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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Rosenannon Downs fire: Cornwall Wildlife Trust 'horror' | Rosenannon Downs fire: Cornwall Wildlife Trust 'horror' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Conservationists have said they are "horrified" after a suspected arson attack on a Cornwall nature reserve. | Conservationists have said they are "horrified" after a suspected arson attack on a Cornwall nature reserve. |
| Crews from Cornwall Fire Service were called to Rosenannon Downs early on Saturday. They have informed police. | Crews from Cornwall Fire Service were called to Rosenannon Downs early on Saturday. They have informed police. |
| The suspected arson attack affected 52 hectares, the size of more than 100 football fields, at Rosenannon. | The suspected arson attack affected 52 hectares, the size of more than 100 football fields, at Rosenannon. |
| Cornwall Wildlife Trust described it as wildlife vandalism and said the fire would affect birds at nesting time as well as butterfly larvae on the ground. | Cornwall Wildlife Trust described it as wildlife vandalism and said the fire would affect birds at nesting time as well as butterfly larvae on the ground. |
| 'Kill everything' | 'Kill everything' |
| Trustee Dave Thomas said: "It is absolutely awful, especially at this time of year. | Trustee Dave Thomas said: "It is absolutely awful, especially at this time of year. |
| "Most of the birds such as stonechats and pipits have started building nests and are sitting on their eggs. | "Most of the birds such as stonechats and pipits have started building nests and are sitting on their eggs. |
| "Butterfly larvae are sitting under the heather. | "Butterfly larvae are sitting under the heather. |
| "Lizard, snakes and slow worms won't be able to move fast enough to get away from a deep burn like we have at Rosenannon Downs so will also be destroyed. | |
| "These fires go through and kill everything. It is devastating. | "These fires go through and kill everything. It is devastating. |
| "Last year we lost a nest of dormice which are very rare in Cornwall in a gorse fire at Rosenannon Downs." | |
| "This is wildlife vandalism. | "This is wildlife vandalism. |
| "These people just don't understand what wildlife is there." | "These people just don't understand what wildlife is there." |
| Rosenannon Downs was the victim of another suspected arson attack in 2009. | Rosenannon Downs was the victim of another suspected arson attack in 2009. |