A couple have been barred from returning to their £1m home wrecked by last summer's floods - because newts have moved in.

John and Margie Histed have been forced to live in a caravan since their 18th-century house flooded.

Repairs were almost complete to their home at Dauntsey, Wiltshire, when a blocked drainage ditch caused it to flood again.

And now they have been told they cannot unblock the ditch because the Environment Agency suspects great-crested newts might be living there.

Officials have ordered a three-month survey to look for the protected species and it could take several more months to relocate them if they are found.

Retired doctor Mrs Histed, 67, said: "I know it's the law, but it's very frustrating and bordering on the ridiculous that the fate of newts takes precedence over humans.
go

You mean to tell me that these people can't return to their home because there "might" be newts....Endangered or not, I'd raise holy hell and fight to get back in..Unblock the ditch, if they found their way in the buggers can find their way out......I tell ya, some of the enviormental laws suck....Over here, if you want to build, and they fine one tree frog on the property, guess what...The tree frog gets it all and your out of your property.....

I'd be pissed if i couldnt be home cus of some damn newts.

I'd be pissed off if we managed to wipe even more of the UK's dwindling species.

you know what? &%$@ humans! go newts! its about time people felt what its like to be driven from your home by an invasive species.

Lol. I agree, it is a few months inconvenience for them, it is not like it is the end of the world. What makes them more important than the newts? The newt is rare and there are a lot of humans. That makes the newt more important in my eyes.

so if this happened to you , you would be all smiles ?

dude come on of coarse it would suck but when a species becomes endangered 9 time out of 10 who's fault do you think it is that they have reached that point?

Its a temporary, minor inconvenience. I'd be happy to have such a rare animal living in my area.
There house cost a £1000,000 ($2000,000) they surely can afford a nice caravan as well.

I side with the newts,lol

Their choice to live in the caravan. If they could afford such a house, they could be living in a hotel...

I'm all for them trying to find the newts and get them to a safer local.

I side with the humans.

I'd be happy to have such a rare animal living in my area.
lies

dude come on of coarse it would suck but when a species becomes endangered 9 time out of 10 who's fault do you think it is that they have reached that point?
The animal's own fault.

I'd be pissed off if we managed to wipe even more of the UK's dwindling species.
go breed rats if you are so interested


Now for my own words.
I think that humans sell rat traps already why want to protect one newt? They don't really care for the environment. They care about alien hunting more. This law is silly.

garter snakes love to eat newts. pick a few at the pet store, put them in the drain, guess what - NO MORE NEWTS.

Hopefully they are covered for "newt infestation" by their insurance company.

Rats are not a rare species, the great crested newt is. The law makes sense. Wildlife protection is important, even if you are not bright enough to understand why.

But then there is the crimal charges of releasing a foreign animal into the wild in the UK along with the crime of doing it delibrately to remove and protected species. That'll be 6-12 months in prison anyway so it is hardly going to make it better for them.

it doesn't matter to me if the great crested newt is a rare species or not. the idea that PEOPLE can't return to their homes because of them is rediculous. i'm not hating on the newts, but OMG, we're talking about human beings having less rights that a damn amphibian. it's just dumb.




it was a joke dude. lighten-up a little .

Lots of people, few newts. People can bugger off. We cause enough damage to the environment as it is, newts provide an important ecological role.
If these whining sods can not cope for a few months, tough. A species is more important than 2 individuals.
Humans having wiping out entire species, believe me is far, far, far stupider than a minor inconvenience

I was turned into a newt once... but I got better

hah human ingnorance. Rats are a life. The stupid nexts are a life. They are the same. You always want to keep the rare species and kill the others. True I would like to kill bugs. But I hate newts. The law makes no sense. I would agree with soul fire. Put a few snakes in the hole. But i'll tell you this. I know for sure that as soon as the newt is not a rare species, they will no longer be protected and the law will not protect them either. Humans. Hah

That post sadly is nearly indecipherable. But I take a stab at trying to answer it. When we have previously screwed up ecosystems it has meant we have had to control the population of certain animals. Rats are one of these.
That is not necessarily true, with regards to protection. If we learn from our mistakes.

Oh really? I feel that it is stupid that the people cannot return to their homes because of a few newts. So why don't they go and breed newts if they are so important? Well. I believe that they should get those newts out ASAP so that those people can move into their homes. Why do they want to take a few months again? And even if so, will they pay for the cost of repairing the whatever place the newts are hiding in? I don't think so. Stingy people. If people go and spoil the animal habitat they get sued. When the animal go and spoil people's home, they are protected. The problem with the people nowadays, is that they prefer rare things to the rights of anyone else. Lets look at what you said about protecting the environment be killing rats. So to protect the environment you control the population. Kill rats. But protect the newts just because they are rare. In human's minds, only rare things are precious. From what you said above, I am under the impression that you mean that you would kill a human in order to protect a rare species. I hope that you say different. And mean it as well.

Oh darn some rich people can't live in their house for a couple of months, But I seriously doubt you any concept to ecology to understand.
And no I wouldn't kill someone but I have no problem with someone having a few months of inconvenience to save a rare species.
If you bothered to read the article, the house id flood damaged and needs repairing anyway.
And no plenty of species that are not rare are protected.
So please learn about what you are talking about before making comment on it.

(Mattshark posting under Cetacea's account)

to me, the point here isn't about ecology at all. if some "rich people" wanted to build a new house somewhere & there happened to be this rare breed of newt there & the people couldn't build there or had to wait a few months for the newts to leave - that would be TOTALLY different. i would agree with the ecologists, ect.

however, that's not the case here at all. these people already had a home there. their home flooded (not their fault) & then the newts moved in. now they can't have their home repaired & move back in because some amphibians took-up residency there. that's bull$hit. these people did nothing wrong & didn't commit any crime against nature or the ecosystem. why should they be denied getting back into their home???

There is a difference between building and selling land that has an endangered species and an endangered species entering an already existing human habitat. Save your wetlands but stay the hell away from our homes! Whether they have the finances to stay somewhere else or not is besides the point because once we set precedents they will be applied equally including to those who would suffer unfair hardships up to including the loss of their property.



The issue has been politicized so it is not a question of being bright but rather which side you take on the issue. I am usually on the side of eco-friendly causes but I think the newts need to be released to set up shop not only at the property of the entities that are passing and enforcing such laws but also their residences.

I definitely agree with you. theres so much truth in that statement.

LMAO! I was going to say that!
*She turned me into a newt
*A newt?
* looks around* I got better.
hahahaha. Yay Monty Python!

And honestly, who gives a crap about the people? They have money, so its not like they're being forced to live in a dirty ally or something while they wait it out. People are so dumb. We've overpopulated and driven animals into tiny pockets and expect them to never stray into our little bubbles. We are the ones that have sucked their habitats dry. Where do we expect them to go? There's not enough room for them to exist in the tiny little areas we've "graciously" (sarcasm. . .) given them to retreat to. I'd give up my house for a few months to help an endangered species. . .I'd probably do it for a non-endangered species. . .if only for the fact that I realize that my species is the invasive one and maybe we need to deflate our egos a bit and back off.

Edit: And it doesn't matter that they did nothing wrong, these little newts got washed up there, and proper actions need to be taken to get them back where they belong. Its NOT a big fiasco or anything, and its NOT like they are being greatly inconvenienced. It took me six months to get back into my home after a hurricane, you don't hear me griping about it. It happened, and I dealt with it. In this case, the newts happened and the people just need to deal with it like anything else. They need to wait for things to be properly handled and not gripe about it.

This just shows how much you actually care. You care for rare animals just like people would care for antiques. Not real love of the animals. Or even of one particular animal. But because they are a rare breed.

When an animal's welfare wins right over a person's you know something has got to be wrong with this society.

anyone that says they would give up their home for some animals, amphibians. ect. is a liar. it's totally rediculous that these people have been forced out of their home. it's even more rediculous for someone to say they would do it voluntarily for the good of the ecosystem. L O L

b******s it a couple of months. They'll be fine.

Well said.

Not really. Some of us care more about animals then we do about people. People that can well fend for themselves that is. . .and someone that can afford that house in the first place can do just fine, I believe.

Just because some of you wouldn't do it, it doesn't mean that those of us that would are "just saying that". I'm actually sort of surprised at some peoples reaction to this. . .I mean, its a couple of months, not forever. . .and I think the fact that they are complaining about it says something bad about society. Its the attitude that people are more important thats driven animals to endangerment and extinction in the first place. . .or at least, that's one of the main reasons. I think its only fair for us to try and right our own wrongs, and if that means giving up your home for a few months to help save an endangered species, then that's fine. If they go extinct, then that's it, their gone. Those people will get their stupid house back, but those newts need all the help they can get to just survive as a species. And I'm pretty sure the newts won't get all the area back that we've taken from them will they?

And this sort of attitude is why the planet is in the state that it is

ok - the two of you are hilarious. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume both of you are young, probably single, have no kids & do not own a home. otherwise, you would realize how crazy what you are saying is. these people did NOTHING WRONG. why should they be kept out of their home? ? ? ? ? their home flooded & they had to evacuate (not their fault). that's a big deal when you have a family - believe me. my wife, my 2 kids & i had to leave our home one time because of storm damage. obviously, that's a different scenario, but it's a BIG deal when you have to leave home. then, before the repairs could be made, their home flooded again due to a problem with a drainage ditch or something like that (again, not their fault). now, these damn lizards have come in (not the peoples fault) and because of it - they can't return to their home. THAT IS INSANE ! ! ! ! ! i have worked VERY hard to provide a nice home for my family. the fact that some of you think that it would be OK for me, or anyone else, to have to leave what we have worked sooooo hard for soooo long because of an animal is rediculous. ya'll are crazy. it is obvious that you do not own a home. otherwise you wouldn't have your little tree hugging, self righteous attitudes. i LOVE nature. i LOVE all creatures of the earth & in most circumstances would feel like you do. however, this is a very different story than if these people were trying to build a house in the amphibians natural habitat. they ARE NOT. this is a pre-existing home. the lizards are their because of a freak flooding problem. i really hope that one day when/if you ever do own your own home, it becomes infested with some endangered species of some kind. i hope that due to no fault of your own, you as well as your family, has to leave (but only for a few months - lol). i would like to see how you feel about paying a mortgage every month for a home that you & your family can't live in because some rodent or lizard invaded it. you would change your tune then - i GUARANTEE it. so go ahead & try to act all holier-than-thou, if that's what makes you feel better about yourself. one day, you will grow-up and understand all of this though - I HOPE. these people haven't taken anything from the newts. they either purchased a house or purchased a lot from a developer and built a house. either way - i doubt their intention was to "screw the newts". owning your own home is a common goal for most adults. it has nothing to do with wanting to destroy the ecosystem. it's about wanting to provide for your family. why are ya'll hatin' on these people??? this is an unfortunate situation & they are going through a really bad time. it's shocking that you are more concerned about some lizards than these human beings.

Actually Cetacea is my long term partner and is a qualified zoologist.
If they can not take a few months to help a species which has been severely damaged by human activity then they just have their head up their a*** (like you and your ignorant assertions). They'll be fine, they'll be there house in a short period and yes this attitude is the reason the planet is in such a crappy state, because we are so self important (which we are not life could survive with out us, we could not survive with out other life forms).

This is about an inconvenience for a couple of people big deal they can shack up in a posh hotel somewhere vs a species going extinct. Big difference IMO. Let the newts be. What would some here do if a bald eagle nested in there back yard and you then started doing construction/repairs to your property and the pair of eagles got disturbed and left, leaving behind there young to dye a slow death. Most would not stand for that.

edit: crap spelling

i highly doubt that these particular people have caused any damage to the newts by simply purchasing a home. you act as if they are clear-cutting the rain forest or something. it's BS that you want them punished/inconvienenced for crimes against nature that you think others have done. THAT is ignorant. if those people chose to leave their home for a few months to help a damaged species - i agree, that would be a noble & beautiful thing to do. however, they didn't choose this. they have been forced from their home & their human rights stripped away from them over some damn lizards. you are the one with his head up his a$$ apparently. it's inhibiting your vision of what is morally just.




what makes you think these people can afford to make a mortgage payment on a house they can't live in & afford to shack-up in a posh hotel for several months??? you're not comparing apples to apples here. if i was adding a deck onto the back of my house & had to stop the construction for a few months because of a pair of bald eagles nesting in my back yard - no problem. my family & i can still live in our home & go about a normal daily lives. once the eagles are gone, i finish my deck or pool or whatever - no problem. these people are being FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOME.

"what makes you think these people can afford to make a mortgage payment on a house they can't live in & afford to shack-up in a posh hotel for several months??? you're not comparing apples to apples here. if i was adding a deck onto the back of my house & had to stop the construction for a few months because of a pair of bald eagles nesting in my back yard - no problem. my family & i can still live in our home & go about a normal daily lives. once the eagles are gone, i finish my deck or pool or whatever - no problem. these people are being FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOME."


Ok not a posh hotel

Ok lets say your house was flooded just like theres, and your not just adding a deck. Would you fight to move back in and start construction knowing the possible out come for the birds? After all it's just a few birds right

in this particular circumstance - yes i would. i'm not talking about making frivilous upgrades or modifications. i'm talking about doing what needs to be done to move back into my house that i've worked soo hard to pay for & that i sacrificed soo much in order to have for my family. my god given inaliable rights outweigh those of a bird, animal or amphibian. i'm sorry, that's just the way it is. do i think anyone should begin "NEW" construction on a home or a developer "BEGIN" building a shopping mall or something like that if it's going to cause undesirable consequences to nature or a perticular species - NO. i do not. this is different. if i'm established in a home & i do nothing wrong - i do not think that i (my family) should be able to be forced out.

I can't see what's so endangered about these newts. I've had them in my pond for years.

well, i got forced from my house over some birds. it's ok since i got A VERY LOT MONEY from it more than the house price
hell, if some endangered species take over another of my house i'll be fine move to another house. it's investment !!

so why those rich dude whinning ?

home is home. It's enough trauma to have it flooded, let alone THEN be told you can't return to it because some amphibians have moved in.

Their wealth is completely irelevent, to everything.

Well great they must be everywhere then.



They are very very uncommon now.

Soulfire newts are not lizards.

whatever man. i know it's not a lizard. i got tired of typing newt over & over again. i also refered to them as animals & amphibians. it was to make a point. you knew what i meant just as much as everyone else did. thanks for showing your superior intellect though L O L

Whether or not the damage that may be done is intentional or not, the outcome of the damage being done is the same for the newts. Protecting nature cannot be subject to our convenience, this is how things got where we are now. Protecting a couple of newts and forcing a couple out of their house in their favour may seem over-zealous but if conservation is going to be successful it cannot all be about our inconvenience. This sort of attitude is what is causing problems in conserving ecosystems because we do not just have that attitude to a 'couple of newts' but towards other animals and situations as well. You also cannot look at an animal in isolation, something that happens far too often; what harm is it going to do to stomp out a couple of newts? The fact that they may make up a significant part of the breeding population and their disappearance from the ecosystem probably having major feedback effects often does not get considered. We like to see ourselves as separate entities, independent of the ecosystem we live in, however that is not the case, just like any other animal, we are dependent on what is happening around us, the disappearance of species we think of as pests or that have no immediately perceivable use to us can affect and change the environment we live in as well. Look at the results of the removal of wolves from Yellowstone, their previous purposeful eradication from this area was welcomed, yet only after they were gone, the implications for the ecosystem were made clear.

What can one newt do to the ecosystem?

If you were just joking mb.

1. thank you

2. The animals own fault. I don't understand why people don't kill rats. They kill all the rare animals.

3. then go kill more animals. You don't like overpopulation right?

4. I m not silly

I see you didn't bother reading anything and have a stupider argument then before, which leads me to assume that you ARE joking... mb for bothering...