Page 156 - Archived Back Issues

FIRE SALAMANDER
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: brian84.eves@virgin.net.
Finally, spare a though for our namesake the Fire Salamander now under threat of extinction.
A deadly skin-eating fungus is threatening the fire salamander population in the Netherlands.
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.
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