Green Politics
The Australian Greens increased their Senate vote from 5 to 14 per cent in last weeks Federal Election, and look likely to claim a total of nine Senate and one House of Representatives seat. With the major parties polling neck-and-neck, this would hand the Greens the balance of power in the Senate. Greens leader Senator Bob Brown described the election result as a “greenslide”. However today it appeared that for any of the major Parties to hold Federal Government, the three rural independent MP's may have to be a part of that Government. That's a big worry for wildlife, as motormouth Bob Katter, infamous Far North Queensland independent, is totally anti-green, anti-flying fox, anti-National Park and an enthusiastic shooter as well. However these extremes may be balanced to some extent by the Victorian Green who was elected to the House of Reps, and the Victorian Greens have strong animal welfare policies. Not all Green Branches do. If Andrew Wilkie in Tasmania is elected, which is likely, he will probably support the Greens. We live in worrying times, and with government priorities, wildlife always comes last. Crikey sums it up well....."So what happens next? Which side will stumble over the line? What price will Windsor, Katter and Oakeshott extract for their support? How will this election change our political system? What power will the faceless men have now? Can Abbott and Gillard survive as leader of a losing side? How long until we're at the polls again?" *WPAA
Whales
A young whale has been found dead off the central Queensland port of Gladstone. The carcass of the 12m sub-adult humpback is resting on a tidal bank near Facing Island, within the bounds of Gladstone harbour. Officers from the Department of Environment and Resource Management inspected the corpse yesterday after it was found by a fisherman. ``There was no indication of the cause of death,'' said DERM senior ranger Bruce Knuckey. The juvenile whale has been dead for some time and a post-mortem examination was not practical. ``As the carcass had already significantly decomposed the department will be unable to investigate further,'' Mr Knuckey said. *CM
Birds Stolen
Police are pleading with the public to help them catch a rare bird thief who has conducted a series of raids on an aviary near Gawler. During three raids in the past three weeks, the thief has stolen 15 to 20 of the rare birds, worth about $4000, from the aviary at Evanston. Among the rare birds stolen were four kakariki birds, which are native to New Zealand, and one plum headed parrot. The kakariki birds are mainly green in colour and have a yellow or red band above the eyebrows and on the crown of the head. The plum headed parrot has a plum coloured head, is the size of a canary and has a grey and green coloured body. Anyone with information regarding these thefts should contact BankSA Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.sa.crimestoppers.com.au. *abelaide Now
Climate Change
British scientists say they have found new evidence that woolly mammoths died out 9,000 years ago because of climate change. The cause of their demise has been debated by scientists for many years and the most common theory is over-hunting by humans. But researchers from Durham University, in northern England, say climate change may have played a part. The research team leader, Professor Brian Huntley, says the Earth warmed rapidly and trees replaced the grass which mammoths fed on. "We cannot rule out the possibility that humans added an extra pressure - they may even have been the straw on the camel's back for some of the species that weren't extinct," he said. "But humans alone, we feel, are extremely unlikely to have been the sole cause of the extinctions." *BBC
Meanwhile up to 50 million tonnes of ice has fallen off New Zealand's largest glacier. The Tasman glacier has changed from a U shape to an L after shedding the ice. Mount Cook Alpine Village general manager Denis Calleson says a trail of huge icebergs has been left behind. One is believed to be the largest in a fresh water lake outside Antarctica. The event was thought to have triggered a three-metre-high tsunami in a remote part of Mount Cook National Park. *ABC
Locusts
The State Government says Queensland is facing its worst locust plague in 30 years, as hot winter weather in the state's west today expected to prompt huge swarms to move. The weather bureau says temperatures for the winter day (19/8/10) will be well above average, with 36 degrees Celsius expected at Mount Isa and Longreach. Biosecurity Queensland spokesman Graham Hardwick says today's heat could send them east into Darling Downs or central Queensland cropping country. "We're flying around today and it is quite hot, and they are starting to move around already," he said. "There are still a lot of locusts out west - further out west - and we just hope that they will either move north or wherever they go." Weather forecaster Ben Annels says today will be very warm to hot as a surface trough makes its way over the region. "We're going to see temperatures well above the average ... around 36 degrees in Mount Isa and Longreach and around 30 to 32 degrees around Charleville and Roma," he said. *ABC
Melbourne Wildlife
A field guide to the fauna of Greater Melbourne was recently launched at the Melbourne Museum. It provides a complete reference guide to fauna in the Greater Melbourne area. The book was published by Museum Victoria in conjunction with CSIRO Publishing. It contains colour photograph of 700 species and a short description of the behaviour, habitat and distribution of each animal. The publication also includes extensive maps to find wildlife such as koalas, platypus, and lyrebirds. Melbourne's Wildlife is on sale at the Melbourne Museum shop. It can also be purchased online from CSIRO http://www.publish.csiro.au (RRP $39.95). You can get a free sample of the book here: http://www.publish.csiro.au/samples/Melbou...life_sample.pdf
Coral Bleaching
One of the most destructive and swift coral bleaching events ever recorded is under way in the waters off Indonesia, where water temperatures have climbed into the low 90s, according to data released by a conservation group this week. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says a dramatic rise in sea temperature, potentially linked to global warming, is responsible for the devastation. In May, the WCS sent marine biologists to investigate coral bleaching reported in Aceh — a province of Indonesia — located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. The initial survey carried out by the team revealed that more than 60 percent of corals in the area were bleached. * MSN. Read more ....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38741347/ns/us_news-environment/
Dingoes
If you haven't yet had a chance to look at Jennifer Parkhurst's moving Fraser Island dingo uTube clip, right now would be a good time to see it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nHinnQ5eM
And a new photo taken last week of a starving Fraser Island dingo (that the Queensland government claims dont exist) can be seen here .... http://fraserislanddingoes.blogspot.com/
Kangaroo Web Page Stats.
We've been looking at the Kangaroo Protection Coalition website stats again, ( http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com ) and they do provide interesting reading. Hundreds of visitors go to the website every day, from nearly 100 countries. 50% of visitors come from the US, 26% are from Australia, and the rest from the other 95 or so countries. Webpages read the most ( last month anyway) are about kangaroo pet meat, and kangaroo meat for human consumption. These pages detail the health risks of eating kangaroo meat or giving it to your pets. Other pages of high interest included the kangaroo facts page, and other information pages about kangaroos. Kangaroos swimming was another very popular page. We also note that local and overseas education institutions are regular visitors to the kangaroo website. I guess it shows that the Internet is one way of getting kangaroo issues out into the World community, now that the mass multi-national media is not interested in kangaroos unless they attack someone...... *WPAA
Wild Pigeons
Wildlife rangers are gunning for a gang of Darwin feral pigeons. The birds have been hanging out in the Darwin suburb of Ludmilla for many years. But their numbers have now grown to about 60. Conservationists fear the flock has grown so big that the pigeons could become established. Darwin is the only capital city in Australia free of introduced birds. Feral pigeons can carry disease and compete with native birds for food and nesting sites. Natural Resources Department senior investigator Peter Phillips said the pigeons could pass a form of of potentially-deadly canker to native birds of prey, such as kites and goshawks. He said it would be impossible to wipe out the feral pests. "But we keep their numbers down as low as possible." Pigeons are destroyed in four ways - shooting, trapping, sedation and nest robbing. Mr Phillips has to be careful when killing pigeons - they could be valuable racing birds kept by a "fancier" in Hudson Fysh Ave. Four house sparrows and a nest were destroyed at Darwin's East Arm Wharf recently. Mr Phillips urged Top Enders to report sightings of any feral birds, such as pigeons, sparrows, starlings and Indian mynas. The 24-hour, seven-day-a-week hotline number is 0401 115 702. *NT News
Climate Change
Coastal development in New South Wales is set to become much more restricted, under new planning guidelines released today. The NSW Coastal Planning Guidelines have been developed in response to concern about the effects of global warming, with the State Government anticipating a 40 centimetre rise in sea levels by 2050, and a 90cm rise by 2100. The guidelines define which land is at risk and urge councils to reject development and rezoning applications in those areas. It is the first planning tool available to all coastal councils dealing with the issue and is likely to affect thousands of potential developments. The Planning Minister Tony Kelly says councils that ignore the guidelines do so at their own peril, but there is flexibility. "This doesn't necessarily mean you can't build there but obviously homes may be able to be shifted," he said. "There are a lot of relocatable homes these days. So if we're talking about a building that might last 40 or 50 years and it's in the upper level of those, well the council can still approve developments." Australian Coastal Society President, Professor, Bruce Thom, has applauded the initiative saying land owners will now have greater clarity in making decisions about future developments on the coast. *ABC
Ed Comment; Pity they didnt introduce these new guidleines 30 years ago, when environmental groups were pushing for Climate Change regulations to be introduced then. While the new restrictions are welcome, its also far too late for much of the coastal development that has aready occurred in low lying coastal areas.
Indigenous Hunting
George Wilson from Australian Wildlfie Services (who was involved in the horrific Belconnen kangaroo kill, and the St Mary's kangaroo kill ) has recently completed a "study" into Aborigonal hunting. The study concluded that hunting was responsible for the reduction of numbers of bustards, emus, echidnas, and other species in Central Western Queensland. But the traditional Aborigonal people knew that when a certain flower blooms, it told them to hunt for certain plants and animals, and then those species may not have been hunted again for several months. Wilson tries to show that large scale burnoffs in the Northern Territory actually helped the indigenous hunting, when many other studies have expressed strong concern about the NT firebombing, blaming it for weedspreading and other biodiversity impacts. Nothing is mentioned in the Study about the impact of broadacre farming on species that are becoming less abundent either. We think the Wilson Study is grossly flawed, and just another way to advance funding for yet another study. For those interested, you can read more here http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/paper/WR09130.htm
and here http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/Aboriginal-hunting-practices-under-threat.htm But dont sweat if you haven't got time, its all nonsense anyway.
NSW Shark Nets
Almost 4000 sea creatures have been caught in shark nets lining NSW beaches over the past 20 years, new government figures reveal, prompting calls from environmentalists to immediately ban the meshing. Of the official count of 3944 creatures trapped, about 60 per cent were sharks and less than 4 per cent were considered ''target'' species (or those particularly harmful to humans) - that is, 100 great whites and 49 tiger sharks. The haul - as recorded in the Department of Primary Industries' Report into the NSW Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program - included a total of 2521 sharks. *SMH read more ... http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/nets-are-a-dead-loss-for-sea-life-20100821-139pq.html
Great White Sharks
The likely deaths of two mother sea otters from shark bites, and the rescue of their orphaned pups in recent days is a reminder of what researchers have learned from a decade studying adult great white shark behavior: These top ocean predators return to California's coastal waters each year at this time. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program recently took in two sea otter pups, one from Cayucos (San Luis Obispo County) on August 12 and a second from Santa Cruz on August 17. In both cases, the mothers had suffered shark trauma – likely from great white sharks, according to biologists. "The number of shark-bitten sea otter carcasses recovered by our California Sea Otter Stranding Network has increased in recent years – especially in the southern portion of the range," said Brian Hatfield of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). "This mortality is likely having a significant impact on the population." * Underwater Times
Read More.... http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=41061538907
Locusts
Australia's peak red meat marketing association says chemicals used to rid locust swarms could pose a big risk to the cattle industry. The State Government says Queensland is facing its worst plague in 30 years, with spur-throated locusts expected to move due to recent hot weather and the insects set to hatch this month in the Channel Country. Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) spokesman Patrick Hutchinson says producers need to follow guidelines if they are using chemicals before selling stock or supplying feed to other farmers. "We are out there providing assurances across the board for our beef and sheep exports stating that these products are clean and green [and] free of residue," he said. "If those things don't occur, people are signing declarations that aren't true and are passing a risk onto the person purchasing the livestock." He says producers need to be vigilant. "Producers should be always aware of spraying that's occurring by both themselves and also by state departments," he said. "What they should be focusing on at all times is keeping records and also keeping track of paddocks that have been sprayed or areas that have been sprayed and ensuring that cattle, or any other livestock for that matter, don't get access to those areas." *ABC
Ed Comment; We've made this point before, but while they can shift cattle around when spraying, they cant or wont shift the kangaroos. Kangaroos graze on the grass impregnated with the poisonous chemicals used to kill locusts, then they shoot them and promote the kangaroo meat overseas as being "clean and green"!
Native Bees
With spring just around the corner, it's time to get buzzing. There are about 2000 native species of Australian bees but have you seen any in your backyard? Most native bees are small and fragile and have difficulty competing with the highly efficient commercial bees introduced from Europe. European honeybees collect 90 per cent of available nectar and pollen but pollinate only about 5 per cent of plants. Australia's Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife 's chief executive Leonie Gale said there were plenty of ways to bring native bees back to your backyard, including: GROW bee food bees love plants like angophoras, eucalyptus, brachyschomes, callistemon, melaleucas, scaevolas, grevilleas and tea trees. MANY non-native plants such as lavenders, roses, salvia and daisies also attract native bees. PROVIDE a safe bee home make nest sites for solitary native bees from dead or hollow stems or by drilling holes in blocks of hardwood timber. AVOID using pesticides and insecticides in the garden. Ms Gale said native bees were great for pollinating home vegetable gardens. Blue Banded and Teddy Bear bees perform a special type of pollination method known as ``buzz pollination'' which encourages fruiting of tomatoes, eggplant, kiwifruit and chillies. ``You can find Australian native bees in all of the country's varied environments,'' Ms Gale said. *ProgressPress, Melbourne
Koalas
The discovery of a koala colony may save a small Fraser Coast township fighting to stop a planned $35 million open cut coal mine. Northern Energy Corporation has lodged an environmental management plan with the Department of Environment Resources Management for its Colton Mine which borders the village of Aldershot, about 8km north of Maryborough. But in what looms as a David and Goliath battle in rural Queensland's coal wars, Aldershot property owner Allan Sharpe plans to register his property as koala habitat. Mr Sharpe said mining company workers were stunned to find he was living only 2km from the proposed mine when they stumbled upon him in 2008 as they walked along the railway line near his 63ha bushland block. ``They didn't realise I was here. They were looking at a 1996 map and I bought the house in 1999,'' Mr Sharpe said. As the company began preparing its EMP and staging community information sessions, Mr Sharpe found a koala about 250m from his home and called in environmentalists who identified more than a dozen ``scratchings'' on trees. `They're definitely around. You can hear them at night. There is a wildlife corridor here going right through my property down to Hervey Bay,'' Mr Sharpe said. The company's EMP said three field surveys were conducted which identified 11 potential rare and threatened fauna on the project site, including parrots, bats and lungfish. Field workers only found koala habitat and the report suggests strategies to limit the impact. *Qld Sunday Mail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kangaroos
Media Release CHIEF MINISTER ATTACKS ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATION AS 800 BABY KANGAROOS ARE KILLED AT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
On the eve of the Australian elections, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has made an attack on a well respected Australian animal welfare organisation, in the midst of a suspected cover up on baby kangaroo killings authorised by his department. When challenged on figures of the recent culling of kangaroos in the ACT’s National Parks, Stanhope refused to release the information and cited that he could assure the Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC) that “culling operations are humane and are conducted to the highest standards.” Philip Woolley, AWPC EU Campaign Director hit out at Stanhope and said: “This government says it is open and transparent, yet when asked for simple details which are of public interest the Chief Minister’s department hides behind the quoted assurance that all went well. If this is the case, why is he frightened of supplying our request and instead decides to attack what we do?” As figures on kangaroo killings are rarely released in situations like this and are carried out with upmost secrecy, it begs the question, why? Why would this be hidden from the public if all were above board?
Mr Woolley stated: “If the figures are not forthcoming then we will be forced to make educated guesses based on the previous year’s figures that were finally released after pressure was placed on the Chief Minister’s office. It can be estimated that some 800 baby kangaroos were either bludgeoned to death or escaped the scene only to die of starvation after their mothers were killed.” Simon Corbell’s office got dragged into the story when they admitted that an error was made by Stanhope’s office stating facts that were misleading and incorrect. Woolley finished by saying: “The Chief Minister’s office has said that our website is “misleading and incorrect”, which we of course dispute. When others may make mistakes they are attacked by his office.
Makes you wonder; why the cover up and what other figures have been made in error by Stanhope’s office?” *Philip Woolley 440,000 EU Joeys Campaign Director - Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc - UK representative Email:Philip@440000joeys.eu
Wagga Kangaroos
Kangaroos which reside in the Wagga district were last night given a temporary reprieve by a council standing committee after it voted against commercial culling. The Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) is hoping to expand the area in which kangaroos can be commercially culled to include land surrounding the city of Wagga. The pest authority had asked Wagga City Council for in- principle support for the expansion when it makes its submission to the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. However Councillor Ray Goodlass, the chair of the standing committee, last night spoke strongly against the concept and got plenty of support when it was put to a vote. "I'm not in favour of this," Cr Goodlass said. "I don't see how it is necessary. "However accurate a marksman is, I think shooting a kangaroo in the head is inhumane."
Arguing for the case of the Hume LHPA was deputy mayor Lindsay Vidler who said the native animal was a huge problem for road users in the district. "They're out of control, causing accidents and it's not very nice hitting them," Cr Vidler said. "You should see them out on Mangoplah Road -they're fairly thick. "I'd sooner see it done this way than indiscriminate shooting." When it came to a vote, Cr Vidler was on his own in support of commercial culling. Although the standing committee's refusal to endorse Hume LHPA's proposal will no doubt be a blow to the pest authority's submission to the Department of Environment, it is still possible that it will be approved and commercial culling will become a reality in the district. *Daily Advertiser
Ed Comment; You can thank Ray Goodlass here rgoodlass@gmail.com and send a letter supporting the Committee to the Daily Advertiser here letters@dailyadvertiser.com.au
Kangaroo Punchup
A Nicholls Drive resident has had a nasty bout with a kangaroo and although she is here to tell the tale, there is no question of who came off second best. Battered and bruised, Maria Holland notified the Yass Tribune in the hours following her frightening encounter with the big grey buck - only metres from her home at 10am on Friday - in an effort to warn fellow residents about the power and presence of kangaroos in residential estates bordering the fringe of town. Ms Holland moved to Nicholls Drive in September last year and says kangaroos have long been a feature of the landscape in south Yass. A herd of the marsupials regularly congregate in grasslands at the foot of Nicholls Drive and some venture closer to homes in the area, seeking food or water. Ms Holland says she has until now enjoyed a casual yet cautious relationship with the animals. She does not feed them and has alerted the relevant authorities to their predominance.
On Friday, Ms Holland was walking her small dog on a lead in her street when she came across a large male kangaroo, which she describes as “two metres tall with saliva dripping from its mouth.” The dog became excited and pulled the lead from her grip, barking as it approached the marsupial. Fearful for her pet, Ms Holland hesitantly walked towards the kangaroo and bent down to retrieve her dog, wary of not startling the wild animal. Just as she raised her head and began to stand up, the kangaroo pushed her back down and thumped her head and torso with his powerful legs. “He was tearing at my face and my clothes and started to rip my pants off. I thought ‘I’m going to die on my own in the middle of the road with my pants down’,” Ms Holland, who did not lose her sense of humour in the ordeal, told the Tribune laughing. “I was so frightened. I really thought it was the end of me.”
The dog started barking, which distracted the kangaroo and enabled Ms Holland to get away from her attacker. She drove herself to Yass Hospital with blood all over her face and body. There she was treated for shock, whip lash and large superficial lacerations to her face and lower abdomen. “He hit me like a ton of bricks,” Ms Holland said. “I just really want to let people know because there are a lot of mothers with babies and children with dogs who walk in the area and they might not be as lucky as I was to get away. “It certainly makes me think twice about going outside and walking my dog. We definitely shouldn’t wait for a kangaroo to attack a child.” Ms Holland says the hospital staff called council’s ordinance officer who attended the area in search of the offending animal. He did not locate the kangaroo but found Ms Holland’s dog, which had fled the scene in fear, wandering around with its leash still attached.
The problem of kangaroos sharing space with urban fringe dwellers is well documented throughout Australia. It remains a delicate issue in Canberra, where many housing estates back on to nature reserves. Council’s Director of Planning and Environmental Services, Paul De Szell, says council’s hands are tied. “It’s not our jurisdiction,” he told the Tribune. “We try to help out when and where we can but we don’t have the powers to do anything about it.” Julia Crawford, area manager for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, warned Eastern Grey kangaroos are wild animals that can be very unpredictable. “It’s probably true to say that kangaroos will not attack people unless they are feeling threatened. If you get too close to them, especially if you have a dog on a lead, they can become aggressive in defending their space,” she said. “Our strongest advice to people, especially with regard to big males, is to give them a wide berth.” Ms Crawford said instances of kangaroos attacking people are generally uncommon although the problem does occur periodically.
Most attacks tend to occur in places where the animals have been hand fed, which causes them to become overly familiar with humans and thereby lose their fear of people. Typically this occurs in places such as camping and picnic grounds. “We advise people living close to mobs of kangaroos not to feed them as this leads to aggressive behaviour,” Ms Crawford said. “If people are having problems with neighbourhood kangaroos they should contact the NPWS and we’ll come and do an inspection to assess the situation.” Kangaroos are protected by law and people caught harming them can be liable to penalties. *Yass Tribune
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 of 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!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wildlife Bytes 10/8/10
Fraser Island Dingoes
Save the Fraser Island Dingoes organisation is having a Dingo Charity dinner at Hervey Bay on the 4th September, at the Hervey Bay RSL Function room. For Reservations phone 41241979, great guest artists, including Keri McInerney, Stevie T, Riverhead with special guest Mark Nuske, k'gari performers and more! Tickets are $50 each or $90 for a couple.
The Queensland Sunday Mail has driven another nail into the coffin of the Fraser Island dingoes. In an poorly written and researched article in the Mail last Sunday, John Sinclair was quoted as saying that the people wanting protection for the Fraser Island dingoes, were peddling a campaign of misinformation by showing pictures of starving dingoes. He claimed in the article that starving dingoes are a "natural" occurance, and they die off so other dingoes can be well fed! It's not the first time Sinclair has attacked efforts by others to protect the remaining dingoes from the Queensland State Government. John Sinclair fought really hard with his own money and time against the Jo Bielke Peterson government to protect Fraser Island, as many others have done on other issues around Australia. Now the dingoes and other wildlife habituated on the Island appear to be sacrificed to the great God of Tourism. The recent Queensland government "independant" review into the Fraser Island Dingo Management Plan found the Plan was working fine...of course the Review would say that, the Review was wholly run by the State government consultants and bureaucrats who designed and administer the current Dingo Plan. We've said it before and we say it again, the Fraser Island Dingo Managment Plan is the greatest wildlife management blunder ever committed in Queensland. Its difficult to understand why Sinclair would support this cruelty.* WPAA
Morriset Kangaroo Update
As more comes out about developments at Morriset Hospital it appears that many of the criminally insane have already been moved out into special units in prisons. Apparently there are only 130 patients still on the site. And the Mental Hospital only occupies a small fraction of the whole 1200ha/3000 acres. We also understand that discussions between the Labor Right NSW State Government and developers has taken place. Like most State governments the NSW State Gov'ernment is developer-corrupt. It looks like the St Mary's ADI housing development disaster will happen all over again at Newcastle. More info about the Morriset kangaroos below..........*WPAA
Camels
The Northern Territory Government says it is aiming to remove another 60,000 feral camels from Central Australia by next July. Environment Minister Karl Hampton says 2,000 of the estimated 300,000 camels in the Territory have been culled since June through aerial shooting. The continued action will include aerial culling, mustering and slaughtering. "Without immediate action, their numbers will double within a decade," he said. "As well as destroying native vegetation and wetlands, feral camels cause millions of dollars of damage to pastoral land and infrastructure on remote communities while being a heavy emitter of greenhouse gases. "The animals also damage Aboriginal sacred sites and bush tucker resources." *ABC
Cockatoos
Urgent action needs to be taken to address problem cockatoos keeping hospital patients awake and annoying people at Atherton. Flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos, numbering in the thousands, have been causing havoc along Cook St. Tablelands Regional Council has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency to use a scare gun to disperse the birds, but Cr Len Curtis said the process had to move faster. *Cairns Post
Banded Plovers
There are fears a critical breeding ground for a vulnerable bird species found only in Australia could be threatened if open-slather mining is allowed on Lake Torrens. In the past 70 years there have been only 10 recorded breeding events of the wading bird the banded stilt - the latest two months ago when an estimated 150,000 birds descended on the lake in SA's Far North. But there are now concerns that this already threatened bird could have its important habitat put at risk if plans to plunder minerals from the lake's bed get into full gear. The State Government last month approved a mining exploration licence for Straits Resources and Argonaut Resources to drill on the lake bed for minerals including copper and gold. Australasian Waders Studies Group spokesman Clive Minton said mining on the lake bed would be "criminal" as the banded stilt only breeds in salt lakes which have been inundated with fresh water causing dormant brine shrimp eggs to hatch, providing a feeding bonanza for the young. The Aboriginal Kokatha Mula Nations Land Council chairman Andrew Starkey said his people had a number of sites registered in the area that would be threatened by the mining. "Our concern is the precedent this will set for the rest of the lakes," he said. * Adelaide Now
Meanwhile, another local Aboriginal group is outraged the state Aboriginal Affairs Minister has allowed a mining company to explore part of Lake Torrens in the South Australian outback. The chairman of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, Vince Coulthard, says the Minister has authorised the company to damage, disturb or interfere with Aboriginal sites or human remains. He says Lake Torrens is a very significant place for various groups and Minister Grace Portolesi should retract her permission. "I think it's sad for a Minister who's supposed to be protecting our sites to give the authority or use their authority to destroy the very things she's supposed to be protecting," he said. Ms Portolesi said she gave limited authorisation for seven drill holes, tracks to the holes and a helicopter landing area. She says the area was explored in the 1970s and that influenced her decision. Ms Portolesi said there was no evidence of human remains in the Lake Torrens exploration area. "If physical material is found, I'm satisfied that there are adequate protections, guidelines in place to ensure that that material, whatever that might be, will be dealt with in the most culturally-appropriate way and with Aboriginal peoples," she said. *ABC
Barramundi
IT is the Great Sydney Harbour barramundi mystery - and well-meaning but misguided Buddhists practising an ancient good luck ritual are responsible. From the Parramatta River to Darling Harbour, the Spit Bridge to Manly, bemused anglers have found barramundi - the tropical fish whose nearest natural habitat is central Queensland - swimming lethargically on the surface. Last weekend, two were scooped up in Darling Harbour by fishermen. Two weekends before, Mario Benedict was chasing bream near Clarkes Point when he spotted a strange fish. "It was swimming really slowly and I thought it was a leatherjacket but when we went over in the boat and I scooped it out with our landing net I knew straight away it was a barra," the 27-year-old from Concord said yesterday. Barramundi were also discovered in February and March at Manly, the Spit Bridge, Rose Bay and Darling Harbour. It was first believed the fish had been released into the Harbour by radical animal rights activists or a fishkeeper whose pets had outgrown their tanks. But all the barramundi have been the size of fish bred in fish farms for the restaurant market. State Fisheries pointed the finger at Buddhists carrying out an ancient ritual called Tsethar - and it has condemned the fish to a slow death because the Harbour waters are too cold. Tsethar involves saving the lives of "animals that are doomed to be killed". * Daily Telegraph
US Pet Snake Imports....Far too late, but better late than Never!
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new rules in late June that prohibit Burmese pythons and other so-called “reptiles of concern” from being owned as pets. Under the new rules, these reptiles of concern, which include the Burmese and Indian python, reticulated python, green anaconda, African rock python (north and south), amethystine python (including the scrub python) and Nile monitor lizard, have been reclassified as nonnative conditional species. As a result, Florida residents will not be able to acquire these animals as pets. However, those who currently hold a reptile of concern license will be allowed to keep the pet until the end of its life. Dealers, breeders, exhibitors and researchers are permitted to possess conditional snakes and lizards for sale outside of Florida. Anyone in possession of a conditional snake or lizard may surrender the animal at any time to a licensed dealer. The commission also approved further security measures for commercial reptile dealers in how they transport snakes and lizards in Florida. New rules require conditional species be held indoors or, if outdoors, in an enclosure that has a fixed, secure roof. All of these animals also must be micro-chipped, unless they are to be exported out of the state within 180 days. These rules changes implement Senate Bill 318, which was signed into law by Florida Governor Charlie Crist in early June. * PetProductNews
Polar Bears
Polar bears, the icon of the Arctic, are under threat from the twin challenges of climate change and chemicals that are not breaking down in the region's cold waters. Research published in the journal Science of The Total Environment shows the retreat of sea-ice in the Arctic could increase the exposure of species such as polar bears to persistent organic pollutants, which include flame-retardants and substances used to harden plastics. Scientists believe the pollutants, locked in the polar ice for decades, could be released into the ocean as the ice melts due to climate change. It is estimated annual summer sea-ice cover in the Arctic is now up to a third less than it was thirty years ago. *ABC read more ..... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/06/2975920.htm
Wild White Wallaby
The Douglas Daly Tourist Park (NT) has a regular visitor turning up at dusk each night - an albino wallaby named "Snowball". New proprietors of the park, Brad and Kathy Hogan, said the pure white marsupial came every night at six o'clock to mingle with his wallaby friends. "Park patrons line up to take photos. "He looks like a big piece of paper so he is very easy to spot," Mr Hogan told the Northern Territory News. He said Snowball's appearances had given the park some positive exposure following the concern surrounding the unprecedented capture of two saltwater crocodiles near the park in the past month. The picture above, taken by tourist Joanna McCarrick of Baltimore, USA, shows Snowball grabbing a bite to eat on the park's helicopter landing ground. *NT news
Birds
Some birds radically change their diets just before their winter migrations, gorging themselves on antioxidant-rich berries to prepare for their long journeys, researchers have found. "[The] results support the hypothesis that some migratory birds may actively select deeply-pigmented fruits as a signal for meals that are rich in antioxidants," researcher Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island said. "These disease-fighting antioxidants may help the birds combat stress and inflammation that they experience during long flights." "It has been known for some time, this phenomenon of birds switching to fruits in the fall," said study co-author Scott McWilliams, a bird researcher. The phenomenon is particularly striking because sparrows, thrushes, warblers and other birds with beaks highly specialized for eating insects suddenly begin using them to pick berries instead. A single bird can consume up to three times its weight in berries per day -- the equivalent of a human being consuming more than 300 pounds-worth of food. *NaturalNews Read more http://www.naturalnews.com/029391_birds_superfoods.html
Roadkill
Roadkill is driving some species towards extinction. Too few safe corridors for animals to find more food. Too many cars and trucks on many more roads through their habitats. How about a campaign to stop carelessness about road-kill? Read more ........ http://candobetter.org/node/1094
Crustaceans Rule!
Ever wondered what kinds of wildlife dominate the world’s seas and oceans? Now there’s an answer, at least in terms of the number of species in different categories. It’s not fish. It’s not mammals. It’s crustaceans! A mammoth Census of Marine Life has revealed that nearly one-fifth, or 19 percent, of all the marine species known to humans are crustaceans — crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, barnacles and others far too numerous to mention here. The census didn’t count the actual numbers of animals beneath the waves — that would have been impossible — but it did count up the number of species in 25 marine areas. The aim is to set down a biodiversity baseline for future use. * Read more http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/08/03/crustaceans-rule/
Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC) meeting.
As a follow-up to the meeting we held in May this year at Hamilton the Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC) again invites all rehabbers from the South East corner of the State to join us for a Meeting of Minds to be held the RSPCA Fairfield facility, 301 Fairfield Road, Fairfield, 4103 (corner Fairfield and Venner Roads) on Sunday September 26th 2010 at 2.00pm. We aim to facilitate further discussions on issues you believe impact on your group or that could assist in better communications between groups or rehabilitators. We invite you to submit your suggested agenda items to us by mail or email to the addresses noted below. Please include your preferred return email or postal address if you wish a copy of the afternoon’s agenda sent to you. Although we would appreciate an RSVP by September 23rd please feel free to attend even if you have not been able to get back to us. Please share this invitation with any rehabber in your area who may not be on our mailing list. Don’t miss this opportunity for your views and ideas to be heard. We look forward to spending beneficial time with you at this gathering. * Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC)
Flying Foxes
A petition urging government action on flying foxes in Charters Towers is to be presented to State Parliament next month. Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth, who will present the petition, said a decision by the Department of Environment and Resource Management to refuse permission for Charters Towers Regional Council to use helicopters to clear flying foxes from Lissner Park had been the final straw. "Before they used to use the excuse that we wanted to use lethal means to move the bats and now that we come up with a non-lethal way to move them, they still knock us back. It is a disgrace," he said. DERM wildlife management director Nick Rigby told council he was not satisfied that flying foxes would not be killed or injured while being mustered to another location by helicopter. Mr Knuth said this proved the government cared more for bats than it did for people. "I would like to see the environment minister come here and debate the bat problem any evening at 6pm when they are flying away to feed," he said. Resident Allan Henderson said people had been lining up to sign the petition. "Everyone in town wants them gone. No one can use that part of the park where they roost during the day. There's flying fox excrement all over the picnic tables. It's terrible. Lissner Park has become a bat reserve," he said. Mr Henderson said the people of Charters Towers wanted their park back. * Townsville Bulletin
Barbed Wire Fences
Environmental agencies are hoping the recent story of a squirrel glider trapped on a barbed wire fence will encourage landowners to use more wildlife-friendly fencing. The squirrel glider, dubbed Rebada, was trapped on a fence outside the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority last month. She received several injuries when she became tangled in the fence before being rescued by GBCMA environmental water reserve officer Keith Ward and wildlife carer Katherine Lohse. Ms Lohse said it would be several weeks before Rebada was fit enough to be released into the wild. Making fences wildlife-friendly includes making them more visible, replacing the top strand of barbed wire with plain wire or covering it with polypipe, or planting trees to shorten the gliding distance between trees. Department of Sustainability senior biodiversity planning officer Rolf Weber said barbed wire was a common problem for wildlife and pointed to a 1996 study by Rodney van der Ree from Deakin University, who studied possums and gliders living in vegetation along roadsides and creek-lines in the Euroa area. `In a short, 12-month period he found a dozen gliders hooked up on his property, which is quite significant,'' Mr Weber said.
``With a membrane like the squirrel gliders have, there's just no way they can get themselves out _ once they're hooked, they're hooked. `There's quite a lot of other animals that can get caught up on barbed wire too. `These days, there's probably not all that much need for barbed wire fences _ they were originally used to stop livestock from leaning on fences and wrecking them, but with the high-tensile wire used in fences today, that doesn't happen anymore and the barbed wire isn't needed to discourage stock from leaning. ``Hopefully, after seeing this, a few landowners will think about the idea of using wildlife-friendly fences.'' For more information on making fences wildlife friendly, visit http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tasmania's Shame
More than one million wallabies and pademelons were killed in one year in Tasmania in a dramatic escalation of a shooting campaign to protect farms and forests. The figures, given to the Mercury yesterday, show that the toll has risen 20 times over six years, coinciding with a massive reduction in 1080 poison - a 94 per cent cut in a decade. Land managers, including farmers and forestry companies, have switched to shooting instead of 1080 after a long campaign by conservation and community groups to end the use of the controversial poison and the State Government has committed to eventually phasing it out. Australian Society for Kangaroos co-ordinator Nikki Sutterby said yesterday the shootings were absolutely devastating. "There are alternatives that have been looked at such as wallaby-proof fencing that seem not to be getting any consideration," she said. However, farmers strongly defend the culling and want to continue to use 1080. "The damage that browsing animals cause to farm crops in Tasmania would be unimaginable to people living in other states," said Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Jan Davis.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, which issued the shooting figures, said it believed the annual takes were sustainable. There were populations of up to 10 million of both Bennett's wallabies and pademelons - both partly protected under Tasmanian legislation - based on annual spotlight surveys. The department figures for 2008-09 reveal that licensed shooters shot 447,579 Bennett's wallabies in mainland Tasmania. "In the same period 560,406 Tasmanian pademelons were reported as taken for crop protection purposes," the department said. The annual figures are based on returns provided by shooters issued with permits. The increased shooting toll coincides with a massive reduction in 1080 usage from 15kg in 1999-2000 to 969g in 2008-09. "The total use for 2009-10 until mid-May was 739 grams which is 11 per cent less than at the same time the previous year," the statement says.
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association called for continued access to 1080 and export permits for meat, skin and fur products. "We need to be able to utilise culled animals in a productive manner," Ms Davis said. "At present the Federal Government refuses to grant approval for such licences -- a position we believe is untenable." She called for Tasmanian farmers to be allowed to continue usage of 1080. "Recent research has shown that pasture loss within 100m of the bush edge can be as high as 63 per cent and the range of crop loss can be up to 100 per cent across new plantings," Ms Davis said. In 2004 the Mercury sought via the Freedom of Information Act figures on the numbers of wildlife shot. Figures from the Nature Conservation Branch showed that 15,225 brushtail possums and 30,226 Bennett's and red wallabies were shot in the 27 months from January 2002 to April 30, 2004.
Figures for brushtail possums shot in 2008-09 will be released today. The 1080 usage in 2002-03 was 10kg. A department report in 2003 said the reduction of 1080 use was "attributed to the implementation by both Forestry Tasmania and private forestry companies of more intensive shooting programs". Forestry giant Gunns Ltd announced on June 18 it would immediately stop using 1080. "There is no doubt that 1080 has been controversial in the past and this decision is another significant move by Gunns demonstrating its social responsibility," chief executive Greg L'Estrange said. Over the past four years a $4 million research program has investigated alternatives to 1080. "It has highlighted that there are no single, simple solutions to managing the impacts on these abundant species of wildlife but a range of options needs to be available," the statement said. *Australian
1080 in Tasmania
Forest services contractor Rob McLelland says the poison 1080 could be a more humane method of controlling wildlife than shooting. Mr McLelland's firm, Woodstock Forestry Services, previously used 1080 but now all major forestry companies, including Gunns Limited, have stopped using it. He now employs shooters, a significantly more labour-intensive method, to control wildlife browsing. In 2008-09, more than one million Bennetts wallabies and pademelons were shot by farmers and forestry firms. The increase in shooting was attributed to a decrease in the use of 1080. Mr McLelland employed two people when using 1080 but had to hire 16 full-time shooters after 1080 began to be phased out.
He said he believed there was a lot of hype surrounding 1080. ``I think it was potentially more humane than shooting because in about 10 per cent of cases a second shot would be required,'' he said. ``I looked into 1080 and how it works on mammals and basically they ran out of energy and went to lie down and go to sleep. If it was used properly, it was a very humane way of control. ``The science is different to what people believe they saw the word poison and thought `bad' and `painful death'.'' Mr McLelland said it was a mistake spread by the green movement that wallabies died in waterways after ingesting 1080. With fewer plantations after the collapse of managed investment schemes, his company is looking after 30 coupes this year compared with as many as 200 in previous years.
``We are down to two shooters because the plantations have fallen from about 25,000ha a year to 5000ha this year,'' Mr McLelland said. Shooters worked any time from dusk to dawn to cull wallabies in plantations established during the winter, he said. The amount of time for each coupe depended on its location, with visits varying from twice a week to once a month. The wallabies were lured into the open with maize. Mr McLelland said the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association's idea of exporting or processing wallaby meat was impractical in the remote and steep coupes. The TFGA has said farmers needed a full suite of management tools, including 1080. * Mercury
Save the Tassie Wallabies
Please see media release and stories below about what it happening to the wallies in Tassie. if you have time and want to do something, you can write to:
Minister for Environment
David OByrne
Ph: 6233 8892
Fax: 6233 7663
David.OByrne@parliament.tas.gov.au
Premier
David Bartlett
Ph: 6233 3464
fax: 6234 1572'
premier@dpac.tas.gov.au
Tasmanian Greens
(03) 6233 8300
(03) 6223 1406
greens@parliament.tas.gov.au
Letter to the Mercury (keep letters less than 300 words.
Click on letter to the editor
http://www.themercury.com.au/opinion/index.html
Letter to Examiner
http://www.examiner.com.au/content/letterstotheeditor/
Australian Society for Kangaroos, 'Representing the victim of the world's largest wildlife massacre' Media Release Tasmania's wildlife annihilation
Every year Tasmanian's are killing around one million wallabies despite published research against it. According to the Tasmanian State of the Environment Report 2009, around one million wallabies and their joeys are killed annually by farmers and plantation owners in Tasmania, with 1.4 million killed between 2006 and 2007 alone. This is despite research published in a government newsletter proving the success of non lethal alternatives such as chemical deterrents and wallaby proof fencing.
The government newsletter “Research into the Alternatives to 1080”, also refers to research which shows shooting is an ineffective strategy for controlling wallabies, and that even if 90% of the population in an area is killed, the remaining 10% can cause the same damage. A trial reported in the newsletter also showed that there was no difference in the number of animals observed at sites where shooting was used, compared to those where there no shooting occurred. Another survey revealed that 50% of participants regularly shot wallabies even when there was 'not much' damage being done.
Tom Locke lives in Tasmania and his property adjoins a timber plantation. His plans for a peaceful life in the bush has become a nightmare as he is regularly confronted with dead and injured wallabies and joeys shot by his neighbour. For Tom's full account and photos of the wallabies he's found, go to his website at:
http://mogul.netai.net/
“With proven economical non lethal alternatives available, and the fact that shooting has been proven to be ineffective, why is the Tasmanian government continuing to allow land owners to slaughter wallabies in these incredible numbers?”, said Nikki Sutterby, CoOrdinator, Australian Society for Kangaroos.
You can view the government data at: State of Environment Report 2009 http://soer.justice.tas.gov.au/2009/table/363/index.php
Research into Alternatives http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/PWOD-7YU79F?open
Morriset Kangaroos Again
Emma Vrshkovski, 22, is $1000 short when she counts her blessings after a head-on collision with a kangaroo at the busy Station Street and Fishery Point Road junction at Bonnells Bay on Friday.
The Trinity Point resident was uninjured, but $1000 is the cost of the excess insurance she will have to pay to have her car repaired. Now Ms Vrshkovski and her family are calling for an inquiry into escalating kangaroo numbers which they say are roaming the Morisset peninsula's urban streets. "I was driving to work and this big kangaroo just leaped out of nowhere. Other drivers at the scene said I didn't have a hope of avoiding it," Ms Vrshkovski said. "I was extremely lucky not to be seriously injured. Just two weeks ago I was a passenger in my friend's car going to the gym on the same road and it happened to her too. I am now hearing of it happening to other residents and many of them it seems make insurance claims where they can, but usually don't bother to report it."
Her insurance company will likely cover the cost of Ms Vrshkovski's repair bill, expected to be around $4000, but she says she is up for $1000 excess. "That's a lot of money and who do I blame, the kangaroo? Plus my insurance on my Mazda 3 will now be more expensive. This is a country dirt road but a suburban street." Ms Vrshkovski's mother Susan Foster, also a Trinity Point resident, is now campaigning for a review of kangaroo population control. "The council told me National Parks and Wildlife are responsible and they in turn told me it is the area rangers who are required to monitor numbers," she said. "I'm really concerned about this because we have kangaroos all over the place and it's just a matter of time before somebody gets killed. It will be too late to do anything then, because that will be one life too many," she said. "My daughter has had three recent near misses with these animals and she's precious to me. It is very worrying. Kangaroo numbers in the hospital grounds are in plague proportions and this is where they are coming from. They aren't afraid of urban streets, any more." *Lakes Mail
Kangaroos and Climate Change
Not all kangaroos hop, and past climate changes explain why, according to the first detailed analysis of modern and extinct skeletons. "Kangaroos are our quintessential animal group and it's interesting that their evolution over the last 25 million years or so is closely matched to the changing climate and environment," said paleontologist Gavin Prideaux of Adelaide's Flinders University. "They are barometers of climate change." A good example of this is that musky rat kangaroo - Hypsiprymnodon moschatus, from the tropical rainforests of northeast Australia - gallops, an inheritance from primitive ancestors that flourished millions of years ago when the continent was warmer and wetter. "It's the last gasp of a primitive group of kangaroos," said University of NSW paleontologist Mike Archer. He agrees with Dr Prideaux and his anatomist colleague, Natalie Warburton of Perth's Murdoch University, that this tiniest of all roos sits in a group separate from all others.
Dr Prideaux and Dr Warburton came to the conclusion after analysing the skeletal remains of 35 current and extinct kangaroos and wallabies, so-called Macropodidae. Writing in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, they argue that the skulls, teeth and feet of the earliest roos were adapted, like the musky rat kangaroo, to moving about and feeding in lush soft-leaved forests. In contrast, more recent species such as today's red roos, Macropus rufus, are well suited to bounding across and grazing upon open grassland. Professor Archer said Dr Prideaux's and Dr Warburton's new roo family tree fitted neatly with the way that many experts viewed the relationships between the different groups. "What's most interesting to me is the finding about the banded hare wallaby," he said of their conclusion that the rare little Lagostrophus fasciatus was, as Dr Prideaux said, "the last of its lineage".
It is found on only two islands off the West Australian coast. Although early kangaroos probably appeared 40-50 million years ago, the number of known species increased dramatically about 15 million years ago. That coincides with when the climate became increasingly dry. The result was the appearance of numerous grass-eating hoppers like the largest roo that ever lived - the giant short-faced kangaroo Procoptodon goliah, which tipped the scales at more than 230kg. "As habitats opened up and changed the nature of the terrain, kangaroos could hop further and faster," said Dr Prideaux. *Australian
Another Kangaroo Kill
Kangaroos trapped in a sewage treatment plant after their habitat was destroyed by development in Sydney's west have been culled because there was not enough food to sustain them. The mob of eastern greys were squeezed off the 145ha ADI site, known as Sydney's secret garden, when it was sliced up for industry, houses and roads. They sought refuge on Sydney Water's treatment plant about five years ago. But 56 kangaroos were euthanised last week after their numbers "rapidly increased", leaving them hungry and their temporary habitat overcrowded. "Natural sources of food are limited, requiring Sydney Water to buy feed," a spokeswoman said. "The animals' health has declined and the plant's structures present a safety risk to the animals." The cull was "the best option" given the animals' condition, the spokeswoman said, because the site could not support the large mob. "Relocation is not possible as it is difficult to find a site willing to take them," she said, adding there was also concern the animals could spread disease to a new group.
The Department of Environment issued the licence to cull the kangaroos in a "humane and professional way". "The population is introduced and enclosed and there were concerns their condition could deteriorate as they became more overcrowded," the spokeswoman said. They were sedated before being euthanised by injection. Wildlife rescue volunteer Greg Keightley said the National Parks and Wildlife Service could save such animals if they managed the wildlife on government property before selling it to developers. "Agencies do not address the issues until it is too late, and then issue licences to kill the animals." he said. "These animals were once part of the mobs of kangaroos that lived on the ADI site. "Now they are killed because they are in the way." *Daily Telegraph
Comment by Greg Kneightley
Once again those pesky native animals get in the way. A cull of up to 80 eastern grey kangaroos is being carried out at a Sydney Water property adjacent the former ADI site at St Marys. The cull is being conducted by the same contractor that handled the controversial treatment of the thousands of kangaroos for Lend Lease Delfin at the ADI site. Reports are that all of the contained population of kangaroos on the Sydney Water site had to be killed. Greg Keightley, a wildlife rescue volunteer, and an advocate for native animal welfare is disappointed with the way that NPWS continue to take the easy way out.
"Its just another example of how agencies like NPWS do not address the issues surrounding the management of wildlife in areas subject to development or contained in existing government properties until it is too late, and then issue licences to kill the animals."
Similar situations occur on Federal Government Defence sites around the country, with culling of animals the easiest solution. "If agencies responsible for the welfare of these populations involved themselves in active management instead of ignoring the problem until it's too late, there would be less need for large scale killing." "We once again also have the involvement of a developer like Lend Lease lending a hand in the destruction of wildlife" he said.These animals were once part of the mobs of kangaroos that lived on the ADI site, with some ending up in Sydney Water property during the development. "Now they are killed because they are in the way" "The public pay a contractor a lot of money to kill animals of the Crown on public property that fell foul of a developer whose main focus is on making profits. I'm sure that we could do better". * Greg Keightley, letter to the Telegraph
Kangaroos attack Dogs
A Goulburn Valley vet has urged dog owners to be vigilant of kangaroos following a spate of attacks. Tatura Veterinary Clinic's Phil Stammers said several dogs had been admitted for surgery during the past few weeks after being savagely attacked by kangaroos. ``We hardly ever get this sort of thing happen, but last Friday we had three dogs come in after kangaroo attacks _ we also had another dog about a week earlier,'' Dr Stammers said. ``I'm not sure why it's happening all of a sudden; it's really quite strange.'' Dr Stammers said the injuries varied in severity, but were all consistent with repeated slashing from a kangaroo's hind claws. ``The worst we've had has been a big rip under one of the dog's front legs and another big cut near the neck,'' he said. ``I could actually fit my index finger in one of the holes.'' Dr Stammers said people should be constantly aware of where their dogs were when taking them for walks in rural areas. `If the kangaroo doesn't run away, then try not to go near (it), or approach with caution,'' he said. `They might see a dog as a threat so they may react aggressively.''
Harriman's Point resident Leanne Wilson said her dog, a seven-year-old German shepherd-cross named Rex, was one of the victims of the attacks. Ms Wilson said her property backed on to Waranga Basin, a common grazing and drinking spot for kangaroos. ``Because the basin is filling up, the foreshore is getting closer to the house, so the kangaroos have started to come up a bit closer lately,'' she said. Rex was attacked by a kangaroo that might have come up a little too close. `We were actually concerned for the kangaroo's safety as well, because Rex ran into the water and we were worried it was going to follow him in there and drown,'' she said. Dr Stammers said Rex was recovering well and said it was unlikely he would have aggressively attacked the kangaroo. Ms Wilson backed that claim, saying Rex was a docile pet. ``He's really not an aggressive dog,'' she said. ``I work at an aged-care home and he often comes along with me _ he's the nicest dog.'' *Shepperton News
New Kangaroo website..... especially designed for kids..... http://www.kangaroofootprints.com.au/index.html
Gruesome photos of wallabies and possums shot by Forestry contracters in Tasmania http://mogul.netai.net/
Save the Fraser Island Dingoes organisation is having a Dingo Charity dinner at Hervey Bay on the 4th September, at the Hervey Bay RSL Function room. For Reservations phone 41241979, great guest artists, including Keri McInerney, Stevie T, Riverhead with special guest Mark Nuske, k'gari performers and more! Tickets are $50 each or $90 for a couple.
The Queensland Sunday Mail has driven another nail into the coffin of the Fraser Island dingoes. In an poorly written and researched article in the Mail last Sunday, John Sinclair was quoted as saying that the people wanting protection for the Fraser Island dingoes, were peddling a campaign of misinformation by showing pictures of starving dingoes. He claimed in the article that starving dingoes are a "natural" occurance, and they die off so other dingoes can be well fed! It's not the first time Sinclair has attacked efforts by others to protect the remaining dingoes from the Queensland State Government. John Sinclair fought really hard with his own money and time against the Jo Bielke Peterson government to protect Fraser Island, as many others have done on other issues around Australia. Now the dingoes and other wildlife habituated on the Island appear to be sacrificed to the great God of Tourism. The recent Queensland government "independant" review into the Fraser Island Dingo Management Plan found the Plan was working fine...of course the Review would say that, the Review was wholly run by the State government consultants and bureaucrats who designed and administer the current Dingo Plan. We've said it before and we say it again, the Fraser Island Dingo Managment Plan is the greatest wildlife management blunder ever committed in Queensland. Its difficult to understand why Sinclair would support this cruelty.* WPAA
Morriset Kangaroo Update
As more comes out about developments at Morriset Hospital it appears that many of the criminally insane have already been moved out into special units in prisons. Apparently there are only 130 patients still on the site. And the Mental Hospital only occupies a small fraction of the whole 1200ha/3000 acres. We also understand that discussions between the Labor Right NSW State Government and developers has taken place. Like most State governments the NSW State Gov'ernment is developer-corrupt. It looks like the St Mary's ADI housing development disaster will happen all over again at Newcastle. More info about the Morriset kangaroos below..........*WPAA
Camels
The Northern Territory Government says it is aiming to remove another 60,000 feral camels from Central Australia by next July. Environment Minister Karl Hampton says 2,000 of the estimated 300,000 camels in the Territory have been culled since June through aerial shooting. The continued action will include aerial culling, mustering and slaughtering. "Without immediate action, their numbers will double within a decade," he said. "As well as destroying native vegetation and wetlands, feral camels cause millions of dollars of damage to pastoral land and infrastructure on remote communities while being a heavy emitter of greenhouse gases. "The animals also damage Aboriginal sacred sites and bush tucker resources." *ABC
Cockatoos
Urgent action needs to be taken to address problem cockatoos keeping hospital patients awake and annoying people at Atherton. Flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos, numbering in the thousands, have been causing havoc along Cook St. Tablelands Regional Council has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency to use a scare gun to disperse the birds, but Cr Len Curtis said the process had to move faster. *Cairns Post
Banded Plovers
There are fears a critical breeding ground for a vulnerable bird species found only in Australia could be threatened if open-slather mining is allowed on Lake Torrens. In the past 70 years there have been only 10 recorded breeding events of the wading bird the banded stilt - the latest two months ago when an estimated 150,000 birds descended on the lake in SA's Far North. But there are now concerns that this already threatened bird could have its important habitat put at risk if plans to plunder minerals from the lake's bed get into full gear. The State Government last month approved a mining exploration licence for Straits Resources and Argonaut Resources to drill on the lake bed for minerals including copper and gold. Australasian Waders Studies Group spokesman Clive Minton said mining on the lake bed would be "criminal" as the banded stilt only breeds in salt lakes which have been inundated with fresh water causing dormant brine shrimp eggs to hatch, providing a feeding bonanza for the young. The Aboriginal Kokatha Mula Nations Land Council chairman Andrew Starkey said his people had a number of sites registered in the area that would be threatened by the mining. "Our concern is the precedent this will set for the rest of the lakes," he said. * Adelaide Now
Meanwhile, another local Aboriginal group is outraged the state Aboriginal Affairs Minister has allowed a mining company to explore part of Lake Torrens in the South Australian outback. The chairman of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, Vince Coulthard, says the Minister has authorised the company to damage, disturb or interfere with Aboriginal sites or human remains. He says Lake Torrens is a very significant place for various groups and Minister Grace Portolesi should retract her permission. "I think it's sad for a Minister who's supposed to be protecting our sites to give the authority or use their authority to destroy the very things she's supposed to be protecting," he said. Ms Portolesi said she gave limited authorisation for seven drill holes, tracks to the holes and a helicopter landing area. She says the area was explored in the 1970s and that influenced her decision. Ms Portolesi said there was no evidence of human remains in the Lake Torrens exploration area. "If physical material is found, I'm satisfied that there are adequate protections, guidelines in place to ensure that that material, whatever that might be, will be dealt with in the most culturally-appropriate way and with Aboriginal peoples," she said. *ABC
Barramundi
IT is the Great Sydney Harbour barramundi mystery - and well-meaning but misguided Buddhists practising an ancient good luck ritual are responsible. From the Parramatta River to Darling Harbour, the Spit Bridge to Manly, bemused anglers have found barramundi - the tropical fish whose nearest natural habitat is central Queensland - swimming lethargically on the surface. Last weekend, two were scooped up in Darling Harbour by fishermen. Two weekends before, Mario Benedict was chasing bream near Clarkes Point when he spotted a strange fish. "It was swimming really slowly and I thought it was a leatherjacket but when we went over in the boat and I scooped it out with our landing net I knew straight away it was a barra," the 27-year-old from Concord said yesterday. Barramundi were also discovered in February and March at Manly, the Spit Bridge, Rose Bay and Darling Harbour. It was first believed the fish had been released into the Harbour by radical animal rights activists or a fishkeeper whose pets had outgrown their tanks. But all the barramundi have been the size of fish bred in fish farms for the restaurant market. State Fisheries pointed the finger at Buddhists carrying out an ancient ritual called Tsethar - and it has condemned the fish to a slow death because the Harbour waters are too cold. Tsethar involves saving the lives of "animals that are doomed to be killed". * Daily Telegraph
US Pet Snake Imports....Far too late, but better late than Never!
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new rules in late June that prohibit Burmese pythons and other so-called “reptiles of concern” from being owned as pets. Under the new rules, these reptiles of concern, which include the Burmese and Indian python, reticulated python, green anaconda, African rock python (north and south), amethystine python (including the scrub python) and Nile monitor lizard, have been reclassified as nonnative conditional species. As a result, Florida residents will not be able to acquire these animals as pets. However, those who currently hold a reptile of concern license will be allowed to keep the pet until the end of its life. Dealers, breeders, exhibitors and researchers are permitted to possess conditional snakes and lizards for sale outside of Florida. Anyone in possession of a conditional snake or lizard may surrender the animal at any time to a licensed dealer. The commission also approved further security measures for commercial reptile dealers in how they transport snakes and lizards in Florida. New rules require conditional species be held indoors or, if outdoors, in an enclosure that has a fixed, secure roof. All of these animals also must be micro-chipped, unless they are to be exported out of the state within 180 days. These rules changes implement Senate Bill 318, which was signed into law by Florida Governor Charlie Crist in early June. * PetProductNews
Polar Bears
Polar bears, the icon of the Arctic, are under threat from the twin challenges of climate change and chemicals that are not breaking down in the region's cold waters. Research published in the journal Science of The Total Environment shows the retreat of sea-ice in the Arctic could increase the exposure of species such as polar bears to persistent organic pollutants, which include flame-retardants and substances used to harden plastics. Scientists believe the pollutants, locked in the polar ice for decades, could be released into the ocean as the ice melts due to climate change. It is estimated annual summer sea-ice cover in the Arctic is now up to a third less than it was thirty years ago. *ABC read more ..... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/06/2975920.htm
Wild White Wallaby
The Douglas Daly Tourist Park (NT) has a regular visitor turning up at dusk each night - an albino wallaby named "Snowball". New proprietors of the park, Brad and Kathy Hogan, said the pure white marsupial came every night at six o'clock to mingle with his wallaby friends. "Park patrons line up to take photos. "He looks like a big piece of paper so he is very easy to spot," Mr Hogan told the Northern Territory News. He said Snowball's appearances had given the park some positive exposure following the concern surrounding the unprecedented capture of two saltwater crocodiles near the park in the past month. The picture above, taken by tourist Joanna McCarrick of Baltimore, USA, shows Snowball grabbing a bite to eat on the park's helicopter landing ground. *NT news
Birds
Some birds radically change their diets just before their winter migrations, gorging themselves on antioxidant-rich berries to prepare for their long journeys, researchers have found. "[The] results support the hypothesis that some migratory birds may actively select deeply-pigmented fruits as a signal for meals that are rich in antioxidants," researcher Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island said. "These disease-fighting antioxidants may help the birds combat stress and inflammation that they experience during long flights." "It has been known for some time, this phenomenon of birds switching to fruits in the fall," said study co-author Scott McWilliams, a bird researcher. The phenomenon is particularly striking because sparrows, thrushes, warblers and other birds with beaks highly specialized for eating insects suddenly begin using them to pick berries instead. A single bird can consume up to three times its weight in berries per day -- the equivalent of a human being consuming more than 300 pounds-worth of food. *NaturalNews Read more http://www.naturalnews.com/029391_birds_superfoods.html
Roadkill
Roadkill is driving some species towards extinction. Too few safe corridors for animals to find more food. Too many cars and trucks on many more roads through their habitats. How about a campaign to stop carelessness about road-kill? Read more ........ http://candobetter.org/node/1094
Crustaceans Rule!
Ever wondered what kinds of wildlife dominate the world’s seas and oceans? Now there’s an answer, at least in terms of the number of species in different categories. It’s not fish. It’s not mammals. It’s crustaceans! A mammoth Census of Marine Life has revealed that nearly one-fifth, or 19 percent, of all the marine species known to humans are crustaceans — crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, barnacles and others far too numerous to mention here. The census didn’t count the actual numbers of animals beneath the waves — that would have been impossible — but it did count up the number of species in 25 marine areas. The aim is to set down a biodiversity baseline for future use. * Read more http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/08/03/crustaceans-rule/
Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC) meeting.
As a follow-up to the meeting we held in May this year at Hamilton the Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC) again invites all rehabbers from the South East corner of the State to join us for a Meeting of Minds to be held the RSPCA Fairfield facility, 301 Fairfield Road, Fairfield, 4103 (corner Fairfield and Venner Roads) on Sunday September 26th 2010 at 2.00pm. We aim to facilitate further discussions on issues you believe impact on your group or that could assist in better communications between groups or rehabilitators. We invite you to submit your suggested agenda items to us by mail or email to the addresses noted below. Please include your preferred return email or postal address if you wish a copy of the afternoon’s agenda sent to you. Although we would appreciate an RSVP by September 23rd please feel free to attend even if you have not been able to get back to us. Please share this invitation with any rehabber in your area who may not be on our mailing list. Don’t miss this opportunity for your views and ideas to be heard. We look forward to spending beneficial time with you at this gathering. * Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Inc (QWRC)
Flying Foxes
A petition urging government action on flying foxes in Charters Towers is to be presented to State Parliament next month. Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth, who will present the petition, said a decision by the Department of Environment and Resource Management to refuse permission for Charters Towers Regional Council to use helicopters to clear flying foxes from Lissner Park had been the final straw. "Before they used to use the excuse that we wanted to use lethal means to move the bats and now that we come up with a non-lethal way to move them, they still knock us back. It is a disgrace," he said. DERM wildlife management director Nick Rigby told council he was not satisfied that flying foxes would not be killed or injured while being mustered to another location by helicopter. Mr Knuth said this proved the government cared more for bats than it did for people. "I would like to see the environment minister come here and debate the bat problem any evening at 6pm when they are flying away to feed," he said. Resident Allan Henderson said people had been lining up to sign the petition. "Everyone in town wants them gone. No one can use that part of the park where they roost during the day. There's flying fox excrement all over the picnic tables. It's terrible. Lissner Park has become a bat reserve," he said. Mr Henderson said the people of Charters Towers wanted their park back. * Townsville Bulletin
Barbed Wire Fences
Environmental agencies are hoping the recent story of a squirrel glider trapped on a barbed wire fence will encourage landowners to use more wildlife-friendly fencing. The squirrel glider, dubbed Rebada, was trapped on a fence outside the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority last month. She received several injuries when she became tangled in the fence before being rescued by GBCMA environmental water reserve officer Keith Ward and wildlife carer Katherine Lohse. Ms Lohse said it would be several weeks before Rebada was fit enough to be released into the wild. Making fences wildlife-friendly includes making them more visible, replacing the top strand of barbed wire with plain wire or covering it with polypipe, or planting trees to shorten the gliding distance between trees. Department of Sustainability senior biodiversity planning officer Rolf Weber said barbed wire was a common problem for wildlife and pointed to a 1996 study by Rodney van der Ree from Deakin University, who studied possums and gliders living in vegetation along roadsides and creek-lines in the Euroa area. `In a short, 12-month period he found a dozen gliders hooked up on his property, which is quite significant,'' Mr Weber said.
``With a membrane like the squirrel gliders have, there's just no way they can get themselves out _ once they're hooked, they're hooked. `There's quite a lot of other animals that can get caught up on barbed wire too. `These days, there's probably not all that much need for barbed wire fences _ they were originally used to stop livestock from leaning on fences and wrecking them, but with the high-tensile wire used in fences today, that doesn't happen anymore and the barbed wire isn't needed to discourage stock from leaning. ``Hopefully, after seeing this, a few landowners will think about the idea of using wildlife-friendly fences.'' For more information on making fences wildlife friendly, visit http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tasmania's Shame
More than one million wallabies and pademelons were killed in one year in Tasmania in a dramatic escalation of a shooting campaign to protect farms and forests. The figures, given to the Mercury yesterday, show that the toll has risen 20 times over six years, coinciding with a massive reduction in 1080 poison - a 94 per cent cut in a decade. Land managers, including farmers and forestry companies, have switched to shooting instead of 1080 after a long campaign by conservation and community groups to end the use of the controversial poison and the State Government has committed to eventually phasing it out. Australian Society for Kangaroos co-ordinator Nikki Sutterby said yesterday the shootings were absolutely devastating. "There are alternatives that have been looked at such as wallaby-proof fencing that seem not to be getting any consideration," she said. However, farmers strongly defend the culling and want to continue to use 1080. "The damage that browsing animals cause to farm crops in Tasmania would be unimaginable to people living in other states," said Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Jan Davis.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, which issued the shooting figures, said it believed the annual takes were sustainable. There were populations of up to 10 million of both Bennett's wallabies and pademelons - both partly protected under Tasmanian legislation - based on annual spotlight surveys. The department figures for 2008-09 reveal that licensed shooters shot 447,579 Bennett's wallabies in mainland Tasmania. "In the same period 560,406 Tasmanian pademelons were reported as taken for crop protection purposes," the department said. The annual figures are based on returns provided by shooters issued with permits. The increased shooting toll coincides with a massive reduction in 1080 usage from 15kg in 1999-2000 to 969g in 2008-09. "The total use for 2009-10 until mid-May was 739 grams which is 11 per cent less than at the same time the previous year," the statement says.
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association called for continued access to 1080 and export permits for meat, skin and fur products. "We need to be able to utilise culled animals in a productive manner," Ms Davis said. "At present the Federal Government refuses to grant approval for such licences -- a position we believe is untenable." She called for Tasmanian farmers to be allowed to continue usage of 1080. "Recent research has shown that pasture loss within 100m of the bush edge can be as high as 63 per cent and the range of crop loss can be up to 100 per cent across new plantings," Ms Davis said. In 2004 the Mercury sought via the Freedom of Information Act figures on the numbers of wildlife shot. Figures from the Nature Conservation Branch showed that 15,225 brushtail possums and 30,226 Bennett's and red wallabies were shot in the 27 months from January 2002 to April 30, 2004.
Figures for brushtail possums shot in 2008-09 will be released today. The 1080 usage in 2002-03 was 10kg. A department report in 2003 said the reduction of 1080 use was "attributed to the implementation by both Forestry Tasmania and private forestry companies of more intensive shooting programs". Forestry giant Gunns Ltd announced on June 18 it would immediately stop using 1080. "There is no doubt that 1080 has been controversial in the past and this decision is another significant move by Gunns demonstrating its social responsibility," chief executive Greg L'Estrange said. Over the past four years a $4 million research program has investigated alternatives to 1080. "It has highlighted that there are no single, simple solutions to managing the impacts on these abundant species of wildlife but a range of options needs to be available," the statement said. *Australian
1080 in Tasmania
Forest services contractor Rob McLelland says the poison 1080 could be a more humane method of controlling wildlife than shooting. Mr McLelland's firm, Woodstock Forestry Services, previously used 1080 but now all major forestry companies, including Gunns Limited, have stopped using it. He now employs shooters, a significantly more labour-intensive method, to control wildlife browsing. In 2008-09, more than one million Bennetts wallabies and pademelons were shot by farmers and forestry firms. The increase in shooting was attributed to a decrease in the use of 1080. Mr McLelland employed two people when using 1080 but had to hire 16 full-time shooters after 1080 began to be phased out.
He said he believed there was a lot of hype surrounding 1080. ``I think it was potentially more humane than shooting because in about 10 per cent of cases a second shot would be required,'' he said. ``I looked into 1080 and how it works on mammals and basically they ran out of energy and went to lie down and go to sleep. If it was used properly, it was a very humane way of control. ``The science is different to what people believe they saw the word poison and thought `bad' and `painful death'.'' Mr McLelland said it was a mistake spread by the green movement that wallabies died in waterways after ingesting 1080. With fewer plantations after the collapse of managed investment schemes, his company is looking after 30 coupes this year compared with as many as 200 in previous years.
``We are down to two shooters because the plantations have fallen from about 25,000ha a year to 5000ha this year,'' Mr McLelland said. Shooters worked any time from dusk to dawn to cull wallabies in plantations established during the winter, he said. The amount of time for each coupe depended on its location, with visits varying from twice a week to once a month. The wallabies were lured into the open with maize. Mr McLelland said the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association's idea of exporting or processing wallaby meat was impractical in the remote and steep coupes. The TFGA has said farmers needed a full suite of management tools, including 1080. * Mercury
Save the Tassie Wallabies
Please see media release and stories below about what it happening to the wallies in Tassie. if you have time and want to do something, you can write to:
Minister for Environment
David OByrne
Ph: 6233 8892
Fax: 6233 7663
David.OByrne@parliament.tas.gov.au
Premier
David Bartlett
Ph: 6233 3464
fax: 6234 1572'
premier@dpac.tas.gov.au
Tasmanian Greens
(03) 6233 8300
(03) 6223 1406
greens@parliament.tas.gov.au
Letter to the Mercury (keep letters less than 300 words.
Click on letter to the editor
http://www.themercury.com.au/opinion/index.html
Letter to Examiner
http://www.examiner.com.au/content/letterstotheeditor/
Australian Society for Kangaroos, 'Representing the victim of the world's largest wildlife massacre' Media Release Tasmania's wildlife annihilation
Every year Tasmanian's are killing around one million wallabies despite published research against it. According to the Tasmanian State of the Environment Report 2009, around one million wallabies and their joeys are killed annually by farmers and plantation owners in Tasmania, with 1.4 million killed between 2006 and 2007 alone. This is despite research published in a government newsletter proving the success of non lethal alternatives such as chemical deterrents and wallaby proof fencing.
The government newsletter “Research into the Alternatives to 1080”, also refers to research which shows shooting is an ineffective strategy for controlling wallabies, and that even if 90% of the population in an area is killed, the remaining 10% can cause the same damage. A trial reported in the newsletter also showed that there was no difference in the number of animals observed at sites where shooting was used, compared to those where there no shooting occurred. Another survey revealed that 50% of participants regularly shot wallabies even when there was 'not much' damage being done.
Tom Locke lives in Tasmania and his property adjoins a timber plantation. His plans for a peaceful life in the bush has become a nightmare as he is regularly confronted with dead and injured wallabies and joeys shot by his neighbour. For Tom's full account and photos of the wallabies he's found, go to his website at:
http://mogul.netai.net/
“With proven economical non lethal alternatives available, and the fact that shooting has been proven to be ineffective, why is the Tasmanian government continuing to allow land owners to slaughter wallabies in these incredible numbers?”, said Nikki Sutterby, CoOrdinator, Australian Society for Kangaroos.
You can view the government data at: State of Environment Report 2009 http://soer.justice.tas.gov.au/2009/table/363/index.php
Research into Alternatives http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/PWOD-7YU79F?open
Morriset Kangaroos Again
Emma Vrshkovski, 22, is $1000 short when she counts her blessings after a head-on collision with a kangaroo at the busy Station Street and Fishery Point Road junction at Bonnells Bay on Friday.
The Trinity Point resident was uninjured, but $1000 is the cost of the excess insurance she will have to pay to have her car repaired. Now Ms Vrshkovski and her family are calling for an inquiry into escalating kangaroo numbers which they say are roaming the Morisset peninsula's urban streets. "I was driving to work and this big kangaroo just leaped out of nowhere. Other drivers at the scene said I didn't have a hope of avoiding it," Ms Vrshkovski said. "I was extremely lucky not to be seriously injured. Just two weeks ago I was a passenger in my friend's car going to the gym on the same road and it happened to her too. I am now hearing of it happening to other residents and many of them it seems make insurance claims where they can, but usually don't bother to report it."
Her insurance company will likely cover the cost of Ms Vrshkovski's repair bill, expected to be around $4000, but she says she is up for $1000 excess. "That's a lot of money and who do I blame, the kangaroo? Plus my insurance on my Mazda 3 will now be more expensive. This is a country dirt road but a suburban street." Ms Vrshkovski's mother Susan Foster, also a Trinity Point resident, is now campaigning for a review of kangaroo population control. "The council told me National Parks and Wildlife are responsible and they in turn told me it is the area rangers who are required to monitor numbers," she said. "I'm really concerned about this because we have kangaroos all over the place and it's just a matter of time before somebody gets killed. It will be too late to do anything then, because that will be one life too many," she said. "My daughter has had three recent near misses with these animals and she's precious to me. It is very worrying. Kangaroo numbers in the hospital grounds are in plague proportions and this is where they are coming from. They aren't afraid of urban streets, any more." *Lakes Mail
Kangaroos and Climate Change
Not all kangaroos hop, and past climate changes explain why, according to the first detailed analysis of modern and extinct skeletons. "Kangaroos are our quintessential animal group and it's interesting that their evolution over the last 25 million years or so is closely matched to the changing climate and environment," said paleontologist Gavin Prideaux of Adelaide's Flinders University. "They are barometers of climate change." A good example of this is that musky rat kangaroo - Hypsiprymnodon moschatus, from the tropical rainforests of northeast Australia - gallops, an inheritance from primitive ancestors that flourished millions of years ago when the continent was warmer and wetter. "It's the last gasp of a primitive group of kangaroos," said University of NSW paleontologist Mike Archer. He agrees with Dr Prideaux and his anatomist colleague, Natalie Warburton of Perth's Murdoch University, that this tiniest of all roos sits in a group separate from all others.
Dr Prideaux and Dr Warburton came to the conclusion after analysing the skeletal remains of 35 current and extinct kangaroos and wallabies, so-called Macropodidae. Writing in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, they argue that the skulls, teeth and feet of the earliest roos were adapted, like the musky rat kangaroo, to moving about and feeding in lush soft-leaved forests. In contrast, more recent species such as today's red roos, Macropus rufus, are well suited to bounding across and grazing upon open grassland. Professor Archer said Dr Prideaux's and Dr Warburton's new roo family tree fitted neatly with the way that many experts viewed the relationships between the different groups. "What's most interesting to me is the finding about the banded hare wallaby," he said of their conclusion that the rare little Lagostrophus fasciatus was, as Dr Prideaux said, "the last of its lineage".
It is found on only two islands off the West Australian coast. Although early kangaroos probably appeared 40-50 million years ago, the number of known species increased dramatically about 15 million years ago. That coincides with when the climate became increasingly dry. The result was the appearance of numerous grass-eating hoppers like the largest roo that ever lived - the giant short-faced kangaroo Procoptodon goliah, which tipped the scales at more than 230kg. "As habitats opened up and changed the nature of the terrain, kangaroos could hop further and faster," said Dr Prideaux. *Australian
Another Kangaroo Kill
Kangaroos trapped in a sewage treatment plant after their habitat was destroyed by development in Sydney's west have been culled because there was not enough food to sustain them. The mob of eastern greys were squeezed off the 145ha ADI site, known as Sydney's secret garden, when it was sliced up for industry, houses and roads. They sought refuge on Sydney Water's treatment plant about five years ago. But 56 kangaroos were euthanised last week after their numbers "rapidly increased", leaving them hungry and their temporary habitat overcrowded. "Natural sources of food are limited, requiring Sydney Water to buy feed," a spokeswoman said. "The animals' health has declined and the plant's structures present a safety risk to the animals." The cull was "the best option" given the animals' condition, the spokeswoman said, because the site could not support the large mob. "Relocation is not possible as it is difficult to find a site willing to take them," she said, adding there was also concern the animals could spread disease to a new group.
The Department of Environment issued the licence to cull the kangaroos in a "humane and professional way". "The population is introduced and enclosed and there were concerns their condition could deteriorate as they became more overcrowded," the spokeswoman said. They were sedated before being euthanised by injection. Wildlife rescue volunteer Greg Keightley said the National Parks and Wildlife Service could save such animals if they managed the wildlife on government property before selling it to developers. "Agencies do not address the issues until it is too late, and then issue licences to kill the animals." he said. "These animals were once part of the mobs of kangaroos that lived on the ADI site. "Now they are killed because they are in the way." *Daily Telegraph
Comment by Greg Kneightley
Once again those pesky native animals get in the way. A cull of up to 80 eastern grey kangaroos is being carried out at a Sydney Water property adjacent the former ADI site at St Marys. The cull is being conducted by the same contractor that handled the controversial treatment of the thousands of kangaroos for Lend Lease Delfin at the ADI site. Reports are that all of the contained population of kangaroos on the Sydney Water site had to be killed. Greg Keightley, a wildlife rescue volunteer, and an advocate for native animal welfare is disappointed with the way that NPWS continue to take the easy way out.
"Its just another example of how agencies like NPWS do not address the issues surrounding the management of wildlife in areas subject to development or contained in existing government properties until it is too late, and then issue licences to kill the animals."
Similar situations occur on Federal Government Defence sites around the country, with culling of animals the easiest solution. "If agencies responsible for the welfare of these populations involved themselves in active management instead of ignoring the problem until it's too late, there would be less need for large scale killing." "We once again also have the involvement of a developer like Lend Lease lending a hand in the destruction of wildlife" he said.These animals were once part of the mobs of kangaroos that lived on the ADI site, with some ending up in Sydney Water property during the development. "Now they are killed because they are in the way" "The public pay a contractor a lot of money to kill animals of the Crown on public property that fell foul of a developer whose main focus is on making profits. I'm sure that we could do better". * Greg Keightley, letter to the Telegraph
Kangaroos attack Dogs
A Goulburn Valley vet has urged dog owners to be vigilant of kangaroos following a spate of attacks. Tatura Veterinary Clinic's Phil Stammers said several dogs had been admitted for surgery during the past few weeks after being savagely attacked by kangaroos. ``We hardly ever get this sort of thing happen, but last Friday we had three dogs come in after kangaroo attacks _ we also had another dog about a week earlier,'' Dr Stammers said. ``I'm not sure why it's happening all of a sudden; it's really quite strange.'' Dr Stammers said the injuries varied in severity, but were all consistent with repeated slashing from a kangaroo's hind claws. ``The worst we've had has been a big rip under one of the dog's front legs and another big cut near the neck,'' he said. ``I could actually fit my index finger in one of the holes.'' Dr Stammers said people should be constantly aware of where their dogs were when taking them for walks in rural areas. `If the kangaroo doesn't run away, then try not to go near (it), or approach with caution,'' he said. `They might see a dog as a threat so they may react aggressively.''
Harriman's Point resident Leanne Wilson said her dog, a seven-year-old German shepherd-cross named Rex, was one of the victims of the attacks. Ms Wilson said her property backed on to Waranga Basin, a common grazing and drinking spot for kangaroos. ``Because the basin is filling up, the foreshore is getting closer to the house, so the kangaroos have started to come up a bit closer lately,'' she said. Rex was attacked by a kangaroo that might have come up a little too close. `We were actually concerned for the kangaroo's safety as well, because Rex ran into the water and we were worried it was going to follow him in there and drown,'' she said. Dr Stammers said Rex was recovering well and said it was unlikely he would have aggressively attacked the kangaroo. Ms Wilson backed that claim, saying Rex was a docile pet. ``He's really not an aggressive dog,'' she said. ``I work at an aged-care home and he often comes along with me _ he's the nicest dog.'' *Shepperton News
New Kangaroo website..... especially designed for kids..... http://www.kangaroofootprints.com.au/index.html
Gruesome photos of wallabies and possums shot by Forestry contracters in Tasmania http://mogul.netai.net/
Monday, August 9, 2010
Wildlife Bytes 4/8/10
Fraser Island Dingoes
Save the Fraser Island Dingoes organisation is having a Dingo Charity dinner at Hervey Bay on the 4th September, at the Hervey Bay RSL Function room. For Reservations phone 41241979, great guest artists, including Keri McInerney, Stevie T, Riverhead with special guest Mark Nuske, k'gari performers and more! Tickets are $50 each or $90 for a couple.
Kangaroos Found in Van
Traffic police in Austria who stopped a driver for looking jumpy opened the back of his van - and found six kangaroos inside. Andreai Branimir, 42, was arrested in Nickelsdorf, Austria, as he tried to smuggle more than 60 animals and birds back to his Bulgarian homeland. The animal trafficker told police he'd bought the animals from a broke wildlife park in Holland and was driving them home across Europe, reports CEN. Officers found dozens of parrots, peacocks, birds of paradise and small mammals crammed in with the six kangaroos. Branimir is facing five years in jail for animal trafficking, while the animals are now being cared for at local wildlife centres. One police officer added: "They were being kept in appalling conditions with nothing to eat or drink. It was heartbreaking." *Orange.co.uk
Cassowarys
A group formed to help save the endangered cassowary is lobbying the Federal Government for $60 million to help preserve the big bird's habitat in far north Queensland. The Save the Cassowary group have met Leichhardt MP Jim Turnour in Cairns, presenting him with more than 4,000 signatures urging politicians to help save the bird. Organiser Anneke de Graaff says the money would be used to buy back land in the Daintree area and Mission Beach for cassowary conservation. "They are known as a keystone species," she said. "They disperse up to 150 different types of rainforest trees and plant seeds, so if the cassowary disappears from this region, they biodiversity of the rainforest will possibly decline." *ABC
Morriset Hospital Kangaroos
There has been a protest at the Morriset Hospital ( a hospital for the criminally insane) near Newcastle, after a local media report that kangaroos will be culled there. We featured the media report in Wildlife Bytes a couple of weeks ago. One wildlife carer, Margaret Howley was incorrectly quoted in the newspaper report as supporting a cull, when she does not. But since the newspaper report, locals have spent some time inspecting the site of 3000 acres, and its very large, with significant forest areas. Local Aborigonal people have an interest in part of the site, and its big enough, and in a superb location, to really be a developers dream, if they could get hold of it. *WPAA
Mekong Dams threaten Rare Giant Fish
Wild populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the Mekong River go ahead, says a new report by WWF. The report, River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong, profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet. At half the length of a bus and weighing up to 600kgs, the Mekong River's Giant freshwater stingray is the world's largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered and culturally fabled Mekong giant catfish ranks third at up to 3 metres in length and 350kgs. "A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish, simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream," said Roger Mollot, Freshwater Biologist for WWF Laos. "This would lead to the collapse of the wild population of this iconic species." Wildlife Extra
How Much Does a Kangaroo Eat?
A scientist from the University of Wollongong will present a talk to local land managers at Fowlers Gap about the impacts of animals this weekend. Adam Munn has been studying the difference between the impact sheep and kangaroos have on the land. He has found the impact of a kangaroo is about 30 to 40 per cent that of a sheep. Mr Munn says he hopes the information can be used by land managers and government bodies to understand the impact kangaroos might be having on the environment. "Ultimately what we're hoping to do is build a picture," he said. "Now that we have a good idea about some of the kangaroo species, we want to expand this research into looking at different animals such a feral goats and different breeds of sheep. "[Then we'll] really be able to figure out what the ratios are of animals you can have on the land to improve your environmental, and therefore your economic, sustainability." The public is invited to attend the talk which begins at 10:00am (AEST) Sunday at the Fowlers Gap Research Station. *ABC
Rare Coral Found
Researchers from James Cook University in far north Queensland say they have discovered one of the world's rarest coral species. The giant Pacific elkhorn has antler-like branches and is about five metres wide and two metres high. It was recently found during an underwater survey near the Marshall Islands, north-east of Papua New Guinea. Dr Zoe Richards says it looks similar, but is genetically different, to a critically endangered Atlantic elkhorn variety. "There's nothing like it at all known in the Pacific Ocean, so since then I've been looking for it in other locations in the Marshall Islands and I still haven't found it anywhere else," she said. "It's a spectacular coral for many reasons, both scientifically and just aesthetically. "This is a very large colony, so it radiates from a central stalk and it has branches that diverge just like the branches of an actual elkhorn. "They pair off at about 120 degree angles from each other, so the branches are just diverging left and right." *ABC
Cockroaches
June is National Pest Control Month—but instead of reaching for the Raid, why not show a little kindness to a cockroach? A new study by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has found that cockroaches are social beings who “talk” to one another about food and prefer to dine in groups. When presented with two identical slices of bread, the roaches repeatedly gathered around the same slice, rather than splitting up. In an earlier study, researchers used computer simulations to show that, even with their tiny brains, insects have enough neural circuits to possess consciousness, and they may even be able to count. According to professor Lars Chittka, one of the researchers, “Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent.” If you’re not ready to roll out the welcome mat, though, here are a few simple steps to help you keep unwanted bugs at bay: * Don’t provide roaches with food. Wash dishes promptly, store food in tightly sealed containers, and keep trash in bins with tight-fitting lids. *Remove roaches’ hiding places. Keep compost heaps as far from your house as possible, always wash out food containers before storing them for recycling, and don’t let old newspapers pile up. * Prevent roaches from entering your home by sealing up holes and cracks. Baby roaches can squeeze into a space as thin as a dime. * If you do see roaches, scatter whole bay leaves or catnip throughout your house. Iowa State University scientists found that catnip is 100 times more effective than DEET at repelling roaches. *Network Item
Bears
A newly opened paintball course in Montana, US, had to shut down after odour from disintegrated paintballs was luring possibly dangerous guests: bears. The paintball contained a vegetable oil that ended up attracting grizzly and black bears that roam the region. A wildlife official says some bears were even eating unexploded paintballs. Meanwhile a grizzly bear in the United States has been euthanased after tests determined it was responsible for a deadly triple mauling in a Montana camping ground, wildlife officials say. DNA tests determined the sow killed a Michigan man and injured two others in unprovoked attacks. * Network Item
Pet Snakes
Fancy a bout of the runs, severe fever, septicemia, or perhaps meningitis? Then head on out and get yourself a snake or other reptile as a pet. According to a recent report, hundreds of people were exposed to salmonella bacteria from dead mice they were feeding to their reptiles—but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been sounding the alarm about contact with reptiles because every year tens of thousands of people in the U.S. contract salmonellosis—a serious bug that can land you in the hospital … or worse—as a result of direct or indirect contact with reptiles. In the last year, there have been two other reptile-related salmonella outbreaks, one tied to the sale of pet turtles and the other to the sale of African dwarf frogs.
Should pet stores give away a free hospital stay with each reptile they sell? You tell us. Meanwhile, please help stop the wobbly stomach blues (not to mention the blues that every snake and lizard who's stuck in an aquarium must experience) by adding your support to the proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the sale of nine species of snake. * Opposing Views
Balloons and Wildlife
We understand the Queensland Bligh government is having an internal arguement over a proposal to ban the relase of gas filled balloons. It's well known the damage that balloons can do to wildlife, especially marine species. NSW has had fines of up to $750 for mass releases of more than 20 balloons for more than a decade. But Queensland Labor Party branches love the balloons, they can give out free red baloons to children with the ALP logo plastered on them, and they see it as good advertising. However the Queensland Environment Minister Kate "Whatshername", who also supports the cruelty handed out to the Fraser Island dingoes, said she felt smaller events such as kids' birthday parties should be allowed to have them. * WPAA
Ancient Marsupials
Australia's marsupials originated in what is now South America, study says. The research in PLoS Biology suggests that Australian kangaroos, wallabies and more evolved from a common South American ancestor millions of years ago. Ancient South American marsupials may have migrated across Antarctica to Australia more than 80 million years ago. The kangaroo, a beloved national symbol of Australia, may in fact be an ancient interloper. A study published Tuesday in the online journal PLoS Biology suggests that Australian marsupials — kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils and more — evolved from a common South American marsupial ancestor millions of years ago. The finding, by researchers at the University of Munster in Germany, indicates that the theory that marsupials originated in Australia is incorrect. Marsupials are characterized by distinctive frontal pouches in which they carry their young. There are seven existing orders, three from the Americas and four from Australia. One prominent theory, now validated by the new study, suggested that ancient South American marsupials migrated across Antarctica to Australia more than 80 million years ago when the continents were connected in a supercontinent known as Gondwana. * Los Angeles Times
Read more.. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-marsupial-20100728,0,5549873.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience+%28L.A.+Times+-+Science%29
Locusts
Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke says the worst locust plague in years is set to hit parts of Australia in the coming weeks. He has urged landowners in parts of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to contact state authorities to order insecticides. But he says some locust eggs have been laid in forests or other areas that may not be sprayed. Mr Burke says recent warm weather may cause the swarms to appear sooner than expected. "All of these briefings are about minimising the plague that is coming, but we should not pretend any level of action by farmers or government will be enough to eliminate all locusts in coming weeks," he said. "Even if everybody plays their role to perfection, the fact they'll be egg laying in forest areas, things like that, means that there will be swarms and no amount of preparation will change the fact that there will be swarms." *ABC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kangaroo Increases?
Australia will soon know if the big wet has caused kangaroo numbers to bound ahead. Aerial surveys are underway to find out if rain across inland Australia has affected kangaroo numbers. The results of the survey will be released at the end of next month. A spokesman for the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water said any increase in population would take "some time". "We are not expecting any significant increases in this year's estimates," he said. A ban on culling grey kangaroos in a large tract of western NSW will remain in place until at least the end of August. Hillston kangaroo shooter Bob Brittle said he had not noticed any big leap in kangaroo numbers. "I think the rain has just made them spread out more," Mr Brittle said.
He said any lifting of the ban on shooting grey kangaroos would be welcome. "We are doing it hard out here without being able to shoot the greys, so it would be good if the ban was lifted," Mr Brittle said. Authorities are serious about ensuring the ban is enforced. Deniliquin shooter John Edward Fizmaurice was fined $12,000 last month after pleading guilty in the Deniliquin Local Court to six charges including harming protected fauna and contravening a licence condition. A NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water spokesman said the kangaroo shooter killed 50 eastern grey kangaroos and claimed they were red kangaroos. An inspection of a chiller, where the carcasses were stored, showed dead kangaroos with identification tags which were for a different species. *Weekly Times
Kangaroo Meat into China?
ELEANOR HALL: After years of lobbying by Canberra Australia's kangaroo meat industry is on the verge of a major export deal. China has signed import protocols which would allow high-end kangaroo fillets to be sold in the potentially massive market. The industry still has to pass hygiene tests, which will be conducted shortly by visiting Chinese officials. But Chinese food experts say they expect the exotic meat to be enthusiastically embraced.
Jeff Waters has our report.
JEFF WATERS: It's been a plentiful source of protein since people first arrived in Australia but now the kangaroo meat export industry may be about to take a great leap forward according to the Kangaroo Industry Association's John Kelly.
JOHN KELLY: The two governments agreed on a protocol to enable product to flow in. We're now simply waiting for the Chinese to send out a delegation of vets, veterinarians to inspect and approve individual processing premises. When that happens then we can start supplying into that market and it's a market, as I say, industry is very excited about and we see quite a deal of potential
JEFF WATERS: Its good news for an industry which recently lost its biggest customer when Russia halted kangaroo and some other red meat imports from Australia over what they said were concerns about hygiene.
Melbourne's Red Emperor restaurant is one of several Chinese establishments in Australia which already serve Kangaroo.
General Manager, Christine Yong, says it's a meat which will go down well.
CHRISTINE YONG: We get a lot of Chinese delegations here at the restaurant and we've found that maybe nine out of 10 tables will order some kangaroo.
JEFF WATERS: But kangaroos are harvested in the wild by shooters and some European parliamentarians are calling for a ban because of cruelty concerns.
Christine Yong says that may not bother Chinese consumers.
CHRISTINE YONG: Mainly I don't think Chinese people do so much about environmental things, in terms of wildlife protection over there anyway.
JEFF WATERS: And that's something which Fiona Cooke, from the Australian Society for Kangaroos, says is a big problem for environmentalists who want to stop the trade.
FIONA COOKE: They've also got a really bad track record themselves with their own wildlife extinction. But I really think that the Chinese and the Japanese love to see the wildlife alive. They want to see it, they want to get up close to it, that's what they love. They don't want to come here and the only kangaroo they see is a slab of meat on a plate with a sauce dribbled over it.
ELEANOR HALL: That's Fiona Cooke from the Australian Society for Kangaroos ending that report from Jeff Waters.
Kangaroos Killed by "Progress".
Baldivis (WA) residents have been saddened by the death of a young kangaroo, struck by a car on Safety Bay Road. The male joey was one of a number of kangaroos that had been trapped on the Nairn Road site after Stockland began clearing bushland for a residential development. The kangaroo was killed on Sunday morning despite a kangaroo relocator hired by Stockland viewing the site over the past two weeks. Resident Charlie Ballard said he was saddened by the death. “The kangaroo has obviously panicked, gotten out and been struck by the car,” he said. “The kangaroos have been in distress for weeks. I just feel so sorry for them. They have been there for years. “I had hoped they would have left some of the trees there. It’s just so bare now. “I suppose this is what’s called progress.”
Stockland general manager Graham McArthur said that six kangaroos had been removed from the site and relocated to Mandurah. He acknowledged they were aware that three kangaroos had been left on the site. “During the weekend, the licensed kangaroo relocator returned to the site,” he said. “He watched them (the three kangaroos) move across Clyde Avenue, through another developer’s estate, joining a mob of kangaroos in an open paddock further south.” He said he considered this open paddock to be a safe environment for the kangaroos. “Stockland’s relocator is only licensed to remove kangaroos from the Settlers Hills site, not any neighbouring developer’s land,” he said.
However, Om-Shanti wildlife carer Lynn Hancock disagreed, saying the situation was “not good enough”. “There is no food or water for them,” she said. “Because they’re a mob, if some kangaroos are taken away, the others go into a panic.” “I knew this would happen. “It’s a sad ending.” She said she was ‘extremely concerned’ for the two kangaroos that remained trapped and frightened of the heavy machinery being used. Stockland said work would continue on the site and the kangaroo relocator would continue to monitor the situation on weekends. *Inmycommunity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marine Parks
A marine conservation group says it is disappointed with Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's announcement yesterday in Mackay, in north Queensland, that it will suspend the expansion of the Marine Protected Areas program. Mr Abbott announced the Coalition would immediately suspend the program if it wins next month's election to try and achieve better balance between environmental and fishing interests. It was introduced by the Federal Government in 2008 and bans fishing in parts of marine parks, including the Great Barrier Reef. The Coral Sea Conservation Zone covers nearly 1 million square kilometres and begins at the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Mr Abbott has promised to suspend the planning of the Coral Sea Conservation Zone if elected. He says he will suspend the planning of all new parks and consult with industry about how to restructure it. Suggestions it could become the world's largest 'no-take' marine park sparked anger in the fishing community last year.
Marine Queensland's far north Queensland chairman Wayne Bayne has welcomed the announcement. "What it has done is put a lot of uncertainty into industry and it has put a permit situation onto the charter boat operators, so it has negatively impacted on them," he said. "What this will do is put a hold on the entire process until we can get some rational science back into it." Tim Nicholls from the group 'Save Our Marine Life' says there should be more action on marine sanctuaries, not more delays. "Tony Abbott's out of touch with voters on this issue," he said. "Polling released just last week shows eight in 10 voters actually support increasing marine protection levels from current low levels to much higher levels of marine protection." Commercial fishermen in north Queensland say the announcement could help stimulate the industry. Terry Must, a major seafood wholesaler in Bowen, says too much of the Coral Sea is protected. "Fishermen are threatened all the time - for example, trawl fisheries have gone from 1,100 participants down to 330 in the last couple of years," he said. "In-line fishing - we're down to about 67 active fishers today. "We're getting reductions voluntarily at the moment." * ABC Ed Comment; One scientific report we read recently suggests that the oceans will fished out in 20 years at current catches, and millions of fisherpersons will be unemployed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Squirrel Meat
A grocery store in north London is committing "wildlife massacre" by selling squirrel meat, campaigners have claimed. Viva - Vegetarians International Voice for Animals - accused Budgens of supporting a "barbaric and needless cull" of grey squirrels by allowing an independently-owned branch in Crouch End to sell the meat. Viva founder Juliet Gellatley said: "'Culls' of thousands of grey squirrels by so-called conservation groups to boost populations of red squirrels are irrational, inhumane and destined to fail, so it is very sad that Budgens are allowing profit to be made from wildlife massacre." Actress and Viva patron Jenny Seagrove also spoke out against the sales, saying: "It is unbelievable that our wild grey squirrels are now being killed and packaged up for sale in such high street stores. "Anyone who cares about wildlife, as I do, should be appalled at Budgens for allowing this," she said. "It seems that no animal is to be spared falling victim to such companies' marketing ploys. "What gruesome product will be next to grace our food aisles? Blackbird, field mouse or mole?"
A spokesman for Musgrave, which operates Budgens, told the Daily Mail: "As our retailers are independent, they therefore have the right and ability to secure products that Budgens do not offer for sale, within their individually-owned stores." No one from the company was available for comment. Squirrel meat used to be a common feature of the British diet but has gone out of fashion in recent years. One modern chef who has served the meat is River Cottage's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. His recipes include squirrel ragout and squirrel offal skewers, although he said rabbit could be substituted in both dishes. * UKPA. * Ed. comment, Squirrel offal skewers.....sounds delicous....not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Geese Killed
Nearly 400 Canada geese and goslings that had been living at Prospect Park were captured and euthanized last week as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the goose population in the New York City region. Early on Thursday morning, wildlife biologists and technicians descended on the park and netted the birds. The biologists, who work with the wildlife services division of the United States Department of Agriculture, then packed the geese two or three to a crate and took them to a facility where they were gassed with lethal doses of carbon dioxide, said Carol A. Bannerman, a spokeswoman for the wildlife services division. The wildlife specialists had taken advantage of the fact that the birds were in the middle of molting season, when they shed their feathers and are unable to fly.
On Monday morning, only four geese were seen out on the lake in Prospect Park, according to one nearby resident, and it was not clear if they had avoided the roundup or arrived in the days since it occurred. Last summer, 1,200 geese from 17 sites around the city were euthanized. The authorities have been trying to thin out their ranks since two geese flew into the engines of US Airways Flight 1549 in January, 2009, causing it to splash down in the Hudson River. Everyone on board survived. The absence of the birds was noticed by park enthusiasts and landscapers, though officials at Prospect Park were not notified of the specifics about their removal. Two of the park’s birds gained some notoriety because of their disabilities – one was missing the top part of its beak, and another had a crossbow bolt speared through its neck. The Prospect Park geese were not the only ones removed in the last month. The goal is to remove all geese within seven miles of La Guardia and John F. Kennedy airports. *NY Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wildlife Pets
Milwaukee County taxpayers may have to pick up a bill of more than $250,000 to pay for the care of the 239 snakes, lizards, crocodiles and other animals seized from reptile-keeper Terry Cullen, according to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission. Authorities rescued the animals from two Milwaukee locations in May. The majority of the reptiles were found in filthy conditions with little food or water. MADACC is contracted by 19 county municipalities to provide safekeeping for animals involved in law enforcement cases. According to Melanie Sobel, MADACC executive director, the estimated cost to date for the animals' care is approximately $247,365 for housing fees, $4,780 for impound fees to cover processing and assessment of the animals, and $2,500 for medical care. Materials and supplies cost about $2,400, and included horse troughs to house alligators and wood to build lids on anaconda containers "so the snakes wouldn't escape," said Sobel. Some of the animals were found housed in plastic sweater containers, "so tight they couldn't even move so we went out and bought bigger containers so they could move around," Sobel said.
The estimated figure of $257,045 for the reptiles' care does not include "thousands of dollars in additional staff time and overtime," and does not include three days of police time spent bringing the animals to MADACC, Sobel said. Various zoos and other institutions across the country have now taken dozens of the reptiles into their care. MADACC is still housing 141 animals. Cullen has been charged with several counts of misdemeanor animal-related offenses and has also been charged with the sexual assault of an Illinois woman. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sobel said she understood that the Milwaukee County district attorney's office may seek restitution from Cullen for the care costs. If there is no restitution, "taxpayers will pay the bill," says Sobel. However, Kent Lovern, chief deputy district attorney for Milwaukee County, who is working on the Cullen case, said: "At this point, because the case is pending in court, it is inappropriate for me to speculate about any potential outcomes. We will have to let the case run its course through the legal process." *JSOnline
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Sea Monster Sighted
Cynics may dismiss it as just a piece of driftwood or a trick of the light. But a photograph showing what appears to be a long-necked sea creature has got marine experts scratching their heads. The 'animal' was snapped stalking a shoal of fish just 30 yards off the British coast. The fish were apparently so terrified they beached themselves just seconds later. The creature was spotted off the Devon coast at Saltern Cove, Paignton, by locals who reported a sighting of what they thought was a turtle. But pictures taken by one of the baffled witnesses, Gill Pearce, reveal the neck of the greenish-brown beast with the reptile-like head is far too long for it to be a turtle. Mrs Pearce, who took the photo on July 27, reported her sighting to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) where it was studied by sea life experts. Claire Fischer from the MCS said: 'Gill Pearce spotted the creature about 20 metres from the bay at Saltern Cove, near Goodrington. 'It was observed at about 15.30 on 27 July but by the time she had got her camera it had moved further out. 'She spotted it following a shoal of fish which beached themselves in Saltern Cove.
'The creature remained in the sea, then went out again and followed the shoal - this indicates it's not a turtle as they only eat jellyfish. We would love to know if other people have seen anything like this in the same area and can help clear up the mystery.' In the deep: The 'animal' was at first dismissed as a sea turtle but experts say its long neck and reptile-like head - as well as the fact it was chasing fish - contradict this theory Some people think the sea sighting could be linked to that of a sperm whale sighted off south Devon recently but Miss Fischer dismissed that explanation. 'They [sperm whales] wouldn't come that close inshore and the reptilian-like head counts that out - at least that's what the experts are saying.' The sighting has caused a stir on the MCS website too, where theories range from sea serpent to salt water crocodile. An MCS spokesman said: 'It was reported as a turtle as it had large front flippers and small back flippers and what appeared to be a shell but was also said to have a small head on a thin neck about two-feet long which craned above the surface like a Plesiosaur.
'No sea turtles do that with their heads and we do not know of similarly described freshwater turtles that grow so big. It's described as being as long as a sea lion with a long neck which floated at the same height in the water all the time. 'This is not a fake. The problem is the distance and clarity from which the photos were taken. The lady thought it may have been a turtle - but turtles don't chase fish.
'So at the moment it is "unidentified" - the person who reported it has trawled the internet and says the closest ID fit is a giant green sea turtle - but the description of the head doesn't add up.' The organisation is now asking for people to keep a keen watch on the seas off South Devon and have appealed for more photos to be taken. A spokesman said: 'If you live or are visiting down near Saltern Cove Goodrington, near Paignton please keep your eyes on the sea and let us know if you see anything - and keep your camera by your side just in case.' *MailonLine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snubnosed Dolphins
A little-known species of dolphin, found only in northern Australia, is taking a battering from boats and lost fishing gear off the WA tourist town of Broome. Nearly two thirds of the Snubfin Dolphins that live in Roebuck Bay show injuries from boat hits and fishing gear snags, a new report shows. Dolphin researcher Deborah Thiele wrote the report for the conservation organisation WWF, which is working with the Broome community to minimise harm to the animals. Dr Thiele identified 161 Snubfins in the bay, finding nearly two thirds had injuries such as deep gashes and line marks and in some cases completely severed dorsal fins. The problem occurred because the dolphins' foraging and socialising grounds overlapped the heavily used recreational fishing zone in the bay, she told AAP. Dr Thiele said the slow-moving dolphins, often in shallow water, were hit by speeding boats across the bay. Even more injuries were caused by lost or discarded fishing line and hooks that cut into the animals' skins. Dr Thiele has worked with the Roebuck Bay Working Group, set up to protect the bay's ecosystem, on guidelines to minimise harm to the dolphins, dugongs, turtles and other wildlife. "My purpose is not to stop any fishing, my purpose is to get people who are fishing to slow down and to try and look after their line and just by doing that I think we're going to make a huge difference," she said.
The Snubfin Dolphin was only recently recognised as Australia's only endemic dolphin, found in tropical coastal waters across northern Australia. Until 2005, they were thought to be Irrawaddy Dolphins found in Asia, but they are now classified as a separate species. WWF's spokeswoman on tropical marine species, Lydia Gibson, said the number of injuries seen in Roebuck Bay meant it was likely dolphins had died, while injured animals would find it harder to feed and socialise. She said raising awareness was key, but state, territory and federal governments must also work together to protect areas crucial to the Snubfins' survival, including more research, which could see it put on the threatened list. Environment Minister Donna Faragher has said the WA government would commit nearly $30,000 for more research on Snubfins and there were opportunities for establishing a marine park at Roebuck Bay. Broome Fishing Club president Jeff Cooper said the club was keen to ensure the Snubfins were unharmed, but tourists needed to be educated about how to protect the animals in the bay. * Herald Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biodiversity Plan Criticised
Threatened native animals and plants that live on prime development land could be "offset" by an undertaking to protect different species somewhere else, under proposed state government changes to biodiversity rules. It means an echidna colony in one part of NSW could be destroyed in exchange for the preservation of a rare stand of trees elsewhere in the state. The proposed new biodiversity certification guidelines would allow developers of large urban projects even greater flexibility than the controversial BioBanking scheme, and includes provisions for cash payments for building on the habitat of certain animals if no suitable offset can be found. The government said the proposal was a balance between the need to protect endangered animals and secure large-scale developments, and would lead to more animals and plants being preserved than the current ad-hoc system of voluntary offsets. But environment groups see the proposal as a weakening of existing laws. "To suggest a threatened frog or bird or reptile species could be offset by some trees elsewhere in the state makes a nonsense of the 'maintain or improve' principle that was supposed to be enshrined in the legislation," said Jeff Angel, the executive director of the Total Environment Centre.
The NSW Environmental Defender's Office said in a submission to the government that the plan "relaxes the offsetting rules to such an extent that the legislative test becomes meaningless". "The clauses in the draft methodology allowing offsetting of one species with an entirely different species and allowing for a financial contribution in lieu of an offset, represent a radical departure from the 'like for like' principle of offsetting." Payments made in lieu of being able to find suitable animals or plants with which to offset a development would usually be a last resort and would have to be approved by the director-general of the NSW Environment Department. "Compared to the current process we would be miles ahead in terms of getting good outcomes, said Julie Ravallion, the manager of the department's conservation policy and strategy section. "You can't get biodiversity certification unless you go through the process where the gains are bigger than the losses."
Ms Ravallion said the plan was a way of addressing the incremental loss of native wildlife habitat, which is being eroded as urban centres expand. "At the same time the problem with offsets is that there are not that many of them, so you have got to give people a little bit of room to move ... Sites containing critically endangered species will never be developed. The biocertification methodology makes that very clear." Several of the state's leading environment groups say the changes meant they could no longer support the new biodiversity guidelines, after initially endorsing the overhaul of the existing voluntary system. "Environment groups will be appealing to the next Federal Environment Minister to reject this scheme as part of any alignment of Commonwealth and state threatened species laws," Kevin Evans, the executive officer of the National Parks Association of NSW, said in a statement. "The Feds will have to intervene every time if any national threatened species are involved." The guidelines are designed to complement the BioBanking Scheme, which the government sees as a way to improve the offsetting process. But the principle on which it is based - that one piece of environment can be developed if another is preserved - has also been widely criticised. * Sydney Morning Herald
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wildlife Pet Trade
The most threatened tortoise in the world is being sold openly at a plant and animal exposition in the heart of Indonesia's capital, highlighting concerns about the rampant -- and growing -- illegal pet trade. The country has become a major trading hub for endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, including species from Africa, South America and Asia, said Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife monitoring network. While the government has passed legislation banning such illegal trade, dealers continue to blatantly sell endangered species without fear of arrest or prosecution, Shepherd said. Those found Friday at Jakarta's annual flora and fauna expo -- held from July 2 until Aug. 2 -- included the world's most threatened ploughshare tortoise and the critically endangered radiated tortoises, both from Madagascar. They were priced up to $1,700.
Cages also were filled with rare Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species, known as CITES, and the endangered pig-nose tortoise, from Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, both selling for up to $500. Vendors told the Associated Press other threatened tortoises and turtles not found on display could easily be obtained for a price. "Recent surveys, and this expo, have shown that the trade continues and, in fact, now involves more illegally imported species than ever," said Shepherd. "Dealers know full well that it is illegal and are taking advantage of the enforcement agencies' lack of action." Indonesia, one of the most biologically diverse nations in the world, has for years sold everything from eagles and leopard cats to gibbons as pets in the capital. Shady transactions continue to take place at the popular Pramuka and Jati Negara markets. *LA Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dead Sea Lion
South Australian police say no charges will be laid over allegations of extortion relating to a sea lion found dead near a broken-up abalone farm. The animal was found and later photographed wrapped in aquaculture farm debris near Elliston after a recent storm. Police investigated allegations thousands of dollars was demanded from the aquaculture company to remove evidence of the dead sea lion. But police say they found no evidence of extortion or any other criminal offence. Australian Bight Abalone expects its clean-up of debris to be finished by the end of the week. It has been retrieving rope and plastic rings from areas including West Waldegrave Island. Managing director David Mazengarb says the company will look for ways to prevent any similar incidents. "Certainly natural events are outside our control but we'll look at procedures in the future to make any modifications that we can possibly make to avoid any impact on our sea cages of any natural event," he said.
Mariners are being warned by authorities that ropes, nets and trays from the abalone farm are floating as far south as Coffin Bay, 100 kilometres away. Bob Minnican from the Friends of Sceale Bay says much of the debris will never be recovered. "These nylon trays have been floating around for the last five years and now there's 20,000 that are out from this and there is no word about what's happening with these trays," he said. "Only a percentage of these trays are going to be found because they've been distributed into the ocean. "Many are on the island but many are just floating around." *ABC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Penguins
Tasmanian scientists have developed technology to help improve the monitoring of an important species of penguin in Antarctica. For 20 years, scientists have studied the breeding habits of Adelie penguins on Bechervaise Island near Mawson Station. They have been monitoring the impacts of fishing and climate change. Colin Southwell from the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart says the remote, extreme conditions have been a challenge. "We send a two-person team down every summer but they work on an island that is isolated from the mainland," he said. The high cost of sending scientists to remote areas had prevented the program being expanded. Researchers wanted a cost-effective way to monitor more sites, so electronics engineer Kym Newbery developed a camera that could withstand the Antarctic elements.
"The winds are up to 200 kilometres an hour, they're very dry and cold," Mr Newbery said. Colin Southwell says the new camera means researchers can now monitor multiple locations, without having to put researchers on-site. "We're monitoring in the Davis region as well as the Mawson region, and this summer we plan to be monitoring by deploying more cameras in the Casey region as well. "So what we're able to start doing now is to develop a network of monitoring sites, not a single monitoring site... and we're able to see how much variation there is from site to site. "Hopefully this can extend right across east Antarctica," he said. Kym Newbery says a number of countries including Japan, France and England are keen to use the camera in their own monitoring programs. "If we make a method that other countries can adopt then it becomes a standard, almost a no-brainer, for everyone to use: the same mechanism, the same method, to monitor the same species at lots of different sites. "Having common data recording techniques is really important to be able to compare what you're measuring." *ABC
Save the Fraser Island Dingoes organisation is having a Dingo Charity dinner at Hervey Bay on the 4th September, at the Hervey Bay RSL Function room. For Reservations phone 41241979, great guest artists, including Keri McInerney, Stevie T, Riverhead with special guest Mark Nuske, k'gari performers and more! Tickets are $50 each or $90 for a couple.
Kangaroos Found in Van
Traffic police in Austria who stopped a driver for looking jumpy opened the back of his van - and found six kangaroos inside. Andreai Branimir, 42, was arrested in Nickelsdorf, Austria, as he tried to smuggle more than 60 animals and birds back to his Bulgarian homeland. The animal trafficker told police he'd bought the animals from a broke wildlife park in Holland and was driving them home across Europe, reports CEN. Officers found dozens of parrots, peacocks, birds of paradise and small mammals crammed in with the six kangaroos. Branimir is facing five years in jail for animal trafficking, while the animals are now being cared for at local wildlife centres. One police officer added: "They were being kept in appalling conditions with nothing to eat or drink. It was heartbreaking." *Orange.co.uk
Cassowarys
A group formed to help save the endangered cassowary is lobbying the Federal Government for $60 million to help preserve the big bird's habitat in far north Queensland. The Save the Cassowary group have met Leichhardt MP Jim Turnour in Cairns, presenting him with more than 4,000 signatures urging politicians to help save the bird. Organiser Anneke de Graaff says the money would be used to buy back land in the Daintree area and Mission Beach for cassowary conservation. "They are known as a keystone species," she said. "They disperse up to 150 different types of rainforest trees and plant seeds, so if the cassowary disappears from this region, they biodiversity of the rainforest will possibly decline." *ABC
Morriset Hospital Kangaroos
There has been a protest at the Morriset Hospital ( a hospital for the criminally insane) near Newcastle, after a local media report that kangaroos will be culled there. We featured the media report in Wildlife Bytes a couple of weeks ago. One wildlife carer, Margaret Howley was incorrectly quoted in the newspaper report as supporting a cull, when she does not. But since the newspaper report, locals have spent some time inspecting the site of 3000 acres, and its very large, with significant forest areas. Local Aborigonal people have an interest in part of the site, and its big enough, and in a superb location, to really be a developers dream, if they could get hold of it. *WPAA
Mekong Dams threaten Rare Giant Fish
Wild populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the Mekong River go ahead, says a new report by WWF. The report, River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong, profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet. At half the length of a bus and weighing up to 600kgs, the Mekong River's Giant freshwater stingray is the world's largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered and culturally fabled Mekong giant catfish ranks third at up to 3 metres in length and 350kgs. "A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish, simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream," said Roger Mollot, Freshwater Biologist for WWF Laos. "This would lead to the collapse of the wild population of this iconic species." Wildlife Extra
How Much Does a Kangaroo Eat?
A scientist from the University of Wollongong will present a talk to local land managers at Fowlers Gap about the impacts of animals this weekend. Adam Munn has been studying the difference between the impact sheep and kangaroos have on the land. He has found the impact of a kangaroo is about 30 to 40 per cent that of a sheep. Mr Munn says he hopes the information can be used by land managers and government bodies to understand the impact kangaroos might be having on the environment. "Ultimately what we're hoping to do is build a picture," he said. "Now that we have a good idea about some of the kangaroo species, we want to expand this research into looking at different animals such a feral goats and different breeds of sheep. "[Then we'll] really be able to figure out what the ratios are of animals you can have on the land to improve your environmental, and therefore your economic, sustainability." The public is invited to attend the talk which begins at 10:00am (AEST) Sunday at the Fowlers Gap Research Station. *ABC
Rare Coral Found
Researchers from James Cook University in far north Queensland say they have discovered one of the world's rarest coral species. The giant Pacific elkhorn has antler-like branches and is about five metres wide and two metres high. It was recently found during an underwater survey near the Marshall Islands, north-east of Papua New Guinea. Dr Zoe Richards says it looks similar, but is genetically different, to a critically endangered Atlantic elkhorn variety. "There's nothing like it at all known in the Pacific Ocean, so since then I've been looking for it in other locations in the Marshall Islands and I still haven't found it anywhere else," she said. "It's a spectacular coral for many reasons, both scientifically and just aesthetically. "This is a very large colony, so it radiates from a central stalk and it has branches that diverge just like the branches of an actual elkhorn. "They pair off at about 120 degree angles from each other, so the branches are just diverging left and right." *ABC
Cockroaches
June is National Pest Control Month—but instead of reaching for the Raid, why not show a little kindness to a cockroach? A new study by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has found that cockroaches are social beings who “talk” to one another about food and prefer to dine in groups. When presented with two identical slices of bread, the roaches repeatedly gathered around the same slice, rather than splitting up. In an earlier study, researchers used computer simulations to show that, even with their tiny brains, insects have enough neural circuits to possess consciousness, and they may even be able to count. According to professor Lars Chittka, one of the researchers, “Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent.” If you’re not ready to roll out the welcome mat, though, here are a few simple steps to help you keep unwanted bugs at bay: * Don’t provide roaches with food. Wash dishes promptly, store food in tightly sealed containers, and keep trash in bins with tight-fitting lids. *Remove roaches’ hiding places. Keep compost heaps as far from your house as possible, always wash out food containers before storing them for recycling, and don’t let old newspapers pile up. * Prevent roaches from entering your home by sealing up holes and cracks. Baby roaches can squeeze into a space as thin as a dime. * If you do see roaches, scatter whole bay leaves or catnip throughout your house. Iowa State University scientists found that catnip is 100 times more effective than DEET at repelling roaches. *Network Item
Bears
A newly opened paintball course in Montana, US, had to shut down after odour from disintegrated paintballs was luring possibly dangerous guests: bears. The paintball contained a vegetable oil that ended up attracting grizzly and black bears that roam the region. A wildlife official says some bears were even eating unexploded paintballs. Meanwhile a grizzly bear in the United States has been euthanased after tests determined it was responsible for a deadly triple mauling in a Montana camping ground, wildlife officials say. DNA tests determined the sow killed a Michigan man and injured two others in unprovoked attacks. * Network Item
Pet Snakes
Fancy a bout of the runs, severe fever, septicemia, or perhaps meningitis? Then head on out and get yourself a snake or other reptile as a pet. According to a recent report, hundreds of people were exposed to salmonella bacteria from dead mice they were feeding to their reptiles—but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been sounding the alarm about contact with reptiles because every year tens of thousands of people in the U.S. contract salmonellosis—a serious bug that can land you in the hospital … or worse—as a result of direct or indirect contact with reptiles. In the last year, there have been two other reptile-related salmonella outbreaks, one tied to the sale of pet turtles and the other to the sale of African dwarf frogs.
Should pet stores give away a free hospital stay with each reptile they sell? You tell us. Meanwhile, please help stop the wobbly stomach blues (not to mention the blues that every snake and lizard who's stuck in an aquarium must experience) by adding your support to the proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the sale of nine species of snake. * Opposing Views
Balloons and Wildlife
We understand the Queensland Bligh government is having an internal arguement over a proposal to ban the relase of gas filled balloons. It's well known the damage that balloons can do to wildlife, especially marine species. NSW has had fines of up to $750 for mass releases of more than 20 balloons for more than a decade. But Queensland Labor Party branches love the balloons, they can give out free red baloons to children with the ALP logo plastered on them, and they see it as good advertising. However the Queensland Environment Minister Kate "Whatshername", who also supports the cruelty handed out to the Fraser Island dingoes, said she felt smaller events such as kids' birthday parties should be allowed to have them. * WPAA
Ancient Marsupials
Australia's marsupials originated in what is now South America, study says. The research in PLoS Biology suggests that Australian kangaroos, wallabies and more evolved from a common South American ancestor millions of years ago. Ancient South American marsupials may have migrated across Antarctica to Australia more than 80 million years ago. The kangaroo, a beloved national symbol of Australia, may in fact be an ancient interloper. A study published Tuesday in the online journal PLoS Biology suggests that Australian marsupials — kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils and more — evolved from a common South American marsupial ancestor millions of years ago. The finding, by researchers at the University of Munster in Germany, indicates that the theory that marsupials originated in Australia is incorrect. Marsupials are characterized by distinctive frontal pouches in which they carry their young. There are seven existing orders, three from the Americas and four from Australia. One prominent theory, now validated by the new study, suggested that ancient South American marsupials migrated across Antarctica to Australia more than 80 million years ago when the continents were connected in a supercontinent known as Gondwana. * Los Angeles Times
Read more.. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-marsupial-20100728,0,5549873.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience+%28L.A.+Times+-+Science%29
Locusts
Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke says the worst locust plague in years is set to hit parts of Australia in the coming weeks. He has urged landowners in parts of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to contact state authorities to order insecticides. But he says some locust eggs have been laid in forests or other areas that may not be sprayed. Mr Burke says recent warm weather may cause the swarms to appear sooner than expected. "All of these briefings are about minimising the plague that is coming, but we should not pretend any level of action by farmers or government will be enough to eliminate all locusts in coming weeks," he said. "Even if everybody plays their role to perfection, the fact they'll be egg laying in forest areas, things like that, means that there will be swarms and no amount of preparation will change the fact that there will be swarms." *ABC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kangaroo Increases?
Australia will soon know if the big wet has caused kangaroo numbers to bound ahead. Aerial surveys are underway to find out if rain across inland Australia has affected kangaroo numbers. The results of the survey will be released at the end of next month. A spokesman for the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water said any increase in population would take "some time". "We are not expecting any significant increases in this year's estimates," he said. A ban on culling grey kangaroos in a large tract of western NSW will remain in place until at least the end of August. Hillston kangaroo shooter Bob Brittle said he had not noticed any big leap in kangaroo numbers. "I think the rain has just made them spread out more," Mr Brittle said.
He said any lifting of the ban on shooting grey kangaroos would be welcome. "We are doing it hard out here without being able to shoot the greys, so it would be good if the ban was lifted," Mr Brittle said. Authorities are serious about ensuring the ban is enforced. Deniliquin shooter John Edward Fizmaurice was fined $12,000 last month after pleading guilty in the Deniliquin Local Court to six charges including harming protected fauna and contravening a licence condition. A NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water spokesman said the kangaroo shooter killed 50 eastern grey kangaroos and claimed they were red kangaroos. An inspection of a chiller, where the carcasses were stored, showed dead kangaroos with identification tags which were for a different species. *Weekly Times
Kangaroo Meat into China?
ELEANOR HALL: After years of lobbying by Canberra Australia's kangaroo meat industry is on the verge of a major export deal. China has signed import protocols which would allow high-end kangaroo fillets to be sold in the potentially massive market. The industry still has to pass hygiene tests, which will be conducted shortly by visiting Chinese officials. But Chinese food experts say they expect the exotic meat to be enthusiastically embraced.
Jeff Waters has our report.
JEFF WATERS: It's been a plentiful source of protein since people first arrived in Australia but now the kangaroo meat export industry may be about to take a great leap forward according to the Kangaroo Industry Association's John Kelly.
JOHN KELLY: The two governments agreed on a protocol to enable product to flow in. We're now simply waiting for the Chinese to send out a delegation of vets, veterinarians to inspect and approve individual processing premises. When that happens then we can start supplying into that market and it's a market, as I say, industry is very excited about and we see quite a deal of potential
JEFF WATERS: Its good news for an industry which recently lost its biggest customer when Russia halted kangaroo and some other red meat imports from Australia over what they said were concerns about hygiene.
Melbourne's Red Emperor restaurant is one of several Chinese establishments in Australia which already serve Kangaroo.
General Manager, Christine Yong, says it's a meat which will go down well.
CHRISTINE YONG: We get a lot of Chinese delegations here at the restaurant and we've found that maybe nine out of 10 tables will order some kangaroo.
JEFF WATERS: But kangaroos are harvested in the wild by shooters and some European parliamentarians are calling for a ban because of cruelty concerns.
Christine Yong says that may not bother Chinese consumers.
CHRISTINE YONG: Mainly I don't think Chinese people do so much about environmental things, in terms of wildlife protection over there anyway.
JEFF WATERS: And that's something which Fiona Cooke, from the Australian Society for Kangaroos, says is a big problem for environmentalists who want to stop the trade.
FIONA COOKE: They've also got a really bad track record themselves with their own wildlife extinction. But I really think that the Chinese and the Japanese love to see the wildlife alive. They want to see it, they want to get up close to it, that's what they love. They don't want to come here and the only kangaroo they see is a slab of meat on a plate with a sauce dribbled over it.
ELEANOR HALL: That's Fiona Cooke from the Australian Society for Kangaroos ending that report from Jeff Waters.
Kangaroos Killed by "Progress".
Baldivis (WA) residents have been saddened by the death of a young kangaroo, struck by a car on Safety Bay Road. The male joey was one of a number of kangaroos that had been trapped on the Nairn Road site after Stockland began clearing bushland for a residential development. The kangaroo was killed on Sunday morning despite a kangaroo relocator hired by Stockland viewing the site over the past two weeks. Resident Charlie Ballard said he was saddened by the death. “The kangaroo has obviously panicked, gotten out and been struck by the car,” he said. “The kangaroos have been in distress for weeks. I just feel so sorry for them. They have been there for years. “I had hoped they would have left some of the trees there. It’s just so bare now. “I suppose this is what’s called progress.”
Stockland general manager Graham McArthur said that six kangaroos had been removed from the site and relocated to Mandurah. He acknowledged they were aware that three kangaroos had been left on the site. “During the weekend, the licensed kangaroo relocator returned to the site,” he said. “He watched them (the three kangaroos) move across Clyde Avenue, through another developer’s estate, joining a mob of kangaroos in an open paddock further south.” He said he considered this open paddock to be a safe environment for the kangaroos. “Stockland’s relocator is only licensed to remove kangaroos from the Settlers Hills site, not any neighbouring developer’s land,” he said.
However, Om-Shanti wildlife carer Lynn Hancock disagreed, saying the situation was “not good enough”. “There is no food or water for them,” she said. “Because they’re a mob, if some kangaroos are taken away, the others go into a panic.” “I knew this would happen. “It’s a sad ending.” She said she was ‘extremely concerned’ for the two kangaroos that remained trapped and frightened of the heavy machinery being used. Stockland said work would continue on the site and the kangaroo relocator would continue to monitor the situation on weekends. *Inmycommunity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marine Parks
A marine conservation group says it is disappointed with Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's announcement yesterday in Mackay, in north Queensland, that it will suspend the expansion of the Marine Protected Areas program. Mr Abbott announced the Coalition would immediately suspend the program if it wins next month's election to try and achieve better balance between environmental and fishing interests. It was introduced by the Federal Government in 2008 and bans fishing in parts of marine parks, including the Great Barrier Reef. The Coral Sea Conservation Zone covers nearly 1 million square kilometres and begins at the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Mr Abbott has promised to suspend the planning of the Coral Sea Conservation Zone if elected. He says he will suspend the planning of all new parks and consult with industry about how to restructure it. Suggestions it could become the world's largest 'no-take' marine park sparked anger in the fishing community last year.
Marine Queensland's far north Queensland chairman Wayne Bayne has welcomed the announcement. "What it has done is put a lot of uncertainty into industry and it has put a permit situation onto the charter boat operators, so it has negatively impacted on them," he said. "What this will do is put a hold on the entire process until we can get some rational science back into it." Tim Nicholls from the group 'Save Our Marine Life' says there should be more action on marine sanctuaries, not more delays. "Tony Abbott's out of touch with voters on this issue," he said. "Polling released just last week shows eight in 10 voters actually support increasing marine protection levels from current low levels to much higher levels of marine protection." Commercial fishermen in north Queensland say the announcement could help stimulate the industry. Terry Must, a major seafood wholesaler in Bowen, says too much of the Coral Sea is protected. "Fishermen are threatened all the time - for example, trawl fisheries have gone from 1,100 participants down to 330 in the last couple of years," he said. "In-line fishing - we're down to about 67 active fishers today. "We're getting reductions voluntarily at the moment." * ABC Ed Comment; One scientific report we read recently suggests that the oceans will fished out in 20 years at current catches, and millions of fisherpersons will be unemployed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Squirrel Meat
A grocery store in north London is committing "wildlife massacre" by selling squirrel meat, campaigners have claimed. Viva - Vegetarians International Voice for Animals - accused Budgens of supporting a "barbaric and needless cull" of grey squirrels by allowing an independently-owned branch in Crouch End to sell the meat. Viva founder Juliet Gellatley said: "'Culls' of thousands of grey squirrels by so-called conservation groups to boost populations of red squirrels are irrational, inhumane and destined to fail, so it is very sad that Budgens are allowing profit to be made from wildlife massacre." Actress and Viva patron Jenny Seagrove also spoke out against the sales, saying: "It is unbelievable that our wild grey squirrels are now being killed and packaged up for sale in such high street stores. "Anyone who cares about wildlife, as I do, should be appalled at Budgens for allowing this," she said. "It seems that no animal is to be spared falling victim to such companies' marketing ploys. "What gruesome product will be next to grace our food aisles? Blackbird, field mouse or mole?"
A spokesman for Musgrave, which operates Budgens, told the Daily Mail: "As our retailers are independent, they therefore have the right and ability to secure products that Budgens do not offer for sale, within their individually-owned stores." No one from the company was available for comment. Squirrel meat used to be a common feature of the British diet but has gone out of fashion in recent years. One modern chef who has served the meat is River Cottage's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. His recipes include squirrel ragout and squirrel offal skewers, although he said rabbit could be substituted in both dishes. * UKPA. * Ed. comment, Squirrel offal skewers.....sounds delicous....not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Geese Killed
Nearly 400 Canada geese and goslings that had been living at Prospect Park were captured and euthanized last week as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the goose population in the New York City region. Early on Thursday morning, wildlife biologists and technicians descended on the park and netted the birds. The biologists, who work with the wildlife services division of the United States Department of Agriculture, then packed the geese two or three to a crate and took them to a facility where they were gassed with lethal doses of carbon dioxide, said Carol A. Bannerman, a spokeswoman for the wildlife services division. The wildlife specialists had taken advantage of the fact that the birds were in the middle of molting season, when they shed their feathers and are unable to fly.
On Monday morning, only four geese were seen out on the lake in Prospect Park, according to one nearby resident, and it was not clear if they had avoided the roundup or arrived in the days since it occurred. Last summer, 1,200 geese from 17 sites around the city were euthanized. The authorities have been trying to thin out their ranks since two geese flew into the engines of US Airways Flight 1549 in January, 2009, causing it to splash down in the Hudson River. Everyone on board survived. The absence of the birds was noticed by park enthusiasts and landscapers, though officials at Prospect Park were not notified of the specifics about their removal. Two of the park’s birds gained some notoriety because of their disabilities – one was missing the top part of its beak, and another had a crossbow bolt speared through its neck. The Prospect Park geese were not the only ones removed in the last month. The goal is to remove all geese within seven miles of La Guardia and John F. Kennedy airports. *NY Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wildlife Pets
Milwaukee County taxpayers may have to pick up a bill of more than $250,000 to pay for the care of the 239 snakes, lizards, crocodiles and other animals seized from reptile-keeper Terry Cullen, according to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission. Authorities rescued the animals from two Milwaukee locations in May. The majority of the reptiles were found in filthy conditions with little food or water. MADACC is contracted by 19 county municipalities to provide safekeeping for animals involved in law enforcement cases. According to Melanie Sobel, MADACC executive director, the estimated cost to date for the animals' care is approximately $247,365 for housing fees, $4,780 for impound fees to cover processing and assessment of the animals, and $2,500 for medical care. Materials and supplies cost about $2,400, and included horse troughs to house alligators and wood to build lids on anaconda containers "so the snakes wouldn't escape," said Sobel. Some of the animals were found housed in plastic sweater containers, "so tight they couldn't even move so we went out and bought bigger containers so they could move around," Sobel said.
The estimated figure of $257,045 for the reptiles' care does not include "thousands of dollars in additional staff time and overtime," and does not include three days of police time spent bringing the animals to MADACC, Sobel said. Various zoos and other institutions across the country have now taken dozens of the reptiles into their care. MADACC is still housing 141 animals. Cullen has been charged with several counts of misdemeanor animal-related offenses and has also been charged with the sexual assault of an Illinois woman. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sobel said she understood that the Milwaukee County district attorney's office may seek restitution from Cullen for the care costs. If there is no restitution, "taxpayers will pay the bill," says Sobel. However, Kent Lovern, chief deputy district attorney for Milwaukee County, who is working on the Cullen case, said: "At this point, because the case is pending in court, it is inappropriate for me to speculate about any potential outcomes. We will have to let the case run its course through the legal process." *JSOnline
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Sea Monster Sighted
Cynics may dismiss it as just a piece of driftwood or a trick of the light. But a photograph showing what appears to be a long-necked sea creature has got marine experts scratching their heads. The 'animal' was snapped stalking a shoal of fish just 30 yards off the British coast. The fish were apparently so terrified they beached themselves just seconds later. The creature was spotted off the Devon coast at Saltern Cove, Paignton, by locals who reported a sighting of what they thought was a turtle. But pictures taken by one of the baffled witnesses, Gill Pearce, reveal the neck of the greenish-brown beast with the reptile-like head is far too long for it to be a turtle. Mrs Pearce, who took the photo on July 27, reported her sighting to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) where it was studied by sea life experts. Claire Fischer from the MCS said: 'Gill Pearce spotted the creature about 20 metres from the bay at Saltern Cove, near Goodrington. 'It was observed at about 15.30 on 27 July but by the time she had got her camera it had moved further out. 'She spotted it following a shoal of fish which beached themselves in Saltern Cove.
'The creature remained in the sea, then went out again and followed the shoal - this indicates it's not a turtle as they only eat jellyfish. We would love to know if other people have seen anything like this in the same area and can help clear up the mystery.' In the deep: The 'animal' was at first dismissed as a sea turtle but experts say its long neck and reptile-like head - as well as the fact it was chasing fish - contradict this theory Some people think the sea sighting could be linked to that of a sperm whale sighted off south Devon recently but Miss Fischer dismissed that explanation. 'They [sperm whales] wouldn't come that close inshore and the reptilian-like head counts that out - at least that's what the experts are saying.' The sighting has caused a stir on the MCS website too, where theories range from sea serpent to salt water crocodile. An MCS spokesman said: 'It was reported as a turtle as it had large front flippers and small back flippers and what appeared to be a shell but was also said to have a small head on a thin neck about two-feet long which craned above the surface like a Plesiosaur.
'No sea turtles do that with their heads and we do not know of similarly described freshwater turtles that grow so big. It's described as being as long as a sea lion with a long neck which floated at the same height in the water all the time. 'This is not a fake. The problem is the distance and clarity from which the photos were taken. The lady thought it may have been a turtle - but turtles don't chase fish.
'So at the moment it is "unidentified" - the person who reported it has trawled the internet and says the closest ID fit is a giant green sea turtle - but the description of the head doesn't add up.' The organisation is now asking for people to keep a keen watch on the seas off South Devon and have appealed for more photos to be taken. A spokesman said: 'If you live or are visiting down near Saltern Cove Goodrington, near Paignton please keep your eyes on the sea and let us know if you see anything - and keep your camera by your side just in case.' *MailonLine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snubnosed Dolphins
A little-known species of dolphin, found only in northern Australia, is taking a battering from boats and lost fishing gear off the WA tourist town of Broome. Nearly two thirds of the Snubfin Dolphins that live in Roebuck Bay show injuries from boat hits and fishing gear snags, a new report shows. Dolphin researcher Deborah Thiele wrote the report for the conservation organisation WWF, which is working with the Broome community to minimise harm to the animals. Dr Thiele identified 161 Snubfins in the bay, finding nearly two thirds had injuries such as deep gashes and line marks and in some cases completely severed dorsal fins. The problem occurred because the dolphins' foraging and socialising grounds overlapped the heavily used recreational fishing zone in the bay, she told AAP. Dr Thiele said the slow-moving dolphins, often in shallow water, were hit by speeding boats across the bay. Even more injuries were caused by lost or discarded fishing line and hooks that cut into the animals' skins. Dr Thiele has worked with the Roebuck Bay Working Group, set up to protect the bay's ecosystem, on guidelines to minimise harm to the dolphins, dugongs, turtles and other wildlife. "My purpose is not to stop any fishing, my purpose is to get people who are fishing to slow down and to try and look after their line and just by doing that I think we're going to make a huge difference," she said.
The Snubfin Dolphin was only recently recognised as Australia's only endemic dolphin, found in tropical coastal waters across northern Australia. Until 2005, they were thought to be Irrawaddy Dolphins found in Asia, but they are now classified as a separate species. WWF's spokeswoman on tropical marine species, Lydia Gibson, said the number of injuries seen in Roebuck Bay meant it was likely dolphins had died, while injured animals would find it harder to feed and socialise. She said raising awareness was key, but state, territory and federal governments must also work together to protect areas crucial to the Snubfins' survival, including more research, which could see it put on the threatened list. Environment Minister Donna Faragher has said the WA government would commit nearly $30,000 for more research on Snubfins and there were opportunities for establishing a marine park at Roebuck Bay. Broome Fishing Club president Jeff Cooper said the club was keen to ensure the Snubfins were unharmed, but tourists needed to be educated about how to protect the animals in the bay. * Herald Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biodiversity Plan Criticised
Threatened native animals and plants that live on prime development land could be "offset" by an undertaking to protect different species somewhere else, under proposed state government changes to biodiversity rules. It means an echidna colony in one part of NSW could be destroyed in exchange for the preservation of a rare stand of trees elsewhere in the state. The proposed new biodiversity certification guidelines would allow developers of large urban projects even greater flexibility than the controversial BioBanking scheme, and includes provisions for cash payments for building on the habitat of certain animals if no suitable offset can be found. The government said the proposal was a balance between the need to protect endangered animals and secure large-scale developments, and would lead to more animals and plants being preserved than the current ad-hoc system of voluntary offsets. But environment groups see the proposal as a weakening of existing laws. "To suggest a threatened frog or bird or reptile species could be offset by some trees elsewhere in the state makes a nonsense of the 'maintain or improve' principle that was supposed to be enshrined in the legislation," said Jeff Angel, the executive director of the Total Environment Centre.
The NSW Environmental Defender's Office said in a submission to the government that the plan "relaxes the offsetting rules to such an extent that the legislative test becomes meaningless". "The clauses in the draft methodology allowing offsetting of one species with an entirely different species and allowing for a financial contribution in lieu of an offset, represent a radical departure from the 'like for like' principle of offsetting." Payments made in lieu of being able to find suitable animals or plants with which to offset a development would usually be a last resort and would have to be approved by the director-general of the NSW Environment Department. "Compared to the current process we would be miles ahead in terms of getting good outcomes, said Julie Ravallion, the manager of the department's conservation policy and strategy section. "You can't get biodiversity certification unless you go through the process where the gains are bigger than the losses."
Ms Ravallion said the plan was a way of addressing the incremental loss of native wildlife habitat, which is being eroded as urban centres expand. "At the same time the problem with offsets is that there are not that many of them, so you have got to give people a little bit of room to move ... Sites containing critically endangered species will never be developed. The biocertification methodology makes that very clear." Several of the state's leading environment groups say the changes meant they could no longer support the new biodiversity guidelines, after initially endorsing the overhaul of the existing voluntary system. "Environment groups will be appealing to the next Federal Environment Minister to reject this scheme as part of any alignment of Commonwealth and state threatened species laws," Kevin Evans, the executive officer of the National Parks Association of NSW, said in a statement. "The Feds will have to intervene every time if any national threatened species are involved." The guidelines are designed to complement the BioBanking Scheme, which the government sees as a way to improve the offsetting process. But the principle on which it is based - that one piece of environment can be developed if another is preserved - has also been widely criticised. * Sydney Morning Herald
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wildlife Pet Trade
The most threatened tortoise in the world is being sold openly at a plant and animal exposition in the heart of Indonesia's capital, highlighting concerns about the rampant -- and growing -- illegal pet trade. The country has become a major trading hub for endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, including species from Africa, South America and Asia, said Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife monitoring network. While the government has passed legislation banning such illegal trade, dealers continue to blatantly sell endangered species without fear of arrest or prosecution, Shepherd said. Those found Friday at Jakarta's annual flora and fauna expo -- held from July 2 until Aug. 2 -- included the world's most threatened ploughshare tortoise and the critically endangered radiated tortoises, both from Madagascar. They were priced up to $1,700.
Cages also were filled with rare Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species, known as CITES, and the endangered pig-nose tortoise, from Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, both selling for up to $500. Vendors told the Associated Press other threatened tortoises and turtles not found on display could easily be obtained for a price. "Recent surveys, and this expo, have shown that the trade continues and, in fact, now involves more illegally imported species than ever," said Shepherd. "Dealers know full well that it is illegal and are taking advantage of the enforcement agencies' lack of action." Indonesia, one of the most biologically diverse nations in the world, has for years sold everything from eagles and leopard cats to gibbons as pets in the capital. Shady transactions continue to take place at the popular Pramuka and Jati Negara markets. *LA Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dead Sea Lion
South Australian police say no charges will be laid over allegations of extortion relating to a sea lion found dead near a broken-up abalone farm. The animal was found and later photographed wrapped in aquaculture farm debris near Elliston after a recent storm. Police investigated allegations thousands of dollars was demanded from the aquaculture company to remove evidence of the dead sea lion. But police say they found no evidence of extortion or any other criminal offence. Australian Bight Abalone expects its clean-up of debris to be finished by the end of the week. It has been retrieving rope and plastic rings from areas including West Waldegrave Island. Managing director David Mazengarb says the company will look for ways to prevent any similar incidents. "Certainly natural events are outside our control but we'll look at procedures in the future to make any modifications that we can possibly make to avoid any impact on our sea cages of any natural event," he said.
Mariners are being warned by authorities that ropes, nets and trays from the abalone farm are floating as far south as Coffin Bay, 100 kilometres away. Bob Minnican from the Friends of Sceale Bay says much of the debris will never be recovered. "These nylon trays have been floating around for the last five years and now there's 20,000 that are out from this and there is no word about what's happening with these trays," he said. "Only a percentage of these trays are going to be found because they've been distributed into the ocean. "Many are on the island but many are just floating around." *ABC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Penguins
Tasmanian scientists have developed technology to help improve the monitoring of an important species of penguin in Antarctica. For 20 years, scientists have studied the breeding habits of Adelie penguins on Bechervaise Island near Mawson Station. They have been monitoring the impacts of fishing and climate change. Colin Southwell from the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart says the remote, extreme conditions have been a challenge. "We send a two-person team down every summer but they work on an island that is isolated from the mainland," he said. The high cost of sending scientists to remote areas had prevented the program being expanded. Researchers wanted a cost-effective way to monitor more sites, so electronics engineer Kym Newbery developed a camera that could withstand the Antarctic elements.
"The winds are up to 200 kilometres an hour, they're very dry and cold," Mr Newbery said. Colin Southwell says the new camera means researchers can now monitor multiple locations, without having to put researchers on-site. "We're monitoring in the Davis region as well as the Mawson region, and this summer we plan to be monitoring by deploying more cameras in the Casey region as well. "So what we're able to start doing now is to develop a network of monitoring sites, not a single monitoring site... and we're able to see how much variation there is from site to site. "Hopefully this can extend right across east Antarctica," he said. Kym Newbery says a number of countries including Japan, France and England are keen to use the camera in their own monitoring programs. "If we make a method that other countries can adopt then it becomes a standard, almost a no-brainer, for everyone to use: the same mechanism, the same method, to monitor the same species at lots of different sites. "Having common data recording techniques is really important to be able to compare what you're measuring." *ABC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)