's calls gave them away immediately and I shone my
torch to see their little faces poking out of the water.

Whilst enjoying this new herping experience I heard a car
approaching on the road, soon I was dazzled by the
headlights of the car and a voice shouting from the
driving seat 'wot ya doing??'.

At first expecting the bailiff of the fishing pits it
soon became apparent that it was actually a local youth
who went by the delightful name of 'skull'. Now skull, or
Mr. Skull as it was best to call him, wasn't known for
being terribly bright nor particularly pleasant so I was
now wishing I was hiding in the reeds with the toads as
there was little chance of outrunning him.

After several attempts at trying to explain away my
reason for being at the pits in the middle of the night
with a powerful torch I gave up and told him why I was
there.

Having seen the toads for himself he left with a smile, I
had survived and I honestly think Mr. Skull had a new
found interest in wildlife!


Edited by GemmaJF