It's not just post offices that need saving

WHAT do our village post offices have in common with the albatross? They both want to survive. More than 100,000 birds die needlessly every year. Can you imagine a gull that can be up to three kg in weight and have a wingspan of up to three metres? That s

WHAT do our village post offices have in common with the albatross? They both want to survive.

More than 100,000 birds die needlessly every year. Can you imagine a gull that can be up to three kg in weight and have a wingspan of up to three metres? That's an albatross. They are known to circle non-stop up to 10,000 km around the Southern Oceans.

They can live for 60 years and mate for life. They raise just one chick every two years and wander for months looking for food. In that search they often come across trawlers that are long-line fishing. Can you imagine a baited line that can stretch from here to London hanging out from the boat? When the bird bites, it gets dragged under the water and drowns. The other parent waiting on the nest and its chick both starve. For that reason 19 of the 29 species face extinction.

The RSPB is teaching fishermen simple techniques to stop these needless deaths, but it costs money to have people in these waters.

You can help by sending used postage stamps to: The RSPC Albatross Campaign, 6 Valentine Gardens, Kimbolton PE28 0HX.

JAMES E BIRD

Valentine Gardens

Kimbolton