Page 85 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #12

WILD AT HOME
FESTIVE TREATS
Christmascrackers
RSPB.COM, £14 FOR 6; £26 FOR 12
Dating back to the Victorian era,
crackers are an integral part of
Christmas past and present, but
those irksome throwaway plastic
gifts inside probably shouldn’t be
part of Christmas future (though
the mini screwdrivers are,
admittedly, quite handy). For a
tat-free festive table, consider the
RSPB’s Footprint-in-the-Snow
crackers, made from FSC-certified
paper. Each cracker yields a hat,
joke and fact, plus three Top
Trumps cards for a bit of bonus
birdy trivia while the sprouts are
digesting. In case you were
wondering, the barn owl (6)
trumps the puffin (1) and avocet
(4) for max number of eggs. SM
BOOK
True or Poo?
BY DANI RABAIOTTI AND NICK CARUSO,
QUERCUS, £9.99
In the follow-up
to their New York
Capuchin: Ben Cranke/naturepl.com; tortoise: Getty; Reindeer: Laurie Campbell/naturepl.com
Times bestseller Does
It Fart?, zoologist
Dani Rabaiotti and
ecologist Nick Caruso take on a
new challenge with True or Poo?
This time they investigate a range
of animal myths, some of which
have perpetuated for centuries.
For example, ‘scorpions can die
of constipation if they shed their
tails’ (true), ‘all moths eat clothes’
(poo) and ‘earwigs lay eggs in
your ears’ (also poo). As usual,
the fascinating scientific facts
are accompanied with delightful
illustrations by Ethan Kocak.
Megan Shersby Editorial assistant
December 2018
MEET THE AUTHOR
Tilly Smith
The herder shares a lifetime of knowledge
about Britain's free-ranging reindeer.
How did reindeer come to be living in
the Cairngorms?
The Cairngorms is perfect reindeer habitat.
When Swedish Sami Mikel Utsi visited the
Highlands in the 1940s, he was surprised
that the animals weren’t already here. He
and his wife wooed the authorities and the
first consignment came in 1952. I suppose
it is one of the earliest examples of
controlled re-wilding.
How did you come to be a herder?
After my zoology degree in 1981, I came to
the Cairngorms as a volunteer. I was swept
away by the mountains, the reindeer – and
their keeper, Alan Smith. We married in
1983, then in 1989 purchased the herd.
How diicult is your job in winter?
Actually, winter is the easiest time of
year. Reindeer are well adapted for Arctic
conditions, so require less looking after.
They have a lower metabolic rate and
reduced appetite, and literally just lie
around for hours. So we can put our feet
up in the knowledge that they are fine!
What’s been your most challenging
experience over the years?
Probably climate change, which has seen
an increase in bloodsucking ectoparasites
and ticks. These cause illnesses in reindeer
similar to Lyme disease in humans. This is
something we have learnt to cope with over
the past 25 years.
Which individual stands out for you?
The most impressive animals are the
breeding bulls, which grow enormous
antlers used for fighting in the rut. Crann,
born in 2003, bore the biggest ever in the
herd. He died an old reindeer, but lives on
through his antlers, which are displayed at
the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre.
How far do the reindeer range?
Do any ever get ‘lost’?
Reindeer are natural wanderers. As
long as they are within the mountain
environment they usually know where they
are. Sometimes individuals have got ‘lost’ –
maybe a youngster that has been chased by
a dog and become dislocated from the herd.
But they turn up eventually – often in time
for the rutting season.
How wild are these reindeer?
In Eurasia, reindeer have been extensively
domesticated, yet remain living in wild
Arctic and subarctic habitats. Our reindeer
originated from domesticated reindeer, but
need to live in their natural habitat to be able
to thrive. So, they are tame, but when left to
their own devices, live wild. SM
Some 150
reindeer range
the Cairngorm
mountains and
nearby Glenlivet
Estate.
Reindeer: An
Arctic Life
The History
Press, £12.99
BBC Wildlife 85