Chloe Glover (Reporter)
A BRITISH bird lover has walked the entire length of Spain to help save turtle doves from extinction.
Jonny Rankin of Bury St Edmonds has so far raised over £4,700 (€5420) for an RSPB project to rebuild their British habitats by trekking 705 miles from Tarifa to Asturias.
Rankin, 33, braved tough climbs and torrential rains in the 28 day trip, which took him through Sevilla, Salamanca and the Picos de Europa.
His route mirrored the path taken by the doves when migrating to the UK from Africa.
Since 1970, their population has fallen by 93% in the UK and 74% in Europe.
“We fulfilled our aims of increasing awareness of and fundraising for turtle doves,” said Rankin, who completed part of the route with friends.
“I tried my absolute best for 28 days straight, regularly reaching and surpassing perceived limits on a daily basis.”
To donate to Rankin’s cause, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DoveStep3.
This very well-meaning person is fighting a losing battle in the face of “hunters” with their penis-substitute weapons, keen to blast anything that moves, crawls or flies.