Wildlife Bytes Australia, 9/09/10

Wildlife Bytes Australia, 9/09/10


Welcome to all our new members, readers, and supporters. Wildlife Bytes (Qld BN 18253945) is a free weekly email update provided by the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. PO Box 309, Beerwah, Qld, 4519, and Wildlife Bytes Pty Ltd. It is read by thousands of people worldwide. To receive Wildlife Bytes, and other wildlife information, please email us at info@wildlifeprotectaust.org.au with the subject header "subscribe Wildlife Bytes". To be removed from our list, email us at info@wildlifeprotectaust.org.au with the subject header "unsubscribe Wildlife Bytes". Your email address is safe with us and is kept confidential.


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WPAA Blogs! Now You can Make a Comment on Wildlife Issues!

http://possuminroof.blogspot.com/ http://aboutflyingfoxes.blogspot.com/ http://allaboutspiders.blogspot.com http://fraserislanddingoes.blogspot.com

http://aboutaustralianbutterflies.blogspot.com/ http://wpaafrognews.blogspot.com/ http://wpaabirdblog.blogspot.com/ http://noxiouswaterplants.blogspot.com/

Last weeks Wildlife Bytes Australia (For those who missed it!) http://wildlifebytes.blogspot.com


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Leading Stories
Whaling

Australia should pay Japan to end whaling rather than try to stop it in the courts, a Queensland academic says. Queensland University of Technology economics professor Clevo Wilson has called for whale-watching tourists to pay a $5 levy to compensate the Japanese for the loss of whaling. He said whales were worth more to Japan and other pro-whaling nations dead than alive, and a levy on Queensland's multimillion dollar whalewatching industry could fund a compensation scheme. The Australian Government has launched action in the International Court of Justice in The Hague to halt Japan's so-called scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean. But Prof Wilson said the court action was a "weak" option and paying the whalers to stop would be easier.

"Traditional communities in whaling countries fear that their livelihoods and their way of life would disappear if they were to stop killing whales," he said. "Whales are a 'common property' resource outside a country's maritime boundaries. This is why going to courts won't resolve the issue. "On the other hand, if the countries for whom whales are worth more alive than dead charged a small levy of, say, $5 per whale-watching tourist, whale-watching countries could compensate those for whom a dead whale is worth more than a live one." Prof Wilson said whale-watching was an increasingly popular and lucrative industry and could afford to bankroll a compensation scheme. "The whale-watching industry has grown from nine million whale watchers across 87 countries in 1998 to 13 million whale watchers in 119 countries in 2008," Prof Wilson said. "Hervey Bay's whale-watching tourism alone earns approximately $50 million a year." *Courier Mail.
Ed comment; Over 30 comments were not in favour of paying the Japanese to stop whaling.


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Wildlife Extinction Event

The world is facing a mass extinction event that could be greater than that of the dinosaurs, new research shows. Macquarie University palaeobiologist Dr John Alroy used fossils to track the fate of major groups of marine animals throughout the earth's history. He compiled data from nearly 100,000 fossil collections worldwide, tracking the fate of marine animals during extreme extinction events about 250 million years ago. The findings, published this week in the international journal Science, showed a major extinction event was under way that had the potential to be more severe than any others in history. "Organisms that might have adapted in the past may not be able to this time," Dr Alroy said. "You may end up with a dramatically altered sea floor because of changes in the dominance of major groups. That is, the extinction occurring now will overturn the balance of the marine groups."

The research shows a combination of human behaviour and climate change could have devastating affects on species across the planet. "When there's mass extinction all bets are off and anything could happen," Dr Alroy told AAP. "So what we're basically doing as the human species collectively is we're running this gigantic experiment with nature." There have been three major mass extinction events throughout history and biologists widely agree the world is now suffering from another. The last mass extinction was an estimated 65 million years ago when an asteroid smashed into Mexico and wiped out the dinosaurs, making room for mammals to thrive. Dr Alroy said a new mass extinction wouldn't be the result of a single horrific event such as an asteroid hitting Earth. Instead, it would be the result of a factors from introduced foreign species, run-offs from fertilisers and pesticides, pollution and deforestation, he said.

Climate change and an accelerated growth in the worldwide population were also playing a part. But Dr Alroy said the current situation was not yet as bad as the worst mass extinction 250 million years ago, known as Permian-Triassic extinction or The Great Dying. "It's safe to say that we have not yet lost nearly as much as what was lost during that event but it's also reasonable to say that we could end up losing as much as was lost in that event," he said. "We're currently playing games with evolution on a epic scale. "Really, really big mass extinctions happen very, very rarely and they have very important long-term consequences." *AAP


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Wildlife MiniBytes

Cane Toads

Residents of the north-east Kimberley have been forced to bring battle lines against cane toads further west as they prepare for an onslaught of the toxic pests during the wet season that could see Wyndham and Halls Creek infiltrated for the first time. The front line against the toads, now well inside the WA border, was redrawn last week, slicing through the centre of Lake Argyle and taking in areas where so-called explorer toads have been spotted over the past month. Metamorphs, or young toads, are in big numbers 10km from Kununurra. Kimberley Toad Busters field co-ordinator Ben Scott Virtue said normally they would be preparing for the wet season jump in numbers but the population had exploded to such a level that there was little difference between the wet and dry seasons. "There can't help but not be an influx of toads, or a colonising front coming through over the wet season," he said. "My hope is to lessen that wave coming through." Over the past three days more than 3500 toads had been killed during routine blitzes that in the same spot 10 months ago yielded less than a dozen toads. Mr Scott Virtue said Halls Creek, south of Kununurra, and Wyndham, to the north, were more vulnerable this season because they did not have the manpower committed in the areas around Kununurra. *WA News

Coral Bleaching

A disaster is unfolding under our waters. For several months now, in the Philippines marine scientists and divers have been witnessing and recording the massive bleaching of coral reefs all over the country, which is being caused by warmer-than-normal ocean water temperatures. In some coves, what was once a thriving, technicolor symphony of corals has been transformed into sickly white reefs, the equivalent of an underwater ghost town. One picture from the report released by a group of scientists last week showed a stark white coral colony. The colony is estimated to be 200 years old. Other photographs showed corals turning into dark brown lumps, an indication that it’s on the way to bleaching. * Enquirer.net
Read more ... http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100906-290724/RP-scientists-note-massive-bleaching-of-coral-reefs

Magpies

A 20-year-old man was pecked in the eye by a swooping bird at Eight Mile Plains, on Brisbane's southside. The incident occurred on Gaskell St and Underwood Rd intersection around 11.30am. An emergency services spokesman said he was treated at the scene, but was not transported to hospital. He said it was a timely reminder that spring was magpie season and Queenslanders should be cautious of their feathered friends. *Courier Mail

Rabid Monkeys

Forget Bali Belly, Australian Top End tourists visiting the popular Indonesian island should be worrying about rabies, with nearly 30 people being treated for monkey and dog bites at the Centre for Disease Control in Darwin over the past two years. The centre treated 23 people returning from Bali who had been bitten or scratched by a monkey. A further five tourists were bitten by a dog. None of the patients were found to have rabies. In Bali there is a major rabies outbreak which has killed 78 people in the past two years. About 30,000 dogs have been destroyed. The Director of the Centre for Disease Control, Dr Vicki Krause, said most cases of rabies were near the popular southern tourist region of Bali. "However, caution against exposure to the disease is encouraged throughout the entire island," Dr Krause said. Rabies is a fatal disease which is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch from an infected animal. Visitors are being warned to avoid dogs and monkeys, which are often seen begging for food at temples. Dr Krause recommended people planning to visit Bali should see their GP for a rabies vaccination prior to the trip. "If you do get bitten or scratched while in Bali, wash the wound well with soap and water as soon as possible and see a doctor for review. You may need to return to Australia early for treatment," Dr Krause said. *NT News

Octopus

Octopuses from Sydney Harbour are being shown videos of people opening jars by hand to see if they can learn to open the jars themselves by watching television. While octopuses have learnt to open jars on their own before, this experiment by researchers from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science and US university Harvard will hopefully be the first to prove that octopuses can learn to emulate an action through observation. The common Sydney octopuses, or gloomy octopuses, are placed in fish tanks in front of a high-definition television set and shown a video of a human hand opening a jar with a crab claw inside and left alone to see if they can work out how to open the jar in their tank. Marine biologist and doctoral student Alex Schnell said chimpanzees and several community-based insects such as ants and bumble bees could learn by watching their peers but this would be the first time the behaviour had been shown in an invertebrate. "There's lots of anecdotal evidence of octopuses doing smart things in captivity like stealing food from other tanks, opening latches, and even turning off light bulbs by squirting water at them," he said. * Daily Telegraph

Whales

A Victor Harbor (SA) carpenter has been fined almost $5000 for following two whales so closely that he hit one with his boat. In a South Australian legal first Phillip Kluske, 38, of Encounter Bay pleaded guilty to one count of using a vessel within 100m of a whale. The Victor Harbor Magistrates Court heard that, in August 2009, Kluske and his brother were fishing when two Southern Right Whales approached their boat. Fascinated by the creatures, Kluske continued to keep pace with them and pursue them. The incident ended when Kluske's boat struck the side of one whale, and both animals fled. Today, lawyers for Kluske admitted their client knew he was too close but curiously compelled him to continue. Prosecutors asked the court impose a heavy fine, noting the maximum penalty was two years' jail. Magistrate Brett Dixon said Kluske was a long-time surfer and fisherman with a love for the environment - and therefore should have known to behave better. He fined him $4000 and ordered he pay more than $800 in court costs. Kluske declined to comment outside court. *Adelaide Now

Wallabys

A four-foot wallaby stunned a homeowner as it hopped across his garden in West Yorkshire in the UK. The Sun reports that Brian Hooson, 64, saw the native of Australia grazing on his lawn near Keighley. Brian is now feeding the wallaby, dubbed Wally, and said: "It sure beats squirrels and birds in your garden." In 2009 local paper the Keighley News also reported a sighting, and claimed the wallaby was a male who escaped from a farm in Barnoldswick. *OrangeNews

Harbor Development threatens Top End sea life

Our tropical ocean wildlife needs our help. A massive industrial development in Darwin Harbour is threatening its inshore dolphins, turtles and dugongs. We have only three days to take action. Right now, the Northern Territory Government is considering allowing a LNG gas field development project that would see underwater blasting, dredging and land-clearing of sensitive coastal forests in one of the healthiest harbours in Australia. Right now, there are plans to detonate underwater explosives three times a day for a whole year in Darwin Harbour to build a new shipping channel. Incredibly, the developers INPEX haven't done any noise modelling to predict the impacts on the harbour's dugongs, dolphins and turtles. Instead, they're relying on modelling from the US Defence Department that tested the effects of underwater explosions on live sheep, dogs, monkeys and ducks which were held underwater! Please take action on this deeply flawed proposal. Send an email to INPEX, expressing your concerns. http://www.amcs.org.au/WhatWeDo.asp?active_page_id=686 *Network Item

Conservation Dependent...what does that mean?

We understand the previous Labor Government developed some new buzzwords...."conservation dependent" which appeared out of nowhere in some Government documents earlier this year. It's believed the new words are being used as an alternative to "threatened" or "vulnerable". Governments don't like "vulnerable" because it means they have to do something. "Conservation dependent" lets them off the hook! *WPAA

Badger Cull Proposed

Responding to media reports that the Government will consult on a cull of badgers in areas worst affected by bovine Tuberculosis (TB), Professor Bill Reilly, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "Reports that the Government wishes to move forward with a badger cull to tackle the spread of bovine TB in England are very welcome. The BVA has been championing the need to tackle the spread of the disease in wildlife for some time and we are delighted that the Government has listened to these calls. "Bovine TB is a devastating disease in many parts of the UK and action must be taken to halt the spread. "The BVA will consider the proposals in the consultation carefully, including any detailed information on how a cull will be managed. It absolutely must be humane, targeted in the right places and well managed. "Whatever the Government proposes must be part of a package of measures to control the disease including controls in both cattle and wildlife." *British Vet. Assoc.

Whales

Authorities in Western Australia have used a large amount of explosives to blow up a live whale. The explosives were used to euthanase the humpback whale that had been stranded off the coast near the former whaling centre of Albany. The 12 tonne mammal was killed with explosives after it was determined it was too big to shoot with a rifle. A plane monitored the area for sharks as wildlife officers positioned the explosives around the whale. A one kilometre exclusion zone was set up around the whale as the explosives were set off. According to the wildlife officers, the whale died instantly. It had been stranded in Albany’s harbour for two weeks. *Beijing News

Kangaroo Books

A new book by Stephen Jackson and Karl Vernes has just been published, "Kangaroo: portrait of an extraordinary marsupial" which expands understanding of these iconic marsupials, describing the three types of kangaroos (kangaroos,wallabies and rat kangaroos) and their ecology, history and behaviour. It illustrates their interaction with humans and addresses the issue of how to best manage their populations. Pity it didn't address the issue of human populations! A number of kangaroo books can also be found on the Andrew Isles website, just visit:
http://www.andrewisles.com/all-stock/keyword/AusMammalEmail

Kangaroos Drowning

CSG, a coal seam gas mining company, with the support of the Queensland government, has built ponds lined with plastic that attracts kangaroos to the water, but when they get in, they can't get out and drown. This has been going on for weeks. See the video here, but be warned its not nice viewing. However all wildlife lovers should see the video. Its an indication how little the Queensland government cares about protecting our wildlife, to allow such an awful situation to arise. The coal seam gas mining Industry was supposed to have gone through a "thorough" environmental assessment process, but there have been multiple problems with it so far. http://anti-mining.com/videos/kangaroo%20ponds.html We are asking the Queensland Government to "please explain" how this was allowed to happen, and what penalties will be imposed on the mining company. We strongly suggest you visit the WAAM home page for more information, the link is on the video page, and there are more uTube video links there. Here's the video link again http://anti-mining.com/videos/kangaroo%20ponds.html Please express your anger and disgust to the Qld Premier Anna Bligh at premiers.master@premiers.qld.gov.au and the Mining Minister Steven Robertson here at nrmet@ministerial.qld.gov.au Please send them the link so they can watch the video too!

Kangaroo's Legs Shot Off

Two Bunbury men who allegedly shot off the hind legs of a kangaroo face a fine of $10,000 each. The western grey kangaroo and a joey in its pouch had to be put down by a professional shooter. Donnybrook Police allege a 32-year-old man from Carey Park shot the kangaroo with a .223 rifle and a 21-year-old man from Bunbury held a spotlight for him. “They said they were down there shooting pigs on someone else’s property when they spotted a kangaroo – and shot it – in a neighbouring property,” Senior Constable Becky Breedveld said. “Both hind legs were shot off and it had tried to get away on its stumps. “A joey in the pouch had to be put down too – it’s a sad story.” A professional kangaroo shooter called police about 8pm on July 31 to report three men in a ute firing into paddocks near Kirup. Police saw the vehicle on their way to investigate and pulled it over, seizing three firearms. A 43-year-old from Dalyellup, who drove the car was not charged with the killing but received a traffic infringement for carrying people in the back of a ute. The men will appear in Donnybrook Magistrate’s Court next month. * Bunbury Mail

Wildlife Trafficking

A Malaysian man has admitted wildlife smuggling after his bag filled with 95 live boa constrictors burst open on an airport luggage conveyor belt. Keng Liang Wong, 52, who was previously convicted of wildlife trafficking in the US, was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after the snakes were found. It emerged yesterday that he pleaded guilty to exporting the endangered snakes without a permit - and now faces up to seven years in jail. Wong was travelling to Indonesia when he was caught. A decade ago Wong was sentenced to six years in the US for running an animalsmuggling ring that prosecutors said imported more than 300 protected Asian and African reptiles between 1996 and 1998. Wong will appear in court on Monday. * Daily Record.co.uk

NT Wildlife Disappearing

A new report from the Nature Conservancy has found that mammal species in northern Australia are in rapid decline and many are at risk of becoming extinct within the next decade. At least a dozen species are listed as critical or endangered and another dozen are thought to be vulnerable. Researchers believe the problem is getting worse and feral cats and fire management are largely to blame for the decline. The head of biodiversity for the Northern Territory Environment Department, Professor John Woinarski, says the mostly small and furry creatures are under immense pressure and in many cases are living on borrowed time. "When I came here 25 years or so ago it was a paradise for native mammals and that's just not the case anymore," he said. "It's perplexing. Much of the landscape still looks extraordinarily intact and natural and extensive and beautiful, but some of the species are clearly falling out of that landscape. * ABC
Read more ... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/02/3001118.htm

Wildlife Heroes

A nice story here about some of our wildlife heroes! ... http://www.reportage-enviro.com/2010/09/wildlife-warriors-stand-strong/


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Wagga Kangaroos

Wagga City Council has given in-principle support for the culling of kangaroos. The decision overturns a rejection of support at August's Environment and Community Standing Committee but an amendment promotes the need for different control methods. Councillor Ray Goodlass stood against killing kangaroos, instead insisting that other methods must be adopted, such as sterilisation. However, the motion was approved nine votes to two, giving support to the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority's (LHPA) plan to increase controlled culls to the entire Hume district. Cr Alan Brown spoke in favour of culling, saying kangaroos were becoming a pest and professional shooters were hired to kill them in the most humane way possible.

"Professionals are hired, shooters who kill the kangaroos with head shots, they don't kill mothers with joeys and they collect the carcasses and harvest them for meat, pet food and the skins," he said. "Providing support for the LHPA will not result in one more or less kangaroo being shot ... it is a win-win." Cr Rod Kendall amended the motion to include a request of the Hume LHPA to consider other control methods and as a result avoid the need for future culls. But it still did not sway Cr Goodlass. "I don't think culling is always humane as I'm told joeys are sometimes taken from the pouch and kicked to death or the kangaroo is shot and not killed but left to die in pain," he said. *Wagga daily Advertiser

Canberra Kangaroos

A study tracking the movement patterns of Canberra's kangaroos will inform future cull operations and help prevent kangaroo-related car accidents. The study, conducted by the Department of Territory and Municipal Services, has tracked 24 eastern grey kangaroos fitted with GPS tracking collars since early 2010. Don Fletcher, a senior ecologist with the Department of Territory and Municipal Services, said that by understanding the movement patterns of kangaroo mobs, ecologists could better target kangaroo culls. 'What's the best strategic scale on which to deploy kangaroo control to get effective results?'' Dr Fletcher asked. ''The first step is simply, well what's the home range of the kangaroo? This contributes to that more effective and strategic management of kangaroo populations.''

The study also shows that kangaroos may have more road sense than they are generally given credit for. Dr Fletcher said the findings may help to prevent the 1000 kangaroo-related crashes that occur in the ACT every year. ''The most interesting part is roos have road sense, nobody believes me,'' he said. Dr Fletcher said initial findings showed that kangaroos purposefully avoided high-speed roads. Ecologists have even been tracking one set of kangaroos which appears to be using an underpass to cross State Circle near Parliament House. Canberra has a high density of kangaroos, with around 300 kangaroos per square kilometre.

Rangers attend about 1000 kangaroo-related accidents every year and suspect that about 1000 accidents occur without their knowledge. Using the GPS collars with Google Earth, the Department of Territory and Municipal Services has also created an interactive map, allowing the public to track kangaroo movements from their own home. The collars have been recording the location of the kangaroos every hour since January 2010. The study will continue until January next year, at which point the collars will automatically detach themselves. *Canberra Times

New York Kangaroo Meat

The owners of Eight Mile Creek, a Manhattan restaurant with an Australian food and wine theme, are celebrating the return of the marsupial to diners' plates after a two-year battle. A federal government minister, international diplomats, a New York state governor, animal rights activists and a lawyer known only as ''Kangaroo Jack'' - all became embroiled in the great roo law debate . In late 2008, officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation raided the restaurant. The officers told the owners that kangaroo was listed as endangered under New York state law. They had to stop serving it immediately. *SMH read more http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/watch-it-skip-roos-back-in-new-york-20100903-14ud0.html


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Camels

The Camel Industry Association is working on a plan to make camel meat a regular addition to the Australian dinner table. Camel industry heavyweights have been granted funding to develop the domestic market and work out the best ways to farm the million feral camels roaming Central Australia. Central Australian restaurants and butchers are already selling camel burgers and camel sausages, and camel is also being sold as pet meat. Camel Industry Association chairwoman Lauren Brisbane says once camel becomes an established industry the meat will be in demand nationwide. "We spend $10 billion a year on the health market in Australia and camel meat is a very healthy meat," she said. "It's 85 per cent less fat than beef. It's the same cuts of meat as beef and people who do consume camel meat love it and people who try it love it."

The Association says farming the animals will make the industry a strong economic force in Australia, instead of costing the nation money. Ms Brisbane says as well as the meat, there is a viable domestic and international market for camel milk and wool. She says a strategic plan is being developed cooperatively between Aboriginal landholders, pastoralists and farmers to reach the roaming population. "One of the biggest issues for our industry is continuity of supply, even though there are a lot of camels our difficulty is accessing them," she said. "We hope that camel meat will be readily available domestically and we can supply the markets that we have on an international basis." *ABC


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Tassie Wildlife Still Threatened

Animal rights activists are using National Threatened Species Day today to call for an end to permits to cull Tasmanian forester kangaroos. Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania believes forester kangaroos are on the brink of becoming a threatened species. The group's Patty Cosgrove says in recent years the native animal's population in the midlands has declined by up to 60 per cent. "We are very seriously concerned about the culling by farmers and graziers we think a lot of it is unnecessary," she said. "Negative farmer attitudes, they're still around, I know some farmers like them but it seems like there are a lot of farmers out there that just reach for the permit and the gun." A new report on the Tasmanian devil and spotted quoll is also being launched today.

Infra-red cameras in the Upper Florentine forests have recorded quolls and disease-free devils in areas planned for logging. Ed Hill from Still Wild Still Threatened says it is a farce that the logging industry is exempt from Commonwealth legislation designed to protect threatened species. "If endangered species habitat continues to be logged, it'll be no be no surprise that we will keep losing top order marsupial carnivores like the tasmanian devil," he said. "While millions are being spent on recovery programs to invest in insurance populations and try to combat the devil facial tumour disease, the issue of habitat loss is being completely ignored." The Government has been contacted for comment. *ABC


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Pet Turtles

Illegally dumped pet turtles have started to infest Tasmanian waterways, authorities say. The turtles, which are usually bought as family pets and then dumped when owners find out they are illegal here, are starting to wipe out other native species in some areas of the state and clog waterways, particularly in the North and North-West. The state's Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment yesterday urged Tasmanians in possession of the freshwater turtles to surrender them immediately. A department spokesman said the relinquished turtles would be euthanised. Minister David O'Byrne said the department had received inquiries about the legality of keeping freshwater turtle breeds, none of which were native to Tasmania. The inquiries followed a police matter, reported last week, in which an eastern long-necked freshwater turtle smuggled into Tasmania was seized in a swoop on a Bridgewater house. "Already we have some waterway areas where escaped or released turtles have begun colonising the area," Mr O'Byrne said. "Colonies of the introduced species have the potential to significantly impact on the productivity of wetlands and waterways."

The turtles also may compete for food with our native waterway species such as frogs, galaxia fish and freshwater crayfish. Mr O'Byrne said the public was urged to hand in the turtles to protect Tasmania's ecology. Quarantine Tasmania officer Sabatino Cesile said people should be sure about whether they could legally bring particular pets into the state or face fines. "There are some animals that can be imported without entry requirements so if people want to know the requirements that are in place they should simply call Quarantine Tasmania," Mr Cesile said. "Even the turtle, which isn't native to Tasmania, can impact on our waterways if a population was to establish in the wild. There is also a disease risk." The turtles are part of a menagerie of unwelcome animals uncovered by Quarantine Tasmania over the years including prohibited catfish, pheasants, several snakes, eels, a Queensland sea anemone, fish-tank snails, eight green tree frogs, three Mexican walking fish, a dozen goldfish, and even 200g of live fish bait. People who voluntarily surrender the turtles will not be prosecuted. Contact DPIPWE on 6233 6556 or Quarantine Tasmania on 6233 3352 *Mercury


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Fish

A Russian circus has been forced to cancel an act in which a woman swallows a live fish and then regurgitates it. The Great Moscow Circus performing in Miranda, in Sydney's south, cancelled the routine on Monday after the New South Wales Government informed management it breached the Exhibited Animals Protection Act. "Industry and Investment NSW received information in relation to a circus act being performed as part of a show in Sydney," a Department spokeswoman said. "The complaint related to the use of a fish during the show. "Circuses operating in NSW must comply with prescribed standards for the welfare of animals." Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes said scientific research shows fish are capable of suffering and are therefore protected under the act. "Circuses continue to claim that performing animal acts are educational," Ms Oogjes said. "Far from educational, this was an inhumane and foolish act which reflected badly on the Moscow Circus." Comment was being sought by circus management. *Courier Mail


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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......


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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


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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!


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Fraser Island

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

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

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

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

May the dingoes Rest In Peace.