SUSSEX EXPRESS (Lewes, UK) 17 June 03 Newts endangered by pond attacks
Newts are being targeted by children at an Uckfield pond and town councillors are afraid the population will be wiped out if the attacks continue.
The short-tailed amphibians, which live on land and in water, are an endangered species and it is illegal to kill, injure or sell them and councillors want to get this message across to people living in the area of the Harlands Pond.
The matter was raised at a meeting on Tuesday of the Agenda 21 sub-committee, which deals with environmental issues. Afterwards chairman Cllr Alan Whittaker said: 'We are very lucky in Uckfield to have our own newts and we must make sure we look after them.'
Cllr Whittaker said residents had reported the newts were being interfered with and disappearing. 'At this time of year there are a lot of young newts and they are even more vulnerable,' he said.
At the meeting environment manager Mrs Christine Wheatley said she had received an e-mail from six pupils at Harlands Primary School asking how they could help look after woodland adjacent to the pond and she suggested they be asked to design a Save the Newt sign which could be laminated and displayed near the pond.
Councillors welcomed the idea and asked her to contact the school. They also asked her to contact the pond management committee to make sure they were aware of the problem.
Cllr Duncan Bennett said there had been a similar situation in Lewes with swans which had been reported in the Express and just making people aware of what was happening and asking them to keep an eye on what children were doing had made a big difference.
Newts endangered by pond attacks