Claws and contentment

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Originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

(An archive shot from my Sloth Bear film and photostory)

Being this close to those claws sets your pulse racing, but I felt confident in our proximity as I know this big guy was pretty relaxed.  When a sloth bear is content, particularly after a meal, it will lay down somewhere quiet, and start to knit its claws together and snuffle into it's paws. Soon it's starts to make a soothing repetitive sound, known as Bear Song, rather like a lullaby, it is believed to aid the bears digestive process.

See an in depth slideshow of this whole photostory here...

watching

fox cub, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

I spotted a huge rabbit warren in the woods and thought that with a bit of patience a stoat may turn up as there were stoat tracks on the ground all around.  So I was sitting around in the bushes with my camera (a surprisingly common activity for me), thinking about moving (I had been sitting totally still for a few hours by now), when I heard a rustling in the clearing to my side, and looked across to see this little guy watching me, I had to move my lens round painfully slowly so as not to startle him, but he obligingly waited for me to get a single shot before he got up and walked off.

Why robins sing in winter

Why robins sing in winter, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

The sound of a robin chirping in winter is a good sign, say scientists.

It means the bird has built up enough fat reserves to survive the cold nights and has enough energy left to defend its territory.

The bird traditionally sings in spring to attract a mate but in winter, when food is short, it faces a dilemma.

Should it spend its time hunting for food to get through the next cold snap or burst into song?

Researchers in the west of England think they have the answer: the bird sings at dawn if it has enough energy left over from keeping warm at night. It is all part of a complicated biological mechanism to regulate fat reserves. John McNamara, of the University of Bristol, said: "Because birds can't predict exactly how much energy they need to survive the night, they need to build up enough fat reserves by dusk to cater for the worst-case scenario. "And as most nights are not that cold, they should have enough energy reserves left over at dawn to sing."

The Bristol team studied wild and captive robins. The captive birds were trained to weigh themselves on electronic balances. It turned out that the birds stored extra fat when food started to become scarce and the nights got colder. When it was warmer at night, they had more fat left at dawn and were able to sing.

Mike Everett, of conservation charity the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, told BBC News Online: "This interesting research confirms that healthy, well-fed robins have the best chance of survival in harsh weather. "It also underlines the importance of feeding robins and other small birds in our gardens during the winter - feeding which, in the most severe weather, really can mean the difference between life and death."

The research, published in the winter edition of the Natural Environment Research Council journal Planet Earth, should aid conservation efforts. According to Bristol scientist Innes Cuthill, it will give us a better understanding of how bird species react to climate change.

en famille

en famille, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

One of the photographs I took for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"

robin redbreast

chubby little robin redbreast, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

One of the photographs I took for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"

lioness

lioness, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

I came across this rare Indian Tiger while filming in the wilderness of Bangalore

tiger

tiger, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford

This tiger silently appeared out of the bushes to my left as I was taking a picture of another tiger a bit further away - I held my breath waiting, it was so close I could almost touch it - and it just walked on by and lay down in the sun a few feet away.

tigress

tigress, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

An exciting initiative to protect India’s tigers is underway. Recent events have confirmed what those in the field have been saying for years. The Indian tiger is in deep trouble. The poaching onslaught continues, compounding the habitat loss and degradation isolating many of India's protected areas.

The Satpuras are part of the Central Indian Highlands, a series of hills covered by teak and bamboo forests straddling northern Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh, and one of the tiger's last strongholds. They are the largest contiguous expanse of tiger habitat in India, spread over 6,500kmsq, and encompassing 13 protected areas (PAs) - mostly connected by forest corridors allowing migration and genetic exchange - and five tiger reserves.

There is no doubt of the Satpuras' potential as one of the most important regions for the long-term survival of the striped cat. When Born Free decided to step up its tiger conservation work in India, rather than dissipate funds in several regions, it was felt more would be gained by focusing on a 'landscape area'.

It is early days, but hopes are that this will be a significant step forward for the conservation of the tiger and its habitat in central India.

Tiger

tiger, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Taken in Bangalore near the Bhanagatta Reserve, Southern India

the fighter returns

the fighter returns, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Just yawning!

fox cub

fox cub, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

One of the photographs I took for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"

Ostrich

, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

These ladies followed me around the place hoping I would feed them I guess

rainbow styling

rainbow styling, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Layla

Originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Sloth bears use a wide variety of facial expressions and calls to communicate with one another. Baby Layla, is now a very happy, healthy bear, who smiles and gurgles at the keepers and the other cubs in the sanctuary 

See an in depth slideshow of this whole photostory here...

X Ray Bear

, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Agra, India

A bear is x-rayed in the surgery area before treatment begins

See a slideshow of this entire photo story here... 

Love

Originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

By the time the rescued sloth cubs are a year old they have grown very fond of their adopted Mum's. They crave the attention that they would have been lavished with by their mothers in the wild.

See an in depth slideshow of this whole photostory here... 

Sloth Bear

Sloth Bear, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Sloth bear - Melursus (Ursus) ursinus

Sloth bears were originally classified as belonging to the sloth family in the 1700s, and were named bear sloths. When the first live sloth bear was shipped from India to Europe in 1810, scientists corrected the error and they were renamed.

The life span of a Sloth Bear is 20-25 years. An adult Sloth Bear weighs up to 140kg and stands up to 190cm tall. Sloth bears are stocky with long, shaggy, black hair and a white U- or Y-shaped marking on the chest. They have large lips, a long tongue, a pale muzzle and well-developed hook-like claws that enable them to climb trees and dig for termites.

See an in depth slideshow of this whole photostory here... 

fallow deer

fallow deer, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

One of the photographs I took for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"

toad

toad, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

This common toad is one of the photographs I took at Cothay Manor for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"

kiss my lips!

kiss my lips!, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

One of the photographs I took for the book and dvd project called "The Heart Of A Garden"