ALL OF A FLUTTER
Encouragingly, this year’s Big Butterfly Count reported an improvement on last year’s low figures, recording 1.7 million butterflies and moths. The top five were large white, small white, gatekeeper, red admiral and meadow brown. Many species of these insects are still in decline, however, so Butterfly Conservation is calling on retailers to remove toxic synthetic pesticides from sale.
✱ butterfly-conservation.org
Cutest cub
Is there any creature fluffier than a red panda cub? This adorable new arrival at Whipsnade Zoo, in Bedfordshire, recently had her first public outing for health checks by vets. Her parents, Ruby and Nilo, seem delighted with their daughter, who’s been well cared for in a nest built by Ruby amid papyrus grass. Native to Nepal, Myanmar, India and western China, red pandas…
