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The police are investigating that I am a celebrity… Get me out of here! on concerns that non-native wildlife could have escaped to the Welsh countryside during bushtucker testing, The Guardian may reveal.
North Wales Police Rural Crime Officers are investigating complaints that non-native creatures such as cockroaches, worms, spiders and worms could threaten wildlife on the 100 hectare (250 acre) estate surrounding Gwrych Castle. in North Wales, where the show takes place. which takes place this year.
Typically, the show is presented live from the Australian jungle, where famous contestants participate in challenges and challenges with live animals, such as being covered in insects or surrounded by rats.
Authorities are investigating ITV following complaints from television host and naturalist Iolo Williams, who was shocked after watching the show last week and seeing thousands of cockroaches landing on contestants. He described it as “crazy” to use non-native species for entertainment.
“I’m not sure what species they are releasing, but I can tell you that they are not native. We don’t have those roaches here in the UK and we certainly don’t have them in North Wales, ”he said.
Although the challenge takes place in a contained environment, the contestants would still be carrying insects when they left the venue, Williams said. “There will be cockroaches in every corner and crevice throughout their bodies, are you going to tell me that each one of them is found immediately? Of course it is not. “
ITV said that all the insects used in I’m A Celebrity were non-invasive species, but declined to comment on which species were used. A spokesperson said: “They are only released into a contained area and collected immediately after filming. They are all bought commercially in the UK and usually raised as animal feed. “
While not all non-native species are invasive, some can permanently change ecosystems and are one of the top five drivers of biodiversity decline, according to the UN. Gwrych Castle Forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which means it is home to some of the rarest species or habitats in the country. Half a kilometer from the castle is another SEIC managed by the Woodland Trust, called Coed and Gopa, an ancient forest that is home to ospreys and goshawks.
The Springwatch host said it was particularly ridiculous considering that it has been impossible to release beavers in Wales so far, even though they used to be a native species.
Williams said: “Cockroaches are the ultimate survivors, and if they survive in North Wales and escape into the wild there, what effect are they going to have? I don’t know, no one knows… I find it incredible that they are allowed to do this, and I’m not being a spoilsport here. Why not use fish guts or offal? “
Natural Resources Wales, which licenses species release, did not receive a request from ITV to release non-native species. If these species have been released without a license, it would be a violation of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
A North Wales Police spokesman said: “The matter is being investigated by officers from our rural crime team.”
Invasive species that are now established in the UK include the non-native fungus that causes ash dieback and crayfish that transmit disease to native crayfish. There are an estimated 2,000 non-native species established in the UK, at an annual cost of £ 1.8bn to the economy, according to the environmental audit committee.
I’m a Celebrity has also faced complaints from the RSPCA. Last week, the charity raised “serious concerns” about the welfare of animals that program participants drop, roughly handle and crush. He worries that viewers will try to copy the bushtucker trials at home, during which animals have been euthanized “for no other purpose than entertainment.”
“We believe that deliberately portraying certain species as disgusting or scary or as objects that can be used solely for entertainment rather than living things sends the wrong message,” the charity said in a post on its website.
ITV said the program “complies with animal welfare law regarding the use of animals and we pride ourselves on our exemplary production practices.”
Find more coverage on the age of extinction here and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston Y Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for the latest news and features
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