Local help needed to keep watch on Limerick barn owls
"According to BirdWatch Ireland Barn Owl Research Officer lan McCarthy, the Barn Owl was once a much more common sight in Limerick but has suffered widespread decline over recent years and is now a red-listed ‘Bird of Conservation Concern’ in Ireland."
"Bat deaths caused by wind turbines disrupt natural food chains"
"A new study led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has found that the numerous deaths of bats caused by wind turbines (WT) in Germany have a negative impact on the populations of affected species, as well as far-reaching consequences for the biodiversity of rural areas."
"Experts: Why owls are valuable in agriculture"
"Owls are associated with misfortune and superstition in some African cultures, but the birds could bring good fortunes to farmers if they utilise them to their advantage, experts have said. A research by experts from the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Sua) has established that utilised effectively, owls could be one of the most effective ways of driving pests out of farms. We decided to conduct a research after realising that farmers lose between five and 15 percent of their maize harvest per year due to rats." - Berdina Majinge
Climate change and the emergence of bat-borne viruses
"Many zoonotic diseases are sensitive to changes in climate as a result of shifting habitats that introduce contact between humans and new species, as well as alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns. In a recent Viruses study, researchers discuss correlations between the emergence and spillover of bat-borne diseases and climate events and changes."
Bat deaths are causing farmers a huge financial loss.
"Bat population declines are costing American farmers as much as $495 million each year, finds research published this month in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists."
Local school receives an owl box for newest member.
"A barn owl recently flew into a bathroom at the school and was unable to exit the building. The local SPCA released and collected it and after a checkup by JWV it was decided to release the owl back into the school."
