Wildlife Bytes 12/1/10

Fraser Island

We have been sent some links to video footage of the Fraser Island dingoes. It's the best Fraser Island dingo footage we have ever seen, and should be seen by everyone. All dingoes in this footage have since been killed by DERM. All places in this footage were burnt out by DERM. There is nothing but this footage, and the memories of these dingoes left. Please spread the links to all your mailing lists, and place comments. Before it’s too late, and there are no dingoes left. The Queensland Government's Fraser Island Dingo Management Plan is the worst wildlife management blunder ever committed in Queensland....and there have been some bad ones! This footage was taken by Jennifer Parkhurst, who had her house raided by police and DERM rangers early one morning last year. Her photos, documents, computer hard drives were seized and taken, even framed photoes were removed and taken from the wall of her house. The search warrant claimed they were looking for dog food. These are the actions of the Queensland Labor Government, and even Jo Beilke-Peterson, for all the criticism he received, never sank so low as to send a bunch of thugs early one morning to terrorise a woman in her own home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cR1EtbNiNs Dingoes howling, if you've never seen or heard a dingo this is "must-watch" footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPnIZtgvCaQ Dingoes approaching a beach walker wanting to play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehX8LwCrWqE A group of dingoes playing. All these dingoes in this footage above have since been killed by the Queensland Government.

May the dingoes Rest In Peace.

Wildlife MiniBytes

Wildlife Deaths

Police in the Macedon Ranges have arrested two teenage boys over the deaths of four native animals. Two brush-tailed possums and two sulfur-crested cockatoos were found dead this week. Police believe they were shot with arrows a few weeks ago. Police have arrested a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old from Gisborne. Detective Senior Constable Paul Philby says police will lay charges of aggravated cruelty against the boys. "All appear to have been killed with a bow and arrow," he said. "Those four animals are classified as protected wildlife in Australia, and that constitutes the offence of aggravated cruelty." *ABC

Flying Foxes

A colony of flying foxes have left thousands without power on the state's far north coast tonight, after they caused havoc on a supply line by all taking off at once. Country Energy regional general manager for the far North Coast, Richard Wake, said that power was lost to 10,500 homes, shops, and businesses in Yamba, Maclean, Iluka, and Angourie, around 8.40pm but should be restored later tonight. "Where the supply comes into Maclean we've had a mob of flying foxes that have basically been hanging on the power line, and it looks like a large number of them have decided to take off at once. That's shorted things out, caused a bit of an explosion," he said. Safety responses were immediately put in place, and staff are on scene. Mr Wake confirmed some flying foxes had died as a result. The flying fox problem is something Country Energy have known about for some time, he said, and they have already committed, for various other reasons, to an extensive upgrade of that part of the network, including putting the powerlines underground. *SMH


Three men have been attacked by a bat carrying the deadly lyssavirus while holidaying separately near the Town of 1770, on Queensland's central coast. The men have all been offered preventative treatment by Queensland Health after the bat was killed and it tested positive to the "rabies-like virus". They were all attacked around the head within three hours of each other while walking in the Joseph Banks Conservation Park on Tuesday. Two Queenslanders have previously died after contracting lyssavirus from bats – a mother-of-two, Monique Todhunter, in 1998 and Rockhampton bat handler Patricia Padger in 1996. Acting Queensland Premier Paul Lucas dismissed the idea of a cull, saying it was neither sensible nor practical. "The solution is good public education in terms of people coming across sick bats, and top medical treatment," he said. "But the last thing we want is people trying to shoot bats out of trees when there are hundreds of millions of bats probably in Queensland." *Courier Mail

Elephants

An American tourist and her one-year-old daughter have been trampled to death by an elephant in Kenya, while others with them managed to escape, police say.v"The woman was with the rest of her family walking in a forest near the hotel where they were staying when an elephant attacked them. The woman and her daughter died on the spot but the others escaped unhurt because they were able to run for their safety," a senior police officer said on Wednesday. The accident happened in Mount Kenya Forest, located in the country's centre. Police said the woman was aged 39 but gave no details about where she was from. Among those who escaped is the deceased woman's husband and three other people who were with her at the time, they said. The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to Nairobi. *TheWest.com

Dead Birds

Tasmania's Environmental Protection Authority is analysing samples of dead seabirds found on a Burnie beach at the weekend. Police closed South Burnie Beach on Saturday after 15 dead birds were found. The EPA has sent bird samples to an animal health laboratory at Launceston and nearby stormwater samples will be tested in Hobart. An EPA spokeswoman says they hope to know the cause of the deaths later in the week. Manwhile in WA, The Department of Environment and Conservation has not ruled out poison as the cause of death of more than 190 birds on the South Coast. The birds were discovered in Hopetoun and Munglinup last week after the region experienced extreme temperatures. Most of the birds are believed to be the endangered Carnaby's Cockatoo. Other species discovered include regent parrots, galahs, mudlarks, ravens, and yellow throated miners. The heat is believed to have contributed to the deaths, however, the birds have been transported to Perth and will be examined today to confirm the cause. *ABC

Eels

An endangered fish is on sale in Auckland's popular seafood markets, prompting calls for a ban on trade in the species. The longfin eel may not be as cuddly and endearing as the kiwi, but it is critical to New Zealand's biodiversity, Maori regard it as a taonga, and now experts fear it is being overfished to the point of extinction. The freshwater fish, known to Maori as tuna, were once plentiful. But because of damage to their habitats through deforestation, pollution and the damming of rivers they are in serious decline. The Department of Conservation has classified them as endangered. Yet, with the blessing of the Ministry of Fisheries, commercial fishing of the eel continues - a situation freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy described as a "travesty". "The final nail in the coffin is to have them commercially fished," said Joy. FishMart at the Auckland fish market sells live eels for $19.95/kg. When the Herald on Sunday visited last week, the eel tank was empty but a staff member said the 40kg of eels that were delivered the day before had sold out. *NZ Herald
Plovers

NT Parliament House staff have been warned to stay away from the Old Supreme Court site because of a swarm of swooping plovers. Business Minister Rob Knight was attacked by the protective birds when he tried to run the gauntlet yesterday. Legislative Assembly technical services manager Errol Edwards sent an email to all staff yesterday reminding them to steer clear of the grassed area bordered by Herbert and Mitchell streets. "Despite efforts from our landscape contractor to make this area undesirable to the plovers as a nesting site, the persistent creatures have nested and henceforth dive bombing of the Old Supreme Court site has started," the email said. The dive bombing plovers are a threat to Territorians in the wet season as they try to nest. A Larrakeyah man said he was forced to dive for cover after he was swooped at Cullen Bay last week. The man said he was walking his dog when the birds started flying straight at his head. "I had to dive into the sand to take cover and the bastards still got me," he said. "There were people driving past laughing their heads off." NT news

Seal Hunting

A beauty pageant winner from Canada's east coast says she will join this year's seal hunt after an anti-hunting group altered photos of her wearing sealskin. Miss Newfoundland and Labrador, Sara Green, 19, says her jaw dropped when she saw the altered pictures on the internet. Ms Green had worn a sealskin coat for her appearance in the Santa Claus parade in St John's. But the altered photos showed her blood-spattered, surrounded by bloodied seal carcasses and holding a hakapik - a spiked club used for killing seals. Ms Green says she will take advantage of the negative publicity. She says she was raised in a family that goes seal hunting and she has a hunting licence and will join the hunt this year. She says while animal rights groups might go after her, she grew up in Newfoundland and the seal hunt is something she believes in. *ABC

Jellyfish move South

Southern Queensland will be in a "world of hurt" as irukandji jellyfish move further south, an expert has said following a bizarre "flying irukandji" attack, and several other incidents. James Cook University irukandji expert Jamie Seymour made the comments after the irukandji jellyfish stung a man fishing off a bulk carrier, 25m above sea level. The Singaporean-registered ship was at Abbot Point, north of Bowen, when the 45-year-old crewman was stung in the face while reeling in his line late Sunday afternoon. The RACQ CQ-Rescue helicopter was sent to retrieve the patient who was in "extreme pain and great distress". Dr Seymour was not particularly surprised by the unusual circumstances of the sting. "The guy's unlucky, there's no doubt about it, but the waters are teeming with them at the moment," he said. "In just one hour off Cairns the other night we got 70 odd (irukandji) in the one spot." He said rising water temperatures would only make the problem worse in the future. "They're only going to get further south," Dr Seymour said. "We have already caught them at Fraser Island and places like the Sunshine Coast are going to be in a world of hurt in about five or 10 years." *Courier Mail

Snakebite

Paramedics are treating a man bitten by a snake at a venom supply company. It is believed the man was milking the reptile at Venom Supplies, on Stonewall Rd at Tanunda, when he was bitten at about 12.15pm. It is not known what type of snake was involved. *SA News

Sharks

Surf lifesavers have called for a ban on shark fishing from suburban jetties, saying luring the man-eaters to shore is dangerous for swimmers. They say recreational fishermen are throwing bait and offal into the water and often use heavy-duty rods and hooks to bring in sharks at popular swimming beaches. Henley Surf Life Saving Club president Neville Fielder called on authorities to ban the practice. "It ought to be banned," he said. "I believe at the moment there are restrictions on wire traces and hook sizes but I think even that is being flouted." Mr Fielder said the fishermen made it difficult for lifesavers to provide the safest possible environment for swimmers. "I know people have been fishing off Henley jetty recently using illegal equipment," he said. "You see them walking up there to go fishing with heavy-duty gear. "Fisheries needs to get down here and do a blitz. Police it heavily until people learn." Mr Fielder said sharks were also attracted by meat left in crab nets. It is illegal to use non-fish products as bait when catching crabs. "I saw chicken being used in crab nets on Saturday," he said. *Adelaide Now

Kangaroos

Hefty fines of up to $16.500 await those found trading in kangaroo meat killed inhumanely. Queensland State government is targeting hunters and dealers found with meat from kangaroos shot in the body, rather than a clean shot to the head with a suitable firearm. It is one of number of regulations to have taken force on January the 1st in an effort to lift the States reputation as a producer of high quality kangaroo meat after a ban in Russia over hygeine fears. The ban sparked a downturn in the Industry as Russia is normally the countries biggest export market. But acting State Climate and Sustanability Minister Andrew Fraser siad he expected teh new regulations would help reopen that market. "We've been looking at a number of measures to speed up the lifting of the ban, including this. *Courier Mail

Whaling

Everyone is aware of the sinking of the Ady Gil in the Southern Ocean, and the Australian Governmen's weak response to this outrage. They have stated that if the Japanese whalers dont desist by June this year, they will go to Court. Big deal. The whaling season will be over then anyway. A number of journalists have made profound (to them) statements about the incident, and several made the claim that killing kangaroos and whales are different...that there are plagues of kangaroos and they need to be killed anyway, just reinforcing everyones belief that journalists know little about anything important. When reviewing comments and readers opinions about the incident, it's surprising how many redneck gungho comments were made supporting the whalers...and the whalers rights...as if they had any. We know that many Australians have boycotted Japanese products for years over the whaling, and not surprisingly there are now calls for more boycotts. It certainly looks as though any cessation of the whaling in the Southern Ocean will depend on consumer resistance to Japanese products, and people power action, rather than the actions of our incompetent and hopeless politicians. * WPAA

Sea Shepherd member Megan Jolley, whose partner Laurens de Groot was aboard the Ady Gil when it was hit by Japanese whaling ship Shonan Maru 2, said 180 people already had signed up via a Facebook group to attend the rally. "It's for anyone who supports Sea Shepherd or who wants to know more about whaling and we're going to invite the Japanese consul-general," she said. The demonstration will take place at 11.30am on Parliament House lawns and will be addressed by Greens leader Bob Brown. Ms Jolley said she hoped the rally would be followed in mid-February by a welcome-home flotilla. *Mercury

Meanwhile according to the ABC, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has seemingly contradicted his environment spokesman over the Coalition's whaling policy. Greg Hunt has on several occasions called for the Government to follow through on a threat to take Japan to court over its whaling activities. But Mr Abbott has told Macquarie Radio that Australia should be wary of upsetting a key trading partner. "This is Kevin Rudd's policy, not the Coalition's policy. We don't like whaling. We would like the Japanese to stop," Mr Abbott said. "On the other hand, we don't want to needlessly antagonise our most important trading partner, a fellow democracy, an ally." *

Australia Zoo wildlife warrior Terri Irwin says commercial whaling should be likened to cannibalism or slavery and yesterday gave her approval to violent protests to stop the hunt. Ms Irwin condemned the federal government for failing to “stand up to Japanese whalers” in the wake of the sinking of a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship. On Wednesday, six crew were rescued from Sea Shepherd trimaran Ady Gil after it was involved in a collision with a security ship shadowing the Japanese whaling fleet about 2300km south of Tasmania. Ady Gil had its bow sheared off in the incident, which Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson said was deliberate. Ms Irwin has had a long-running and close association with the conservation group, which named one of its ships after her late husband Steve Irwin, and described its members as “incredible heroes”.

“This has become an international incident and it shows the extent of Japanese retaliation is going to continue to escalate,” Ms Irwin said. “It’s a democratic right to protest, which is what Sea Shepherd does, and not all protest can be non-violent. “I’m so proud of what Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd crew is doing ... if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be seeing what’s happening to the whales.” Ms Irwin said the federal government had taken a weak stance on Japanese whaling in Australian waters because confrontation could jeopardise trade relations. As a whale researcher, Ms Irwin said it was ludicrous that the government heavily regulated her whale work while allowing Japanese to slaughter whales for “research purposes”. “The government is elected by the people to represent the people, not to make decisions that go against the majority opinion,” she said.

“Until this is resolved, all lethal whale research needs to cease so a decision can be made in the courts regarding Japanese whaling. “We need to stop all commercial whaling and make sure it’s as accepted as cannibalism or slavery – not at all.” However, Dr Donna Weeks, a specialist in Australia-Japan relations from the University of the Sunshine Coast, believes Sea Shepherd’s brand of protest will do more harm than good. Dr Weeks said despite the Sea Shepherd crew practising confrontational protest for years, Japanese whaling had not stopped. She said a diplomatic path had to be taken to “help Japan realise whaling is not acceptable”. “The group pushing whaling in Japan is a small but robust group of bureaucrats and whalers ,” she said.

“By partaking in violent protest, Sea Shepherd are making all Japanese people feel targeted and angry. “I don’t support violent protest ... I believe it has inflamed this situation and it could become serious.” Environment minister Peter Garrett said the collision was concerning. “We repeat our call for restraint to all parties.” Deputy prime minister Julia Gillard said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had been directed to investigate the incident. The results would be made public. However, the federal government would not be sending a boat to monitor activities in the Southern Ocean. * Sunsine Coast Daily


Crocodiles

Freshwater crocodiles are being driven out of parts of the Northern Territory by their larger, more aggressive saltwater cousins. A proposed new crocodile management plan has found that numbers of freshwater crocs have fallen in some Top End rivers since the late 1990s. Territory Government scientist Robyn Delaney says increasing numbers of large salties have moved into the Daly River, pushing out their smaller counterparts. "Freshies used to be found well downstream of the main crossing to Wadeye but now it's only in those few kilometres around the crossing where we find freshwater crocodiles in any big numbers," Dr Delaney said. "This is the way nature is: something new comes in - whether it be cane toads or an increase in saltwater crocodiles - and nature just kind of shifts and adapts in one way, shape or form. "So we've still got very healthy populations of freshwater crocodiles and perhaps it's even getting back to pre-hunting times. We don't know."

Territory crocodile expert Graeme Webb says he is worried about the future of freshwater crocs. "There's only three to four weeks left in the year when they can nest so they're probably a species that's on the way out," he said. "There's issues like climate change maybe with freshies that have an effect. "Like if the wet season starts two weeks earlier and the cold period extends two weeks - well it's see you later freshies." Mr Webb says more research is needed into the impact of saltwater crocodiles and cane toads on freshwater crocs. "Freshwater crocodiles were incredibly well-studied up here in the late 70s and early 80s," he said. "Some of that work has continued but there doesn't seem to be the interest in it; it doesn't seem to be a priority for anybody. "So I don't think we're really going to get these answers about what's happening with freshwater crocodiles."

Under the proposed new management plan, the number of freshwater crocodiles that can be taken from the wild has been slashed. Territory crocodile farmers will only be allowed to take 300 freshwater crocodile eggs instead of 4,000 and 1,000 hatchlings instead of 6,000. Dr Delaney says the quota has been reduced because only a small part of the crocodile industry is interested in freshwater crocs for their skins. "From about the last 10 years, there's been a total of probably about 50 animals or eggs taken per year, which is very, very small," she said. "The freshwater crocodile skins really don't make good handbags and the reason behind that, and the reason why saltwater crocodiles are chosen, is that in the belly scales of freshwater crocodiles there's a small amount of bone." Mr Webb says the higher quotas should stay because business opportunities may develop in the future. "Quotas are supposed to be a biologically significant figure so I don't think it's necessary," he said. "Maybe some groups of landowners will be encouraged to look at ways to use this species for economic development in remote areas. If you close something down it's hard to get it open again." The Government has released the draft plan for public comment until February 12. *ABC


Sharks

Rogue sharks that attack beach goers in WA this summer will be hunted down, shot in the head and sawed apart until their spines are severed. The Perth Sunday Times revealed the graphic methods put in place this year by the government's Shark Hazard Committee for dealing with man-eaters. WA Department of Fisheries strategic compliance manager and shark committee member Tina Thorne said a rogue shark that attacked a swimmer would be slaughtered if it continued to pose a significant threat to beachgoers. But the kill order would only be given in "extreme circumstances" as a last resort where there was an immediate danger to the public. Thorne said fisheries officers would first use a baited drumline and put "attractant" in the water to try to hook the shark. Then the creature would be hauled aboard a boat where officers would "have to use a large firearm to dispatch the animal." "That is not an easy task, as sharks have very small brains," she said. Once shot through the head, fisheries personnel would take a final step to ensure the creature was dead by "severing the spinal cord and bleeding it out." "Even if you hook it, you can't just fly over in a chopper and shoot it because of refraction (of the bullets) in the water," Ms Thorne said. However great whites, the species responsible for most fatal attacks, were protected and a special exemption from the law was required to kill one. *News.com.au


Biodiversity Loss

The UN launches the International Year of Biodiversity today, warning that the on-going loss of species affects human well-being around the world. Eight years ago, governments pledged to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, but already it is clear that the pledge will not be met. The expansion of human cities, farming and infrastructure is the main reason. UN chief Ban Ki-moon and German premier Angela Merkel will speak at the launch in Berlin. Mr Ban says that human expansion is wiping out species at about 1,000 times the "natural" or "background" rate, and that "business as usual is not an option". The Secretary-General states that the failure to protect biodiversity "should be a wake-up call", leading to effective ways of protecting forests, watersheds, coral reefs and other ecosystems. The UN argues that as natural systems such as forests and wetlands disappear, humanity loses the services they currently provide for free, such as the purification of air and water, protection from extreme weather events and the provision of materials for shelter and fire. The rate of species loss leads some biologists to say that we are in the middle of the Earth's sixth great extinction, the previous five stemming from natural events as asteroid impacts.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was agreed at the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, alongside the climate change convention. But it acquired its key global pledge during the Johannesburg summit of 2002, when governments agreed to achieve a "significant reduction" in the rate of biological diversity by 2010. Conservation organisations acknowledge that despite some regional successes, the target is not going to be met; and analyses suggest that nature loss is accelerating rather than decelerating. "We are facing an extinction crisis," said Jane Smart, director of the biodiversity conservation group with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). "The loss of this beautiful and complex natural diversity that underpins all life on the planet is a serious threat to humankind now and in the future."
A large on-going UN-sponsored study into the economics of biodiversity found that deforestation alone costs the global economy $2-5 trillion each year. In his speech, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Achim Steiner is due to highlight problems caused by invasive species, and the potential for ecosystems such as forests and wetlands to absorb and store carbon from the air. The UN hopes some kind of legally-binding treaty to the loss of curb biodiversity can be agreed at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) summit, to be held in Japan in October. One element is due to be a long-awaited protocol under which the genetic resources of financially-poor but biodiversity-rich nations can be exploited in a way that brings benefits to all. However, given the failure to adopt legally-binding environmental agreements that key countries displayed at last month's climate summit in Copenhagen, it is unclear just what deal might materialise on biodiversity.
The UN has been pursuing new ways of raising public awareness on the issue. Many environment organisations will be running special programmes and mounting events during the year. "The big opportunity during the International Year of Biodiversity is for governments to do for biodiversity what they failed to do for climate change in Copenhagen," said Simon Stuart, a senior science advisor to Conservation International and chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. "They have the chance to make a major difference; and key to this will be halting species extinctions, the most irreversible aspect of biodiversity loss." WWF is highlighting 10 species it considers especially threatened, ranging from commercially significant ones such as bluefin tuna to the Pacific walrus and the monarch butterfly. In the UK, the Natural History Museum asks every citizen to "do one thing for biodiversity" in 2010. BBC
Ed Comment; it seems to us that it's the "not-yet-threatened" species we need to focus more on....before they become "threatened". But Government funding is available for the threatened ones, so thats where the focus is.......


The Fair Dinkum Characters

The new Summer range of toddlers wildlife shirts, shorts, and singlets are now avaliable on the Fair Dinkum Characters website at http://www.fairdinkum-characters.com too late for Christmas unfortuntely. The Dinkums are Ambassadors for the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. Watch for them playing in a Shopping Centre near you!

New political party, Animal Justice Party The time has come for animals to have a voice in the political arena. Animal Rights/Welfare is the next social justice movement and everyone can be a part of it. Please go to this website below to see how you can make a difference. Help end the suffering and become a voice for those without one. http://www.animaljusticeparty.org/About_the_AJP.html There you will find forms for both NSW and Federal memebrship. At this point no memebership fee is payable, and its important to get 750 members for the ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY to be registered as a political party. Other States will follow. It is important you fill in your name exactly as it appears on the Electoral Roll, otherwise your application will be invalid. You can download membership forms from the website. Please post to this address only... Animal Justice Party, P.O. Box 3126, Blakehurst 2221, Sydney NSW http://www.animaljusticeparty.org/About_the_AJP.html The animals need you......


Thinking about Wildlife? Who’s going to watch over our wildlife when you no longer share their World? Well, we are! The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will continue to forcefully lobby governments to do better with wildlife management, and by taking them to Court if necessary. We are currently working on developing eLearning projects, so students can become aware of the importance of our wildlife living in a safe and secure natural environment. After you have looked after your family and friends in your Will, think about wildlife. A bequest to the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will ensure that we can continue to take a leading role in protecting and conserving our precious wildlife. None of the donations we receive are diverted to "administration". Every dollar we get through bequests or donations for wildlife hits the ground running! Talk to your solicitor, or if writing your own Will, add the words "I bequeath to The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. for the purpose of protecting wildlife in Australia (a specified sum), or (specified items including land or vehicle), or (the residue of my estate) or (percentage of my estate) free of all duties, and the receipt of the President, Secretary or other authorised WPAA officer for the time being shall be a complete and sufficient discharge for the executor(s)." You can also phone me for a confidential chat, as to how a bequest can help us work to protect our wildlife, when you are no longer able to. * Pat O’Brien, WPAA 07 54941890


Kangaroos - Faces in the Mob! (We recently ran out od stock of this very popular magical DVD, but now have new supplies in! Buy Now! Buy Now!....before we run out again!)

On the east coast of Australia lies a valley of magical beauty, surrounded by mountains and shrouded in mists during winter. In these idyllic surroundings live a mob of wild Eastern Grey Kangaroos whose society is rich and complex. Faces in the mob is an engaging true story of life within this one mob of Australian wild Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

For two years, award-winning Australian filmmakers Dr. Jan Aldenhoven and Glen Carruthers lived with this mob. Hear their compelling account of the world of these captivating marsupials where each animal has its own personality. Buy the DVD now with Paypal...$29.95 Au includes free postage in Australia.

http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-facesinthemob.html

Follow the destinies of two lovable joeys - a female named Sunshade whose mother is conscientious and successful, and Jaffa, a little male full of pluck and courage whose mother is absent-minded. And witness everything from birth to the dramatic and sometimes deadly battles between adult males.

Never before has the richness and complexity of the kangaroo society and the daily drama of their family life been revealed in such stunning detail. Superbly photographed, this beautiful story of Australia's most famous animal will captivate you from beginning to end. This is the best documentary about our beloved kangaroos that has ever been produced. Profits from sales of the DVD go to help the Kangaroo Protection Coalition to campaign for the protection of our beautiful kangaroos.

Buy the DVD now with $34.95 Au Paypal for International postage delivery. http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-facesinthemob.html

This DVD would make a great "All Year Round" present!