Wildlife Bytes 6/9/11

Pet Foxes

Animal shelters will be placed under further pressure if the importation of silver foxes as an exotic domestic pet is permitted, the RSPCA has warned. There are more than 30 million feral red foxes in Australia and the RSPCA has joined a chorus of criticism of an application to the federal government to import silver foxes. ''The rationale for importing the silver fox to Australia is simple: a new sort of unique pet. Foxes can have all the friendliness of a dog with the independence of a cat. Like a dog is not a wolf, the silver fox is not a wild fox, though they are the same species,'' the application from an unnamed person in NSW says. RSPCA chief scientist Bidda Jones said silver foxes are the same species as the red fox, which is a major pest, and when undomesticated breeds like foxes or dingoes are kept as pets people tend to have problems. 'Keeping or breeding wild animal crosses like foxes or dingoes is problematic. These animals add another burden to animal shelters as well as being a risk to native species'' Dr Jones said.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said legal issues on the application would be presented to him in a few weeks. ''At first glance it seems insane,'' Mr Burke said. Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said the government would oppose any move to import fox species into Australia. He said foxes already cost Victoria $39 million annually. "Importing Patterson's curse, rabbits and the red fox all sounded like a great idea at the time but now they have become a rod for our backs,'' Mr Walsh said. A bounty on foxes and wild dogs will be introduced next month to reduce numbers. The National Farmers Federation and the Coalition have labelled the application and its consideration, as ''political correctness gone mad.'' 'Foxes are not pets, they're predators. We are calling on the government to reject this application outright," NFF president Jock Laurie said. * The Age

New Kangaroo Book

Kangaroo Footprints, an information and activity book by Margaret Warner for children aged 7 to 12 is now available. It's a 75 page activity book that encourages children to develop an understanding and appreciation of Australia's unique kangaroos. It explains how and where different species of kangaroos live, how they care for their young, the threats that they face and much more information. Each double page combines an information page with a fun activity page. Activities include word searches, poems, drawing, colouring, magic squares, crosswords, origami, designing a poster and more. The book is designed for children to use on their own, or for teachers to use with a class as all page are photocopy masters. It could also be used by wildlife carers visiting schools or doing community talks. Kangaroo Footprints can be ordered from the Kangaroo Book page on the website www.kangaroofootprints.com.au Postage is free in Australia and $10.00 for overseas (usually this is $15.00) Both the book and website have been designed as a resource to encourage children (and adults) to learn about and appreciate Australia's unique and beautiful kangaroos and wallabies. *

Fraser Island Dingoes

Here is a very well-compiled story of events about Jennifer Parkhurst and what happened to her after she began observing the Fraser Island Dingo.
http://www.ecovoice.com.au/eco-news/5600-naibar-wongari-yeeran-our-sister-dingo-woman

Green Politics

Environmentalist Bob Irwin will not contest the seat of Ashgrove at the next Queensland election. The father of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin had been considering running for the Queensland Party in the west Brisbane seat, which is being contested by Liberal National Party Leader Campbell Newman and former environment minister Kate Jones. Mr Irwin says he has decided he can better advance the environmental cause from outside politics. "The most important consideration is for the animals that I try very hard to protect," he told ABC Radio on Monday. "If I have the added responsibility of being a political type person I just very well may let my animal friends down." Mr Irwin said he worried he didn't have the political skills needed to represent the people of Ashgrove. *Courier Mail Ed Comment; Good decision Bob.

Kangaroo Doco

For those who havent yet seen last years NZ 60 minutes program on the Kangaroo Kill, its here .. http://www.3news.co.nz/Bloody-Harvest-/tabid/371/articleID/130448/Default.aspx

Opposums

Heidi the cross-eyed opossum is being put into retirement at the ripe old age of three-and-a-half to save her from the stress of her celebrity lifestyle. The mad-eyed marsupial became a worldwide sensation from her enclosure at Leipzig Zoo, Germany, when pictures of her appeared on the internet. Hundreds of thousands signed up to become her Facebook friends and she even had a stint at co-hosting an Oscars show in a live TV link-up with Hollywood. Now keepers say she must withdraw from public life so she can enjoy what's left of her life in peace and quiet. "Opossums in the wild live for three years at the most but in captivity in the right conditions Heidi could make it to five," explained one keeper. Zoo spokesman Fabian Schmidt explained: "Heidi's lifestyle could have contributed to her problems so we have put her into retirement." Heidi is even to be separated from her breeding partner Teddy to save her from being bothered. "We do not want to give her any added stress. Due to her advancing age there were only very slim chances of offspring anyway and that chance has now passed," said Mr Schmidt. * Orange.co.uk

New Shark Species Found

It's unlikely anyone's ever complained, "Waiter, there's a new species in my soup." But the situation isn't as rare as you might think. A monkey, a lizard, and an "extinct" bird have all been discovered en route to the dinner plate, and now a new shark species joins their ranks, scientists report. Fish taxonomists found the previously unknown shark at a market in Taiwan—no big surprise, according to study co-author William White. "Most fish markets in the region will regularly contain sharks," White, of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Hobart, Australia, said via email. In fact, he and a colleague had headed to the Tashi Fish Market specifically to "collect some material and to see whether there were noticeable differences in the [shark] catches from previous decades," he said. "Amongst a number of other species, we collected a number of Squalus species—one of which was this new high-fin species." The new species, Squalus formosus, is a three-foot-long (one-meter-long) short-nosed dogfish. It's distinguished from other dogfish species in the Squalus genus by a particularly upright first fin on its back, a strong spine, and a very short, rounded head, White said. *U/W Times

Turtle Deaths

An environmentalist says the Queensland Government is underestimating the seriousness of green turtle deaths in Queensland. Environment Minister Vicky Darling says she is concerned more than 150 of the animals have washed up in Gladstone but that it would take the deaths of thousands before the entire species came under threat. However, Tim Harvey from the Sea Turtle Foundation says the turtles' future is uncertain. "We think it may take the deaths of quite a lot of turtles but the fact is a lot of turtles are actually dying," he said. "So we think she has not necessarily got her figures wrong but her interpretation is wrong." *ABC

Crocdiles

Northern Territory rangers have removed a large saltwater crocodile from a trap near Katherine. The 3.9-metre croc was found at Donkey Camp on the Katherine River on Monday. Earlier this year, a 4.6-metre saltie was caught in the same trap. More than 180 crocodiles have been caught by rangers so far this year. Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger John Burke says the trap at Donkey Camp is located 15 kilometres upstream from the Katherine and 10 kilometres downstream from Nitmiluk National Park. "We think this crocodile has been in the area for a while but has evaded our traps until now, as crocodiles are usually less active during the colder months," he said. "As the weather heats up and temperatures rise, crocodiles become more active and more likely to move around looking for food. "This is another reminder to people to be extremely cautious about any waterways in the Top End, because estuarine crocodiles can and do move around throughout the year." *ABC

Snow Leopards Found

The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of north-eastern Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study.
The discovery gives hope to the world's most elusive big cat, which calls home to some of the world's tallest mountains. Between 4,500 and 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild scattered across a dozen countries in Central Asia. WCS-trained community rangers used camera traps to document the presence of snow leopards at 16 different locations across a wide landscape. The images represent the first camera trap records of snow leopards in Afghanistan. WCS has been conserving wildlife and improving local livelihoods in the region since 2006 with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). "This is a wonderful discovery - it shows that there is real hope for snow leopards in Afghanistan," said Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director for Asia Programs. "Now our goal is to ensure that these magnificent animals have a secure future as a key part of Afghanistan's natural heritage." Wildlfie Extra

Koalas

A koala with a baby has been hit by car at Petrie in Queensland and transported to the Wildlife Hospital. Sadly the Mum was euthanised, but the baby Rupert has been adopted by another koala in care. Amazingly, Rupert has been ‘adopted’ by Augustine, a female koala with a joey of her own, named Gus, who are also currently in care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Rupert and his adopted brother Gus will remain with Augustine throughout her treatment, and the three of them will be released together back into the wild once both joeys are weaned. AZWH Statistic: Over 70 orphaned koalas have arrived at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital so far this year, with many more to come as we head into spring. *

Fraser Island Dingoes

The LNP recognises the Fraser Island Dingo as an integral part of the distinctive ecology that makes the Fraser Island World Heritage Area unique. The Fraser Island Dingo is believed to be the purest strain of dingo remaining in Australia. Dingoes were once common on Fraser Island, but concerned locals report rapidly decreasing numbers. The management of Fraser Island’s iconic dingo population by the Bligh Labor government has raised serious questions about the preservation of the dingoes and the ability to ensure the safety of visitors to the Island experiencing this unique world-class destination. In recognition of the divergent views on the
management of dingoes on Fraser Island the LNP will conduct a full and scientific review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy. The current situation is not going away and Labor’s inaction to resolve it is
unacceptable. The LNP will use this review to provide greater certainty as well as a science based approach to ensuring the sustainability of this dingo population and its ongoing interaction with tourists who visit the island. A strategy that is too insular and not open to broader scientific debate could spell disaster for this iconic species. The LNP’s ambition is to manage a healthy and sustainable wild population of dingoes on Fraser Island while ensuring Fraser Island once again fulfils its potential as a sustainable tourism destination in this spectacular World Heritage Area. This Labor Government has focused on green party politics that come from dodgy Green Party preferences instead of on genuine environmental outcomes. The LNP will plan and deliver a sustainable future for Fraser Island and its dingoes. www.lnp.org.au *LNP Policy Commitment

Rhinos

Two Australians have been arrested for allegedly attempting to fly out of Portugal with six rhino horns valued at $538,000 in their luggage. The arrests last week came after a spate of rhino horn thefts from European museums this year. Police inspector Rui Almeida said the men are suspected of belonging to an international ring involved in the illegal trade of rhino horns to China. "We have indications they were not acting alone," Almeida told AP by phone. He declined to elaborate because foreign police forces, as well as Europol and Interpol, are continuing the investigation. He said "dozens" of European museums have reported the theft of the horns in recent months, including the Museum of Natural History at the University of Coimbra, in central Portugal, in April. Authorities say the horns, purported to have aphrodisiac and medicinal qualities, are more valuable than gold on the black market.

Rising demand, especially in Asia, and a crackdown on the illegal trade have made them extremely valuable. Rhino horn is commonly used in powdered form by people who believe they can help cure serious diseases, or boost sexual prowess. Rhino conservation activists dispute those claims. Almeida said the Australian men - a father and son, aged 63 and 31 - are not suspects in the University of Coimbra theft. He said those horns are still missing. Europol and Interpol are helping Portuguese authorities investigate where the six seized horns came from. Almeida said the men were intending to catch a plane to Ireland when they were detained and did not resist arrest. They cannot be named under Portuguese law. They appeared before a judge last week but were released on bail because smuggling carries a maximum jail term of five years and suspects can be held in jail awaiting trial only if the maximum sentence is longer than that. * WA News. Meanwhile South Africa has lost at least 193 rhinos during the first six months of 2011 with Kruger National Park continuing to be hardest hit. The world famous safari destination has already lost 126 rhinos to poaching this year in addition to 146 killed there in 2010. *

Butterflies

A stunning butterfly that emerged from its chrysalis as male on one side, female on the other, has astounded curators at the Natural History Museum in London. The peculiar nature of the freshly hatched great mormon butterfly was spotted when staff noticed a striking difference between its wing colourings and other features. The insect, which has a 10cm wingspan, is almost black on its male side, but the female side is much paler, with clearly visible flecks of blue, red and tortoiseshell. A closer inspection revealed the insect to have one antenna longer than the other, a single male clasp on its abdomen, and male and female reproductive organs that had fused down the middle. The butterfly hatched two weeks ago during the Sensational Butterflies exhibition that runs at the museum until September. "It's an amazing butterfly. The split is purely bilateral – even the colour of one side of its body is slightly different," said Luke Brown, manager of Sensational Butterflies. "It has half-male, half-female sexual organs welded together. So they don't work, it is infertile."

Insects can be born gynandromorphs – with male and female cells – when sex chromosomes fail properly to separate when the fertilised egg divides. Around one in ten thousand butterflies is a gynandromorph. Many dual-sex butterflies probably go unnoticed, because the males and females look alike. Brown, who has seen only two other gynandromorphs in his career, said the butterfly was feeding and flying well, and was expected to have a normal life expectancy of around one month. The specimen will become part of the museum's lepidoptera collection. In 2008, a half-male, half-female moth emerged at the museum. The insect had one bright yellow wing and another that looked brown and dusty. Crabs and lobsters can also be gynandromorphs. Blanca Huertas, curator of butterflies at the museum, said: "The gynandromorph butterfly is a fascinating scientific phenomenon, and is the product of complex evolutionary processes. It is fantastic to have discovered one hatching on museum grounds, particularly as they are so rare.' *Guardian


Flying Foxes

The Gayndah community is sharpening its chainsaws as it waits for the green light from government to move in and dispel a large bat colony on the banks of the Burnett River that has made life for some unliveable and cost local business thousands of dollars. North Burnett Council Mayor Joy Jensen revealed that volunteers, including the SES, with the appropriate tickets and safety training, would work side by side with council operatives in a three-week purge of bats that is estimated will cost about $150,000. The principal strategy aims to lop tree branches and reduce habitat, forcing the bats to seek shelter elsewhere. Asked if the North Burnett Council was acting responsibly toward adjoining councils by moving the bat colony knowing that it may end up in one of them, Cr Jensen said: "No one in Gayndah is a redneck, we appreciate the natural world but we have to be able to manage these bat populations. "They (Department of Resource and Environment Management and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) know all about the bats, have all the expertise, and manage the process and the research.";

Cr Jensen said there were reports that the bat colony had already started to dwindle, with numbers now estimated to have dropped to about 200,000. On August 11, DERM announced it had authorised the council to displace the bat colony and expected the operation to take place sometime in September after newborn bats would be learning how to fly. Cr Jensen said the council had called a meeting for tomorrow night in the Gayndah Town Hall to provide residents with the latest information. She said DERM had still to fix a date for action but were monitoring the situation. If the dispersal of the colony is successful, Gayndah residents will see the end of a bat invasion that has rendered life difficult for many living close to the river where the smell from the roosting bats is overpowering. It will also allow the Gayndah economy to fight back as businesses near the colony have lost thousands as people spend their money where the air is cleaner. The colony is located along the banks of the Burnett River in a strip of scrub estimated to be about 500m long and 50m deep.
* Fraser Coast Chronicle


The Queensland Government has initiated an online Flying foxes and Hendra virus - online information session. The live forum on Friday 23 September from 12:00 – 1:30 pm will be an online panel discussion to provide the public and industry stakeholders with expert advice on flying foxes and Hendra virus. The panel of experts will include: Department of Environment and Resource Management’s Senior Director - Clive Cook Queensland Health’s Acting Chief Health Officer - Dr Michael Cleary, Biosecurity Queensland’s Chief Veterinary Officer – Dr Rick Symons, Biosecurity Queensland’s Principal Scientist – Dr Hume Field. An independent moderator will host the forum and provide questions to the panel for a discussion on Hendra virus, flying foxes and human health. You can submit your questions to the panel online at http://www.qld.gov.au/flyingfoxforum. Submit your questions anytime from now until the question deadline - 5.00pm Tuesday 20 September 2011. Not all questions will be put to the panel due to time restrictions.
An independent moderator will select all questions to put to the panel. The forum will be filmed and streamed live online - you can watch via www.qld.gov.au/flyingfoxforum, the Biosecurity Queensland Facebook page or the DERM Facebook page. Further information and the opportunity to submit questions are available via http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/government/flying-foxes.aspx Key dates and times are...submit questions online at anytime prior to 5.00pm Tuesday 20 September 2011 http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/government/flying-foxes.aspx watch live online on Friday 23 September from 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Kangaroos

The relocation of kangaroos from Meadow Springs cannot come soon enough for resident Sam McDonald. He said the kangaroos were safe in the Meadow Springs Golf and Country Club, but they were getting out through a damaged fence in Bellavista Parade and subsequently chased by hoons or tormented by thugs. “One night, I had to intervene when half a dozen teenagers were terrorising about seven to eight kangaroos,” he said. “They were throwing rocks at them and chasing them with sticks.” Mr McDonald also fears for the safety of children in the neighbourhood. He said the bucks could be very dangerous when the does had joeys.
in an effort to keep the kangaroos safe, Mr McDonald contacted the golf course and City of Mandurah about the fence he claims is in a state of disrepair. Course superintendent Greg Simmonds said the fence had been an ongoing problem for residents, but it was not owned by the golf course. A City of Mandurah spokesman said a section of the fence was fixed eight months ago after Mr McDonald called. The Department of Environment and Conservation, council and developers are in the process developing a management plan for the kangaroos in Meadow Springs. *Mandura Coastal Times

The New South Wales Department of Industry and Investment says it is researching how to better manage young kangaroos that may become orphaned because of commercial harvesting. Department researcher Steve McLeod says management is justified in the far west where kangaroos are affecting valuable resources like sheep grazing areas, but an assessment of what happens to their young is needed. "Because they harvest at night and the young at foot might not be close to a mother that's shot they sometimes might not get seen," he said. "We don't know the extent of that problem and we don't know what actually happens to those young." The department says if done properly, current kangaroo management practices still remain the most humane way of harvesting the animal. *ABC


A female kangaroo's reign of terror at one of Australia's most exclusive golf courses is over, but not before she had attacked nine people and put two in hospital. Sanctuary Cove is arguably Australia's most prestigious residential golf community, set up by legendary property developer Mike Gore in the 1980s and famously opened in an extravaganza headlined by Frank Sinatra. It is also one of the most difficult places to get a tee time on the Gold Coast. Membership to the country club, that boasts two 18-hole layouts, is hugely expensive and used to be the only way to get a game. Recently the club opened up both courses to green fee players, but in the past few weeks as rumour of the angry roo grew, very few players were willing to stump up the $150 for a hit. Why? Well enter an angry female roo, who first attacked two course greenkeepers but in the days that followed, turned her attention to golfers as well.

In one incident, she menaced a foursome of Japanese golfers. When curiosity got the better of the visitors, she attacked two of them - a completely different souvenir from their trip Down Under. At first, club management in consultation with the RSPCA took the step of spray painting the roo's head blue, to make her stand out from the mob that inhabits the course - bringing with her moniker Blue Head. It's understood that there was also the threat of a $250,000 fine from the Queensland Department of Environment if the roo was injured or killed. At first, staff would warn golfers heading out to keep an eye out for her, and not to approach her under any circumstances. But in all, Blue Head got her claws on seven golfers as well as two staff. Even the burly men of the Scottish rugby union team - who are completing the World Cup preparations on the Gold Coast - were affected. "Been told to keep eyes peeled for Roo with blue paint on its head. Not so friendly & loves a scrap. Told this after golf. Thru unscathed," Scottish player Rory Lawson (@rorylawson9) tweeted after a round at the Palms course on Tuesday afternoon.

Later, he added: "Not keen on fighting "blue head" the rogue marsupial!" But by late last week, the club's accredited veterinarian had been called in to sort out the problem. Blue Head was shot with a tranquiliser dart and moved off the property. "The animal had been harassing some golf members and we felt it needed to be removed," a club spokesman The Courier Mail on the weekend. "We were very conscious that it be relocated and not destroyed, so it was moved to a new home." The gated community and golf course, is also a native sanctuary, is very proud of its native flora and fauna, boasting on its website: "One can only appreciate the beauty and tranquility that the wildlife instill after witnessing a flock of corellas in flight late afternoon or a group of kangaroos basking in the early morning sunlight." With the removal of Blue Head, residents will once against be able to do exactly that. A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Resource Management told The Courier Mail the department had been contacted by the club's veterinarian, who told them the kangaroo was sick or injured and needed to be relocated. The spokesman said DERM was satisfied with how the incident was handled. *Telegraph


A driver had a lucky escape after a kangaroo smashed through his windscreen and into the passenger seat, in Melbourne's east last night. Paramedic Gary Becker said the 23-year-old man was quite distressed after the 120kg, 183cm grey kangaroo launched through his windscreen on Boronia Road, Wantirna about 6pm. Mr Becker said a split second difference in impact could’ve seen the lone driver killed. "I suspect that if the roo had hit a passenger or if there had been a micro-second difference and the roo had have come through and hit the driver, we would’ve been dealing with a potentially a very critically unwell patient, and it may well had have even killed someone if it had have hit them, yes,” Mr Becker said. The man told paramedics that he was driving down Boronia Road when the kangaroo appeared suddenly in front of him, came straight across the road and into his windscreen. He suffered only minor cuts and abrasions and only the windscreen of the car was damaged. Mr Becker said that after treating the man, paramedics were surprised to see a large kangaroo sitting in the front seat. “I think he was wondering what was happened and I’m not sure who was more shocked, us or him,” Mr Becker said. The kangaroo was injured and was euthanased at the scene by wildlife officers. *News.com.au

Bandicoots

The chances of survival for Victoria’s critically endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot (EBB) have been greatly lifted after today’s launch of the EBB Population Revival Program at Woodlands Historic Park Project. Headed by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) in partnership with Parks Victoria, the launch showcased the 300-plus hectare nature reserve that will provide a safe habitat for the reintroduced bandicoots. Considered to be essentially extinct in the wild of Victoria, the Woodlands Historic Park reserve will provide one of only four reserves dedicated to the reintroduction of EBB’s in Victoria. First introduced for the EBB in 1989, the Woodlands reserve was successful in protection and growth of the species until the mid to late 1990s, where drought and fox predation saw a sharp decline in EBB population. A change to the obsolete and inadequate fencing surrounding the reserve is the key to ensuring the survival of the reintroduced species.

“We are amending the existing fence and improving its predator resistance with the floppy top design to stop predators from climbing over into the bandicoot’s habitat”, stated Travis Scicchitano, project officer of the CVA. Richard Hill, a senior biodiversity officer from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, offered his expertise on the new fencing design during a tour of the reserve. Mr Hill stated that the new fence has been tested extensively and proven to be extremely effective in keeping out predators at other reserves. Furthermore, Mr Hill stated that two full patrols of the 300ha reserve will be required weekly to identify any weakening or breaks in the fencing due to persistent, repeated encounters with predators looking to enter the reserve. Mr Hill is hopeful of the Woodlands Historic Park reserve being fox-free by Autumn 2012.

Speakers at the launch highlighted the importance of volunteer work in the development and maintenance required for the reserve to be a success. Each year, over 12,000 volunteers donate their time and efforts to the Conservation Volunteers organisation and their projects. Corporate sponsors including Kraft foods, Little Creatures Brewing and Parsons Brinckerhoff contribute funds directly to Conservation Volunteers and all funds received by the organisation go towards wildlife and on ground work. Colin Jackson, the Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Volunteers, was on hand at the launch and stated that the large number of people who made the effort to attend “exceeded what was expected” and made the event “very special”. Other speakers at the launch included, Gerry Morvell, Chairman of the Board, Conservation Volunteers AUS and NZ; Phil Ross, Chief Ranger for Northern Melbourne; Patrick O’Callaghan, Executive Director at Conservation Enterprises Unlimited; Travis Scicchitano, Australia project officer of Conservation Volunteers. *EcoNews

Elephants

There is one elephant for every 3,300 persons in Sri Lanka The numbers are out - there are 5,879 wild elephants including 1,107 babies in the country, the first-ever National Survey of jumbos has found. This figure is more or less correct, but you cannot count elephants siyayata siyayak (100%) like you would do in a population census where you go and knock on doors, Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena told a crowded press conference on Friday at the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) at Battaramulla. Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation H.D. Ratnayake (R) hands over the report of the First National Survey of Elephants to Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena . Pix by M.A. Pashpa Kumara Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena shows the country map marked with the elephant quantity made from the detail collected from the First National Survey of Elephants on a provincial basis. The initial results are being released due to media requests from the time the survey was conducted from August 11-14, DWC Director-General H.D. Ratnayake said.

Media focus on the elephant survey heightened after Minister Chandrasena got embroiled in a controversy over alleged remarks, denied later, that the survey would help identify 300 baby tuskers for capture and domestication for use in peraheras. This resulted in most conservation groups which had agreed to extend their support in the counting pulling out. Referring to the controversy, Minister Chandrasena said on Friday that he loved elephants and will not allow the capture of tuskers from the wild. He would also never break the law which clearly prohibited such action. Among the wild elephants are 122 tuskers, the survey costing Rs. 23 million conducted in six of seven "wildlife regions" which comprise elephant habitat, has found. The number of baby tuskers found in the wild has not been specified yet. The survey used the "water-hole count method", a technique heavily questioned by many scientists and given up as unreliable in other countries. *

Cane Toads

Cane toads may one day be controlled using chemicals secreted by their offspring, new research has found. Scientists who exposed cane toad eggs to chemical “cues” from cane toad tadpoles, found that after the eggs hatched their larvae's growth was retarded by as much as half. They attributed the findings to natural selection, in which older tadpoles seek to destroy eggs in order to reduce competition. Richard Shine, professor of evolutionary biology at The University of Sydney and one of the researchers, said the next step would be to isolate the chemical responsible and find a way of distributing it safely. “You get that lovely night with a thunderstorm and every cane toad and its mate decide to lay eggs in the pond at the bottom of the garden - this could certainly reduce the number of cane toads that emerge from the pond several months later,” he said.

Professor Shine said cane toads had probably spent millions of years evolving. “If you wanted to design a perfect, silver bullet for invasive-species control, it would be something like this,” he said. “The eggs hatch but the larvae are small, and aren't likely to survive.” Professor Shine said a key benefit of the discovery was that Australian native frog species appeared to be unaffected. “Cane toads produce lots of chemicals that they use to connect with each other, and so far they don't seem to affect native frogs,” he said. However, he said it was critical to confirm Australian wildlife were unharmed before releasing any chemicals into the wild. The example of the cane toad itself tells us exactly what can happen when people decide they know enough to interfere with complex ecosystems,” he said. Cane toads, which are a highly toxic species native to South America, were first introduced into Australia in 1935 as a means of controlling cane beetles. Unfortunately, they proved ineffective, instead wreaking havoc with native wildlife across Australia's north-east. The research was published in Biology Letters this week. *

Cockatoos under Fire

Residents have tried everything to get rid of them: flashing lights, rubber snakes, spikes on sills, mirrors on windows, chilli oil on woodwork, even lying in wait with hoses or water pistols. But the sulphur-crested cockatoos of Potts Point, which have caused more than $40,000 in damage to one building alone, are absolutely incorrigible, say infuriated residents, whose plan for a cull is stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Many of the homes affected are in heritage-listed, art-deco buildings, with wooden windowframes eaten through by the birds. At Kingsclere, a 1912 building on Macleay Street, cockatoos have destroyed slate roof tiles, causing them to drop seven storeys to the street. The birds have also caused damage to Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay apartment buildings Werrington, Ikon, Villard, Byron Hall, Tara and the Devere Hotel, where a neon sign fell after cockatoo sabotage. Frustrated Kingsclere residents have applied to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for a licence to kill cockatoos. Asked how many birds would need to be culled to fix the problem, Kingsclere resident David Crompton said: ''I don't know. But it seems the same five or six keep coming.''

He conceded that more birds may return after a cull, but said it would at least halt the damage for a while. National Parks officers confirmed the damage and the public risk it posed, leaving residents optimistic of a solution. But the City of Sydney objected to a cull and suggested a trial of a shocktrack system, a non-lethal deterrent used successfully at Cook + Phillip Pool and Woolloomooloo wharves. 'Shocktrack is a thin plastic tape that can be easily adhered to windowsills … it puts a non-lethal shock through and the birds don't come back,'' Greens councillor Irene Doutney said. A cull of the native birds would be ''tragic'', she said. She was also concerned about safety risks, and the risk of domestic pets eating the poisoned carcasses. A petition to save the Potts Point cockatoos has gathered more than 500 signatures. ''The owners seemed to have made their minds up … that they wanted the birds killed,'' Cr Doutney said.

The shocktrack was not an option at this stage, a National Parks spokeswoman said, adding that a cull was a last resort. ''The NPWS and City of Sydney are exploring all the options available and are committed to working with the building owners to implement a management strategy to protect the safety of the public and property in the most humane way," she said. ''Meanwhile, we wait and get chewed to bits,'' Mr Crompton lamented. *Age

White Shark Numbers Disputed

The head of WA's shark fishing industry body says great white numbers have increased significantly since a ban on hunting them was imposed in the 1990s. As the Department of Fisheries revealed that a trial monitoring program had found no tagged white pointers near Perth in a year, the WA Shark Fishers' Association said there was "no doubt" the species' numbers were on the rise. Association president Neville Manstedsaid there was strong anecdotal evidence among the members that the population of white pointers had rebounded in the past 12 years. A veteran professional fisher with more than four decades experience, Mr Mansted said the change seemed most pronounced in waters off the State's south and southwest. He said the situation had become so disconcerting that he was now reluctant to go surfing at all, let alone by himself, in his home town of Esperance. "There's no doubt the population of the white pointer is a lot greater than anybody lets on," he said.

In a swipe at authorities, Mr Mansted said he could not understand why rangers invariably declined to hunt down and kill white pointers responsible for often-fatal attacks on humans. But Mr Mansted's claims were disputed by scientists, who said there was no quantifiable evidence to indicate whether recent attacks were linked to increased shark numbers or more human interaction with the ocean. The fisheries department said a $500,000 trial to track the movements of great white sharks in WA waters had painted the picture of an elusive creature whose travelling patterns were hard to predict. Electronic data from more than 100 white pointers tagged in waters off the Neptune Islands in South Australia in 2009 and another 12 in WA waters has revealed none of the sharks had ventured near the 20 "receiver" sites located off Perth beaches in the past year. Rory McAuley, a shark research scientist with the department, said the trial only reiterated how difficult it was to track and understand the behaviour and movements of great white sharks. Australian Institute of Marine Science researcher Mark Meekan said white pointers matured so slowly it was "biologically impossible for a population outburst". WA news

Whales

A Hong Kong theme park has dropped a contentious plan to buy and import rare wild-caught beluga whales, in a decision lauded Friday by conservationists who had protested against the bid. Activists opposed Ocean Park's plan to import the whales, classified as "near threatened", from Russia, saying they are often injured or killed during capture and mortality rates are high among those in captivity. The park had wanted to use the belugas, usually found around the Arctic circle, to raise public awareness of climate change through its new Polar Adventure attraction to open next year. "After due consideration, we have decided not to pursue an acquisition from the wild even though the removal of some beluga whales has been shown to be sustainable," Allan Zeman, Ocean Park's chairman, said in a statement. The popular 34-year-old theme park and aquarium is owned by the Hong Kong government and has set out ambitious plans to boost visitors. The park recorded five million tourists last year. The beluga, or white whale, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) "red list" of "near threatened" species, while the US and Canada have effectively banned the whales' capture from their waters.

"The park did the right thing. We certainly welcome the decision," Samuel Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, told AFP. "It's not right to confine a large intelligent mammal inside a tank, this is harming their chance of survival and send a wrong message to the public -- that whenever we need them for entertainment purpose, we can go out to catch them." The park has previously come under the spotlight over its conservation and protection of rare animals. Last year, Washington-based Animal Welfare Institute has said Ocean Park was trying to capture some 30 dolphins in the Soloman Islands, possibly in breach of animal conservation rules -- a claim which was later rejected by the park. Any dolphin imports from the cluster of islands near Papua New Guinea would breach the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In 2009, three rare sturgeon -- which were among a group of 10 sturgeon donated to the theme park to mark China's hosting of the Olympics in 2008 -- died in the park. The endangered fish died because of different reasons including head injury, blood clotting, infection while one was killed by a bite from barracuda in the aquarium. Outside the park, conservation groups such as the WWF have consistently appealed to restaurants in Hong Kong -- the largest importer of shark fin globally in 2007 -- to stop using the fins in the popular soup delicacy. Scientists blame the practice of shark-finning for a worldwide collapse in shark populations. *U/W Times