2019-08-10_The_Week_Junior_UK

Plasticbagsales take adive

Animals and the environment

10 August 2019•The Week Junior 11

REX SHUTTERSTOCK

·NAT

URE PICTURE LIBRAR

Y·A

LAMY

·PA

T

he number of single-use plastic bags being

sold in the biggest supermarkets in

England hasfallen by nearly half inayear.

According to official figures, in 2018 Asda,

theCo-op,Marks&Spencer,Morrisons,

Sainsbury’s,TescoandWaitrose sold 549

million single-use plastic bags,compared

to abillion bags the year before.

Theresults alsoconfirmed that sales of

single-use plastic bags have

dropped byatotal of 90%

since2015, whena5p

chargewasintroduced

for them at

supermarkets

in England.Wales,

Northern Ireland and

Scotland introduced their

own charges in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and

have seen similarfalls in bag use.

The charges werebrought in toreduce

litter and help protect wildlife and the

environment. Around eight million tonnes of

plastic finds itswayinto our seaseach year.

As it breaksdown into smaller pieces and

enters the oceanthrough rivers and

waterways, itcanbeeaten by marine animals

and birds. It isreported thateach

r up to 100,000 animals

in the seaare killed by

plastic. From April

2020, plastic straws,

stirrers used for hot

drinksandcotton buds

ill also be banned from

al sale in England.

Goodweek /Badweek

Porpoise population drops

Thereare thoughttobefewerthan

19 vaquita porpoises left on the

planet, according to newresearch.

In 2016, therewere30ofthisrare

species, butanew study suggests the

population hasfallen further.The

porpoises only live in Mexicanwaters

and often getcaught in fishing nets.

Birthday partyforpandas

Eighteen Chinesepandas,born

betweenJuneandSeptemberlast

year,havecelebrated their first

birthday together.Aparty at

ShenshupingPandaCentrein

south-west China included bamboo-

shoot snacks,acrushed icecakeand

atoycarmade from bamboo.

Do youlove animals? ZSLLondonZoo’s JuniorZooAcademy isagreat waytolearn

about creatures from alloverthe world. Find out moreatzsl.org/experiences

Unlikehumans,cockroaches

don’t useasingle heart to pump

blood along arteries to different

body parts. Instead, blood flows

freely around their bodies via a

long, tube-likeheart. They also

haveextramini-hearts at the

base ofeach leg, antenna and

wing, as well as in their mouths.

So youcould say thatcockroaches

have 15 or morehearts.

GOOD

●LIFESPAN IN THE WILD:Unknown, but believed to be

around 50 years.

●HABITAT:Thewaters of the Atlantic andPacific Oceans.

●DIET:Zooplankton–tiny animals found drifting inwater.

●FUN FACT:The basking shark is the second biggest fish

on Earth, after the whale shark.

AS

KA

Z

O

OK

EEP

E

R

TheScottishgovernmentisconsideringplanstomakethe

Seaoft heHebrides,offScotland’swestcoast,theworld’s

firstprotectedareaforbaskingsharks.Thehugefish

gatherthereinl argenumbersbetweenMayandOctober.

Matthew Robertson

Keeper at ZSLLondon Zoo

BAD

Animal

week

ofthe Basking shark

Cloth bagscanbe

reused many times.

Howmany hearts does

acockroach have?

ra

PLUNGING

PLAST

ICS

Onaverage, people in

England no

wbuy^10

plastic

bagsay

ear–d

ownfrom

140 in

201 4.