Sometimes something occurs in one’s every-day life that’s so completely out-of-kilter with what your usual experiences are - that it takes a while for it to sink in. Such an event is the currently popular phenomenon of the “swirling, swarming, starlings.”

I’m sure that you’ve all seen the TV commercial for Carling Lager that shows the dark mass of starlings swooping and swirling in the air and making fantastic swarming shapes in the sky in the process. And I’m also sure that many of you thought it a clever bit of computer-generated-trickery.  Well it isn’t - and I’m here, firstly, to give witness to the fact that it really happens and secondly to explain how it impacted on two of the loves of my life - the Northampton based Carling Brewery and Northampton Town Football Club (a.k.a. The Cobblers).

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A report on the MSN media network states that experts believe Orangutans could be extinct in the next 20 years.

It is noted that Indonesa in particular has a problem with the illegal trade of Orangutans, with “around 1000 monkeys killed there every year, so that their babies can be sold as pets or for entertainment”. This is inspite of the fact that Indonesia has strict laws banning their trade but the sad fact is that poachers are rarely prosecuted and the laws are barely paid lip service.

The article on MSN reported the astonishing figue that “just five years ago there were about 60,000 (Orangutans) left in the wild but that figure has now dropped by almost half.”

The Orangutan is said to be one of mankind’s closest relatives as the species shares a 97 per cent DNA match with humans. Animal charity WWF has a fantastic Adoption programme that enables you to sponsor an Orangutan from just £2.50 a month, that’s less than the price of a pint of beer in my local!

The figures are stark. It is horrifying to think that a species as well known as the Orangutan could be extinct within 20 years. For just £2.50 a month you can help the WWF to protect this much loved species.

>> Help save the Orangutan from just £2.50 a month!

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the donation4charity blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."