Chester Zoo has released the first pictures of a highly-endangered deer fawn that was born at the end of last year.
Meet Lyra.
Born at the UK’s largest charity zoo just before Christmas back in December 2021, Lyra is a Philippine spotted deer – a species which is said to have become regionally extinct on several islands in the Philippines as a result of intensive and devastating hunting and deforestation, which is estimated to have left as few as 700 remaining in the wild, according to The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Now, the deer can only be found in the wild on the islands of Panay and Negros.
The population of the Philippine spotted deer at Chester Zoo is part of an acclaimed conservation breeding programme set up at the request of the Philippine government to ensure a genetically-viable population of the deer can live in leading European zoos.
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Lyra’s birth was a “significant addition” to this programme.
Despite being a few months old now, Lyra has only recently emerged outside for the first time, and Chester Zoo has made sure to capture her first outing on camera and on video to share with the eagerly-awaiting public.
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🦌 SUPER RARE DEER BORN! 🦌
We’re celebrating the birth of Lyra – a tiny Philippine spotted deer.
Only 700 remain in the wild ❌ so here’s how we're helping to prevent their extinction with conservation friends at the @Talarak_TFI 🎥
Lyra has been named after a constellation of stars, and shares the theme with her parents Nova and Cosmos.
“Every Philippine spotted deer birth is absolutely crucial to the long term survival of this species, so we were absolutely overjoyed to see a fluffy bundle alongside mum Nova one morning,” explained Emma Evison – Keeper at Chester Zoo.
“At birth, Lyra only stood at 30cm tall and weighed just 3kg, but after a few weeks on mum’s milk, she’s already shot up and has gained in strength and confidence.
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“She’s full of personality and is keeping mum busy with her new found energy.”
Chester Zoo is working to protect the Philippine spotted deer in its homeland, while “educating and empowering local communities that live alongside them,” Emma explained.
Lyra is a Philippine spotted deer – a species which is said to have become regionally extinct on several islands / Credit: Chester Zoo
Conservationists at the zoo have been supporting efforts to protect and restore the habitat in the Philippines, while also funding critical breeding centres for a number of highly endangered species – including spotted deer – for more than two decades, and back in 2020, the zoo and partners safely reintroduced a group of 28 Philippine spotted deer back to the wild into a protected nature reserve.
“We’re very pleased to report that the group is now thriving in their new home,” revealed Stuart Young, Regional Field Programme Manager for South East Asian Islands at Chester Zoo.
“This is the first time a reintroduction of this scale has been attempted in the region and is a landmark moment for the future of the species, thanks to a worldwide collaboration of conservationists.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Sara Cox tipped to replace Scott Mills for Eurovision 2026
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s very own Sara Cox is reportedly set to replace Scott Mills at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest following his sacking from the BBC.
Mills was axed by the news and entertainment corporation on Monday, 1 April, for ‘misconduct’, which has now been revealed to involve a historic relationship with a boy aged under 16.
While the fallout surrounding Scott Mills is only just beginning, the task of finding his replacement in multiple roles has already begun – though it looks like one may have already been decided.
Now reported by multiple outlets, it appears as though Bolton-born Sara Cox is first in line to pick up Mills’ co-hosting duties for this year’s Eurovision show.
Having already been involved with coverage of the event on multiple ocassions in the past, it now appears that she’ll be in post for the Grand Final too.
As a long-standing radio and TV staple, it only takes a quick look at social media to see how much backing she has already received in the past, with a post from last year reading, “Great to have Sara Cox back commentating on Eurovision“, and others from over a decade ago praising her past presenting.
In fact, it might not end just here either, as many are already calling for her to replace the 53-year-old breakfast show host.
From her days as a Radio 1 favourite to becoming a BBC mainstay across the board, her popularity only seems to have grown over the last decade, especially thanks to her charity fundraising efforts.
While an official announcement is yet to be made, the feeling is that it is all but confirmed for her to take over from Mills as part of the Eurovision commentary team.
As for the now vacant early morning slot on BBC Radio 2, the likes of Claudio Winkleman, Vernon Kay, fellow Manc Nick Grimshaw, the aforementioned Rylan, and several others have all been floated as potential stand-ins/future full-time hosts.
Do you think both should be given to Sara Cox, and if not, who would you like to see replace Scott Mills?
Bayern Munich reportedly set to target Phil Foden in the summer transfer window
Danny Jones
European giants Bayern Munich are said to be interested in homegrown Manchester City star, and are interested in signing him this coming transfer window.
And if you believe some of the reports circulating around the Stockport-born footballer, he could very well be looking to leave the Etihad in the summer.
Foden seems to have somewhat fallen out of favour at Man City of late, having been benched in four of the last five games, with his overall minutes having been on a gradual slump over recent months; as a result, some sources are suggesting it’s prompted a potential move away.
As per TEAMtalk, the Bundesliga side is hoping to target the City youth product and England international ahead of next season, with former teammate turned Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany very keen on acquiring his services.
Man City have stepped up efforts to secure Phil Foden's future with talks held during the international break and confidence is now growing that a new deal will be finalised before the end of the season, amid Bayern Munich interest, @TEAMtalk can reveal.https://t.co/ScBP5a3a08
Whether or not having a club and Premier League legend in charge would serve as a sweetener for the attacking midfielder or not, who knows?
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, while the gifted playmaker is said to be “frustrated” with the current situation at Man City, the club are believed to have “stepped up efforts to secure the long-term future of Phil Foden, with fresh talks held during the international break”
Having still managed to chip in with 15 goal contributions so far this campaign – two-thirds of those involvements being goals – the hope is that they can tie him down to a new deal long before the end of the season.
There’s no question about his natural talent and versatility across the forward line; it’s just whether or not he’s happy with his game time under Pep Guardiola, which admittedly has often fluctuated ever since he broke into the first team.
Pep has never made a secret of his love for Phil, either; he’s just not afraid to mix things up and try different things given the squad depth at his disposal and other teams in the division becoming increasingly competitive.
It’s also worth noting that many expect him to be in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineups for the Three Lions at this year’s World Cup.
At present, Foden’s contract is set to expire at the end of the next term (2026/27), but it’s rumoured that he could soon commit to staying until 2030 on paper.
Now 25, the once up-and-coming youngster/’rising star’ is now a fully-fledged senior professional and serial winner.
With many years still ahead of him, you could argue that this is the perfect time to take on a new challenge, or equally, stay with his beloved Blues and extend their modern dynasty as one of the more experienced and decorated members of the dressing room.
As for whether Kompany can convince him to swap his familiar surroundings for a fresh chapter in Germany, or whether or not another big Champions League-level outfit monitoring the situation could come sniffing, only time will tell.
For now, let’s just hope he has an incredible few weeks over in North America this June and July.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd March 2022 
