the coconuts are SHY

Sanctuary for Harmed Young (S.H.Y) Coconuts was formed

by Mr S Tunococ in 1954 as a response to the growing number

of young coconuts held in captivity and used as targets for fairground 'punters'

to throw wooden balls at.  These coconuts

are at Stage 3 of a 6 stage reintegration programme.  As such

they are still shy of humans.  We hope you will respect their

wishes at this delicate time. 

Please look through the viewing windows quietly.  Thank you.

S.H.Y Coconuts were taken to the Lakeside Children's Festival in Nottingham last weekend (June 9th and 10th 2012).  Katy Doncaster and I would like to thank everyone who were gentle and kind and very sympathetic to the plight of the coconuts.  We had George with us, who is at Stage 4 of the programme, so many children were able to meet him close up.  We would like to thank everyone who had suggestions for ways to develop the work of S.H.Y Coconuts, including the gentleman who suggested setting up a telethon to raise funds for the organisation.

Also present with us at the Children's Festival was the Goldfish Liberation Association (Fish LA), which aims to draw attention to the plight of goldfish kept in plastic bags. 

Fish LA was founded in 1977 by Ms Orlanda Fantail, to set free the alarming number of goldfish kept in tiny plastic bags and given away at fairs and fetes as prizes (to people who had to throw hoops roughly at targets).  What started as a small number of liberated fish has now grown, as indeed have the fish themselves.  The fish are fed a mixture of coffee, boiled sweets, bird seed and dandelions and have slowly grown wings over time.  They now fly regularly and can often be found perched in the tops of ash and sycamore trees (as they have a fondness for the seeds).  Luckily the work of Fish LA is less in the UK now that the practise of giving goldfish as prizes is dwindling. 

Please be quiet around the fish (they are still timid after their time inside plastic bags), if you are very lucky you may hear them sing...