Wildlife Bytes 12/4/11

Leading Story

Marine Parks

The federal government plans to spend $20 million for marine national parks in the south-west Australian ocean. The spending, yet to be announced, will compensate commercial fishers for the establishment of marine protection zones in the region, some of which will not allow any fishing. But the proposed spending falls short of the amount that green groups say is needed to ensure the system of marine parks is properly protected and industry well compensated. The marine campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, Chris Smyth, said the plans represented a ''remarkable opportunity to establish a world-class network of marine sanctuaries in Australia's unique south-west''. He said: ''To avoid missing that opportunity the government needs to back its south-west regional marine plan with about $50 million of funding. ''That will maximise the protection of ocean life while doing the right thing by commercial fishers that may be affected.'' The federal government has committed itself to setting up by the end of next year marine parks along all parts of Australia's coast that are not already protected, to preserve marine environment and restore dwindling fish stocks.

Environmental protection for marine life can range from ''no take zones'' - which allow no fishing or resource drilling - to only limited protection, permitting a full range of industrial activity. Government sources have told the Herald that the level of protection for the south-western oceans will be significant when it is announced this month. This is because the government believes conflict with commercial fishing will be muted and the environmental values of the region are high. The government is also eyeing off a high level of environmental protection for the Coral Sea, which sits between the Great Barrier Reef and the edge of Australia's territorial water and is the site of a number of historic shipwrecks from World War II. The Herald also understands that commercial fishers working in the Coral Sea have approached the government and are prepared to stop fishing in the region in exchange for compensation. The exit of the fishing industry would pave the way for an extensive system of marine parks, though a final deal is not expected until next year.

But marine parks off north, north-west and eastern Australia will be limited. Along the NSW coast, Labor is expecting an angry reaction from fishing groups in a number of key marginal seats. The parliamentary secretary for Fisheries, Mike Kelly, whose seat of Eden-Monaro takes in south coast fishing communities, is understood to have been a vocal opponent in the Labor caucus of significant protection for the marine environment in the region. In the north-west seas the government is reluctant to intervene in the significant expansion of the oil and gas industries. Marine reserves were set up under the Howard government along the Victorian and Tasmanian coasts. Only 8 per cent of the parks set up were deemed off limits for industry. *SMH

Edirorial...Marine Debris

A vast field of debris, swept out to sea following the Japan earthquake and tsunami, is floating towards the U.S. West Coast, it has emerged. More than 200,000 buildings were washed out by the enormous waves that followed the 9.0 quake on March 11. There have been reports of cars, tractor-trailers, capsized ships and even whole houses bobbing around in open water. One expert is expecting parts of houses, whole boats and feet in sneakers to wash up. Several thousand bodies were washed out to sea following the disaster, and while most of the limbs will come apart and break down in the water, feet encased in shoes will float, he said. But much closer to home, on Fraser Island, vast areas of the Eastern beaches are covered with marine debris too. While it's easy to assume that the rubbish came out of the Brisbane River floods, photos indicate that much of the debris may have come from fishing boats. You can see the photos here on Jennifer Parkhurst's website, http://www.fraserislandfootprints.com/wp/?page_id=904 along with lots of other interesting info about Fraser Island. *WPAA

WPAA Facebook Page

We now have a WPAA facebook up and going if you would like to join or have a look at it. The Link to it, is ; http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_192770164084007 Join Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. facebook page NOW!! For all your wildlife needs and updates on current wildlife issues happening.

Penguins

A scientific report and action plan for the conservation of Little Penguins in Gulf St Vincent is set to help the birds on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The study was commissioned by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board last year following discussions with penguin and seal researchers and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) staff. The report to be completed this month, will be followed by information sessions on the findings in Adelaide, Victor Harbor and Kangaroo Island. "Despite a number of studies on various penguin colonies, there has been limited coordination of the actions needed across the Gulf. This work will help focus efforts on penguin conservation on the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island," said Tony Flaherty, Manager Coast and Marine for the NRM Board. The Little Penguin, an iconic seabird and a tourist drawcard for the region is under pressure from predators such as rats, dogs and cats and disturbance from people. In recent years predation by New Zealand fur seals has been identified as an issue at some colonies.
Read more ... http://www.victorharbortimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/help-at-hand-for-penguins/2126132.aspx?src=rss

Shellfish Pollution

A Tasmanian man has become seriously ill after eating wild shellfish gathered from waters in Tasmania. Government warnings have been issued, and applied to a specific area of the channel south of a line between Middleton and Simpsons Point, north of Bruny Island and north of a line between South-East Cape and The Friars and South Bruny Island. While the present warning was specific to these areas, Tasmanians should always be careful about where they collected wild shellfish and should not consume it from the Derwent or Tamar estuaries at any time. Health authorities have also renewed warnings for people not to eat shellfish from the Huon Estuary and parts of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. Much of the pollution stems from an algal bloom, and fecal waste generated from salmon farms. * WPAA

Penguins

Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Washington, and other groups are grappling with a wildlife mystery: Why are some penguin chicks losing their feathers? The appearance of "naked" penguins—afflicted with what is known as feather-loss disorder—in penguin colonies on both sides of the South Atlantic in recent years has scientists puzzled as to what could be causing the condition. A study on the disorder appears in a recent edition of the journal Waterbirds. "Feather-loss disorders are uncommon in most bird species, and we need to conduct further study to determine the cause of the disorder and if this is in fact spreading to other penguin species," said Boersma, who has conducted studies on Magellanic penguins for more than three decades. The feather-loss disorder first emerged in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006, when researchers for the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) first observed the disorder in African (or black-footed) penguins in a rehabilitation center. During that year, approximately 59 percent of the penguin chicks at the facility lost their feathers, followed by 97 percent of the chicks at the facility in 2007, and 20 percent of the chicks in 2008. Chicks with feather-loss disorder, it was discovered, took longer to grow to a size deemed suitable for release into the wild. The chicks eventually began growing new feathers. Read More ... http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=75610380412

Coral Poaching

A growing number of Filipinos are protesting the reported wholesale harvesting and selling of coral reefs from the Philippines by Shell Horizons whose company website proudly peddles its seemingly illegal and irresponsible business. The website of Shell Horizons, which claims to have been viewed 10 million times since 1998, describes itself as “US Largest Wholesaler of Seashells and Seashell Products, Finest Quality Seashells and Souvenirs Since – 1976.” “This is horrible. Boatloads of corals are taken away, including tritons,” said Filipino netizen Dave Ryan Bauron, who tweets about Philippine tourism and current events, referring to photos of corals featured on the Shell Horizons website. In its online product catalog, Shell Horizons boasts of selling corals and seashells, among hundreds of products, purportedly from the Philippines. Shell Horizons features photos of newly-harvested corals, purportedly from the Philippines. Photo from the Shell Horizons website. Philippines bans harvesting and trade of corals, and is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Republic Act 8550 and Presidential Decree 1219 explicitly ban coral harvesting and trade. Read More .. http://asiancorrespondent.com/52131/us-firm-shell-horizons-in-illegal-trade-philippine-corals/#

Wildlife Poaching

Police in Argentina arrested a man with 600 snakes and other reptiles, including some endangered species. He had 40 snakes on him and then they opened his luggage. Ranger Daniel Chersich, warden of Santa Fe province, simply observed that police “were terrified of opening the bags.” They found “444 boas, vipers and other snakes; 186 endangered tortoises; 40 lizards, and an armadillo.” The smuggler had spent three months trapping the creatures. *Network Item


Thailand says it has made its largest ever seizure of monitor lizards after finding more than 2,000 reptiles smuggled in a convoy of utility vehicles heading for the capital. The live Bengal monitors were found in plastic baskets on the back of three vehicles when they were stopped by authorities in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, south of Bangkok. Customs officials, who put the estimated street value of the reptiles at 1.8 million baht ($57,000), said officials believe they were destined for Chinese customers. "They are from Malaysia and transported through southern Thailand and north-eastern Laos to China for eating," said Seree Thaijongrak, head of the customs investigation and suppression bureau. "We knew there was a monitor lizard racket... this time it's the largest seizure ever." Wildlife anti-trafficking organisation Freeland said monitor lizards are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are threatened with extinction.
International trade in the reptiles is banned and they are protected under Thai and Malaysian law. * AFP

Birdwatching

Birdwatchers in Central Australia believe proposed pastoral land changes will boost the hobby's popularity in the area. The Northern Territory Government is holding an information session in Alice Springs today to ask for comments on its proposed changes to the Pastoral Land Act. In the past, some pastoralists have not let visitors onto their land because of liability concerns with accidents and the cost of maintaining access roads. Birdwatcher Chris Watson says the Government is proposing to take on more liability, as well as the costs of infrastructure maintenance. "So with all those things taken over by the NT Government it probably takes greater incentives for pastoralists to let people onto their land, and to try and encourage people to come to their beautiful places they might have on their leases, to set up eco-tourism ventures," he said. Mr Watson says Kakadu has traditionally been the Territory's hot spot for bird watching but more people are starting to come to Central Australia for bird watching. "Increasingly we're seeing many more people choose to come to the Red Centre, because there are several birds you can only really see here," he said. "Especially with the increased season we've had, the increased rainfall, the birds are just flocking here from all over the shop." *ABC

Victorian Kangaroos

Landholders are permitted to cull about 30,000 kangaroos each year, but because of the ban must either bury or dump the carcasses. A draft commission report said the ban appeared "unnecessarily burdensome". It also said the ban was redundant "in light of other measures to protect biodiversity and animal welfare". The draft report said if the Government lifted the ban "impacts should be monitored closely and, in no later than three years, the operation of the scheme should be reviewed to assess whether removal of the ban has harmed welfare or biodiversity outcomes". The Weekly Times asked Victorian Environment Minister Ryan Smith for comment on the issue, but was referred instead to the office of Treasurer Kim Wells. A spokesman for Mr Wells said it was important to recognise it was a draft report and the Government would respond to recommendations once the final report was released later this year. The commission said the processing of culled kangaroos posed no threat to the marsupials given the Government issues Authority to Control Wildlife permits to landholders based on sustainable limits. The commission also called on the Government to simplify the process for obtaining permits, estimating the cost of issuing each permit was about $480. "Taking into account the need for a site visit and the rigour of the permit system ... yields an administrative cost associated with each application of approximately $480, or $863,000 across industry," the report said. "There may be further costs from ongoing damage from pest animals where control action is delayed by administrative processes." Victoria is the only mainland state to prohibit commercial processing of its kangaroos. Across the rest of Australia, about three million kangaroos are shot each year, although the NSW and Queensland floods restricted the 2010 take to just 1.2 million. *Weekly Times. Make a comment .. http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/04/06/315571_national-news.html

Another Kangaroo Shot with Arrow

Police are investigating the shooting of a wild kangaroo with an arrow north of Brisbane this morning. The injured kangaroo, which was carrying a joey, was found with an arrow through her neck at the rear of a high school on Buchanan Street in Rothwell, near Redcliffe, about 7.30am. Police were unable to restrain the distressed animal and called in the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit, which transported the kangaroo to the zoo's wildlife hospital. An Australia Zoo spokesperson said the arrow was removed and the wound cleaned and treated before the kangaroo was released back into the wild this afternoon. "Antibiotics, fluids and pain relief medication were administered, and the kangaroo was kept under observation until it had made some recovery from the anesthetic," the spokesperson said. "The treating vet was satisfied with the condition of the kangaroo, and due to the nature of the wound, the decision was made to return the animal to the wild as quickly as possible, with the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit transporting the kangaroo to a safe location near the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital where they can monitor the animal’s condition. "In these circumstances, being able to return her to the wild so quickly gives her and her joey the best chance possible." Investigations are continuing and police are appealing to anyone who may have information to call their local station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppers.com.au. *Brisbane Times

Kangaroo Mutilated

Police are investigating the cruel treatment of a kangaroo in Yarrambat, Victoria. It's believed that the kangaroo was initially injured but not killed by a vehicle somewhere in the vicinity of Red Box Court. Whilst laying on the ground injured it is then believed an unknown person or persons has attacked the animal, castrating it and removing the area below the tail called the mound. This mutilation took place some time between 6.30pm on Saturday and 8am on Sunday. The missing body parts have not been recovered after a search of the area and may have been taken by the offender/s. The kangaroo was alive during the mutilation and was put down by a wildlife officer at around 4pm on Sunday. Police are appealing for anyone who may have information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit: www.crimestoppers.com.au It is the second case of extreme animal cruelty to be investigated by Victorian police within a week, following the stoning death of a nesting female black swan at Queens Park, Moonee Ponds. Victoria Police News

Frozen Zoo

An article on "Australia's frozen zoo and the risk of extinction" by Dr. Ian M Gunn. BVSc. FACVSc. has been published on The Conversation EMagazine. Here is the link:
http://theconversation.edu.au/articles/australias-frozen-zoo-and-the-risk-of-extinction-703

Hanging Rock Kangaroos

A working group has been formed to find a way to keep kangaroos out of the Hanging Rock racecourse on race days. Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club chief executive Mark Graham said the group was working to find a solution that would fit the environment without harming the kangaroos. Mr Graham is part of the group, which will also be made up of a wildlife management consultant, and representatives from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Racing Victoria and Country Racing Victoria. "The group's purpose is to come up with a recommended solution, and once we believe we've got something meaningful we will consult with other community groups and consider their input," he said. "I would like to make it clear that the club's view and it is the working group's view, that racing has been going at Hanging Rock for 125 years and the kangaroos have been there longer than that. ''We have successfully co-existed for that period of time and we can't see anything wrong with that continuing to happen. "'We are happy for the wildlife to pass through the course when we're not racing. We just need to exclude them during racing." *Macedon News

Kangaroos Shooter Arrested

A man has been arrested over the shooting of two kangaroos with arrows in Bundoora earlier this month. A Thomastown man, 27, was arrested in McDonalds Rd, Epping, today and two warrants were executed at separate Thomastown properties at 8am. An arrow and computer were seized from the first address, while police took two bows, five arrows, an arrow quiver, paper target, and camouflage clothing, including a jacket, pants, jumper, hat and backpack, from the second house. The man is being interviewed for reckless conduct endangering life, which relates to a May 8 incident in which a person was allegedly shooting a bow and arrows in a Bundoora park near other people. Police are also interviewing over aggravated cruelty and hunting protected wildlife offences, after a kangaroo found was found with an arrow in its rear on May 7 and another kangaroo was found with an arrow in its mouth on May 9. No charges have yet been laid. *Diamond Valley Leader

Flying Foxes

Fears have been raised this week about the impact of 22,000 flying foxes being driven from their home in the Sydney Botanic Gardens. The NSW Farmers Association is concerned that the creatures will head to the Sydney Basin and devastate fruit crops there. Last year Central West orchardists suffered significant damage from tens of thousands of flying foxes, and farmers are concerned the city eviction could send them inland. But environmental consultant Prof David Goldney says there should be sufficient food supplies around the Sydney area to keep them within the city or on the immediate margins. "It's unlikely they'll [bats] head back to the Central West - last year was a one in 25 year event and growers are more likely to suffer crop damage from hail in that region," he said. "The flying foxes have a history of establishing somewhere and then being very hard to move so I wish the authorities luck." *ABC Audio

Magpies

Pointing may be rude in the human world, but a new study has found magpies use it to communicate danger. In doing so, they may be the first example of a species other than humans and chimpanzees to use this communication method, proving that they have higher cognitive abilities than previously thought, says Professor Gisela Kaplan from the University of New England. Pointing is thought to be related to the development of language but "up until now all the literature has assumed that you need hands and arms to gesture," says Kaplan. "But I don't think that's true anymore and [this study] it undercuts that assumption," she says of her research, which appears online ahead of publication of the upcoming issue of Current Zoology.
Read More.... http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/03/28/3175630.htm

Native Rats

A reclusive native rat has been stirring up remote community residents in Australia's inland as it breeds in huge numbers. The long-haired rat normally lives on isolated black soil plains in the Barkly Tableland of the Northern Territory and in western Queensland. But it is taking advantage of high rainfall across the region to migrate en masse. The rat has been sighted in Alice Springs for the first time in 25 years, and has also been seen in the remote community of Aputula, 250 kilometres further south. "It really is a huge event and is pretty much down to that run of consecutive good, high rainfall seasons," acting scientist with Northern Territory Biodiversity Conservation, Peter McDonald, said. Mr McDonald says the rat migration is a unique event. "It is unusual in the rodent world but Rattus villosissimus are unique in that way and they're pretty famous for their eruptions," he said. "Probably the only similar expansion by a rodent is seen in the lemmings in the Northern Hemisphere with their eruptions. "So there's nothing else in Australia which erupts over such a large area." *ABC

NMIT Kangaroos

A female kangaroo was shot in the leg and died a slow and painful death at the Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE’s Eden Park property, according to an independent veterinarian’s report. The eastern grey was the second of four dead kangaroos discovered by wildlife volunteers while patrolling the 320ha Northern Lodge site. “She would most likely have died as a result of complications associated with the bullet injury,” Dr Alistair Brown said. “A large amount of faeces was present at the exact location were she was found, indicating that her death would not have been instantaneous, rather, her death would more likely be slow and agonising.” Dr Brown said it was an example of animal cruelty that must be investigated. He called for a moratorium on the kangaroo cull and much greater scrutiny of applications for cull permits. “There really doesn’t seem to be a lot of accountability here at all,” Dr Brown said. “It has been said that roos are being rounded up and that they’re being shot through the stomach.” It is not known whether the kangaroo was shot by the cull permit holder or a member of the public.

Australian Society for Kangaroos spokeswoman Fiona Corke called on the RSPCA to prosecute the TAFE, claiming they had breached the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1986). RSPCA spokesman Tim Pilgrim said the RSPCA had not examined the female kangaroo but did receive the vet’s report. “The RSPCA reasonably concludes that it is likely this particular kangaroo was not killed instantly and may have suffered during death, which is of concern,” Mr Pilgrim said. “The RSPCA has conducted a doorknock in the area to appeal for any information that will help us with our investigation. But to date no eye witnesses to the shooting of these kangaroos have come forward.” Mr Pilgrim confirmed RSPCA officers attended NMIT’s Northern Lodge property last month in response to another claim of animal cruelty. Society volunteers, who vowed to intervene at the first sign of shooting, found a male kangaroo with a gunshot wound to the ribs just metres from the NMIT farm boundary on March 22. Ms Corke said the TAFE’s cull permit should be revoked immediately. A DSE spokeswoman, who did not want to be named, said the department had been in contact with NMIT to reinforce permit conditions after receiving reports of animal cruelty. “DSE will investigate any credible reports or allegations of illegal hunting of native animals,” she said. * Whittlesea Leader


A former game hunter says he is disgusted by the reckless and inhumane way kangaroos are being slaughtered in Eden Park. Duane Milligan shot deer and pigs for almost 10 years in New Zealand, but now runs Wild About Wildlife Rescue Centre in Kilmore with his wife, Lisa. Mr Milligan said he hunted to feed his family and made sure all shooting was accurate, quick and humane. He helped wildlife volunteers remove the carcass of a female kangaroo from the Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE’s Northern Lodge stud farm, where the TAFE is culling 300 roos. The institute’s cull permit requires all animals to be shot in the head and injured animals to be tracked down and killed humanely. But a vet’s report confirmed a female roo was shot in the leg, and lay fly-blown and dying for hours. Three other kangaroos have been found with similar injuries.

“I’ve never come across this kind of mentality to just shoot kangaroos,” Mr Milligan said. “Kangaroos don’t get startled like deer, you can pretty much just walk right up to them. “A head shot is not that difficult, you’ve just got to be confident.” Mr Milligan said many kangaroo shooters in Victoria were “cowboys” and he feared for the safety of residents. “I don’t like the way they do things over here,” he said. “Someone’s going to get caught in the crossfire. “There are people living just 200m from the property. “I killed about two kangaroos after the bushfires because they were burnt and suffering. “There’s no need for this (Eden Park) cull.” *LeaderNews

More Kangaroos Shot

Maloneys Beach residents are worried about public safety after a kangaroo was shot with an arrow earlier this week. Resident Melissa Marshall has three young daughters and is worried about their safety in the wake of the attack. “I’m extremely concerned about this,” she said. Having an archery background herself, Ms Marshall knows the damage bows and arrows can do. “We wander around the reserve and in the bush around Maloneys Beach with the kids, and it is disturbing that people would not only be so cruel to do this to kangaroos, but so careless about the risk to human beings.” The male kangaroo was spotted at Maloneys Beach on Monday with an arrow through its neck, but has not been seen since. Residents are keeping watch for the animal and National Parks and Wildlife personnel are on standby to assist if it is found. “We don’t hold out great hope of finding it, but if we do, we will then assess what to do,” NPWS spokesman Stuart Cohen said.

Eurobodalla Archery secretary Pam Marriott was horrified by the attack. She said the arrow used in the kangaroo attack was a target arrow and was made of carbon, judging by the bend in it. “This has been used by someone who knows quite a bit about archery, because it is a good, expensive arrow,” she said. Ms Marriott said that anyone of any age could buy or make arrows, and that they were available in Batemans Bay and Moruya. The nature of the attack also worries WIRES representative and Long Beach resident Jeanie Miller. “If they are silly enough to do something like this, what else are they likely to do?” she said. NSW Shooter’s Party member Charles Bettington, of Mogo, said it was not the work of a serious registered shooter. “Our party members are aware that to go shooting you need a licence and permission from the relevant authorities,” he said. “This act is just stupid, wrong and cruel. Serious hunters know that you have to take an animal down with one shot. To leave it wounded and in pain is terrible.”

A resident, who lives near the Maloneys Beach reserve where the mobs congregate, agrees. "The important thing now is to catch the people doing this.” Unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident. Just over a fortnight ago, a kangaroo was able to remove an arrow that it had been shot with by rolling around on the ground. A female kangaroo was found with a rope tied around its neck last November. Fortunately residents were able to remove it. Batemans Bay Police are appealing to anyone who might have information to contact them on 4472 0099. *Moruya Examiner

Flying Foxes

Environmentalists say residents of eastern Sydney are about to be driven batty, after a court dismissed their 11th-hour bid to stop the eviction of thousands of flying foxes from Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. Animal advocacy group Bat Advocacy earlier this year challenged a 2010 decision by the federal government to approve the relocation of up to 22,000 grey-headed flying foxes. The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust had asked for the removal of the threatened native species because the animals were destroying important trees and palms. But the court dismissed Bat Advocacy's application in February, saying the then environment minister Peter Garrett had properly considered the issues. The group then took the matter to the Federal Court, arguing Mr Garrett hadn't considered the impact of the dispersal on the whole of the species, and the importance of their "critical habitat". But their appeal was dismissed in Sydney on Friday and the flying foxes are due to be dispersed with loud industrial noise on May 1.

Outside the court, Storm Stanford from Bat Advocacy, said she was "extremely disappointed". "For the community who live around the garden and to the east of the gardens in Kings Cross and Potts Point - they can expect to have some new neighbours," she told AAP. "There isn't any further court action that's available to us." Ms Stanford said the group would now shift its focus to make sure the strict conditions of the dispersal were followed. Alexia Wellbelove, from the Humane Society International (HSI), which financially backed Bat Advocacy's court case, said the result was another "nail in the coffin" for the bats. "They are already undergoing a lot of stress because there's a severe food shortage," she said. "This also means there's less habitat available to them in the central Sydney area ... and that might take some years which means we might lose some future generations." Grey-headed flying foxes are a threatened species protected under both state and national environment law, and play a crucial role in pollination and seed dispersal in native forests, Bat Advocacy says. * AAP

Wild Horses

A mob of brumbies that have invaded the busy main street of Rainbow Beach, north of Noosa, will be trapped and removed. It is feared the brumbies will be hit by cars or that passers-by trying to interact with them will be hurt. South East Queensland Brumby Association president Terry Wilson yesterday said a stallion, two mares and a filly had taken up residence in the Cooloola Coast town, a step-off point to Fraser Island. "There's another small mob of bachelor stallions at the golf course, and I think this stallion has taken his mares into town to get away from them," he said. "They've been there for about six months. Easter's a fairly busy time and there will be kids around. If one of these horses gets cornered they will run right through people to get away. It's not a good scenario. People could get injured." In December, Mr Wilson called for the Environment Department to trap brumbies in the nearby Great Sandy National Park. There are about 700 brumbies in the area near Rainbow Beach, including the Tuan and Toolara state forests. In one week last year, there were four accidents between horses and cars as the animals strayed along high-speed roads between Gympie, Maryborough, Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach. The Environment Department left trapping to the Queensland Forestry Services, although it agreed to help landholders with problems. Trapped horses were delivered to association members, who found homes for them, costing from $200 to $500, depending on the level of training. Environment Department regional services director Randall Hart said yesterday negotiations were under way, with a contractor to remove about a dozen horses from Rainbow Beach. Mr Wilson said he would take those, but would be more circumspect about any more. Feral horses are a growing environmental problem for the Government, with aerial shoots at Carnarvon Gorge in central Queensland, Mungkan Kandju on Cape York and Boodjamulla in the Gulf of Carpentaria. *Courier Mail

Cassowaries

10 tonnes of fruit has been fed to endangered cassowaries via 99 feeding stations set up since Cyclone Yasi destroyed their north Queensland rainforest habitat on February 3. Feed stations are being supplied with fruit every three days from the Cardwell Range north to Flying Fish Point in a huge effort between Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service staff, volunteers and landholders. QPWS scientists face a tricky situation, needing to supplement the birds' diets without making them dependent on handouts while the jungle is allowed to regrow to its former state. Feeding station cameras showed big males taking chicks to feed. Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said melons, pawpaw, bananas, peaches, apples, tomatoes and lychee had also been dropped from helicopters into less accessible locations. "This has been a remarkable effort by our rangers . . . by local conservation groups and volunteers who have helped cut up fruit and clear forest paths and by north Queensland (Coles, Woolworths and Bi-Lo) retailers who have donated fruit," she said. "People also need to keep an eye out for the birds on roads and drive slowly in areas where you are likely to encounter a cassowary. "It is essential that dogs are restrained in cassowary country."

Residents and visitors are not allowed to feed birds as they come to expect handouts and can become aggressive and dangerous. Liz Gallie, spokeswoman for cassowary care group C4, said yesterday none of the Mission Beach flock of about 50 adults had been killed by the cyclone but one had since been killed by a car. Her greatest fear for cassowaries was an unremitting road toll. "We can't fault QPWS at all but the Government has done nothing about the road toll," she said. "The first insurance pay-outs are coming through and that means we will start to see a lot of builders' utes coming into Mission Beach. "There will be increased traffic and a lot of out-of-town people (not looking out for cassowaries). "Main Roads said they would put up signs but they've done nothing." Ms Gallie said it was difficult to determine how long supplementary feeding would continue but it went on for 18 months after Cyclone Larry. Although there was no rainforest fruit around, the big birds were feeding on things such as fungus, plants and insects, including beetles, grubs and worms. "They're getting a lot of protein, that's for sure," Ms Gallie said. *Courier Mail
Ed Comment, Funny how they can aerial drop food for the cassowarries, but have consistently refused to aerial drop food for the Fraser Island dingoes.

Feral Fish Fears

The Swan River Trust has warned participants in today's Shakyamuni Buddha's birthday celebration of bad environmental karma if they release fish into the river. The age-old Chinese Buddhist practice involves releasing captured animals to demonstrate kindness and compassion in return for good karma. Trust principal scientist Kerry Trayler said while the event organiser - Buddha's Light International Association of WA - had no plans to set fish free, she was concerned others would. "We recognise that the practice isn't undertaken by all Buddhists, but the Swan River Trust has received several calls from practitioners inquiring about releasing fish into the [river]," Dr Trayler said. She gave callers a pat on the back for agreeing not to release fish but wanted to ensure others got the message too. "It's a practice that presents several environmental and ecological issues for the rivers, especially if the released fish are not native species," she said. Dr Trayler said introduced species could cause havoc in Perth waters by competing with local fish for food and habitat or by introducing diseases. "They can also alter habitats by digging in riverbeds, uprooting plants and muddying the river which may increase the level of nutrients in the water and lead to excessive algae growth."

Aquarium-raised "native fish" could also affect natural population genetics. "We're already dealing with at least five species of exotic fish in the Swan Canning catchment," Dr Trayler said. She pleaded with Perth people not to release aquarium or pond fish into rivers, creeks, dams or stormwater drains. "Even artificial lakes are not a safe place to release exotic fish as they connect to our waterways through drainage networks," she said. Buddha's Light International Association of WA is holding the Buddha's Birthday and Multicultural Festival this weekend at Supreme Court Gardens on the corner of Barrack Street and Riverside Drive, Perth. The event runs until 8pm today and from 10am to 5pm tomorrow. The Department of Fisheries encourages the community to report any feral fish sightings to its 24-hour FISHWATCH hotline - 1800 815 507. For more information, visit www.swanrivertrust.wa.gov.au . WANews

Wombats

Australian scientists say new research suggests it may not be worthwhile trying to rescue vulnerable species like the hairy-nosed wombat. Researchers have created a new tool to prioritise the conservation of endangered species and say it is likely to fire debate over which species to bring back from the brink and which to cut loose. The hairy-nosed wombat and Western Australia's dibbler are among the vulnerable Australian species considered to be not worth saving. The gloomy forecast is the work of James Cook University and University of Adelaide researchers who have created a new mathematical tool based on extinction biology. Co-author Professor Corey Bradshaw, from the University of Adelaide, says the tool is designed to help governments prioritise scarce funding for conservation. "We wanted to come up with an index that was really based around theory that we have developed over the last 20 years about what constitutes the best chance for a species to persist over time," he said. Professor Bradshaw says the new index is designed to enhance the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, which ranks in categories from safe to critically endangered. "A lot of those categories are based on somewhat arbitrary thresholds for how much a species has declined over a certain period of time or how much its range has contracted, and there is a lot of expert opinion so there is some subjectivity involved," he said.

The new safe index is based on research which suggests populations of less than 5,000 individuals are much harder to triage. Professor Bradshaw says he would not go as far as to say there are species Australia should not save. "But if you take a strictly empirical view, things that are well below in numbering in the hundreds - white-footed rock rats, certain types of hare wallabies, a lot of the smaller mammals that have been really nailed by the feral predators like cats, and foxes - in some cases it is probably not worthwhile putting a lot of effort because there's just no chance." Professor Bradshaw says when the ratio is applied internationally it suggests the Javan rhino and New Zealand kakapo are beyond cost-effective rescue. He says the index is based on the probability of a species becoming extinct. "If we have something that has a very poor safe index, we would just simply say that it has a higher probability of going extinct rather than something with a higher safe index," he said. "It is a probability, so it is not saying it will go extinct. It is saying it just has a much higher probability of going extinct." He says the index is likely to generate debate. "Decisions have to be made within the context of science and social consideration. "I think that certainly people will argue with me that we should save everything. "I'd love to save everything. I just don't think we can." *ABC

Ed Comment, It seems that once a species gets on the Endangered Species list, it never comes off. Politicians are reluctant to put funds in place to support saving an animal species, when they cant even fund a decent health and hospital service. It seems to us that its very important to save the socalled "common species" (many of which are no longer "common") from going on that endangered list.