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I was on the internet just now and this video popped up on You Tube. Well done to the campers who found the bear cub and everyone involved in getting him to Project Wildlife, and to everyone at Project Wildlife for all their care of this gorgeous bear cub!
Thanks to CBS 8 San Diego for the news item!
Visit San Diego's Project Wildlife website here.
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If you're looking for an animal experience as a gift for an animal lover, or you want to treat yourself, take a look at gift experience company Into the Blue
They've got a number of animal experiences, with animals such as ferrets, tamarin monkeys, alpacas, meerkats, pigs, sheep, snakes and crocodiles, bees, horses and donkeys.
They have a number of experiences for horse lovers, including a couple near York (Skipwith) - you can have a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience or a Two Wheeler Horse Cart Driving Experience, for instance. They've also got Romantic Horse and Carriage Rides for Two there, or maybe you'd prefer a Horse Drawn Carriage Rides with Afternoon Tea?
SPECIAL OFFER - there's 15% off*!
There's great news from Into the Blue! They have a 15% off code* for you with the code ITB15FORME on experiences up to £250.00! (Some are excluded from this offer.) They have some wonderful animal experiences!
There's a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience near York
for half a day or a full day.
Gallop off here for more information.
There are animal experiences here.
Bee-keeping experiences are listed here.
Fly off to see the falconry experiences here.
Click here to see the photography experiences - there are some wildlife photography experience days amongst them.
There are lots of falconry experiences to choose from
- there are locations around the UK and they start at £24.50
Experience a meeting and handling a bird of prey
and even flying them to your gloved hand!
Try a bee keeping experience!
They start at £35.00
Find out all about the art of keeping bees and making honey!
There are a number of animal-related photography experiences
- some are not animal related and some are online.
How about a Carnivore Encounter in Shropshire?
£75.00
Get up and close with 3 formidable carnivores
Meet a Red Fox family and feed them, stroke and handle the Snakes,
and meet the servals and stroke them too!
There's a Border Collie Experience in Leicestershire
Learn the art of traditional shepherding,
and meet the sheepdogs! All for £99.00.
Fetch more information here.
You could go Alpaca Walking in Warwickshire
from £7.50 for a child, £13.50 for an adult.
Meet the alpaca herd near Atherstone
and head off on a guided walk with your alpaca!
There's Sheep Trekking in Somerset
from £25.00
Meet and greet the friendly sheep and give them snacks
Lead a sheep on a stroll across fields and through woodland
There's Ancient Trails Pony Walking in Dorset
from £49.00
This is a great way to discover Dorset,
on a guided pony walk with a pony by your side!
Meet the Meerkats in Oxfordshire
Learn all about the Meerkats' lives as a family
and get to feed them inside their enclosure
Click here to see all the Animal Experience Days and Gifts
*The code ITB15FORME will give you 15% off experiences
up to £250.00
Some products are excluded from this offer.
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Go 30 Days Wild this June!
Every year, the Wildlife Trusts in the UK all have an event called 30 Days Wild.
The Trusts are a network of 46 charities, all independent, and they manage nature reserves, run campaigns, and have lots of activities and events to enable people like you and me to connect with wildlife.
The Trusts go from Alderney in the Channel Islands right up to Scotland, from the South and West coast of Wales to Norfolk, and Cornwall up to Northumberland. They do lots of amazing work You can find your local Wildlife Trust here.
The Wildlife Trusts want to help us all embrace nature in all her glory and really get connected with it. The idea is that for 30 days, we all do one wild thing every day. You can sign up for a free pack (you are asked if you want to make a donation of £5 towards it to help with costs, but this isn’t essential) and you’ll get lots of ideas of things you can do during the 30 days when you go wild. It’s a great way to discover more about nature and the natural world, too. For instance you could:
They’ve got lots of ideas, and you can sign up to receive free goodies in the post and also emails each day with facts and activities to help you achieve your 30 Days Wild!
If you’re taking part with children, perhaps as a family or a group or school, choose the children’s option when you sign up. Signing up is free to do, by the way 😊
You could help wildlife as part of the activities..
You could also join in on Facebook – there’s a 30 Days Wild group – or Instagram, and there’s a chart you can download and pin up which is full of ideas of things to do which follow these four phrases.
And you could share your activities on social media to encourage others to have a go and feel the benefits of connecting with our natural world.
Making social media connections...
#30DaysWild @30DaysWild (Facebook and X), or The Wildlife Trusts (@thewildlifetrusts) • Instagram photos and videos
Visit the Wildlife Trusts here.
Sign up for 30 Days Wild here.
PS If you miss the start date, no matter - just count 30 days from the day you do start!
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The Dogs Trust National Dog Survey is back again!
The national dog charity the Dogs Trust knows that dogs are a big part of their lives. They bring us love and joy – there’s nothing like being met at the door by a dog who loves you. They see us through the more difficult times in life, when they listen to what we say. You don’t have to worry about your dog repeating anything you say, and they won’t tell you you’re an idiot for thinking or saying it, either.
So the Dogs Trust’s National Dog Survey is about the bond between dogs and people and what dogs really, truly mean to us. How does your dog make your life better? What makes your dog so special?
WOOF! The nice thing is that you don’t have to have a dog to take part. You do need to be over 18 and live in the UK, though. It takes about 15 minutes to do.
All the information you’ll need about the survey is here and the information provided by those taking the survey is used for research purposes. There’s more about that side of things on the website.
Will you complete the Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey? The great thing about the Dogs Trust is that they have listened to what owners are telling them in past surveys and they have come up with ways to help owners cope with concerns and problems they are having.
As an example, about 31% of owners were thinking about cutting back on training classes due to cost of living concerns. So the Trust came up with the free Behaviour Support Line, which 16,000 owners have used because they’ve had problems with their dog’s behaviour.
And another survey told the Trust that many ‘pandemic puppies’ had missed out on essential socialisation and their owners had found it difficult to cope when the puppies had reached adulthood, the Trust were able to provide a range of free help and advice to help owners.
Fetch more information – including how surveys have helped the Trust help dogs and their owners - and do the survey here:
Find out more and do the survey here.
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Have you heard of Lily's Kitchen?
They create yummy, wholesome food for both cats and dogs - they believe our cherished family members deserve to eat proper food full of nourishing ingredients. They're on a mission to give pets a diet full of goodness, whilst treading lightly on the planet at the same time!
25% off everything at Lily's Kitchen!
Lily's Kitchen have got 25% off everything until 11:45pm on the 26th May 2025 in their Spring Sale! The discount is applied at check-out to make life easier :-) (You'll find the T&Cs here.)
For dogs , they've got dry dog food, wet dog food, dental chews, treats, selection boxes and more. They've got diets for dogs with sensitive tummies, and sensitive skin, and special diets that are grain free, hypoallergenic, organic and vegetarian. You can order for puppies, adults and seniors. They've got recepies in beef, chicken, salmon, goose, herring, lamb, pheasant and pork so you've got lots of choice!
How about Lily's Ktichen Mini Woofbrush Dental Chew (multipack)?
These are for adult dogs (6 months+) and they are £5.75 per pack or
£37.40 for a box of 7 normally. Make the most of the Spring Sale offer!
Lily's Kitchen say they are the ultimate plaque hack! 
You can buy these Bedtime Biscuits on their own for £3.50
or a box of 8 of them
They have a bit of chamomile in them, known for its soothing properties!
Oy! What about us?!!
And for our feline members of the family, there's wet food, dry food, treats (of course!), selection boxes and you can choose from special diets such as grain free and organic and hypoallergenic. You can also choose for kittens (under 1), adults (1 to 6) and seniors (7 plus). Recipies include beef, chicken, salmon, cod, trout, prawn, turkey, pork, lamb and duck. Miaow!!
There's a Tasty Treats Taster Bundle for Cats, miaow!
2x treats with chicken, and 2x treats with salmon!
For £9.00 - find out more here
Lily's Kitchen have also got helpful tips on caring for your dog and caring for your cat.
Introducing Lily's Kitchen's subscription service!
It’s an easy way for you to get regular top ups of your pet’s food! And it means you spend less time shopping online – you set up your subscription and Lily’s Kitchen take care of the rest. (You can update, pause or cancel easily, too.) The Subscription Service gives you 5% off – and free delivery – on all future series. Lily’s Kitchen will make sure you get any promotion live on the site when you order. There’s more information on that with the FAQs on Lily’s Kitchen website.
So how do you get set up for Lily's Kitchen and their subscription service?
Subscribe to Lily's Kitchen here.
Head over to Lily's Kitchen to find out more!
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Who loves pandas? The 16th March is World Panda Day and a great opportunity to raise awareness of the work being done to help these beautiful animals!
There are lots of activities going on, including a fundraiser with WWF-Canada and the CN Tower at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16.
The panda is an example of what can be done to help endangered species. The CN Tower will be illuminated in black and white, the idea being to highlight the plight of species at risk. But it's also to tell people they can be part of the solution. Everyone can make a difference.
Obviously you may not be able to get to the CN Tower, but you could watch panda cams on Explore.org
You could also visit Pandas International who are actually based in Colorado in the US. Their mission is "to ensure the preservation and propagation of the endangered Giant Panda". The non-profit organisation provides a number of things, including...
Pandas International say there are about 650 pandas in zoos and panda centres worldwide. You can find out all about them here.
For in the 1940s, the government in China started conservation efforts to protect pandas. Their idea was to put safe areas aside - here the animals would be protected in what was their natural habitat.
But then in the 1960s, things moved on - provinces were called on to set aside land for the proteciton of China's wildlife. The province of Sichuan quickly came up with a plan to create reserves. These would protect the pandas and other animals in the area.
And now there are about 40 panda reserves in south west China! These include nature reserves which give pandas a safe place to live. There are also research centres where the behaviour of pandas is studied in a scientific way.
A logging ban was implemented in 1998 to slow the destruction of habitat and logging - and poaching - still cause problems in some areas.
And today, there are about 2,400 pandas including the 650 in captivity.
How to help:
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There was a baby bear experience available in Kent at the Wildwood Trust but Boki has grown up now, so this is no longer available. However - you can still have a bear experience at the Wildwood Trust's Kent site - find out more about it here!
Boki has made a good recovery after brain surgery
Unfortunately, poor Boki wasn't very well last year and he was the first bear in the UK to have an MRI scan (at Fitzpatrick Referrals). On Wednesday 9th October 2024, he had brain surgery with Romain Pizzi, a world leader in his field. We wish Boki and the team well, and thank the team and everyone for their care of Boki. He came through the surgery well, and after a good sleep over the winter, he's woken up and is ready for 2025!
Boki's fame has crossed the Atlantic to the US! The Daily Guardian made this lovely video about him and it's on You Tube!
Urgent Appeal to help two bears!
The Wildwood Trust is looking to help two other bears, Malenky & Nanuq. The two cubs desperately need a new home. Their mother was rescued from Ukraine, where she had been on the front line, trapped by troops who were advancing, and bombing. The conflict moved east, and rescue teams were able to get in and take the mother bear to Poland and then Belgium. There, she gave birth to two cubs - and these two loveable bears now need a new home.
The Trust wants to raise sufficient funds - £75,000 - to move the cubs to Wildwood Devon, where they can live with bears Mish and Lucy. Please find out more and donate here.
Notes from the earlier blog:
The Wildwood Trust is based in Kent (and Devon, but Boki is in Kent). The Kent site is home to over 200 native animals, past and present, with bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers among those living in the 40 acres there.
Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain’s most threatened wildlife, and it's taken part in many conservation initiatives, such as saving the water vole and using wild horses to help restore nature reserves. It's brought the Euroepan beaver back to Kent and brought the hazel dormouse & red squirrel back to areas where they have been made extinct.
And one of those living at the Wildwood Trust in Kent is Boki! He came to the Wildwood Trust as a baby bear whose family sadly rejected him. He was hand-reared by the team at Port Lympne and now Boki has come home to Wildwood Kent. He's joined two other bears, Fluff and Scruff,
Please note Wildwood Kent's "Things you need to know before you book" before you book.
Visit the Wildwood Trust here.
Images © Wildwood Trust
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If you're at home thinking there's nothing on the TV or anything else, and you want to immserse yourself in something bear-related for nearly an hour, you could take a look at this video on You Tube...
Watch Inside the World of Bears
with BBC Earth
You could also take a look at these bear videos from
Free the Bears (rescued bears)
Animals Asia (also rescued bears)
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#NationalPetMonth runs from April 1- May 1 2025
It celebrates and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership, with educational campaigns and resources. And the event celebrates pet ownership – there are so many benefits our pets bring us!
During the month, #NationalPetMonth would love to hear of fundraisers and events you’ve got going to support many pet welfare organisations and charities – all sizes of events/fundraisers are welcome!
#NationalPetMonth has ten tips for responsible pet ownership – why not share them on social media? You can find out where they are on social media on their “Join the Community” web pages here.
Here are the top ten tips for responsible pet ownership
For teachers, there’s a ‘Keeping Pets Healthy’ lesson plan will help children aged 4-7 (Reception and KS1) understand the importance of caring for animals and others. It’s got all sorts of information, including help on “keeping a school pet”.
#NationalPetMonth is run by NOAH and UK Pet Food. NOAH is the trade association representing the UK animal health industry, and you can find out about it here.
UK Pet Food has its slogan as “Love them madly, feed them wisely”. It provides advice on nutrition topics. It sets the standards for the UK pet food manufacturing industry. And it has a pet care advice hub for vets and owners for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and fish here.
Visit the National Pet Month website here.
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Looking for something fun to do in April?
Spring is a beautiful time of year to explore the outdoors, and the Wildlife Trusts are inviting everyone to join The Hedgehog Walk, and take on the challenges of walking 3km and fundraising for wildlife!
You can do this wherever you like, including your local park, a playing field or even in your garden – and if you’re of school age, you could also walk to school each day during the Hedgehog Walk.
The main thing is to enjoy some outdoor time and help hedgehogs, badgers and other animals by creating a safe world for them!
Sign up and get a fundraising pack, which has posters and factsheets – and activity sheets too!
The Trusts have joined up with Aardman Animations and some of your favourite characters from Timmy Time!
You could do this as a family, or a group, or a class. And you can create a fundraising page by following this link. You can also raise funds via JustGiving or Facebook. There’s a sponsorship form you can use, too.
Donations will support The Wildlife Trusts’ mission to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. This is part of their 30 by 30 campaign.
You could also take a look at Wildlife Watch, the junior branch of the Wildlife Trusts. There are lots of videos about the wildlife in the UK and activities too! With 150,000 Wildlife Watch members around the UK, including the Isle of Man and the Channel Island of Alderney, there’s lots of fun to be had and things to do!
The Hedgehog Walk takes place from 31st March through to the 13th April 2025. Get walking!