Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett

Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column

FIRST, an update on the stag beetle enclave. For those who didn’t see the first episode (Gazette June 8), stag beetles have been spotted flying round our garden. These are endangered species so every sighting is precious. And they are spectacular.

The males have antler-like jaws with which they defend their territory and fight for a female. I’ve just witnessed two males wrestling over a female, while she glided quietly away. No wonder they’re endangered.

Although I can understand stag beetles aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, I would have thought swans were different. But, for some, apparently not. Accounts have emerged of a jogger at Richmond Park kicking a newborn swan out of his way causing a head injury. The cygnet was taken to The Swan Sanctuary at Shepperton but died later.

Reports suggest that, during lockdown, animal cruelty and suffering has increased, not just for wildlife but also domestic pets.

The RSPCA say that since March 23, they have dealt with 47,000 incidents. Last year they investigated 130,700 complaints of animal cruelty and secured 1678 convictions.

This is one reason why cross-party parliamentary support is growing for the government to ensure the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill becomes law as soon as possible.

This Bill would increase the maximum penalty for those convicted of animal cruelty to five years. At present the maximum prison sentence in England for animal cruelty is six months.

This is the lowest in Europe and less than the penalty for flytipping. Although the Bill came before parliament last year, there is a fear it will drop by the wayside. If you support this Bill, let your MP know.

At a time when cruelty is on the increase and, due to Covid-19, many of us have become increasingly aware of our own mortality (I’ve just attended my first online funeral), Emily Dickinson’s poem may help us to focus on the importance of being kind:

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain”.

The cygnet in Richmond Park will never see his nest again. The Swan Sanctuary said, at his age, he would have been going back to his nest every night where, guarded by Dad, he would have snuggled under Mum’s wing.

If you have any information, call Richmond Park Police on 07920 586546 quoting reference 0705738/20.