Tuesday 9 February 2010

Baby Hare Bellatrix

The Hare Preservation Trust's online shop has now found homes for three baby hares!
These hares are all individuals and made by me and each one has a name and a story.

The latest hare to go into the shop is Baby Hare Bellatrix -


Bellatrix is a little bit of a worrier and he has started to take on the worries of the world at such an early age onto his tiny shoulders.
His mama is very concerned and the other mothers have encouraged their babies to include him in their games and adventures. But, no, young Bellatrix doesn’t want to play, he wants to ponder and think things thru for the better.
Wise owl has spoken with mama to say that this is fine and that Bellatrix will bring all the hares a safe future.
He has just published his own blog – Thoughts of a Small Hare, started on Twitter and has been chosen for Wise Owl’s Forest and Field Observer, Analyst and Protector.
Bellatrix is being sought out by all the leaders of the packs for his sage advice and wisdom.

He would love to sit quietly on a book shelf to think thru solutions to the many problems now needing answers.

Bellatrix is £18 and is available in the shop and like all my baby hares there 20% will be donated by me to the HPT.

This is Baby Hare Jurgen.
He has now found a forever home and was the first baby hare to be listed in the HPT shop.
Jurgen loves to play amongst the leaves and since he was born in autumn he has had plenty to roll around in.
He is not fussy about what kinds of leaves there are, as long as he can scamper about them. He even enjoys the evergreen pine needles which will never fall off the trees, mind you they are a bit spiky at times! though he has a penchant for collecting the cones in the forest.
Jurgen has been thinking hard what he can do about his leaf passion and has started to write down all the uses a leaf has in it’s life, what with insects being born on it (in eggs), being food for youngsters, cover for small mammals and play objects for others. He knows every leaf has a purpose!

He prefers to scamper along a shelf near an open window by trees so that he can continue his education in leaves.

This is Baby Hare Forest
Forest has just recently left the shop to go to her new home.
Little Forest just loves to clamber about the shrubs and bushes on the edge of the field.
Some of the other babies are not too sure if they should be doing the same thing because Forest always seems to have so much fun but it’s rather dark and spiky in there!
However she does come home with lots of burrs and thorns and small twigs caught in her fur that her mother spends ages pulling out.
The ones that she can’t tug out have to be snipped off with the fur attached so Forest has a few bare patches here and there.
She has made friends with a couple of the birds who frequent the bushes and has been busy helping them gather nesting materials. Using her front paws and sharp teeth she is able to pull the prized sheeps wool off the outer thorny branches.
Forest is chuffed to be helping in such an important task and even more proud that she has been asked to be a Godmother to the coming babies!
She prefers to sit on a shelf near an open window to wait for her feathered friends to come by.

and this is Baby Hare Ranger
Little Ranger was a worry to her mother when she was first born.
She never suckled for over a day and the other mamas rushed over to try to help. They gave her massages and back rubs and ear kisses then finally she started to take milk.
Goodness, that was a worry!
She also took a long time to nibble at the grasses, flowers and herbs.
So much consternation for such a small hare!
However Ranger is healthy now and she is growing, slowly. She is a very picky eater and will only eat the petals if they are warmed by the sun, or if the leaves have been washed by the rain or the grasses blown in the wind.
Ranger has been enrolled on a cookery course by her mama so that she may hopefully take a greater interest in food.
She prefers to sit on a shelf with a view to the garden and vegetable patch so that she may learn more about all the food out there.
~
All these baby hare and their stories are my own design and creation and all copyright is reserved Annette Tait.

I also sell baby hares in my etsy shop. Like these 4 here, there are many to choose from! if you see one you like I will gladly pedge 20% to the HPT, just get in touch first. I can make baby hares to order aswell, just get in touch.
These hares are soft sculpture ornaments and not suitable for babies and very small children due to their safety eyes. They make lovely additions to bookshelves, night stands, corner tables by lamps and ofcourse, shelves!

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Please Take Action for the Hares, thank you

There have been many comments posted on the online site Farming News in regards to their article about the forthcoming legislation of snares in Scotland on March 11th.


The have been a couple of amendments to the old archaic Snares Order with the new ones appearing to be farcical.


The majority of comments have picked up on these points.


Very disturbing points such as :-


- New "training courses at £45 per person" have been developed to help people comply with the law on how to use snares.


- Snares must be checked at least once every day at "intervals of no more than 24 hours" to make sure they are free-running.


- Snares must be fitted with a "safety stop at a length determined by the intended target species" and must be staked to the ground or attached to prevent them being dragged.


- Snares must also be set in locations where the target species can be "safely restrained".


- BASC Scotland Director Dr Colin Shedden said, "We are always seeking to improve the welfare of animals restrained by snares and to reduce the risk to non-target species" and this new legislation will help.

Whilst the comments on the Farming UK website are greatly welcomed it may well be prudent to send a letter to the Scottish Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham reiterating your thoughts about this Order on it's way to be passed as law - but - not passed yet - so letters may prove to be more effective to get your point across.

This is the address :-

Roseanna Cunningham MSP
Minister for Environment
Scottish Parliament
Holyrood
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

and email
Roseanna.Cunningham.msp at scottish.parliament.uk

(to prevent Ms Cunningham from being bombarded by spam I have removed the 'at' symbol, please copy and amend before sending).

On the 22nd January Ms Cunningham refused to support an amendment banning snares completely. You can read about this Here.

I shall be sending my paper copy tomorrow to make my point. A letter always get your point across more effectively I believe.
I shall be mentioning many of the points made in the comments. They are all relevant. There is no humane aspect about snares at all no matter how you butter up the terms.

Snares really do not have a place in a civilised society.
On this page on the Advocates for Animals website is a video of a badger caught in a snare. Please beware - this video is very upsetting.




This is my watercolour of a mountain hare in winter coat.

The League Against Cruel Sports, Advocates for Animals, The International Otter Survival Fund and Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue will be presenting a petition to the Scottish Government.
Please go Here to Sign it, thank you.

Thank you for supporting the hares.