Berry Gardens (United Kingdom)

Numbers of the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) have significantly declined in Britain and Europe over the past 50 years. In central London, they were once common in the Royal Parks but are now confined to The Regent's Park (166 ha), where they are isolated from other populations. Between 2014 and 2023, hedgehog numbers and spatial distribution were studied through twice-yearly nocturnal searches in spring and autumn by volunteers using torches and thermal cameras, supported by ZSL Veterinary Services and the Garden Wildlife Health Project. Hedgehogs were tagged, examined and released. During the first 6 years, the population averaged 28 individuals (range: 13-38), with seasonal peaks in autumn. However, from 2020, numbers dropped, reaching just six in spring 2023 and slightly recovering to 10 by autumn. Breeding success was moderate to low and survival rates poor, raising concerns about long-term viability. Of the 88 dead or fatally injured hedgehogs found, 59% showed signs of predation-mainly by foxes. Nearly all juvenile deaths (96%) were caused by predators. Other causes included road accidents, infections and drowning. Hedgehog distribution shifted over time. Initially widespread across the park, they began vanishing from the south and west in 2015, coincident with a population drop in 2016. Since then, they have mostly been found in the park's northeast quadrant. Factors likely to have contributed to the population's decline are considered. After a decade of monitoring, the remaining hedgehog population is critically small and faces extinction without urgent conservation action.

Abstract In oviparous reptiles with no parental care, the choice of nest site is a mother's final investment in her offspring. Although linkages between nest site choice, egg temperatures, and embryonic success have been well studied, much less is known about analogous linkages with soil moisture encompassing developing embryos. Most ground-nesting reptiles nest at depths <25 cm, with the deepest nests <1.0 m deep. Recently, however, the nests of two species of monitor lizards (Varanus panoptes and V. gouldii) have been discovered at depths of 2.3–3.0 m, suggesting that nesting at extreme depths in these species is an adaptive response to the lack of sufficient soil moisture at shallower depths. Herein, we examine this idea with V. panoptes, specifically predicting that deeper nests in a desert ecosystem compared with those in a savannah ecosystem are attributable to differences in the magnitude of rainfall. We excavated a communal nesting warren to a depth of 4 m and identified 11 fresh nests and 99 hatc...

BackgroundAccess to health professionals is a key UK NHS priority, and meeting access targets is rewarded through the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract in the UK. We sought to determine the current state of appointment provision in Wales and any changes resulting from the need to meet indicators in the new GMS contract. We undertook a postal questionnaire study of practice managers in all general practices in Wales.FindingsValid responses were received from 396/505 (78.4%) practice managers. 361 (93.1%) practices reported that they had achieved the target for 2004/05. 104 (26%) practices reported that they were 100% open access/advanced access. The most frequent changes reported in response to the new GMS contract were offering more open or advanced access slots (237, 60%), more GP phone consultations (167, 42%), introducing a telephone triage system (100, 25%), introducing a minor illness clinic (76, 19%), and employing or training a nurse practitioner (59, 15%). 83% practice managers believed that patients were able to get an appointment at the time they need it either 'all of the time' or 'most of the time', and 70% that patients were able to get an appointment with the GP of choice either 'all of the time' or 'most of the time'.ConclusionThis survey has demonstrated the current extent of appointment provision in Wales, and how changes have been driven by incentives. Whether these changes are in the best interests of either patients or doctors, or both, remains to be seen.

It is shown that for a given squarefree positive integer $D$, the equation of the title has no solutions in integers $x>0$, $m>0$, $n\ge 3$ and $y$ odd, nor unless $D\equiv 14 \ ({\rm mod}\hskip 1.7pt16)$ in integers $x>0$, $m=0$, $n\ge 3$, $y>0$, provide