"Get your cat a ring-tone" insists park
Cats coming on holiday to a Lancashire caravan park will have to undergo a "tinkle-test" at the start of their stay. The pets will be checked for a bell-collar which will help warn wildlife that a pussy is on the prowl - and won't be taking any prisoners.
Moss Wood Caravan Park in Cockerham says it is having to insist on mog-alerts because of the increasing number of people who now bring their cats with them on holiday.
Problems arise, says park owner Henry Wild, when the cats decide they can't bear to leave such fertile hunting grounds - and do a disappearing trick at going-home time.
Their impact on mammals and birds can be especially horrific at Moss Wood, says Henry. The park been praised by botanist David Bellamy for its imaginative conservation work - and has successfully encouraged harvest mice, water voles, barn owls and other protected species to take up residence.
"Many of our guests live in towns and cities, and their cats simply can't believe their luck when they are let loose in this huge open-air larder. That's why we are now insisting they wear an audible means of warning wildlife that danger is lurking.
"Cats are among nature's most ruthless and successful predators, and some visitors have been mortified when their normally peace-loving pussy returns with an endangered species between its teeth.
"But the bigger problem is when the cat decides to extend its holiday, and turns feral. It's then almost impossible to re-capture the animal, and there's a risk that some wildlife will abandon the habitats we have carefully created over the years," added Henry.
The 22-acre park, in the heart of Lancashire's "wild goose country", has been owned by the Wild family for over thirty years. The many environment-friendly measures taken there have won a number of green accolades, including David Bellamy's prestigious conservation award.
Many indigenous trees and hedges have been planted, and sowings of wild flowers with high pollen-bearing blooms attract a wide range of common and less familiar butterflies.
Conservation "buffer zones" have also been created around the park. These woodlands and meadows, which are free from development, have become wildlife havens for animals and plants. The zones include a small stream where threatened water-voles are flourishing, along with other aquatic life.
Recently, the five-star park drew praise for its success in encouraging protected harvest mice. This is being achieved by hanging tennis balls around the grounds, into which a small hole has been bored, providing a perfect nesting place for the tiny creatures.
Unfortunately, said Henry, a cat on safari has little regard for species under threat. However, he says, a survey conducted by Glasgow University found that cats fitted with bells can reduce prey captures by up to fifty percent, allowing potential victims to escape by a whisker.
"We are now advising guests of this new policy, and everyone is fully supportive of what we are doing," said Henry. "After so much hard work creating a safe haven for small mammals and birds here, the last thing we wanted to end up with was a wildlife catastrophe," he commented.
ends
More press information from Henry Wild on 01524 791041 (mobile 07831 394533)
PR consultant Jon Boston on 01768 895225
The study into the reduction of prey delivery rates effected by fitting bells to cats was carried out by Glasgow University, and a summary of their findings can be found at this link in a PDF file…
http://www.eeb.ucla.edu/Faculty/Blumstein/Press/Ecos_2002.pdf
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