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Twice as many plants and animals sold in wildlife trade as previously thought, says report

More than 100,000 species are traded globally, whether illegally smuggled, sold as ornaments or in fisheries, timber and fashion industries, study finds

The number of plant and animal species in use or sold in the wildlife trade is more than twice as high as previously thought, researchers have discovered.

A study, published in Science Advances, warns that there are huge gaps in global assessments of how wildlife is traded, and that past estimates have failed to keep up with changes such as the boom in the online exotic pet trade, where sellers offering to post spider eggs across the world or sneak reptiles on to planes are just a click away.

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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

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Migrating seabirds face a surprising problem: jet lag

Oxford study shows Manx shearwaters get lost when their body clocks get out of sync

Seabirds returning from foraging trips can be thrown hundreds of miles off course by a form of jet lag that arises when their body clocks get out of sync with local time, researchers say.

Tracking data from Manx shearwaters on the west coast of the UK revealed that when the birds returned home to their colonies after trips over the Atlantic, their rapid eastward flights disrupted their sense of time and navigation.

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© Photograph: George Reszeter/Alamy

© Photograph: George Reszeter/Alamy

© Photograph: George Reszeter/Alamy

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How many of these official creature kindness badges have you earned? | First Dog on the Moon

A cartoon that celebrates small acts of grace

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© Illustration: First Dog on the Moon/The Guardian

© Illustration: First Dog on the Moon/The Guardian

© Illustration: First Dog on the Moon/The Guardian

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Wildlife Trusts hit £30m target to buy and rewild huge Northumberland estate

About 25,000 members of public chip in £17m towards 3,800-hectare Rothbury estate, described as ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’

One of the most ambitious nature recovery projects ever undertaken in England can go ahead after campaigners announced they had raised £30m to buy an estate in Northumberland.

The Wildlife Trusts’ bid to buy the Rothbury estate, an area the size of Athens, had been championed by David Attenborough who on Friday thanked the public for their help.

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© Photograph: Mark Pinder

© Photograph: Mark Pinder

© Photograph: Mark Pinder

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Wildlife Trusts hit £30m target to buy and rewild huge Northumberland estate

About 25,000 members of public chip in £17m towards 3,800-hectare Rothbury estate, described as ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’

One of the most ambitious nature recovery projects ever undertaken in England can go ahead after campaigners announced they had raised £30m to buy an estate in Northumberland.

The Wildlife Trusts’ bid to buy the Rothbury estate, an area the size of Athens, had been championed by David Attenborough who on Friday thanked the public for their help.

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© Photograph: Mark Pinder

© Photograph: Mark Pinder

© Photograph: Mark Pinder

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Feral deer will become Australia’s next feral pig problem without prompt action, report warns

The invasive species has increased in spread and numbers and is costing farmers millions of dollars

An unpublished government report on feral deer shows Australia is failing in its efforts to stop the spread of what one advocate warns could become “Australia’s next feral pig”.

The five years from 2020-2025 over which the national feral deer action plan was assessed covers a period in which the famously elusive species has increasingly encroached upon major cities, leading to more frequent encounters – including a memorable occasion in which two men in various degrees of undress were fined after becoming lost in the bush when they were spooked by deer while nude sunbathing.

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© Photograph: Bjorn Svensson/Alamy

© Photograph: Bjorn Svensson/Alamy

© Photograph: Bjorn Svensson/Alamy

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