Salamander Archives

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8
MEMORABILIA
In celebration of 25 years
since the formation of
The Guild of Firefighters,
a unique crystal glass to
keep as a future family
heirloom is available for
purchase. The price
ordering it direct from
Brian Eves is £13.00 including P&P.
Brian also has
WCoFF ties in blue
and red available for
purchase at £25 each,
inclusive of VAT.
Also available are
Crystal Glass
paperweights at £10
each, Salamander
lapel pins at £95 each
and Cufflinks at £10
each, all inclusive of
VAT.
All enquiries to Brian Eves at:
.
Finally, spare a though for our namesake the
Fire Salamander now under threat of
extinction.
A deadly fungal disease has driven the creature
to the brink of extinction in the region though
it's still unknown whether other countries have
seen similar declines. Recognisable by its
vibrant yellow and black skin, fire salamanders
dropped to a population low of 10 animals
before a treatment programme began.
Once researchers observed the near
catastrophic decline, the animals were taken
into captivity. A treatment programme was
developed and youngsters have now been
born. The team plans to reintroduce them into
the wild once numbers are back to a sufficient
level. A team of international scientists was
able to isolate the fungus after analysing dead
salamanders.
Professor Matthew Fisher from Imperial
College London, said “it was unclear why this
outbreak was occurring now, though it was
possible the fungus had spread to the
Netherlands from elsewhere in the world.”
“We need to act urgently to determine what
populations are in danger and how best to
protect them,” Professor Fisher added.
A deadly skin-eating fungus is threatening the fire
salamander population in the Netherlands.
FIRE SALAMANDER