Wildlife Bytes 29/5/12

Kangaroos and Seals

The slaughter of kangaroos in Australia is going largely unnoticed when compared with Canada's widely condemned annual seal hunt, a prominent Canadian animal rights lawyer says.
Lesli Bisgould is embarking on a 12-stop tour of Australia, hosted by animal protection institute Voiceless, to highlight the plight of Australia's icon. Voiceless says that the annual hunt of Australia's kangaroos is the world's largest commercial slaughter of land-based wildlife, with almost 90 million lawfully killed in the past 20 years. By comparison, Canada's harp seals are hunted in the world's largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals, with almost 4 million killed lawfully in the past two decades. This year, Voiceless will explore legal comparisons between the two hunts and the lessons Australia can learn from its Canadian counterpart in the 2012 Voiceless Animal Law Lecture Series, starting in Sydney on Wednesday. Seals and kangaroos are both slaughtered away from the public eye and many suffer for long periods of time before death, Voiceless says.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/parallels-between-seal-and-kangaroo-slaughter-canadian-lawyer-20120528-1zete.html#ixzz1wBjVSskA

Dunnarts

A tiny mouse-like marsupial is standing in the way of a $25 million investment in central west Queensland.  The Stockman's Hall of Fame has had to halt earthworks for a multi-purpose equestrian centre at the Longreach tourist attraction because the site might be the habitat of the rare Julia Creek dunnart. Hall of Fame CEO Ben Maguire says the Longreach Regional Council can't confirm if the tiny animal does in fact call the proposed site home. However, in the ensuing confusion about what environmental impact studies may be needed, the project has had to be postponed and may be delayed up to two years, he says. Mr Maguire said the expansion would inject millions of dollars into the west Queensland economy. But far from blaming the endangered critters, Mr Maguire said he was frustrated at the red tape surrounding the issue. "It's not the animal we're frustrated with, it's the process," he told AAP. "We want to respect the environment and do the right thing, but I'm more frustrated by the process it takes to get through to finding out what we've actually got to do." Mr Maguire said he was still committed to the project. The Julia Creek dunnart is a nocturnal marsupial that feeds on small insects and is mostly found in a small part of northwest Queensland. *AAP

Dolphins

Up to 100 dolphins are estimated to have drowned in trawl nets off the Pilbara in two years since a Murdoch University study recommended urgent action to reduce the toll. Neil Loneragan from the university's cetacean research unit said recommendations in the study's final report were not implemented, despite promises from the Department of Fisheries and the industry. He said the calls for a six-month trial of top-opening hatches in trawl nets, independent observers on the fishing vessels and the retention of any dead dolphins for study were expected to be in place by late 2010. "We don't know what the loss of between 20 and 50 dolphins a year means to this population of dolphins, therefore we can't be sure about the population's ongoing viability," Professor Loneragan said. The dolphins enter nets to play and harvest the fish but occasionally get trapped and drown. Changes to fishing practices reduced the official toll to about 40 a year by 2007 and to less than 20 a year by 2008. But data from observers indicated the toll was under reported by up to 3.5 times. They found escape hatches in the bottom of nets designed to let creatures out allowed dead dolphins to fall out when nets were hauled up. Department of Fisheries spokesman Shane O'Donoghue said the industry developed a new net after the study and it would be tested from next month. *TheWest.com

Platypus

Environmentalist Ian Kiernan has joined a campaign against a proposed $47 million pipeline that opponents say will threaten native wildlife in central western NSW. Orange City Council (OCC) wants to build the pipeline from the Macquarie River to secure its future water needs. But the Clean Up Australia founder told a meeting of the Orange and Region Water Security Alliance at NSW Parliament House on Thursday that OCC needed to find a plan with a smaller environmental footprint. "To be contemplating pumping out of the Macquarie River is just not on," Mr Kiernan said. Karl Schaerf, a spokesman for local recreational fishers, said the pipeline would an huge risk to the "iconic" native animals living in and around the river, including platypuses. "I am deeply concerned about the impact on other inhabitants of the river, in particular water rats, platypuses, water dragons," he said.
The most influential people in Sport He said endangered trout cod, quoll and black swan populations along the river would also be threatened. NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham, a former Orange City councillor, said the plan to pump 1.665 megalitres annually from the Macquarie River into Burrendong Dam was irresponsible and should not be paid for from NSW coffers. He said he would attempt to bring a motion to parliament ruling the project out. OCC spokesman Nick Redmond told AAP the pipeline would have minimal environmental impact and would help drought-proof the city. "This project will deliver the greatest amount of water security for Orange with the least impact," he said. *Australian

Freshwater Turtles

They can live for more than a century, seem to be able to keep menopause at bay and may hold the key to anti-ageing - if they don't die out first. Researchers believe Australia's freshwater turtles, one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet, could provide an insight into the biological process of growing old. Freshwater turtle expert Dr Ricky Spencer of the University of Western Sydney says the oldest turtles produce the most eggs. "There's no sign of menopause so they're defying the common-held view that cell death is inevitable," Dr Spencer said. "These guys are either delaying that, or they don't expire like any other vertebrate." But despite their natural longevity, Australia's population is "on the precipice of a major decline", he says. Freshwater turtles, especially along the Murray River, are at greater risk of extinction than ever before. Only 5 per cent of every clutch of eggs makes it to maturity, with introduced species like foxes enjoying an "all-you-can-eat buffet" during nesting season, Dr Spencer says. The Murray River Shortneck is also falling prey to rising salinity levels in the water. "Their only natural defence to salinity is to move along major highways, which follow the river," says Dr Spencer, adding that many are run over, such as the drought-affected Eastern Longneck, which travels great distances from waterhole to waterhole. Freshwater turtles are crucial to river, creek, lake and pond ecosystems, eating pest fish such as the European carp, and vacuuming up algae and dead material. However, while Australia's freshwater turtles are in peril, they haven't faced the same steep decline in numbers as other species around the world, Dr Spencer says. He was commenting ahead of World Turtle Day today, which experts hope will draw attention to the plight of the reptiles.
* AAP

Echidnas

A grazier has found a rare albino echidna near Tambo, south-east of Longreach in western Queensland. Grazier John Jones from south of Tambo came across the white echidna on a property he manages, saying he has never seen anything like it.  He took it to the local school to show children and teachers. "I don't know whether the smaller children realise the significance that they may never seen one ever again," he said. "All its points - its toenails and little face - is pink, the quills are completely white. "It seems to have a white fur on the body covering, under the quills.  "I have not come across anyone yet who has seen one." Mr Jones says he has now released the echidna back into the bush.  Queensland Museum senior curator Dr Steve Van Dyck says he sees more albino echidnas than any other albino animals. "The echnidas don't really have that many predators, so the survival chances ... in a white echnida are much much better than say the survival chances in a white rat," he said. "We probably see more of these things because they are not knocked off naturally in the population." But he says the rate of albinism still makes it a once-in-a-lifetime find.  "It's rare - in animals, in mammals - it is probably one-in-10,000," he said. "To most people, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.  "I'm only in a position of luxury - I am in a position where people would report these things to me.  "Albinos have always been prized in society for their rarity - people have always loved them." *ABC

Hunting

This week in the NSW Upper House I tabled the first 100 signatures in a petition opposing the O'Farrell government's proposal to allow children as young as twelve to hunt on public land without supervision using bows, bowie knives and packs of dogs on public land. Animal welfare groups such as Animal Liberation, Animals Australia and PETA have also joined the campaign and are encouraging their members and supporters to get involved and make submissions. It's not too late to get involved – visit our website to download a petition, a flyer and make a submission directly to the Minster for Primary Industries. Hundreds of other people have made submissions via our website so far. If we are to succeed in stopping this ugly proposal we will need to ensure our voices are louder, more considered and better targeted than the spray coming from some of the hunting fraternity. Working together we can relegate this proposal to where it belongs – the trashcan. *David Shoebridge, NSW Greens MLC.

Go here to send message to Minister..   http://davidshoebridge.org.au/2012/05/09/12-year-olds-allowed-to-hunt-unsupervised-under-government-plan/

Whales

National Whale Day June 2nd, Byron main beach / 3PM, Marine sand castle competition and sunset ceremony. Fundraiser for Sea Shepherd & Migaloo 2. Music by Nathan Kaye, Gina Lakosta & Darpan.

Save the Reef

Here's a three minute video by Getup about the Gt, Barrierr Reeef.     http://www.getup.org.au/savethereef  and hers is another Dugongs and Turtles uTube clip of Colin Riddell explaining the Dugong anf Turtle campaign.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z7l9nkhnKg&feature=youtu.be


Leadbeaters Possums

One of the country's rarest mammals and Victoria's faunal emblem will be the subject of a captive breeding program - the first major breeding and release program for Leadbeater's possums - as scientists intervene to build up the wild population and establish an insurance population in captivity. The precarious state of the endangered possum - numbering less than 2000 in the wild - prompted Zoos Victoria to embark on the project after the Black Saturday bushfires destroyed 45 per cent of its habitat and roughly halved the wild population. Last week Healesville Sanctuary's threatened species biologist, Dan Harley, identified the ''male founder'' of the program, which has passed health checks and had a microchip the size of a grain of rice inserted between his shoulder blades.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/saving-the-species-this-tiny-twoyearold-is-the-right-possum-for-the-job-20120521-1z1d1.html#ixzz1vj4xitvJ

Wombats

Scientists monitoring critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombats at a new colony they set up near St George in southwest Queensland have found that a third wombat is pregnant. Of two born last year, one has already done the wombat equivalent of moving into a flat, having set up a bachelor pad in one of his mum's burrows. Acting threatened species manager David Murphy said the births and the fact the animals had settled in well was evidence the long-awaited translocation had worked. In 2009, wombats were returned to their former habitat on a cattle station near St George after being wiped out there about 100 years ago. Man-made burrows were dug to take wombats from central Queensland's Epping Forest National Park, their last stronghold and in one of the world's most important species-saving exercises, 15 animals were translocated. Mr Murphy said five of those had died from issues ranging from suspected snake bite to disease and bullying. The colony now had seven females, three males and three joeys. About 140 remain at Epping and scientists are using infra-red cameras at St George to learn as much as possible about them. Mr Murphy said some of the discoveries about the usually solitary, nocturnal and subterranean animals were surprising. Mothers socialised more than expected and the young tended to play. All showed markedly different characteristics. All the wombats had benefited from two good wet seasons; some look portly and there are no plans for supplementary feeding. "This is a big stepping stone for the entire species," Mr Murphy said. *Courier Mail

Crocodiles

The Mary River's celebrity crocodile has won a stand-off with rangers who will abandon attempts to trap it.  The 3.5m toothy tourist, spotted some 400km south of its comfort zone, has shown no interest in baits set up as part of three traps near Maryborough. It has been seen sunning itself on river banks as the weather cools, but seems far from hungry. Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) wildlife rangers said they would suspend attempts to catch the Mary River crocodile until warm weather returned. "'We've had the traps progressively in place since the beginning of May and have baited each with what would normally be very tempting croc food, but the animal has not been interested," EHP Wildlife Director Dr Ashley Bunce said. ""This is not really surprising, as winter approaches cold-blooded animals like crocodiles lose much of their appetite as their metabolism slows," he said "Importantly, rangers' observations of the crocodile since trapping began are that it has displayed no aggressive behaviour and is very wary of people and vessels. ""The department considers the crocodile represents a low risk to human safety at this time, given its behavioural history and the influence the cold weather is having on the animal's activity level." Dr Bunce said rangers would monitor and maintain the traps until Friday this week and, if the crocodile was not caught by then, would close them down until warmer weather returns. Members of the public should are advised to remain vigilant in the area. *Courier Mail


A monster croc has been caught in a creek near a popular Territory swimming spot. NT Parks and Wildlife rangers removed the 4.2m saltwater crocodile from Berry Creek last night - just 1.5km from Berry Springs, where tourists and locals alike go to cool off from the Top End heat. Senior Park Ranger Louise Kean said the male reptile was caught in one of three permanent traps which are set to prevent the potential killers from moving into the popular swimming spot. The traps are monitored and baited daily to minimise the risk of crocs going into swimming areas. She said the saltie had already been taken to a crocodile farm. Berry Springs Nature Park was reopened for swimming last week after five consecutive nights of crocodile survey work. Two small freshwater crocodiles were removed and the park was deemed safe for swimming last Tuesday. "This is another reminder to the public to be extremely cautious about any waterways in the Top End, as estuarine crocodiles can and do move around throughout the year," Ms Kean said. To report saltwater crocodiles in the Darwin region phone 0419 822 859 or in the Katherine region phone 0407 958 405. *NT News
Ed Comment; Anyone who goes swimming in a creek or river in the NT is hosting a death wish.

Bio-medical Wildlife Research

Please dont forget to comment on the Draft guide to the use of Australian native mammals in biomedical research, Public Consultation Draft, March 2012 which can be found here .. 

http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/files/consultations/drafts/reviseddraftausnativemammals120309.pdf


Quolls

It wasn't gold this quoll was after when he lost his tail at Mount Perry, west of Childers.  The endangered marsupial was rummaging for food at the town's gold mine when, vets suspect, the lid of an industrial bin fell on his tail. Since named Perry, he was taken to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah where his sparsely furred tail got the chop. Vet Amber Gillett said Perry was the first quoll to be treated at the hospital. "It's a big novelty. Everyone likes to come and see him every time we get him out," she said. "When he first came to us he still had his tail attached but there was quite a distinct cut through the top where something had come down and cut through the spine. "We ascertained that losing that part of the tail would not affect his survival in the wild and he should be fine to live a normal life (upon release)." In the meantime, he'll spend a few weeks recovering in hospital where he spends most of the day sleeping. "Perry is a fairly typical quoll. They're pretty cranky little things and very defensive. "He has some pretty sharp teeth which luckily haven't grabbed anybody yet but certainly could inflict a nasty bite." Once his tail has healed, Perry will be released back into the wild where he was found. "They're a fairly isolated little population where he's from so his genetics make it important he go back," Dr Gillett said. *Courier Mail

Wildlife Event

Talking Wildlife: 50 years with Wildlife Queensland takes place Friday 7 and Saturday 8 September in Brisbane and registration fees have been kept low to ensure maximum participation of wildlife workers, volunteers and researchers. More information is available online at http://www.wildlife.org.au/talkingwildlife or by contacting Event Managers, Wombat Creative on 0421 709 519. They have some good speakers lined up for  this event, unfortunately they haven't got anyone talking about the kangaroo or koala issues. *

Seals

Sea-lion breeding colonies on the state's far west coast have been excluded from the latest plan for marine sanctuary zones, alarming a conservation group. The area is not represented among sanctuary or "no take" zones that have been proposed to protect a range of marine animals within SA's 19 marine parks. The Friends of Sceale Bay want to protect Australian Sea Lions in coastal waters around Jones Island and Nicholas Baudin Island, as well as Sceale Bay and Cape Blanche. Group convener David Letch said 12 per cent of all Australian sea lion pups were born in the area known as the Chain of Bays, yet none were protected.  A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the maps, were a "starting point". "The draft map recently released by the Government takes into account input from the local advisory groups and key stakeholders," he said. "Australian Sea Lion breeding colonies will be protected under the proposed sanctuary zones throughout the west coast, including at the Isles of St Francis, Nuyts Reef, Lound Island, Pearson Island Group and one of the state's largest Australian Sea Lion breeding colonies at Dangerous Reef." Environment Minister Paul Caica said public consultation on the draft management plans for each of the 19 marine parks would start in the coming months and encouraged The Friends of Sceale Bay to make a formal submission. *Adelaide Now

Flying Foxes

Katter's Australian Party will introduce legislation to Parliament in the next week allowing councils and residents to kill flying foxes by "whatever means possible". Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth, the party's state parliamentary leader, will introduce the bill which will include removing all penalties for harming or killing flying foxes.  The bill will also support the Newman Government's plans to overhaul the overhaul the damage mitigation permit (DMP) system, as well as include an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act allowing councils to remove bats by whatever means possible to ensure the health and safety of the community. Mr Knuth said the State Government's ruling out of culling in residential areas didn't go far enough in addressing bat colonies in places such as Charters Towers. "This is why we will be putting this bill forward," he said. Mr Knuth said the penalties for harming or killing flying foxes, which can be as much as $100,000 or one year's imprisonment, were absurd. He said he was hoping LNP MPs in regional and rural electorates would support the bill. "I am confident every former National MP will support this," he said. Environment Minister Andrew Powell has previously said Mr Knuth should sit down and talk to the government about ways to fix the problem instead of introducing bills that were destined to fail. "I'm sick of hearing about communication, discussion and planning when they've ruled out a real plan to get rid of bats," Mr Knuth said. Mr Powell yesterday confirmed the LNP would not be supporting the bill. "The LNP have clearly outlined the flying fox management policy, which aims to balance community safety and wildlife protection and would, therefore, not be supportive of Mr Knuth's bill," he said. *Townsville Bulletin

Become a Wildlife Warrior

By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *

Canberra Kangaroo Kill

This year's cull of thousands of kangaroos by the ACT government will cost more money to kill fewer animals than in 2011. Government shooters were expected to begin the slaughter of about 2015 kangaroos in nine nature reserves around the capital overnight, with the cull expected to continue for three weeks. But Territory and Municipal Services officials confirmed yesterday that this year's cull would be more expensive than last year's effort, despite up to 1400 fewer animals being killed. Parks and Conservation Service director Daniel Iglesias said the annual cull would cost an estimated $215,000 this year, compared with $183,000 in 2011. Last year's cull of 3400 kangaroos cost about $54 per kangaroo. This year, the government will spend about $107 per kangaroo. Mr Iglesias said the fee covered all planning for the cull, as well as staff, contractors and an assessment at the end. ''Every year is different in relation to how we do the planning,'' he said. TAMS closed nine reserves last evening for the start of this year's cull of ''over-abundant eastern grey kangaroos''. Animal rights activists, including members of the Australian Society for Kangaroos, planned to wait at Mount Painter Nature Reserve last night in the belief it could be one of the first sites targeted. TAMS does not reveal the order in which contractors will do the culling, but does factor possible delays caused by protesters.
SITES CLOSED UNTIL JUNE 12: Callum Brae Nature Reserve, Crace Nature Reserve, Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve, Jerrabomberra West Nature Reserve, Kama Nature Reserve, Mount Painter Nature Reserve, Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, the Pinnacle Nature Reserve and Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve. *Age

Ed Comment; If you like reading fiction, the dodgy science and suspect surveys done by the ACT government can be found here........   http://www.tams.act.gov.au/play/pcl/wildlife/local/kangaroos/resident_survey

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/248663/Kangaroo_Q_and_A_2012.pdf


Protesters have accused the government of announcing the controversial kangaroo cull a week before the shooting actually begins, to throw activists off and allow public anger to dissipate before it begins. The cull of more than 2000 eastern grey kangaroos across nine ACT nature reserves was due to begin on Tuesday night. But animal welfare groups, vehemently opposed to the cull, have claimed the shooting had not started yesterday. Campaigner Carolyn Drew and other activists have been monitoring the situation at the reserves. The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate did not respond to the claims yesterday. A spokesman said details of where, when or how the culling would occur would not be released, for reasons of public safety and to allow the operation to be conducted effectively. Fewer animals will be culled compared to last year, but it will still cost $215,000. *Canberra Times


Protests against the ACT government's controversial culling of more than 2000 kangaroos continued last night with activists jumping fences into nature reserves after reportedly hearing gun shots. Police were called to the Crace Nature Reserve where Fiona Corke, of the Australian Society for Kangaroos, said activists had reportedly heard gun fire. 'Our scout out here heard a number of gunshots around 5.30pm,'' she said. ''Protesters jumped the fence and went in.'' Ms Corke called the police, who she said sent a tactical response team into the site after the protesters. ACT Policing's Sergeant Stuart Howes said a tactical response team may have attended the site, but would not have acted in a tactical response capacity. ''They would have attended as a general patrol,'' Sergeant Howes said. He said no arrests had been made. Ms Corke said ACT Policing had been supportive of the campaigners' rights to protest. ''We'll be here for the rest of the night and if we need to go in again we will,'' she said. 'We will be persistent, until we stop them.'' The sites to be closed for culling are Callum Brae Nature Reserve, Crace Nature Reserve, Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve, Jerrabomberra West Nature Reserve, Kama Nature Reserve, Mount Painter Nature Reserve, Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, the Pinnacle Nature Reserve and Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve. The parks will be closed until 6pm on Tuesday, June 12. *Canberra Times

Koalas

Tomorrow at 10.15 a.m. (Wednesday 23rd May, 2012), Senator Bob Brown and Senator Larissa Waters will announce their intention to table a Koala Protection Bill in the Federal Parliament of Australia.   This is the first step towards the Koala’s very own piece of legislation that will be nationwide and designed uniquely for them.  This is a huge step and the beginning of either a short or long journey to its fruition, which would be a Koala Protection Act.    Basically, a Bill is introduced into Parliament and our Parliamentarians can either agree; yes or no to its passing.  Once the majority says yes, it becomes an Act.  

As you know, the AKF has wanted a National Koala Act for nearly twenty years and to be frank, I feel like I have wasted over 12 years as we have tried to meet the narrow criteria of the IUCN guidelines and the EPBC Act.    Even with 25,000 dead koalas in South East Queensland and thousands of others dead in New South Wales, it took a Senate Inquiry to basically “force” the Minister to make a decision which still leaves Victorian koalas unprotected.   Honestly the system is broken.  By the time you have met the criteria of these ridiculous guidelines, the species has to be on the brink.  It is quite ridiculous really.

As we have seen, there are politicians already wringing their hands about the Koala listing and unless there is a specific legislation to protect them, the AKF can see politicians of different persuasions using the Koala like a political football.   Shocking really when you think of what the Koala does for Australia.   Every tourist, every celebrity, even the Pope has cuddled one.     So, we are hoping you will give AKF support over the coming months (and hopefully not years), to encourage our leaders to endorse the passing of this legislation.
Regards and thanks. Deborah, AKF


Some koala stakeholders in Australia say they would not support moves to commercialise the species in order to conserve it. Some scientists and farmers are calling for state and federal governments to do more to allow private landholders to manage, breed and trade koalas across state borders.  Over the last 20 years koala numbers in New South Wales have dropped by a third, but there are large numbers in Victoria and South Australia.  The Australian Koala Foundation's Deborah Tabbart says she would support incentives to encourage conservation on private lands, but not moves to commercialise wildlife. "If those landholders sought to say sell koalas, then I am totally against that," she said. In a statement, Australia's Environment Minister Tony Burke says national guidelines for relocating koalas are being developed and decisions are likely to be based on genetics, disease risk and the availability of suitable habitat.  *ABC


The Tweed coast's koala population is at high risk of extinction because existing numbers are not sustainable. The Tweed Shire Council is seeking a higher classification for the marsupials. The council's bio-diversity officer, doctor Mark Kingston, says the NSW Scientific Committee will be asked to list Tweed koala colonies as 'endangered', which is a classification above 'vulnerable'. Dr Kingston says that would ensure greater protection and also attract better funding to regenerate known habitat areas. "It also focuses attention for developers... to have a little bit more consideration of those particular koalas as opposed to the koalas more generally," he said. "The situation is pretty dire and without some very concerted efforts they will probably be extinct within the next 10 to 20 years.  "So we think we've got probably around the 150 to 140 animals and that number of animals is not sustainable on it's own... since they're fragmented and they're separated from each other." *ABC


The Australian Greens Party has released a bill to increase protection for koalas. The bill makes it unlawful to kill or harm koalas, and makes it an offence to destroy their habitat in areas where the koala is listed as threatened. The former Greens Leader Bob Brown says the bill is similar to a 1940 United States law that gave extra protection to the American bald eagle and brought it back from the brink of extinction. Senator Brown says the population of koalas has dropped alarmingly. "The koala's also faced with multiple threats where most numerous - that is expressways, housing developments and other developments in their habitat - and they keep on getting shoved back," he said. Meanwhile, a Senate Estimates Committee has heard listing koalas as a threatened species should have only a limited impact on farmers. The Australian Government has classified the koala as a vulnerable species and added it to the threatened list across the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. The Coalition Senator, Barnaby Joyce, has used the committee to question what impact this will have on farming communities. An Environment Department official has told the hearing it will only affect farmers who make significant changes to their land use, such as subdivision or large scale clearing for irrigation. *ABC


A tourism entrepreneur says legislation is the only way to protect koalas. Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner is considering appealing against a Supreme Court decision allowing a miner to reopen a coal mine near one of his resorts at Grandchester in the Lockyer Valley. Mr Turner says the area is a known habitat for koalas which the Federal Government recently listed as 'vulnerable'. He says that decision, and a Greens' plan to make it illegal to destroy habitats, is the only thing that can save the animals. "I think it's probably essential at some stage if the koalas are going to survive, particularly in areas such as south-east Queensland, that there has to be protection of habitat - it's the big reason for the decline in the numbers," he said.
Mr Turner says having legislative protection will make it easier to overrule developments in known habitats. "Mines are important but in habitat like this, in closely settled areas which also have quite significant koala populations, open-cut coal mining is just not suitable," he said. He says the Greens' bill could make it harder for mining companies to operate in sensitive areas. "Koalas really don't figure in mining at the moment," he said. "The most miners have to do is set aside some old habitat if they're going to destroy one and it's not an effective way of saving koala habitat and the argument we use is not about koalas because it's very hard to put an argument about koalas because of the current lack of legislation protecting them." *ABC

Sustainable Wildlife Use?

George Wilson is presenting a paper at the Australian Veterinary Conference in Canberra on 24th May 2012 at 0900 hr in the Convention Centre. It asserts that current Australian policies and programs to support wildlife have not rectified the conservation status of many species which continues to get worse. Endangered species management is too dependent on limited Government funding. He suggests Australia should draw more on overseas experience that the private sector can play a major role in species and habitat conservation. The key is to enable population increases on private lands by creating incentives for landholders to manage existing habitats, permit translocation of overabundant populations and encourage the expansion of suitable habitat. If Australian Governments encouraged such innovation wildlife populations would increase and widen their distribution.

Government agencies would still have a role in authorising transfers of animals to ensure improvements in the genetic status of populations, and enforcing animal welfare regulations and codes of practice. Koalas for example are under threat; evidenced by their patchy distribution and apparent incapacity to recolonise suitable habitat. Involvement of the private sector in koala management and in effect ‘ownership’ of koalas would mirror that which already occurs through the activities of private zoos and animal parks. A wider ‘koala market’ would enable private landholders to also be involved in conservation projects and expand the distribution, health and security of Australia’s koala population. The challenge is to enable today’s landholders to contribute to conservation through sustainable wildlife use. Veterinarians can assist achieve this outcome. *Australian Wildlife Services

Ed Comment; Wilson has a long and disgusting history of supporting wildlife abuse, as does the above Australian Wildlife Services, which is an organisatino set up by the Kangaroo Mafia to access government funding, and to provide dodgy science and services to Government....including wildlife "pest" control, and the commercial kangaroo Industry. Wilson has been quiet lately about the commercial kangaroo kill, but now appears to have jumped on the pet wildlife bandwagon.

Ghost Nets

Hundreds of marine animals are being strangled, drowned or starved to death after becoming tangled in "ghost" fishing nets off northern Australia. New figures show 10,034 such nets have been removed from beaches and mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria since 2004. Ghost Nets Australia project co-ordinator Riki Gunn said the environmental impact was significant with hundreds of turtles, dugongs, fish, stingrays, crabs and sharks maimed or killed after becoming entangled. She said the combination of monsoonal winds and the clockwise gyre current meant the Gulf of Carpentaria acted like a plughole for ghost nets. "That combination drives the nets into the northwest Cape region where they get swept into the Gulf from the Arafura and Timor seas, touching parts of the coast on the way," she said. "The high incidence of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in that area suggests they most likely come from that region."

GNA project officer Jen Goldberg, who has spent the past few weeks collating the data collected by indigenous land and sea rangers, said some of the nets were massive, weighing several tonnes. In one two-year period, 622 nets were removed from Flinders Beach near Mapoon, on the western edge of the Cape York Peninsula, an area described as a ghost net "hot spot". Three-quarters of marine animals trapped in nets along the Gulf coast were turtles. "Something the size of a football is enough to entangle an animal and impair its ability to feed, but they (nets) also smother reefs and corals, destroying ecosystems," Ms Goldberg said. It has been estimated 90 per cent of marine debris washing into Australian waters is fishing-related and originates in South-East Asia. CSIRO research scientist Dr Denise Hardesty said the Gulf of Carpentaria and a stretch of coastline in western Tasmania had a higher rate of ghost nets than anywhere else in Australia.

"We are trying to identify where those nets are coming from by looking at the characteristics of the netting and using oceanographic models to see the likely path they took, identify who is using these nets, where they are using them and why they are washing up where they are," she said. "The goal is not to point the finger but to come up with workable solutions to what is a global problem." Net disposal points at ports, buyback schemes for worn nets and tracking devices on nets may be among the solutions, she said. *Courier Mail

Kangaroos

There was no happy ending for a kangaroo stuck in a drain at Junction Hill yesterday. Grafton Fire Brigade, WIRES and Clarence Valley Council personnel all tried their best to get the animal out, but soon after midday it became apparent the creature had died. Grafton Fire Brigade station commander Mick Kearns said it was unfortunate, but it would have been irresponsible to allow any of his men to climb into the drain to rescue the roo. A neighbour, Tom Ensby, said the kangaroo could have been in there for two days. He suspected it was chased up the drain by dogs from nearby houses. WIRES worker Joan O'Shea said she had heard the kangaroo breathing that morning, but it would have been stressed. *Daily Examiner


Nearly 2000 Queenslanders have lost their jobs because of the government's inaction to help the kangaroo meat industry said Member for Mount Isa and State Leader of Katter's Australian Party, Rob Katter.  Mr Katter has raised concerns about Australia's kangaroo meat industry and is lobbying the state government to assist.  "Not only has the kangaroo take hit a record low, an explosion in roo numbers is threatening our agricultural industries."  He supports calls from the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia (KIAA) for the Queensland government to fund a $3.7 million recovery plan over three years.  "The association's plan includes developing the domestic market, re-opening exports with Russia and accessing new markets to China which will ensure the industry can continue to prosper," Mr Katter said. "We don't have the liberty to sit back and hope this will sort itself out because it will only get worse if we don't act now."  Given the significant employment the industry created, he said it was a reasonable request by the KIAA and he urged the Queensland government to favourably consider allocating the funds. Chief executive of the KIAA, John Kelly said the industry had been trying for three years to get into China and back into Russia, and now the cheque books were dry."All we're asking for is an investment of $3.7 million over three years and Queensland could be earning $150 million a year in export earnings. "That's a pretty good return on investment," Mr Kelly said. It required engaging the right people in Beijing and Moscow to get kangaroo products over the line, he said. "At the moment we're very close to the situation where Queensland has to ask itself what it would look like without a kangaroo industry." *Northwest Star

Ed Comment; What Katter hasn't said is that many of the 2000 "Queenslanders" out of work in the Industry are foreigners bought in on temporary work visas, the others are shooters who are unemployable elsewhere.


A proposed new hospital at Sydney’s French’s Forest has motorists playing chicken with native wildlife. Tony Backhouse reports. Overseas visitors are often disappointed when they come to Sydney with the expectation of seeing kangaroos bounding along our suburban streets. They might get more than they bargained for now, because at Frenchs Forest – just 13km from the CBD – the NSW State Government’s Health Infrastructure Commission has locked out wildlife, such as swamp wallaby’s, from a nature corridor so they are now being slaughtered when made to detour along the busy six lane Warringah Road. Early last Monday afternoon, for instance, I found the body of a 12 month old female joey on the median strip near the intersection with the Wakehurst Parkway — it was apparent that it had been there since the early morning. The problem is not that wallabies are trying to cross, but rather that they are being diverted from their intended destination by a new obstacle – the site fence for a proposed specialist hospital – which makes them traverse back, so they end up having to play “Frogger” with the traffic as they bound along the road looking for somewhere else to depart. This is not only a risk to the animals, of course, but also a grave risk to fast travelling motorists, which is a rather a darkly ironic impact for a new hospital. * IndependentAustralia.net
Read more  ..  http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/life/health/sydney-swamp-wallabies-playing-deadly-game-of-frogger/

Kangaroo Attacks

Two people were hospitalised after a kangaroo went "berserk" on Jervis Bay School grounds - with a young boy and a pregnant woman among the injured. Authorities have said the kangaroo may now be destroyed. Booderee National Park services manager Dr Martin Fortescue confirmed that a kangaroo had gone "berserk" during the Wreck Bay under-7s soccer training on the school oval on Wednesday afternoon. "The children were using the school oval for soccer training - it was not a school activity - and there are always a lot of kangaroos in the area," he said. Dr Fortescue said the attack was unprovoked. "A male kangaroo attacked an older boy on the sidelines, knocking him to the ground and causing serious injuries to his back, which required stitches at hospital," he said. The kangaroo then attacked a pregnant woman, kicking her in the stomach and causing a severe laceration to her torso which also required stitches. Both people are home and recovering from their injuries.

Dr Fortescue arrived on the scene to see the kangaroo continue his rampage by attacking three other people. "It was very unusual," he said. "It was a small kangaroo, but very aggressive." Following an emergency meeting yesterday between agencies involved, including National Parks and Wildlife, Jervis Bay School and the Australian Federal Police, it was decided the kangaroo may be destroyed. "We will need to observe the area for the next few days to try to identify the kangaroo and see if it is still aggressive," Dr Fortescue said. "If there is a risk to safety, we will destroy the kangaroo." He said that such a measure would be "heartbreaking", but added that people's safety was the first priority. "This is a reminder that they are wild animals," he said. "The chance of an attack is very low, but you can't be complacent. Don't approach them, don't feed them, they are potentially dangerous. They have the equipment to seriously injure or even kill someone, especially a child." Dr Fortescue added that nothing of this nature had ever happened on school grounds before, but that kangaroos in the Jervis Bay Territory were always there in great numbers because of the amount of grass in the area. Any consequent culling of the kangaroo would be carried out in consultation with the Australian Federal Police. *Illawarra Mercury


A rogue kangaroo that attacked a young mother, leaving her with a 30cm scar, had bailed her up in the garden on two previous occasions.  Despite desperate calls to National Parks and Wildlife Services for help, she was told to ignore it and it would go away. Two days before the attack Kirrily McWilliams was in the backyard of her property south of Port Macquarie when she was confronted by the growling female eastern grey kangaroo. The next day she was in the backyard with her dog, a 65kg mastiff, when the same kangaroo got through the fence and grabbed the dog. She phoned NPWS for help but was told to just ignore it. That afternoon she was walking down the driveway to pick her daughter up from the school bus when she saw the kangaroo heading towards her at high speed. With nothing to hide behind she dropped to the ground and curled up in a ball. "If you stand and confront them they can easily tear you apart because that's what they do to each other," Mrs McWilliams said. It pounded at her a number of times, scratching at her back before bounding away. She sustained a 30cm gash and other scratches on her back. "It was lucky it was cool weather and I had two layers of clothing, otherwise it could have been worse," she said.

While she was at the hospital seeking attention, her husband was approached by the kangaroo in the backyard. It went to attack but he kept it at bay with a shovel. They again contacted NPWS but there was no reply. She heard from NPWS a day later. It issued an immediate 48-hour permit to hire a shooter and kill the kangaroo. But by that time the mad marsupial had moved on and attacked someone else.  Mrs McWilliams was disappointed by the response and attitude from NPWS. "I'm for protecting kangaroos but there seems to be nothing in place to help people," she said. "I had to be injured before they did anything. I have three children and it could have been one of them." It's not the first time a kangaroo has lashed out. Last year two-year-old Zakkia Galea was left bloodied and needing stitches after he was pinned to the ground by a female eastern grey kangaroo not far from where Mrs McWilliams was attacked. NPWS said kangaroos were considered dangerous and its policy was to educate people on avoiding conflict. The statement added a licence to harm/destroy a kangaroo was a last resort that was only issued after there was demonstrated aggressive behaviour exhibited or an attack. * Telegraph

Ed Comment; Media have lot to answer for, articles like this only create fear in the many uninformed people on our communities.

Wildife Bytes 22/5/12

ACT Kangaroo Kill

The ACT Government, arguably the most disfunctional Government in Australia, has again decided to kill 2000 kangaroos in the Parks around Canberra. This Government is a mix of psuedo Greens, Liberals, and Labor  incompetants, all of whom support the kill.  Local activists have found the burial pit, and will do their best to disrupt the shooting. Animal Liberation ACT will be holding a demonstration outside the Legislative Assembly at 5.15pm this Friday 25 May to protest the annual killing of kangaroos in the Territory.   The 2000 kangaroos to be killed  does not include the large number of joeys that will also be killed by starvation after their mothers are shot (or by decapitation if they are caught by shooters).  Having large populations of kangaroos killed in Nature Parks repeatedly is of grave ethical and ecological concern for the future conservation of kangaroos in these Reserves.  To send a strong message to the ACT Government ACT ALib need as many people to attend as possible, so if you can spare half an hour this Friday evening please go along!  You can read the Canberra Times story, and vote here against the kill. The poll closes in three days.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/parks-closed-as-kangaroo-hunters-begin-cull-20120521-1yzv3.html

It's hard to comprehend in this day and age, that such Government approved brutality could still occur, and in our Capital City of all places.

Dingoes

Biosecurity experts say the Dog Fence should be torn down and dingoes left to roam free and thrive for the good of native animals and the environment.  But farmers south of the Dog Fence, which has large sections of its 2225km length in SA in disrepair, are fighting off animals as large as german shepherds as experts prepare a "defence for the dingo". Dingoes have reportedly been sighted as far south as Laura and Cambrai. They have mauled and killed sheep on stations around the Flinders Ranges and farmers want more effort made to retain the 1880s-built structure as a defence against the dingoes. *AdelaideNow
Read more  ..  http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/experts-want-dingo-fence-torn-down/story-e6frea83-1226353369175


Wild dogs will roam the city parklands and eat suburban pets if the Dog Fence in SA's Far North is torn down, a farmer representative claims. The warning follows an article in The Advertiser  on Saturday in which Professor Corey Bradshaw, from Adelaide University's Environment Institute, suggests it is time to tear down the fence and let dingo populations thrive. South Australian Farmers Federation Livestock Committee member Geoff Power wants to debate those scientists who believe the Dog Fence should be dismantled. The fence stretches from Yalata in the state's west to NSW and on to  Queensland. * AdelaideNow
Read more  ..  http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/farmers-fear-removal-of-dog-fence/story-e6frea6u-1226359335641

Ed comment; Its interesting that most people call the dingo a dingo, but some farmers call them wild dogs.....to create fear in the community about the dingoes.....

AZWH Patient of the Week

The latest Patient of the Week from the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is Jewel the Noisy Pitta, a very pretty bird who was found being attacked by butcher birds at Caloundra. After some pain relief and a night in the ICU at the AZWH, Jewel was released the next day back into the wild. *AZWH


Australia Ranked Seventh Worst Polluter on Earth

Conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF)  has compiled the latest report how countries balance economic growth with ecological conservation and Australia is in the top 10, closely behind the United States and the Arab nations Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE.  Countries with very high standards of living are actually the ones that bring forth more ecological destruction. However, Australia was able to score low and has been able to reduce the impact of environmental destruction while maintaining economic development. WWF chief executive Dermot O'Gorman told ABC News "interestingly other countries which have similar or higher living standards than Australia also rank lower. It shows that we can reduce the impact that we have on the planet while still maintaining the level of development." The results of the survey were calculated by comparing renewable resources consumed against the Earth's regenerative capacity, the report said. *  ibtimes.com/

Porpoise

Chinese officials added an extra 50,000 carp to the waters of Poyang Lake this week to help feed the endangered Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) that live there, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency. Around 300 to 500 porpoises live in Poyang Lake in northern Jiangxi Province, representing between one third and one half of the subspecies’s global population. The porpoises have experienced a dramatic population crash in recent years, falling from 2,700 individuals in 1991 to around 1,000 in 2011.
Read more  ...  http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2012/05/19/china-feeds-fish-finless-porpoises-starvation/

Kangaroos

A commercial kangaroo harvesting trial could be undertaken in the Tatiara, (South of Adelaide) if the community supports it. The Tatiara District Council has agreed to allow the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to undertake consultation with local landholders. A similar motion was defeated recently by the Naracoorte Lucindale Council, as it believed there were not enough kangaroos in its area. Tatiara Mayor Richard Vickery says the consultation will determine if council supports the trial. "Some of our areas are surrounded by substantial areas of national parks and conservation parks, so the issue varies significantly," he said. "Certainly the northern areas of the Tatiara and some sections of the southern and western areas do have reasonable numbers of kangaroos but that's obviously one of the things to be worked out." He says if the trial goes ahead, it could prove positive for the local economy. "One could argue that at the moment the controlling of excessive kangaroo numbers is wasteful and if there can be some economic return from it that option should potentially be considered," he said. *ABC


Meawnwhile....The Kangaroo Industry Association wants State and Federal authorities to lobby the Russian Government to lift its ban on kangaroo meat imports. The ban was introduced nearly three years ago because of concerns about food safety standards. At the time, Russia was responsible for 70 per cent of exports. The Association says the processing of kangaroo meat in Australia has halved since the ban was introduced. John Kelly from the association says new regulations have been phased in but trade is yet to resume. He says kangaroo shooters are leaving the industry. "I think we are starting to have to seriously consider the end of the kangaroo industry nationally if the Federal Government of State Governments can't very swiftly get a resolution to Russian access or resolution to Chinese access then we may seriously not have a kangaroo industry in another year's time," he said. "For many, many people in the industry it's got very close to becoming a deal-breaking issue. There are significant portions of the industry questioning why they're bothering anymore." *ABC

Ed comment; Wonderful news, and no thanks to the Governments of Australia who have all closed their eyes to the horrors of this disgusting Industry....

Turtle and Dugong Recipes

A group of Indigenous women in far north Queensland are hoping to help close the health gap by teaching locals how to cook with traditional ingredients and techniques. The Bama Recipe Book will be launched today in Mossman, north of Cairns, and features recipes like stingray curry and coconut damper. Mossman Community Health spokeswoman Sylvia Green says Indigenous people need to get back to their cultural roots to curb high rates of disease like diabetes. "Live off the land again, go hunting, get fresh fish, get fresh food off the land," she said. "It's very important that we start to educate our people and stop eating processed foods because that's what's killing us. "That's why people are getting diagnosed with all kinds of cancers every minute of the day." Ms Green says it is not your average recipe book and they are not your average recipes. "You can have stingray curry - you can cook it in tea-tree bark underground," she said. "Then of course you've got the turtle recipes - steamed turtle, dugong, fish, coconut dampers, cooked in the oven or cooked underground in the earth. "Salads, entrees like periwinkles ... you can make it into a kebab on a stick." *ABC

Poisons

Feral cats, rabbits and foxes are causing problems across many parts of Australia, but there are hopes of new baiting methods soon. In the arid area around Roxby Downs in the far north of South Australia, local organisation Arid Recovery is a non-profit group which runs a reserve where cats, foxes and rabbits are kept out with fencing. When the sanctuary was created 15 years ago, the number of small mice and possums were about the same inside and outside its fences. A survey back in February made clear the effects of creating the reserve and keeping it free of feral pests. "During that trapping, we now catch six times more small mammals, so your little cute hopping mice and your plains rats and all those little natives ... inside the reserve than we do outside," said group member Hannah Spronk. The group recently posted a photo of a dead feral cat on the internet to illustrate the damage just one animal can cause, as it shows the animal's stomach contents. Hannah Spronk says the group is keen to highlight the harm feral cats can cause native wildlife. "In one cat, it's got 24 painted dragons, three bearded dragons, three skinks, two earless dragons, a mouse and a zebra finch in there," she said. "Cats have the same sort of digestive system as humans, so you know that anything you find in their stomach is something they have eaten in the last 24 hours is in there, so that one meal, one cat, and an estimated 15 million feral cats out there, so a big impact." Foxes and rabbits are not prevalent in all areas of Australia, but feral cats are a problem from the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia to the deserts further west. *ABC

Read more  ..  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-16/poison-baits-trials-feral-cats-pests/4015082

Wombats

Investigations into the illegal killing of the state's faunal symbol, the southern hairy-nosed wombat, have not led to any prosecutions.  New figures given to Parliament show that between January, 2000, and December last year, the Environment Department received nine reports specifically relating to illegal killing of the protected species. And in the same period, there were eight reports of  alleged illegal killings  investigated. Agriculture Minister Gail Gago, in a written reply to a question from Greens MP Tammy Franks, said one of those reports of killing was under investigation. "Between January, 2000, and December, 2011, no investigation reached prosecution," Ms Gago said. *Adelaide Now

Whaling

Conservation group leader Paul Watson says he was surprised by his detention in Germany, and has pointed to "powerful enemies" of Sea Shepherd's campaigns. In responses to Fairfax Media's questions relayed to him in a Frankfurt Airport holding cell overnight, Mr Watson expressed fears for his life in Costa Rica if extradition was granted by Germany. But he said that, whatever the outcome of the case, Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling campaign in the Southern Ocean would not be deterred.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/whale-watch/sea-shepherd-leader-fears-for-his-life-20120517-1ys4h.html#ixzz1vAE7iyCa

Platypus

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found some of Australia's platypus colonies are at risk of being wiped out by disease, because of their lack of genetic diversity. The study found that while mainland platypuses have genetically diverse immune systems, those in isolated populations don't and that leaves them vulnerable to outbreaks of disease. Particularly poor genetic diversity was found in platypus colonies on Kangaroo Island and King Island. *ABC

Birds

The speckled warblers arrived first. Then came the red-capped robins, followed by the rufous whistlers and the grey fantails. For the past 10 years, ecologist Damian Michael has watched, and listened, as native woodland birds, including many rare and vulnerable species, returned to farms across the eastern states. His observations were part of a decade-long survey of 193 sites on farms throughout NSW, southern Queensland and northern Victoria which found a significant increase in bird biodiversity in areas where property owners had replanted native woodland vegetation or reduced livestock grazing and encouraged regrowth. The program leader, David Lindenmayer, said the study's results suggested the fate of many endangered birds could be reversed with the right management. ''It is a really positive result. It shows us how we can make a difference,'' said Professor Lindenmayer from the Australian National University.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/woodland-birds-return-to-farms-20120514-1yn0a.html#ixzz1vAElbZ47

Become a Wildlife Warrior

By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *

Cockatoo Kill Proposed

White cockatoos - not bats - are in plague proportions in Atherton and locals want the State Government to consider a kill permit.  The far north rural hub is under siege from thousands of protected sulphur-crested white cockatoos and locals want some shot or poisoned. Huge flocks roost in the trees next to the Atherton Hospital directly in the flight path of the rescue helicopter, make a racket, strip and kill old gum trees, and ravage corn and peanut crops. Council staff have started blasting the air with special blank cartridges called Bird Frite to try to scare away the birds. Environment Minister Andrew Powell said the kill permit for bats, revealed by The Courier-Mail last week, was only a last-resort option for farmers, with no intent to deploy it in urban areas. "The intent is to still look at relocating bats," Mr Powell said. He said there was no plan to extend it to the cockatoos.

Tablelands Mayor Rosa Lee Long said she hoped Bird Frite would not shift the problem to another part of town. "They are lovely birds, very pretty to look at, but they are a noisy nuisance and make a terrible mess," she said. "The only other option is a cull. "It is a bit like the bats, if they are in plague proportions, they may need a cull to bring back a balance." She urged the Government to consider extending lethal Damage Mitigation Permits to bats, dingoes, wild dogs, crocodiles and parrots. "Like bats, dingoes, and crocodiles, the cockatoos are protected species. No one likes to kill anything, but our priority must be to protect the health, life and limb of people over wild creatures."

Pensioner Gaye Webster, in her 80s, lives under some of the favoured roosting trees of the vast flocks. She wants a cull. "Shoot them," Mrs Webster said. "Kill off a few cockys. The mess they make is absolutely disgusting. "Bushies reckon it only takes a couple of dead cockatoos to scare the whole lot off. "It is like these bats and the Hendra virus. Give me the poison, I'll dish it up to them. "People against a cull are the ones who don't have to live with them." Alex Adoberg, who owns the Atherton Hinterland Motel, said he was opposed to killing the parrots. But the Bird Frite program, trialled last year, did not seem very effective, he said. "They seem to lift off and then come back and land again. I'd prefer to keep trying to scare them off, I don't like the idea of a cull." He said the biggest threat - other than farmers losing entire crops in a day - was the risk posed to incoming helicopter pilots. "They lift off out of the trees straight into the helicopter flight path. That is the scariest part." *Courier Mail

Kangoroo Scrotums

The globe is going ga-ga for John Kreuger's gonads.  The Alice River taxidermist is set to become the first man in the world to build a fortune based on bollocks - quite literally.  John, 71, expects to become a millionaire next year, after receiving overwhelming orders from around the world for his homemade kangaroo scrotum bottle openers. In a ballsy move, he is now looking to start manufacturing the crown jewels collectables offshore. The Dutch expat, who introduced stuffed cane toads to the world in the early 1980s, has since sold his toad business and branched out into other animals' body parts. He started experimenting with roo genitalia about five years ago, creating an innovative double-ball opener filled with plaster. WIth the help of an assistant, he was able to produce about 40 an hour by hand. He soon upgraded to a machine similar to an old-fashioned laundry roller - which John has dubbed his "de-nutter" - which allowed him to streamline the process, churning out about 500 hollowed scrotums an hour.

The finished, tanned and stuffed products are sold wholesale directly through John, or through his distributors in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. About 40,000 units were sold last year in Canada, the US, Japan and Europe. John said he had attracted many buyers through gun shops, exporting a major order to Canada earlier this week. He and his wife will be flying to the world's largest gun show in Las Vegas next March, to find an overseas distributor for his product. "All my life I've geared my products through the souvenir market," he said. "These guys want to put kangaroo balls in their den. I'm told it's a fantastic talking piece." John said he has had so much success selling kangaroo scrotum bottle-openers that he expected to break the $1 million profit mark next year. He has rented a small property in Singapore, where he will start manufacturing the product for overseas export. "I've got six people, and we're renting a small ex-butcher's shop, so we're going to set the whole thing up over there," he said.

John is quick to point out that he is merely making use of a waste product that would have otherwise made its way to the garbage heap. The testicles are obtained through a kangaroo meat processing plant in Brisbane, with a majority of the macropods sourced from western Queensland, where they have been reported to be in plague proportions. "There's a concern now because so many people have left the industry to work in mines," he said. "Ten years ago we had 3000 shooters in Queensland. We're up to about 500 now and they can't maintain the status quo of the kangaroos." *Townsville Bulletin


 Wildife in Decline

Earth is a planet in crisis with wildlife populations declining by more than 30% in the past four decades, conservationists claim. A new report examined how more than 9,000 populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and fish are faring. It comes in the face of record over-consumption of natural resources with serious implications for human health, wealth and well-being. Freshwater creatures in the tropics have seen the worst declines, of around 70%, while tropical species as a whole have seen populations tumble by 60% since 1970. In Asia, tiger numbers have fallen 70% in just 30 years. Wildlife is under pressure from ever-growing human demand for resources, the study by WWF, the latest Living Planet report from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Global Footprint Network said. And research into demand for water revealed 2.7bn people live in areas that suffer severe water shortages for at least one month of the year.

Tiger numbers have fallen 70% in just 30 years People are exploiting resources such as water, forests and fisheries and putting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere at a much higher rate than they can be replenished and pollution absorbed. The "ecological footprint" of human activity was 50% higher than the capacity of the Earth's land and oceans in 2008, the most recent year for which figures are available, with people living as though we have a planet and a half to sustain us. Rising population and consumption means that by 2030, two planets will not be enough to meet human demand, threatening the resources including food, freshwater and a stable climate that people need to survive, the report said. WWF-UK's chief executive David Nussbaum said the underlying cause of declines in nature was the rate of human consumption.

"If you're relying on your annual account and you overspend, you eat into your savings until there's nothing left," he said. "At the moment we are in danger of doing that with our life support system, Planet Earth." He said the UK was living in the eye of the storm, without yet feeling the impacts of its over-consumption, but warned the "whirlwind of consumerism is whipping up and causing all sorts of damage". The UK is 27th in the global rankings for how the ecological footprint of how each person in the country consumes, a five-place rise from the last report two years ago. And while wildlife populations in temperate regions such as Europe have risen by around 31% since 1970, WWF warned this only showed habitats and species bouncing back from previous lows when they had been degraded and damaged. ZSL's Professor Tim Blackburn said: "We are living in a planet in crisis, and the Living Planet Index is one window into how bad that crisis is." WWF called on governments and businesses, who are meeting in Rio de Janeiro next month to discuss sustainable development, to address the situation with the same urgency and determination that they put into dealing with the financial crisis. * SkyNews

Another Near Reef Disaster

The Great Barrier Reef was just metres from a major oil spill when an out-of-control 26,070 tonne bulk sugar carrier was blown over Shark Reef, northeast of Cooktown.  Crew frantically dumped ballast from the ID Integrity, which draws 7.1m, to reduce its draft as much as possible as it drifted across the reef on Saturday night. Shark Reef depths range from 15m to 8m. By sheer luck, the 186m Hong Kong ship with its broken-down engine managed to miss the outstanding Osprey Reef only 15km north, which is a high-end tourist destination for wealthy sightseers and divers. The near miss occurred after the ship's engine failed on Friday and has prompted calls for a major review of Reef shipping regulations and for Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to place a moratorium on port development. Three tugs raced to the Integrity, with the first getting a line aboard just before noon yesterday.

Tugs were last night coaxing the ship southeast and away from a collision with the World Heritage-listed Reef. A decision is yet to be taken as to where it will go for repairs. An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman said it was not known how much heavy bunker oil was on board but the ship could carry 720t. As a comparison, the Pacific Adventurer, holed off Brisbane in 2009, lost about 270t of oil, causing substantial damage to about 60km of beaches on Moreton and Bribie islands and the Sunshine Coast. The ship's location, known as the Coral Sea Islands Territory, is notorious for its powerful trade winds and gusts of 55km/hr were recorded during the emergency. WWF-Australia spokesman and marine scientist Richard Leck, who has worked at Osprey and Shark reefs, said the ship's hull should be inspected in case it brushed the reef. He said it was obvious Australia avoided a disaster by metres and called for an independent probe into shipping to includes issues such as the best routes, pilotage, deployment of pollution gear and tugs and, particularly, what Australia could do to ensure the seaworthiness of offshore-flagged ships and the ability of their crews. *Courier Mail

Frogs

The most vulnerable frogs in NSW are being ravaged by a deadly parasite. Two strains of the myxosporean parasite were linked last year to rapidly declining frog numbers. Now, research from Taronga Zoo and the University of Sydney has revealed the disease hits endangered frogs hardest, but frogs raised in the zoo do not develop the parasites. The parasites infect frogs' livers and brains, especially at the tadpole stage, and can make them less mobile and vulnerable to predators, or stop them metamorphosing into adults. This can have a devastating impact, says Dr Karrie Rose, the head of the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health at Taronga Zoo. The single-celled parasites, found only in NSW and Queensland, have a link with jellyfish, and are a rare example of an organism becoming less complex as it evolves.

Research shows frogs most affected include some of NSW's most endangered species, such as the green and golden bell frog. But researchers found frogs reared at the zoo do not develop the parasites. 'Even if you have adults with the parasite, if you take the eggs away from them you don't get the transmission,'' said Dr David Phalen, director of the Wildlife and Conservation Centre at the University of Sydney. The discovery could be used to help replenish endangered species. Researchers will now map how and where the parasite spreads and develop ways to contain it. *Age

Wildlife Bytes 15/5/12

Whale Wars

Paul Watson, the founder of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, has been arrested in Germany and will be extradited to Costa Rica. The activist group has labelled the arrest as "nonsense" and called for the charges against the Canadian-born Watson to be dropped. Sea Shepherd says Watson, who is the captain of the Steve Irwin ship, has been arrested on a Costa Rican warrant over an incident which occurred in 2002. "The specific 'violation of ships traffic' incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero," the group said in a statement.  "On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their illegal shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted." Sea Shepherd claims that while it was taking the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned. "A Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew," the group said. "The crew of the Varadero accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy. "To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings." *AsiaPacific News

Wildlife trafficking

A German man who was caught with 49 live lizards in his luggage at Munich airport claimed the creatures were for his dinner and even offered to bite the head off one to prove it. The man was traveling back from Oman in the Middle East when customs officials discovered 31 spiny-tailed lizards and 18 other assorted breeds of lizard in his suitcase, Germany's DPA news agency reported. The 28-year-old man claimed the reptiles were for his "personal food supply" and offered to eat one of the creatures in front of officials as proof. "The traveler was even going to bite the head off of one of the spiny-tailed lizards under the eyes of customs officials," a spokesman said. The lizards are now being cared for by veterinarians in Munich and are said to be doing fine. The traveler may face a fine of several thousand euros for transporting protected animals. *FoxNews

Victoria's Threatened Species

Fewer than half of the threatened species listed under Victorian flora and fauna laws have had a formal plan drawn up by the environment department to manage their survival. An analysis by lawyers at the Environment Defenders Office (EDO) found that of 599 threatened plant and animal species listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, only 270 have an action statement to manage their conservation as legally required. Of the 75 ecological communities and potentially environmentally harmful processes listed under the act, just 31 have action statements. Only one draft action statement - for the dingo - has been released in the past year. The analysis found that virtually nothing had changed since a damning April 2009 Auditor-General's report concluded that laws to protect threatened species were out of date, underused and failed to provide a framework to conserve endangered flora and fauna.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/threatened-species-still-missing-out-20120508-1yawr.html#ixzz1uPMf2TuP

Penguins

Dozens of Victoria's protected Little Penguins have been found mauled to death at the popular Phillip Island Nature Park. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said 27 Little Penguins were found at Cat Bay, Shelly Beach and Penguin Parade Car Park yesterday. Two Water Rats, also protected animals, were also found dead. DSE wildlife officers are investigating the cause of death, but the injuries are consistent with a dog attack. Owners of dogs that attack wildlife on public land face fines of up to $3000. The Little Penguin, which is also known as the Fairy Penguin, is the world's smallest penguin species and the only penguin permanently found in Australia. Phillip Island is home to one of the world's largest colonies. Every night at dusk, hundreds of the penguins swim ashore and make their way to their homes in the nature reserve. Known as the Penguin Parade, it is a popular tourist destination that attracts thousands of people each year. *AAP

Frogs

A foam cooler will be the unlikely vessel carrying the young of one of Australia's most endangered species from Melbourne Zoo to the marshlands of Mount Kosciuszko next week. Inside the cooler will be five plastic tubs containing 60 black eggs each. Resting on moss like jewels on velvet, the precious eggs belong to the striking black and yellow southern corroboree frog. With fewer than 100 southern corroboree frogs remaining in the wild, the species' critically endangered status means slumming it in a cooler is unusual. Normally this species enjoys the Rolls-Royce treatment. These eggs started life at Melbourne Zoo's $75,000 amphibian centre, a purpose-built climate-controlled facility that is playing a key role in the captive breeding program in Victoria and NSW. And although they will travel to their new alpine address in a cooler, it will be a helicopter that drops them at their remote mountain-top home on Tuesday. Amphibian keeper Raelene Hobbs said while the zoo had been participating in a national recovery program since the mid-1990s, it was the first time it had released corroboree frog eggs into the wild.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/rescuers-hope-egg-drop-will-be-giant-leap-for-rare-frog-20120511-1yi3z.html#ixzz1unDmZ48x

Gladstone Protest

An environmentalist who chained himself to a ship to protest against dredging in Gladstone Harbour says he does not regret his actions despite having to appear in court. But Mark ‘‘Potts’’ Driscoll, 48, will have to keep any further protests within the confines of the law after he was issued with a $2000 good behaviour bond in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today. Driscoll, a former real estate agent, was arrested on March 14 after he boarded and then chained himself to a dredging ship working to prepare Gladstone Harbour for the city’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) boom. Dredging in the harbour, which is in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, has been criticised by several environmental groups after fish in Gladstone began developing red eyes and lesions.  *Age

Game Meat

SSAA Media & Publications from South Australia has expanded from magazine to book production, preparing to release Field to Fork - The Australian Game Cookbook. The new cookbook features a range of game meat recipes that will help the home cook explore the world of alternative meat choices.  They came meats are becoming increasingly sought after in the professional cooking industry, and SSAA Media & Publications is now trying to create familiarity with game so people are confident to prepare them at home. In doing so, they are encouraging readers to live sustainably and to take advantage of the rich and varied wildlife that is abundant in Australia. Duck, deer, quail, kangaroo and rabbit are just some of the game meats that Field to Fork is encouraging people to put on their kitchen table. The publisher is an arm of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA), and calaims its portfolio of magazines and books aims to foster an understanding and further the promotion of the shooting sports and recreational hunting in this country. We say, put game meat on the table and get sick. Game meat carries a whole range of parasites and bacteria, including salmonella and eColi, and most shooters dont know how to keep game meat in a conditon safe to eat anyway.*

Weedkillers

Farmers are being forced to use poisonous chemicals and revert to outdated tilling methods to cope with a growing breed of herbicide-resistant "super weeds". The problem, triggered by overuse of the popular weedkiller Roundup, poses health and environmental risks, including soil pollution and toxicity to humans, and is substantially driving up farm costs. Since the 1980s, Roundup, otherwise known as glyphosate, has been heralded as a farming panacea - cheap, easy to use and relatively safe. But in several countries, including Australia, an over-reliance means weeds have evolved to withstand it. The first glyphosate-resistant weed in Australia, annual ryegrass, emerged in 1996. Another five have since been added to the list. In cities, authorities are also battling glyphosate-resistant weeds on roadsides and railway lines.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/farmers-reach-for-big-guns-as-super-weeds-refuse-to-die-20120507-1y9e2.html#ixzz1uPNNeNjE

Koalas

Mid north coast conservationists want a statewide koala summit to be held later this year.  The summit is just one of the plans that came out of an environmental conference held in Coffs Harbour last weekend.  The Nature Conservation Council's regional conference discussed threats to other species and rising sea levels.  The NCC spokesman Pepe Clarke, says mining and coal seam gas activity were also hot topics.  He says logging and mining are just some of the threats to koalas.  "We're discussing plans to hold a statewide conservation summit later this year, possibly in September and there was some detailed discussion around what that summit should look like what it should seek to achieve.  "We're keen to bring together the very latest science together with stakeholders to talk about how we can best protect and restore koala populations, " he said.  Mr Clarke says concern also surfaced about weaker environmental assessment laws.  "There's been a concerted push at a national level and also in NSW by industry, by developers and by the mining lobby to weaken many of the environmental protections that the community has fought so hard for.  "If the koala's in decline, it's a good sign that we need stronger environmental protections, not weaker," he said. *ABC

Kangaroos

An explosion in kangaroo and koala numbers caused by two years of high rainfall is damaging the Adelaide Hills and needs control. The Hills are like an oasis surrounded by arid areas which fenced in the animals, Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board presiding member Chris Daniels said. There were so many koalas in the Hills they were "over-grazing" some gum trees. Mr Daniels said planned national wildlife corridors, while benefiting the environment and endangered animals, may worsen the overpopulation. "There is always talk of culling but I am not a fan of culling and it makes people exceedingly angry," he said. "Desexing of koalas had some success on Kangaroo Island but we don't have the money for that now and it is enormously expensive," Mr Daniels said. Fauna Rescue koala co-ordinator Rae Campbell said there was increasing contact between people and domestic animals and koalas. "I had three calls this afternoon, one was a false alarm but two were dog attacks and the animals had to be put down," she said. *Adelaide Now

Hunting

New laws proposed in New South Wales are set to allow children as young as 12, armed with bows and arrows, dogs, and knives, to hunt feral animals without adult supervision. The new guidelines have been drawn up by the NSW Game Council, the State Government body which regulates hunting. Children are already allowed to hunt feral animals, but they cannot do it alone. The head of the NSW Game Council, Brian Boyle, says the age limits are being lowered to encourage families to get involved. Mr Boyle told local ABC radio the proposed changes to the Game and Feral Animal Control Act put more control in the hands of parents. "The child could still be supervised, they still have to have their parents' permission to be able to do that, and their parents are the best people placed to make that decision, not people outside," he said. He says the changes are also about also ensuring cleaner, more humane kills. "The animal has to be lined up, has to be broadside on. It's a heart or lung shot so that it is taken humanely. If the animal's disturbed you could have a chance that the animal moves and the shot is not perfect. So it is about animal welfare concerns," he said. *ABC
Read more  ..  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-05/young-hunters-allowed-more-freedom/3993180?WT.mc_id=newsmail

AZWH Patient of the Week...Heather the Brushtail Possum

Found at Glenview after falling from a tree while it was cut down. Transported to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for emergency treatment and care.
Veterinary Assessment: X-rays revealed Heather had sustained fractures in both hind legs, had severely dislocated her right hip, and had a severe open wound to her right knee. Her pinky joey inside her pouch had sadly not survived the fall. Dr Amber administered Heather pain relief and fluids, and operated the same day to clean and repair her knee. After a few days of antibiotics, a second surgery was performed to repair her dislocated hip. Heather remains on pain relief and is undergoing supportive care. She is recovering very well and her wounds are looking clean and healthy. Her legs will remain bandaged for at least the next 6 weeks to allow the fractures to heal. AZWH Statistic: More than one tree fall victim is admitted on average each week. *

Seals

Once hunted to the very edge of extinction, the South Australian fur seals have made a comeback, notably on Kangaroo Island. In fact, the seal population has recovered so much that certain interests are pushing for a cull. Arguments go that the seals pose a problem for fish farms, that they are threatening the fairy penguins of Kangaroo Island and, most dubious of all, that a seal "harvest" would be profitable. The first argument is not an excuse to kill wild animals, if the second becomes substantiated by scientific evidence then the answer is sterilisation, not slaughter, and the third is complete nonsense. Even if profit were a valid motive, which it isn’t, the economic argument holds no water.  The infamous seal cull in Canada only survives because of government subsidies - the market for seal pelts has collapsed.  *
Sign a Petition against the cull now!  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/881/531/101/prevent-kangaroo-island-seal-cull//

Reef Rescue Dumped

The Gillard government has axed the flagship project for its troubled $2 billion Caring for Our County national environment grants program. The $200 million Great Barrier Reef Rescue program has been dumped in this week's budget, ending one of of Australia's most successful and globally-emulated landcare conservation projects. The widely-praised program, launched by the former Rudd government in 2007 to deliver on an election campaign promise, will end next year. *Canberra Times
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/greens-attack-govt-over-smoke-and-mirrors-cuts-to-conservation-20120509-1ydge.html#ixzz1uPSdIo9x

Tassie Devils

A government plan to turn Tasmania's Maria Island national park into a last refuge for the disease-plagued Tasmanian devil has sparked strong opposition from wildlife advocates. Attempts to safeguard the marsupial against extinction in the wild are focusing on the island after rejection of a plan to fence healthy devils into Tasmania's north-west corner. 'We decided a single breach by a diseased devil would have negated that whole project,'' said Chris Boland, science manager for the federal-state Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, ''so Maria becomes of critical importance.'' But conservation groups are worried that releasing devils on Maria Island could be too costly for birds and other animals on the island. The 115-square-kilometre island, five kilometres off Tasmania's east coast, is rich in wildlife.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/island-may-be-devils-last-chance-20120510-1yfoy.html#ixzz1uX6qKMxI

Ed Comment; It's a very silly idea. Maria Island has several endanged species already, and a devil introduction would decimate those birds and animals. Read more about the Maria Island animals here  ..   http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/mariaisland.html

Climate Change

Scientists fear billions of tree deaths caused by a 2010 drought in the Amazon region of South America could see the vast forest turn from a carbon sink to a carbon source. Billions of trees died in the record drought that struck the Amazon in 2010, raising fears that the vast forest is on the verge of a tipping point, where it will stop absorbing greenhouse gas emissions and instead increase them. The dense forests of the Amazon soak up more than one-quarter of the world’s atmospheric carbon, making it a critically important buffer against global warming. If the Amazon switches from a carbon sink to a carbon source that prompts further droughts and mass tree deaths, such a feedback loop could cause runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences. *EcoNews
Read more  ...  http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/amazon-tree-deaths-may-be-climate-tipping-point/

Become a Wildlife Warrior

By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *

Kangaroos

Like everyone else, kangaroos fart. And, contrary to some hopeful theories, marsupial farts contain methane, found a new study. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with at least 20 times more heat-trapping potential than carbon dioxide. Cows and other ruminants are notorious for their methane-filled burps, which are not just a concern for global warming. The fact that they belch methane also mean that these animals are not using their feed to produce energy as efficiently as farmers would like. For decades, scientists have pursued the intriguing possibility that marsupials produce little to no methane. In turn, some experts have proposed that people should switch from eating beef to eating methane-free animals. Others have wondered whether bacterial communities in kangaroo stomachs might hold the secret to creating earth-friendlier cows. To see whether marsupials might eventually lead the way to greenhouse gas reductions, researchers working at the Copenhagen Zoo put eight red-necked wallabies into large respiration chambers. The enclosures allowed them to measure the gasses that each animal produced. The wallabies clearly produced methane, the researchers reported in the Journal of Animal Science. When fed the same diet that cows get, wallabies produce one-quarter to one-third as much methane. That means that marsupials don’t pollute quite as much as cows do. But kangaroos likely wont be the solution to climate change, either. * Discovery.com 
Ed Comment; Gotta hand it to the researchers.....the Planet going down the gurgler, and they get funding to do research about kangaroos farting!

Whales and Mining

There are two booms under way in Australia, and scientists warn they are on a collision course. Soaring mineral exports threaten to run into increasing whale populations. The first clear evidence of where east Australian humpbacks breed has found they favour waters off rapidly expanding Queensland ports. With whale numbers climbing at about 10 per cent each year, scientists predict increased ship strikes as more mothers and calves move inshore. And the federal government is expected to release today new offshore oil and gas exploration areas in key blue whale habitat, sparking a contest over these marine giants as well. Despite becoming a common sight off Australia's east coast, humpbacks have remained largely hidden from view in critical breeding grounds off the Great Barrier Reef. Using Coastwatch aerial sightings data and global humpback habitat as models, the University of Queensland's Joshua Smith found two hot spots: east of Mackay, and in the Capricorn and Bunker island groups off Gladstone. Both ports are among at least seven on the Queensland coast slated for expansion. Dredging at Gladstone Harbour for a major gas terminal on Curtis Island has drawn the attention of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. It will decide in weeks whether urban and industrial expansion endangers World Heritage status. ''There is likely to be a greater reliance on the coastal waters of Mackay and Gladstone as the season progresses, and mothers with newborn calves utilise these areas more,'' he said in the journal Marine Ecology. *Age

Ed comment; Its good point! What will these extremely high shipping movements do to the migration of the humpback whales, and what will happen to the whalewatching Industry?

Dolphin and Seabird Deaths

Officials insist that the two die-offs are unrelated. The dolphins are succumbing to a virus, they suggest, and the seabirds are dying of starvation because anchovies are in short supply. But even three months after officials began testing the dolphins, the government has not released definitive results, and there is growing suspicion among the public and scientists that there might be more to the story. Some argue that offshore oil exploration could be disturbing wildlife, for example, and others fear that biotoxins or pesticides might be working their way up the food chain. [Lets hope its NOT that because that means just about all top predator life in the ocean is doomed... likewise, hope its not a virus either for same reason.]  At least 877 dolphins and more than 1,500 birds, most of them brown pelicans and boobies, have died since the government began tracking the deaths in February, the Environment Ministry said last week. The dolphins, many of which appeared to have decomposed in the ocean before washing ashore, were found in the Piura and Lambayeque regions, not far from the border with Ecuador. The seabirds, which seem mostly to have died onshore, have been found from Lambayeque to Lima. “Never in my 40 years as a fisherman have I seen anything like this,” said Francisco Ñiquen Rentería, the president of the Association of Artisanal Fishermen in Puerto Eten, in the Lambayeque region. “Sometimes in the past, you’d randomly see a dead dolphin or a pelican, but this, what’s happening now, is really alarming. It is odd indeed,”

Gabriel Quijandría, the deputy environment minister, acknowledged in an e-mail. “But they are not related.” The federal Ocean Institute has said that the most likely culprit in the dolphin deaths is the morbillivirus, from a family of viruses linked to previous mass deaths of marine mammals, Mr. Quijandría said, though officials in recent days have sounded less certain. For the seabirds, he wrote, the “most plausible hypothesis so far” from the National Agricultural Health Service is that they are dying from a lack of food, mainly anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), a Peruvian anchovy, as a result of the sudden heating of coastal waters. The Environment Ministry said the dolphin deaths had no link to fisheries, red tides or other biotoxins, bacteria, heavy metals or pesticides. It said it had also ruled out any connection to offshore seismic testing by companies to locate oil and gas deposits under the seabed. Still, fishermen, environmentalists and others suspect that government officials are not being completely candid. The discovery of dead animals on beaches near Lima, the capital, in recent days has complicated matters. Over the weekend, the Health Ministry issued an alert advising people to avoid the waters around Lima and to the north, “until we know the cause of the recent deaths of marine species.” –NY Times

Ed Comment; Sounds a bit like the Qld Government talking about Gladstone Harbor.....

Bats under Attack Again!

Bats are in the sights of the new State Government, with growers to be allowed kill permits to stop flying foxes repeatedly decimating their crops. Growers say they only want to open fire on "scouts" to deter colonies and that a "small minority" in Brisbane has hijacked the debate. Animal rights groups, however, claim humane methods are the only viable solution. The Newman Government has plans to overhaul the damage mitigation permit (DMP) system to allow faster approval and an increase in permit durations. The new Environment Minister, Andrew Powell, says lethal DMPs will only be issued to farmers "as an absolute last resort". The policy will focus on "huge congregations" in places such as Charters Towers, Gayndah, Barcaldine and Bargara. Nervousness after last year's 18 Hendra virus incidents, and the detection of the virus near Townsville in January, has seen the discussion heat up. Leading the call for a "serious culling program" is federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, who claims talk is being dominated by a "clear-cut value system that puts the lives of bats higher than the lives of human beings".

Mr Katter said those seeking the protection of flying fox colonies were "sick and warped" and were likely to "really hate human beings". RSPCA spokesman Mark Townend said advocates of widespread culling needed to "take the emotion out of it". "Once you start culling, it's very easy for something to trigger even more culling than is necessary," he said. Bats Queensland spokeswoman Jeannette Miles said culling had "never worked". "It's incredibly inhumane," she said. "Only about 5 per cent of bats are killed by a headshot, the rest die very slowly. "If it's not humane and effective, it's not acceptable in a civilised society." General manager of conservation, strategy and planning at the Department of National Parks, Clive Cook said flying fox numbers did not warrant culling. Mr Cook said flying foxes - a major pollinator of a very large number of native eucalypts - were largely misunderstood. He said encouraging them to move to new areas was the key.

Charters Towers Mayor Ben Callcott - who once said "we have got no dinosaurs and we should not have any bats either" - agrees. Cr Callcott, who has previously suggested using helicopters to scare away the bats, has proposed creating a new habitat to lure away the colony that has roosted in the town for the past 12 years. "We've tried everything in the book and it doesn't work," he said. Council plans to improve a 931ha site 3km from the edge of town to attract the colony, at a potential cost of $1.5 million over three years. But not everyone in town agrees. "There is the possibility of a $100,000 fine for the first man who picks up a gun and shoots a bat," Cr Callcott said. "People say to me, if a hundred of us go there, they won't know who to fine. I won't be a party to that."

Cr Vic Pennisi, from Stanthorpe, said farmers in the region couldn't afford most human mitigation techniques, but were willing to try to find a balance. "Most of them are saying they would be happy to adopt humane methods of control, if they can be told what they are," he said. Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers spokesman Peter Hocking said while non-lethal options had their "merits", they also had a number of "cons". He said growers were left with the option of using firearms to deter scouts. "It's a critical part of crop protection," he said. "It's really only for five or six weeks of peak harvest season that we need the damage mitigation permits." Stanthorpe vineyard owner Angelo Puglisi, 68, said the debate was being overrun by a "minority group". "You've got to be able to stand up to the people who say, 'oh the poor little things, they're almost extinct'," he said. "Is it going to take the death of half a dozen human beings before they do something about it?"

Mr Puglisi said farmers would only shoot scouts as a last resort. "Many years ago, we used to go out with the gun club - responsible people with guns - and you just shot and shot and shot until they took off and went back to wherever they came from," he said. "Sure you killed quite a few, you destroyed a few, but you got them to leave the area." He said growers didn't want to "go around killing animals for nothing". "We're not murderers," he said. The Federal Government yesterday announced it would hand decision-making to the states, giving the Queensland government the ultimate power to sanction the removal or dispersal of problem bat camps without first securing Commonwealth permission. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said the proposal would remove unnecessary duplication but conservationists warned the second layer of bureaucracy was mechanism for protection. Queensland Conservation Council chairman Simon Baltais said flying foxes were increasingly encroaching on urban areas due to habitat destruction and said simply trying to move them on was a "short-term fix". "(The proposal) just speeds up a solution that's not going to work and pushes the problem on to somewhere else," Mr Baltais said. *Courier Mail


Help the Flying Foxes

If you have your copy of the today’s Courier Mail you will see the scurrilous headlines once again. It’s another cover story, front page pin up – it is sure to promote cruelty and further harassment so please keep your eyes and ears open. The minute you hear of any illegal activity against bats please call the DERM helpline 1300130372 and follow the crocodile prompts!  Our newly elected LNP Government are set to return lethal methods of crop protection and colony dispersals. There is sure to be a flying-fox question posed in their first sitting over the next 3 days, Tuesday to Thursday. We desperately need your support to help tell our politicians that his is nothing but cruel insanity. If you do nothing else to help bats this year, please write a letter of complaint to your local State Member of Parliament and also send the same letter to Messrs. Newman and Powell – perhaps Tony Bourke Federal Environment minister should get it too! Follow this link for their email addresses.     http://www.dontshootbats.com/contact-the-lnp.html

 Please review the Don’t Shoot Bats website to give yourself some knowledge of the present situation. Please send this link to your family and friends and encourage everybody that you know to write letters of complaint. Highlight the cruelty and futility of shooting and electrocution in your email and tell these politicians that as a society will not tolerate cruelty on any level.  Shooting doesn’t stop crop predation but exclusion netting does. This is fact.  Koalas future depends on the future of flying-foxes no me no tree. Koalas need bats – no me no tree.  The future of our forests is hanging in the balance.  The future of our beautiful, defenceless bats is too. Do your bit, think about what it’s going to be like for these poor animals and write your letters and emails:-

1.       Highlight the cruelty of shooting and the hardiness of these animals that can survive the most diabolical injuries for extended periods of time. As rescuers we know this is true as we see it all the time.

2.       The Government’s own Code of Practice for Carers states that the only acceptable method of humane euthanasia for native species is Lethabarb. How will the Government reconcile this fact with injured flying-foxes in orchards.

3.       Shooting is ineffective as crop protection as recommended by Government and Industry experts.

4.       Electrocution has the capacity to decimate entire populations of flying-foxes as demonstrated in a court action in 2001 when 18,000 Spectacled flying-foxes were killed in one 6 week period on one lychee farm in FN Queensland. One fifth of the world population of Speccies gone forever.

5.       Declining populations – 2 of the 4 species of flying-fox already Federally Listed as Vulnerable. The Government currently have no accurate population estimates for flying-fox numbers yet food shortage years like 2007 and 2010 continue to devastate populations, to allow shooting will push them over the edge.

6.       Ecological value as forest pollinators. No bats, no trees, no koalas.

 Thank you in anticipation, you are vitally important as you can make a difference if only to say to your self – I did send my letters I did try. We need you to do this – for the bats.   *Network Item

 Whales

WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion today marked the start of the annual humpback whale migration along the Western Australian coast with the release of a new children?s book about whale rescues. Mr Marmion said the release of Deepsea Whale Rescue was timely as wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) had already received several early reports of whales along the coast including a pod of killer whales off Rottnest Island last month. “The 13,000km round-trip taken annually by humpback whales from Antarctica to warmer waters in WA’s north can take its toll on some animals because they use up a lot of energy during their journey. This usually results in many whale stranding incidents,” he said. “If anyone sees a distressed, injured, beached or entangled whale, it is important to keep a safe distance from the animal, particularly as they can weigh in excess of 40 tonnes. “DEC has a small group of highly skilled wildlife officers who respond to a number of humpback whale stranding and entanglement incidents each year. Last year the team responded to eight entangled and 17 beached humpback whales.”

The Minister said DEC was the only registered training organisation in Australia which delivered a nationally accredited unit of competence in relation to large whale disentanglement. “These wildlife officers are internationally renowned and WA is very lucky to have such skilled professionals to assist with whale incidents, which can be extremely complex and dangerous,” he said. “Their fantastic work over the years inspired the story for Deepsea Whale Rescue, which helps to raise awareness about the various challenges whales face on their annual migration. The book has been distributed to almost 3,000 schools nationwide and is a valuable educational resource for children.”  The west coast population of humpback whales is currently estimated at 28,800. *PerthNow

Feral Snails

First mice, now snails are threatening the harvest, with Yorke Peninsula farmers fighting a plague with burn-offs and sweeping stubble with cables.  Bait laid last November to combat the annual snail season has been eaten by mice populations and coupled with the right weather conditions has farmers predicting this year's snail numbers could be the highest ever. The slow-moving pests destroy crops by eating roots and stems and abrading the crops. They've afflicted landowners for nearly a century after they were accidentally introduced by a visiting ship. Warooka farmer Graham Hayes is one battling snails to ensure his harvested wheat crops were delivered to silos pest-free. "Last year we spent $48,000 on 30 tonne of metaldehyde bait and we also had our worst-ever year for crop damage," he said. "But nothing we do can control them 100 per cent."

Mr Hayes has burnt paddocks, bought giant steel rollers to crush the pests and has bought specialist machinery to clean and screen his harvested crop. "The 2010 harvest was a wet one and the snails had laid their eggs before we had even finished taking the crops off," Mr Hayes said. "What caught us out was the mice plague meant they cleaned up the bait before the snails could eat them." Ideal growing conditions for snails meant the problem was spreading to the Eyre Peninsula and South East, as well as to parts of WA, NSW and Victoria. Mr Hayes said farmers hoped a second stage of a Grains Research and Development Corporation trials that were working towards developing a snail-eating parasite would prove successful when it started on his property next week. "We desperately need a solution," he said.

"We need something to break their life-cycle and nothing available to us at the moment can achieve that. "There is a lot of land for sale around here and it costs a lot of money to control snails. While the number on the market is not just because of the snails, it would be a factor that is contributing to the situation." SA Research and Development Institute entomologist Greg Barker said the impact of the pest "would be in the tens of millions of dollars nationally". "We eagerly await the trial results, which should be ready to analyse in two months," Mr Barker said. * SA news
Ed Comment; Perhaps if they hadnt destroyed all the habitat, and killed of the raptors, they may not have this problem?

Kangaroos


Second-hand accounts of a casual chat about Canberra's regular kangaroo culls over dinner at an Australian National University forum on climate change turned the talk into a "serious threat of physical violence" against ANU researchers, one of the participants in the conversation believes.  The Australian revealed this month that 10 of 11 documents found in the wake of a Freedom of Information request lodged with the ANU after reports in Fairfax Media and on the ABC of "death threats" against climate scientists at the university were found by the Privacy Commissioner not to "contain threats to kill or threats of harm". An 11th, the commissioner ruled, "could be regarded as intimidating and at its highest perhaps alluding to a threat". But he added: "I consider the danger to life or physical safety in this case to be only a possibility, not a real chance." The email says: "Looks like we've had our first serious threat of physical violence." A climate sceptic taking part in a deliberative democracy project on climate change in May 2010, it continues, "showed other participants his gun licence and explained to them how good a sniper he is". Retired Canberra public servant and 20-year kangaroo culler John Coochey believes he is the kangaroo culler referred to.

Mr Coochey took part in the first day of the project. At a dinner for participants, he says, he was approached by the ACT's then commissioner for sustainability and the environment, Maxine Cooper, whom he knew over matters to do with kangaroo culling, a vexed issue in Canberra. Dr Cooper, Mr Coochey says, asked how he had gone in the annual accreditation test cullers are required to pass. "I answered that I had top-gunned it with a perfect score," he told The Australian.  "I also showed her my new culling - not firearms - licence." Mr Coochey says he realised some fellow participants might have been disquieted by kangaroo shooting, so he "made small talk" about the marksmanship expertise needed to gain the licence. "This has now been portrayed as 'showing a firearms licence and boasting about my ability as a sniper'," he complained yesterday. The Australian was yesterday unable to contact Dr Cooper, now the ACT Auditor-General. The co-ordinator of the project, ANU academic Simon Niemeyer, said last night he had not been privy to the conversation. Mr Coochey said he had heard "absolutely nothing" from the university since. "If I had intended anyone any harm would I have advertised the fact knowing that there was a clear trail back to me?" he asked. *The Australian