There are concerns that dogs are being used to poach deer in Cumbria. Poachers usually use search-lights and rifles, but The South Lakes Deer Management Group said it was becoming more common to use specially-trained lurchers to hunt. In the past year the remains of 17 deer, thought to have been killed by dogs, have been found within a three-mile radius of the village of Rusland. The management group condemned the poaching as "despicably cruel". It is also concerned that venison is being sold via the black market despite it containing dog bite marks and with no checks for disease or contamination. 'Hit and miss' A spokesperson for the group said: "The continuing use of despicably cruel methods by poachers is an affront to our native deer and to those people who live and work in the countryside where the deer are to be found. "We understand that deer numbers need to be controlled, to ensure a healthy and balanced deer population - but ever...
Among a group of marsupials born at an Australian zoo in recent months, one has stood out. The female koala, as yet unnamed, is a rare white joey. According to Queensland's Australia Zoo, the koala's fair coat is not due to albinism but most likely caused by a recessive gene it inherited from its mother. Experts say it would be difficult for such a koala to survive if it lived in the wild. "In veterinary science it is often referred to as the 'silvering gene' where animals are born with white or very pale fur and, just like baby teeth, they eventually shed their baby fur and the regular adult colouration comes through," said Dr Rosie Booth, the zoo's wildlife hospital director. Central Queensland University ecologist Dr Alistair Melzer said he had not seen a white koala in more than 20 years of observing the animals in the wild. "It is something that would be selected against in the wild," he told the BBC, saying koalas had pred...