Sunday, November 29, 2009

Wildlife Bytes 24/11/09

Wildlife Xmas Presents


Wildwood Wildlife Shelter in Victoria has a beautiful calendar for sale, with lots of kangaroos on it. They are selling them for $25 plus $6.95 postage each within Australia, extra for O/S of course. The addys are; Pam Turner, Wildwood Wildlife Shelter, Glenthompson. Vic. 3293 Email wildwoodws@optusnet.com.au 03 55774343, 0418 161 826 And please dont forget that Maryland Wilson from AWPC still has copies of "Kangaroos, Myths and Realities" for sale. Her email is; kangaroo@hotkey.net.au

And also dont forget the wonderful DVD "Kangaroos, Faces in the Mob" available here; http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-facesinthemob.htmlIf any wildlife group are selling Xmas cards etc, please let us know so we can pass it on.

Kangaroos

The NZ 60 minutes kangaroo story went to air on Monday 23 November, it can be viewed online here;
http://www.3news.co.nz/Bloody-Harvest-/tabid/371/articleID/130448/cat/923/Default.aspx The Producers have said they would like to get some Australian feedback....perhaps for a followup......so if you watch the Story, please leave a comment at the bottom of the page. The Japanese Whalers, and Russian and Chinese Embassies were advised about the story prior to it being shown, we hope they watched.

Here is very good article about livestock displacing wildlife by Geoff Russell. Geoff is a mathematician and computer programmer and is a member of Animal Liberation SA.http://bravenewclimate.com/2009/11/17/700-million-from-livestock/

Here is a NZ company that imports frozen kangaroo meat. Here's the web site: http://www.game-meats.co.nz/products

Meanshile in Nth Queensland a young girl has been mauled by a wallaby, and in Victoria, a dog chased a kangaroo into a farm dam, and then went into the water and was attacked by the defending kangaroo. The dogs owner was attacked when he tried to rescue the dog. Media have glossed over the attack, saying the dog and owner have survived, but no mention of how the kangaroo fared.

Farmonline Debate....Roos versus Cattle.

The MLA has also decided to wade into several other anti-red meat debates including the push, mainly by academics, to replace sheep and cattle with kangaroos. Putting aside the fact that kangaroos would be almost impossible to manage, MLA has estimated that 112 million roos would be needed to replace the eight million cattle now slaughtered in Australia each year.....Read more http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/finance/flannery-backs-farm-animals-in-fight-against-carbon/1681075.aspx?storypage=0

Whaling

A major review of Japanese government spending could spell the end to whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, according to Greenpeace, after the review committee proposed massive cuts in subsidies to a body which funds the so-called scientific research programme. The Spending Review Committee recommended that the Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Fund (OFCF), which gives loans to the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) to run the discredited science programme, have all of its funding revoked, except monies needed for loans in 2010. The OFCF claims it needs 70.4 billion yen (around US$780 million) for various programmes almost certainly including whaling, in 2010. The Review Committee and Cabinet Office will have the final decision if the proposed operations for 2010 are actually "necessary" or should also be cut.If the loans for whaling are revoked it is unlikely the ICR can continue to operate. The news comes less than 24 hours before US President Barack Obama is due to arrive in Tokyo. Whaling was already on the agenda for discussions between the two heads of state.

Gillnet Seized

Just days after TRAFFIC wrote to the fledgling South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) to express alarm that Flag States are allowing deepwater gillnetting, Australia has revealed it confiscated a huge gillnet set illegally in Antarctic waters earlier this year. The net, or rather series of nets strung together, was confiscated in April at Banzare Bank in the south western Indian Ocean and measured a staggering 130 kilometres from end to end-roughly the same distance as the width of New Zealand's South Island-and set at a depth of 1.5 km.

Wildlife Trafficking

If it wiggles, you can get busted. That's what happened to Michael Plank of Lomita, CA. He was arrested at LAX earlier this week when Federal officials found 15 lizards strapped to his chest. The 40 year old Plank was returning from a trip to Australia, when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and eleven skinks, another type of lizard, fastened to his body. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that all Australian reptiles are strictly regulated and Plank did not have a permit for them. Plank has been released on $10,000 bond and will be arraigned in federal court on December 21. *Examiner

Hunting

A student has been killed in US by a hunter shooting in a National Park. Three students were an an assignment in the Park, when a hunter shot one of them dead, and injured another. He later said he thought they were deer. The students death is the 39th hunting fatality in Virginia since 1998 and the first of those that has involved a non-hunter, said Julia Dixon, a Game and Inland Fisheries spokeswoman. But it's not rare for hunters to mistake people for wildlife. In 17 of the 39 fatalities, the shooters said they fired at what they thought was an animal. *

Meanwhile, Two men have been fined for illegal pig hunting in a nature reserve near Lennox Head. The men were detected hunting pigs in the Ballina Nature Reserve with remote cameras that are used as part of a pig monitoring program. The National Parks and Wildlife Service says the pair have been fined for illegal hunting. Ranger Lisa Walker says such an act interferes with pig control programs, and does more harm than good. "They definitely are [hunting] and not only are they scaring the wildlife, but they're disrupting the trapping program which has been very successful," she said. "There's been 154 pigs trapped in the last 12 months in the Newrybar Swamp area. "So we really don't want people going in there and disrupting that program which has been so successful in co-operation with our reserve neighbours." *ABC

Lions

Eight British holidaymakers are suing a South African wildlife park after their open-sided vehicle overturned and became surrounded by lions. The holidaymakers are together seeking more than $1 million in damages from Sanbona Wildlife Reserve over the incident in March 2007, claiming the incident caused them lasting trauma. In legal documents, the holidaymakers — two of whom were on their honeymoon — claim the accident happened when a park employee tried to reverse too quickly up a hill. They claim the big cats quickly closed in on the stranded group, with one lion even making off with one of the tourist's boots. "The whole experience was terrifying and frightening … I'll do anything to make sure nobody like us has to go through that again," Michael Hawker, 71, told Britain's Times newspaper. * 9News

Rare Fly

A rare species of fly that has only been found south of the border until now was recorded for the first time in Scotland this summer. Naturalists carrying out a survey of insect life at National Trust for Scotland's Rockcliffe nature reserve near Dalbeattie on the Solway Firth have come across an unusual species of Soldier Fly - Chorisops tibialis - which is found occasionally in more Southerly areas of the UK. Chorisops tibialisis is a small, slender fly with a metallic green head and thorax. It is most commonly found in wetland areas. "This fly has been recorded a few times as far North as Cumbria before, but never in Scotland as far as we know," said the Trust nature conservation adviser Mr Lindsay Mackinlay. "It's a lovely insect not to mention an exciting find and we'll continue to keep an eye out for it in the future." *Wildlife Extra

Frogs

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says about 500 endangered Oregon spotted frogs have been released this fall at a lake on the Fort Lewis Army base near Tacoma. It's the second year that the tiny frogs have been released at Dailman Lake, which is part of the frogs' historic habitat. The frogs once ranged from southwestern British Columbia to northeastern California. But loss of habitat and nonnative predators decimated their numbers, and the state listed it as endangered in 1997. The frog now is only known to be in Washington's Klickitat and Thurston counties. The frogs spent their first nine months in captive rearing programs at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, Portland's Oregon Zoo, and the Cedar Creek Corrections Center near Olympia, where inmates helped raise them. *Seattle PI

Scaredy-cat tigers

Zoo-keepers in China say their tigers have grown so tame that they're frightened of the chickens they're supposed to eat. The Chongqing Wild Animal Park has five rare adult white tigers which were originally trained to perform tricks for visitors, reports the Chongqing Morning Post. Keepers have been trying to encourage them to follow their natural instincts by throwing them live chickens - but without success. Feeder Shi Ruqiang said: They're supposed to be wild and scary, but due to their soft lifestyles and human care they have gradually lost their wild nature. "I have been trying to interest them with live chickens but it was quite a funny scene. The tigers were so scared that they wouldn't go near them. "One chicken passed out and the tigers did eventually approach it - but then it woke up again and squawked and they ran for their lives!" Shi says the keepers are now forcing the tigers to stay outside their cages for at least 12 hours a day to toughen them up. And they are planning to introduce a wild tiger to show the domesticated big cats the ropes. "If all else fails, we will simply cut down their rations until they are so hungry that they are forced to hunt for themselves," he added. *Ananova

Echidnas

DNA analysis of the land-loving, spiny echidna has found it was once an amphibious platypus-like creature. The study by Australian evolutionary biologists shows the platypus and echidna diverged from the same ancestor between 19 and 48 million years ago. Their finding, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, contradicts the widely held view that monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, are "living fossils" that have not evolved. Monotremes are a unique group of animals made up of the echidna and the platypus. These animals lay eggs from which their young emerge, like a reptile, but are 'warm-blooded' and suckle their young, like a mammal.Read more here.... http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/09/22/2692080.htm?topic=

Rhinos

International scientists have launched an extensive programme to protect the Sabah rhino, together with the Malaysian government. The Sabah rhino population, a subspecies of the Sumatran rhino, has dropped to less than 50 individuals. In an attempt to save the species, scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, working in collaboration with Zoo Leipzig, the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), have started an extensive conservation programme to protect and breed these impressive mammals. *Wildlife Extra

Kangaroos

The Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Maxine Cooper, is conducting an investigation into Canberra Nature Park (nature reserves); the Molonglo River Corridor (nature reserves) and Googong Foreshores and is inviting public submissions. The Terms of Reference are available at: http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/168731/ocse_nature_reserves_terms_ref.pdf Submissions need to be lodged by close of business on Tuesday 22 December 2009. All submissions will be made public unless otherwise requested in writing. Please send your submission to: The Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment PO Box 356 Dickson ACT 2602 Or email: envcomm@act.gov.au

Ed Comment; This "investigation" will almost certainly produce a document that will support more kangaroo kills in the ACT area. However if the submissions are to be made public it may provide an opportunity to be critical of previous "investigations".

Dunnarts

A small Australian marsupial is taking a lesson from the reptile world and basking in the sun to conserve energy and improve its chances of survival, a researcher has found.The fat-tailed dunnart, one of Australia's smallest and most widespread marsupials, basks in the sun to reduce its need for food and water in the desert - a strategy traditionally associated with 'cold-blooded' animals. Dr Lisa Warnecke of the University of New England found that dunnarts bask to warm their body while arousing from torpor - a short hibernation that some mammals can go into for a few hours each day. The findings appear online in the Journal of Comparative Physiology B. Read more here.... http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/11/17/2742311.htm


Kangaroo Meat Contamination

The kangaroo meat industry's failure to adhere to hygiene regulations is placing public health at risk, a former senior food safety bureaucrat says. Dangerous levels of salmonella and E.coli have been found in kangaroo meat destined for human consumption, backing up claims by a former NSW chief food inspector, Desmond Sibraa, that the industry is failing to adhere to the Australian standard which determines the conditions under which the animals are harvested, transported and stored. 'There is a big difference between animals slaughtered in an abattoir with an inspector present, and a kangaroo shot in the bush with dust and blowflies,'' said Dr Sibraa, who was chairman of the food advisory committee which drafted the laws governing kangaroo harvesting more than 20 years ago. ''Some of these blokes don't know what they're doing.''

To rid meat of salmonella, the deep muscle must reach at least 60 degrees, Dr Sibraa said. But the tradition of serving kangaroo rare to avoid toughness meant it was unlikely to reach such a temperature. As well as poisoning from salmonella and E.coli, diners on kangaroo sourced from unhygienic environments also risked contracting toxoplasmosis, which can result in foetal death or birth defects in affected women. The contaminated meat samples were collected by the animal rights group Animal Liberation and were independently tested by Biotech Laboratories last month. In May the group's Sydney office was raided by NSW and Queensland police after accusations by the industry that activists had broken into chillers in northern NSW and southern Queensland and contaminated carcasses.

Animal Liberation's spokesman, Mark Pearson, denied the allegations and said all the chillers accessed were unlocked at the time the samples and video evidence were taken. Police said their investigations were continuing and no charges had been laid. Dr Sibraa said the video footage showed paws and necks touching dirty floors stained with old blood, and kangaroo carcasses crammed so close that it would be impossible for cool air to circulate adequately. Leaked memos and internal documents seen by the Herald also showed evidence that trucks were being ''loaded hot'', exposing the carcasses to temperatures above 25 degrees for extended periods. Chillers in remote areas regularly malfunctioned.

Last year Australia's biggest export market for kangaroo meat, to the Russian Federation, collapsed after a consignment was found to be contaminated with a bacteria the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service had no test in place to detect. The industry is wooing China as a replacement market for the 10,000 tonnes of kangaroo meat previously exported to Russia each year. An AQIS spokeswoman said reforms being implemented with state governments, included temperature-measuring equipment, monthly audits of the processing plants and microbiological testing improvements. The executive officer of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, John Kelly, said the Russian market suspension was more to do with politics than meat safety, and that standards were being met at all processing plants, each of which had a permanent AQIS presence.

He said claims by activists should be handled with scepticism: ''Animal liberationists treat the truth with great disrespect in a cynical attempt to appeal to well meaning but poorly informed concerned members of the public.'' But an ecotoxicology expert, Dr David Obendorf, said the kangaroo meat industry had been covering up problems for years and public health would continue to be put at risk until the Government elevated the game meat laws to meet the same stringent standards which exist for beef, pork and poultry. ''Kangaroo meat is an important source of protein, but its economy has been let down by the industry's decision to turn what should have been a niche quality market into a bulk market,'' he said. "Because the meat must be cooked rare you only need a small amount of contamination at any of the critical control points along the chain and you have a problem. The low standards in the industry mean it's a problem begging to exist.'' *Sydney Moring Herald


MEDIA RELEASE, WILDLIFE GROUPS CALL FOR INQUIRY INTO KANGAROO KILLINGS Wildlife groups are calling for an inquiry into the slaughter of half a million kangaroos in Victoria by farmers since 1999. Landholders in Victoria are being given permits to kill tens of thousands of protected kangaroos every year, even in good seasons and in areas not affected by drought. This is despite research showing that kangaroos do not compete with stock for pasture. Kangaroos are also being shot without proper assessment of population numbers, locally or regionally, putting them at risk of local and regional extinction. In recent cases, local residents were devastated to discover that permits has been given to kill the equivalent of the total population of kangaroos in Colac, Gippsland, and Bendigo, causing a public outcry for the unjustified and brutal killing of protected native wildlife. Colac resident Carola Anstis and East Gippsland resident Valerie Hickey, recently had to stand by and watch as their local kangaroos were shot by local farmers. “Why permits to kill kangaroos in the Marlo area (East Gippsland) are being given, is beyond comprehension. The land here where sheep and cattle graze is in excellent condition, and unaffected by drought. Kangaroos are not abundant in this area, and pose no threat to stock pasture. The DSE and farmers have a long association, and I believe the DSE feels obliged to comply with farmers wishes. This issue could be addressed if DSE provided farmers with accurate facts about our wildlife and the current research about their positive co existence”, said Valerie Hickey.Carola Anstis is equally disturbed by the current situation and the destruction of kangaroos that live at her wildlife sanctuary. "With regard to my particular case, and recent permits to kill kangaroos on my neighbours property, no assessment was made of the property with regard to pasture improvement and carrying capacity to determine whether in fact there is direct competition for food. No assessment was made as to whether the kangaroos are on the property all day, part of the day or just passing through, and no means of control other than the limited suggestions for gates in fences were examined before the permit to cull was issued. I refer to Wildlife Act 1975 and remind DSE that Eastern Grey Kangaroos are a protected species", stated Mrs Anstis.

“The research is very clear, that kangaroos do not compete with sheep and cattle for food, yet state and federal governments continue to allow the slaughter of millions of kangaroos every year across Australia based on this myth. In fact research is showing that kangaroos are beneficial to the environment and can enhance farm production if allowed to graze with stock”, said Nikki Sutterby, Australian Society for Kangaroos. The RSPCA has also expressed concern for the slaughter of kangaroos by private landholders and reported the following in its “Survey of the Extent of Compliance with the Requirements of the Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos”. (Prepared for Environment Australia by RSPCA Australia July 2002).

“The cruelty associated with non-commercial kangaroo killing is neglected by the authorities and control over the number of kangaroos killed and the methods used is ineffective”. “The consensus of opinion given by those associated with kangaroo management is that there is a far higher degree of inhumane killing of kangaroos in non-commercial killing” “There is no requirement for the license/permit holder to undertake any training in humane shooting or in firearms competency. In no state is there any system in place for monitoring the extent of cruelty associated with non-commercial shooting of kangaroos and it seems unlikely that any could be organised under the present method of damage mitigation”. (RSPCA Report 2002, http:/www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/publications/kangaroo-report/welfare.html#513) VALERIE HICKEY, 03 51548581/0427548581/41079007 CAROLA AND RON ANSTIS, CARLISLE RIVER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, PH; 52350202, NIKKI SUTTERBY,CO-ORDINATOR, AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR KANGAROOS, PO BOX 524 CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450, PH; 0417354408


Wildlife Trafficking

Thai police arrested two men on charges of smuggling African ivory into the country to supply shops that sell jewelry and trinkets, including to customers in the United States, authorities said Tuesday. Police said the arrests were the result of Thai efforts to more strictly enforce wildlife protection laws — amid concerns Thailand has become a hot spot for the illicit ivory trade that is growing in Asia. "Thailand has been criticized for neglecting wildlife trafficking," said Col. Seubsak Chavalviwat, deputy commander of the police's Natural Resources and Environment division. "We had to step up and get more strict on these crimes." Undercover officers purchased ivory from Samart Chokechoyma, 36, and Kanokwan Wongsaroj, 38, and DNA tests showed that it was of African origin, he said.

"We have evidence they were selling illegal ivory on the Internet to a customer in the United States," Seubsak said, without giving details. Conservationists say the trade in illegal ivory in Asia is growing with several countries reporting major seizures this year. In August, Thai authorities seized about two tons of African ivory worth an estimated $1.5 million at Bangkok's international airport. Three months earlier, Philippine authorities seized 3.5 tons of elephant tusks worth an estimated $2 million that had been transported to Manila from Tanzania, and in March, Vietnamese authorities seized 6.2 tons of higher quality African elephant tusks estimated to be worth more than $29 million at Hai Phong Port. *From AP


Timber Trafficking

Fish and Wildlife Service agents raided the Nashville factory of famed guitar maker Gibson on Tuesday, in apparent enforcement action under the expanded Lacey Act, the Nashville Tennesean reported. Officials were mum about possible seizures of imported hardwoods such as mahogany and rosewood that Gibson puts into its instruments, the newspaper reported. Congress last year amended the century-old Lacey Act, which had been used to halt international traffic in endangered animal species, to include trade in illegally-harvested logs and wood products. In a statement on its Web site, Gibson said it was fully cooperating with FWS. The company said it sources wood certified by the international Forest Stewardship Council, and “non-certified suppliers ensuring that all certified products meet FSC requirements.” The company said that Gibson chairman and chief executive Henry Juszkiewicz is a board member of the Rainforest Alliance, “and takes the issue of certification very seriously.” The Nashville newspaper noted that Gibson is an advocate for the use of sustainably-harvested woods in instrument manufacture. * JOC.com

Ed Comment, We have to wonder wether the authorities are so circumspect when it comes to inspecting the manufacturers of sporting rifles, which use exotic timbers such as rosewood, cocobolo, walnut and birdseye maple for rifle stocks.......


The Tipperary Animals

It's a curious tale of a hippopotamus, a pig hunter, a millionaire property developer, a red-faced government and now a game safari. The accidental shooting of a rare African species of pygmy hippo in the Northern Territory outback sparked peoples' imagination and raised the question: Whatever happened to the exotic animals of Tipperary Wildlife Sanctuary? Despite urban legends, the fantasy of a mini African menagerie wandering freely in the Top End could not be further from the truth. About 300 of the animals, including herds of critically endangered African scimitar horned oryx and addax, were sold to a hunting safari in the Northern Territory. A small number of the more crowd-attracting animals were transferred to a zoo in far north Queensland. Sadly, it is believed the remainder of Tipperary's 2000 animals suffered the same fate as the pygmy hippo following two separate and yet equally intriguing legal battles.

Pig shooter Nico Courtney said he would not have shot the pygmy hippo had he known what it was. Mr Courtney, 27, was out spotlight hunting with mates on November 12 in the Douglas Daly region, some 200km south of Darwin, when he shot what he thought was a pig. "We got out and had a look at it and thought that's not a pig, it's a hippo. "Then we thought you don't get hippos in Australia." Warren Anderson, the millionaire property developer who built the NT parliament and established Tipperary Sanctuary in 1986, said the death of the hippo could be blamed solely on the territory government. "I built that property up into a wonderful sanctuary for animals, our breeding programs were good, I had good men working for me and it all collapsed in a heap," Mr Anderson said. "That Labor government up there destroyed that wildlife park and you can lay the blame for the predicament these animals are in squarely on their shoulders."

Mr Anderson was accused of animal neglect for failing to adequately feed two of his rhinoceroses in 2003 and was subsequently arrested at gunpoint by police, but was later exonerated. The territory government was forced to publicly apologise and pay Mr Anderson an undisclosed sum of money. Mr Anderson eventually tried to sell the animals and the property. Mareeba Wild Animal Park in Queensland was to take most of the animals. The deal hit difficulties when the Mareeba sanctuary was raided in March 2004 by the Australian Federal Police, investigators from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and the RSPCA. The owner of Mareeba, David Gill, fled back to the UK, leaving the pending transfers in limbo. Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) at that time offered to relocate the animals caught up in the legal dispute.

A spokesman for ARAZPA said a small number of animals were later successfully transferred to Mareeba Wild Animal Park, which has since been sold and is today known as the Cairns Wildlife Park. However, the spokesman could not say definitively how many were transferred, nor did he know where the other animals from Tipperary Wildlife Sanctuary had been sent. "We have no animal inventory list for Tipperary because they were not a member of ARAZPA at the time," he said. "There was an array of wonderful animals there - whatever happened to them, I don't know. "When I left, the people who had bought the animals had not yet taken them off the property. "I don't know whether they collected them."

Kevin Gleeson, the owner of Mary River Australian Safaris, said he purchased about 300 of the animals from Mr Gill. "I saved those animals by buying them," he said. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the scimitar horned oryx is extinct in the wild and efforts are under way to reintroduce it. It is believed there are only a few thousand of them left in captivity around the world. Mr Gleeson said the scimitar horned oryx herd had doubled in size since being transferred to his property, about 300km south of Darwin, and that none had been taken as trophies to date. "I've got to be able to afford to feed and keep that animal, so sustainability is the key," he said. "If you want to help an animal species survive today you've got to give it a value. "I'm no different to the cattle farmers," he said, adding that he would offer surplus, non-breeding animals to hunters. "If you've got an endangered animal and you haven't got any management in place for that animal - then, yes, it is criminal to shoot it." It is understood the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has expressed an interest in having the pygmy hippo preserved by a taxidermist for inclusion in its display. *News.com


Birds

Concerns have been raised about a dramatic decrease in endangered bird numbers in Tasmania. Experts say drought, wildfires and the spread of urban development have contributed to the decline in numbers of the 40-spotted pardelote and the swift parrot. Conservationist, Sally Bryant, says pardelote, or 40-spot, numbers in the state have dropped significantly over the last decade. "In areas like Dennes Hill on Bruny Island, where I can remember going down and being flooded by the sound of 40-spots, it's now very quiet, even though the bird is far more easily identifiable there than in some of the small colonies. "My first reaction and certainly what the statistics are showing is that the numbers are very low," Ms Bryant said. Conservationists want the Tasmanian Government to save the habitats of endangered bird species on Bruny Island.

Peter McGlone from the Conservation Trust says logging of the parrot's habitat should be stopped now, instead of waiting for the completion of industry codes of practice, which are being drafted. "We know that an area on Bruny Island has been logged just in recent months that has swift parrot habitat in it," he said. "There are other areas in the south of the state that may well be being logged right now, and [the Primary Industries Minister] David Llewellyn needs to be proactive and make sure those logging operaitons stop." Forestry Tasmania has rejected claims it is rushing to log endangered species habitats before the new guidelines come into force. The Forest Practices Authority has been working with major logging companies, including Forestry Tasmania, to draft guidelines to protect important wildlife habitats. Forestry Tasmania's Hans Drielsma denies his company is rushing to cut down trees before the draft is approved. "There's absolutely no basis to any suggestions like that," said Dr Drielsma. He says harvesting has been stopped in areas where birds are breeding. *ABC


Thinking about Wildlife? Who’s going to watch over our wildlife when you no longer share their World? Well, we are! The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will continue to forcefully lobby governments to do better with wildlife management, and by taking them to Court if necessary. We are currently working on developing eLearning projects, so students can become aware of the importance of our wildlife living in a safe and secure natural environment. After you have looked after your family and friends in your Will, think about wildlife. A bequest to the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will ensure that we can continue to take a leading role in protecting and conserving our precious wildlife. None of the donations we receive are diverted to "administration". Every dollar we get through bequests or donations for wildlife hits the ground running! Talk to your solicitor, or if writing your own Will, add the words "I bequeath to The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. for the purpose of protecting wildlife in Australia (a specified sum), or (specified items including land or vehicle), or (the residue of my estate) or (percentage of my estate) free of all duties, and the receipt of the President, Secretary or other authorised WPAA officer for the time being shall be a complete and sufficient discharge for the executor(s)." You can also phone me for a confidential chat, as to how a bequest can help us work to protect our wildlife, when you are no longer able to. * Pat O’Brien, WPAA 07 54941890


Kangaroos - Faces in the Mob! (We recently ran out od stock of this very popular magical DVD, but now have new supplies in! Buy Now! Buy Now!....before we run out again!)

On the east coast of Australia lies a valley of magical beauty, surrounded by mountains and shrouded in mists during winter. In these idyllic surroundings live a mob of wild Eastern Grey Kangaroos whose society is rich and complex. Faces in the mob is an engaging true story of life within this one mob of Australian wild Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

For two years, award-winning Australian filmmakers Dr. Jan Aldenhoven and Glen Carruthers lived with this mob. Hear their compelling account of the world of these captivating marsupials where each animal has its own personality. Buy the DVD now with Paypal...$29.95 Au includes free postage in Australia.

http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-facesinthemob.html

Follow the destinies of two lovable joeys - a female named Sunshade whose mother is conscientious and successful, and Jaffa, a little male full of pluck and courage whose mother is absent-minded. And witness everything from birth to the dramatic and sometimes deadly battles between adult males.

Never before has the richness and complexity of the kangaroo society and the daily drama of their family life been revealed in such stunning detail. Superbly photographed, this beautiful story of Australia's most famous animal will captivate you from beginning to end. This is the best documentary about our beloved kangaroos that has ever been produced. Profits from sales of the DVD go to help the Kangaroo Protection Coalition to campaign for the protection of our beautiful kangaroos.

Buy the DVD now with $34.95 Au Paypal for International postage delivery. http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-facesinthemob.html

This DVD would make a great "All Year Round" present

Monday, November 23, 2009

Wildlife Bytes 17/10/09

It could only happen in Queensland

Without wishing to get sidetracked by the Hoo Haa surrounding the Traveston Dam fiasco, here is a very good summary of Peter Garretts decision by James Sinnamon, at http://candobetter.org/node/1650 James reminds us that Minister Garrett has only blocked two major proposals, both seriously flawed, so much so that both were blocked by an otherwise useless EPBC Act. One was the proposed and much lauded (by Anna Bligh) coal loading facility at Shoalwater Bay, and the other one was the Traveston Dam.

Meanwhile, The EPBC Act Review website ( http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review/ ) has been updated with the following announcement: On 30 October 2009, Dr Allan Hawke presented his final report for the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) - The Australian Environment Act: Report of the Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - to the Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. The Report follows an extensive consultation process conducted over 12 months. Under section 522A of the EPBC Act, the Minister must table the report in Parliament within 15 sitting days of receipt. Based on the current Parliamentary Sittings Schedules, this period will expire in early February 2010.

Note that many of the Submissions to this Independent Review, and to the prior Senate Review, were highly critical of the EPBC Act, and its many failings. Some groups suggested the Act should be scrapped and started off all over again. In a meeting with Garrett prior to the Elections, he assured us that it was Labor policy to strenghten the EPBC Act, and this Independent Review by Dr Hawke is apparently part of that process. However, any meaningful changes will have to go through the Labor political system, and may well be knocked over by Labor development and mining interests. If any changes to the EPBC Act survive this process, it may be years before they actually get legislated.

And, a little bit more about the politics of the Traveston Dam fiasco and other poor policy decisions imposed by the Qld Labor Party. Premier Anna Bligh appears to be copping a lot of flak over this, and other issues such as the failed water grid, water flouridisation and assett flogging. But it's not just Anna Bligh! Former Premier Peter Beattie also approved these issues, and why do you think he resigned? Because he knew that eventually there would have to be a public accounting! It's not just the"Bligh Labor Government" as the media fondly states. Its the Queensland Labor Party thats responsible, the powerful Industry lobby groups, and the rightwingers that rule the Labor policy process! And there's not a lot of options for something better. Although the new Queensland NLP is fighting back, and getting some community support, their support for flying fox shooting and relocation has lost them much credibility from many Queenslanders. In the past we have said to the opposition that if they wish to govern in Queensland, thay have to govern for all Queenslanders, not just a few rural residents, but it doesnt seem to have sunk in. Politics in Queensland is always a fascinating grab bag of unfathomable political strategies, rednecked politicians, corruption, cronyism, foot in the mouth syndrome, just plain stupidity, and inaccurate and biased media reporting. * WPAA


Kangaroos and the Media

Last week a TV crew from NZ 60 Miniutes arrived in Australia to do story about the kangaroo kill. They particullarly wanted to focus on the hypocracy of the Australian Government opposing Japanese whaling, while supporting the kangaroo kill, arguably much worse. I took them out to Toorbul, a little seaside town in Queensland with lots of wild kangaroos. They got magic footage of the wild kangas with the late afternoon sun on them, including shots of them grazing on lawns around the houses. Thursday morning they spoke with Agforce, and then interviewed me for a couple of hours again in the arvo. Interestingly, Peter Garrett said he didnt have the time to talk to them, and John Kelly for the KIAA said he wasnt interested.Then they took off out West to talk to a shooter. They were very sympathetic, loved the kangaroos, and will do a good story. One said he was coming back to buy a house at Toorbul! It may or may not be on Aust. TV in full, but segments may appear in the news. * WPAA

For those who watched the biased report on Landline over the weekend, the situation is not as grim for kangaroos as Landline reports. For those who missed it it can be seen here http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2008/s2743220.htm Landline stated that a Russian delegation will travel to Western Queensland in the New Year to examine improvements in the kangaroo meat supply chain. They claimed this follows top level talks in Moscow and Canberra over the past few weeks aimed at overturning an import ban over contamination and food safety issues. Since Russia accounts for two-thirds of the trade the outcome of these delicate negotiations and an overhaul of the industry may well determine the future of the kangaroo harvest, the Landline report claimed.

But in fact this Landline report included some old file footage of mob of kangaroos, and no substantiated facts or data. Wildlife and Animal Liberation groups have been talking to the Russian Embassy too, in Sydney, Moscow and Canberra. You can send an email with complaints about the Report to ABC Mediawatch here mediawatch@your.abc.net.au In reality the Russian ban created only one story for the Multinational media....it was that those Russians have cost hundreds of hardworking Australian their jobs...that's the only story they were interested in, not in reporting the real reasons for the ban...which was consistent contamination over many years, and concern about the killing of the joeys. None of those issues are fixable........but if they were, why weren't they fixed years ago when the Russian complaints first started rolling in?

Meanwhile Qld Premier Anna Blighs office is still sending out emails claiming Animals Australia was part of the Code of Practice Review and supported the Code. In fact AA did NOT support the Code of Practice and argued strongly against it. The letter from the Premiers office states that " Additionally, the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes 2008 has been produced to ensure that all harvesting of kangaroos is undertaken in a way that euthanising of pouch young and young at foot. There was disagreement on key issues within the working group that produced the Code, which included representatives from Commonwealth, State and Territory Government authorities responsible for kangaroo management and welfare, the kangaroo industry, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and Animals Australia. The working group also sought public comment on the revision of the Code." Unquote. Animals Australia did not support the Code, and demanded that their opposition be recorded in the Minutes. But that hasn't stopped the Queensland Government from implying in letters to constituents that AA did support the Code of Practice for the commercial killing of kangaroos.....

Over the last few weeks, human consumption kangaroo meat from different supermarkets in Melbourne,Sydney, and Brisbane were purchased by wildlife and animal liberation groups and tested in Independent laboratories in those three cities. All had high levels of salmonella, and most contained eColi. The Telegraph ran a story about this, but other media don't seem to be that interested. However the results will be sent to the Supermarket management and the Government. It's interesting that when some claim the commercial kangaroo Industry is wellmanaged, one has to wonder why Government testing hasnt found this contamination....or has it? * WPAA


New Snail Found

Queensland Museum scientist Dr John Stanisic has named a rare species of tree snail discovered in north Queensland in honour of wildlife advocate and conservationist Steve Irwin. The snail, Crikey steveirwini, was found in the mountainous regions of north Queensland's Wet Tropics near Cairns. Honorary Research Fellow Dr Stanisic said that like its namesake, the Crikey steveirwini is a unique creature with some interesting qualities that set it apart from other land snails. "This is an extremely rare species of snail," Dr Stanisic said."So far it has only been found in three locations, all on the summits of high mountains in far north Queensland and at altitudes above 1,000 metres which is quite unusual for Australian land snails. "These mountainous habitats will be among the first to feel the effects of climate change and Steve Irwin's tree snail could become a focal species for monitoring this change. "In contrast with its more drab coloured ground-dwelling relatives, Crikey steveirwini is a colourful snail, with swirling bands of creamy yellow, orange-brown and chocolate giving the shell an overall khaki appearance. "It was the khaki colour that immediately drew the connection to the late Crocodile Hunter," Dr Stanisic said. *Qld Museum


Flying Foxes

Frustrated students will stage a mass walkout of Maclean High School tomorrow in a desperate bid to get authorities to remedy problems caused by a bat colony adjacent to the school The move, which has the backing of the school’s Parents & Citizens Association, was prompted by members of the school’s Student Representative Council and senior students. School captain Phoebe Zietsch said nobody wanted the bats harmed, but the effect on students and their learning environment needed to be highlighted. “They are quite loud even when they’re not flying and we can’t open any windows near where they are,” she said. “They have us pretty much surrounded.” She said students would like Environment Minister Peter Garrett at the school, but only if he was prepared to listen and act. She said students were taken aback by reports that ‘greenies’ had rung the school asking that students be quieter during recess and lunch.

She said students didn’t deliberately make noise to disturb the bats, but wished the callers good luck in trying to keep 1200 students quiet during breaks. Male captain Jordan Fisher said students had a right to come to school and learn in good conditions. “Conditions need to be conducive to learning and at the moment they’re not,” he said. Jordan, who has just started his Year 12 studies, said many of his courses were in the school’s G block, which had high exposure to the bats. He said many staff were supportive of the walkout because they too were affected. “It makes it very difficult for them to teach,” he said. The walkout will coincide with the school recess from 11-11.20am.

P&C president Lorraine White said that at a meeting on Monday night parents voted almost unanimously to support the students. Only teacher members, who have a duty of care to students, abstained from voting. “Hopefully this will generate a bit of media attention and with that the powers that be might be encouraged to do something,” she said. She said bats had defecated on one female staff member, leaving faeces through her hair, face and clothes. A Department of Education spokesman said the school’s focus remained the welfare of the students. *Daily Examiner


A truck fitted with large speakers pumping out "truly annoying sounds'' would circle the Botanic Gardens' flying fox colony each afternoon in the latest desperate bid to drive them away. The colony of 22,000 grey-headed flying foxes is devastating the garden's historic trees. They have already killed 18 trees and damaged more than 300. But the colony has proved impervious to a variety of sometimes bizarre schemes to oust them from the garden's palm grove. The flying foxes have shrugged off garbage cans being banged with sticks, water sprays fitted to tree tops and bags of ``python poo'' (pythons eat flying foxes) hung from branches. But perhaps the strangest strategies were smearing shrimp paste on tree trunks, because flying foxes supposedly hate seafood, and the installation of a giant inflatable man. The foxes weren't bothered by his huge flapping arms, but the generator inflating the man annoyed park staff.

The Botanic Garden Trust's latest plan is now on public display and is awaiting an OK from Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett. `We've come up with what we believe are truly annoying sounds to flying foxes,'' Trust spokeswoman Kerry Brown said yesterday. ``They include whipper snippers, chainsaws, street sweepers, starting pistols, banging metallic objects, and computer generated noises. `They would be played for 10 minutes each hour in the afternoons while the foxes are sleeping.'' ``The aim is to annoy them mightily so, just as they nod off again, the noises would come back.'' The Trust wants the gardens' flying foxes to set up home elsewhere _ probably with one of the six or so other major Sydney colonies, which include Parramatta, Gordon and Wolli Creek. *Daily Telegraph


Rare Pygmy Hippo Killed in NT

A pygmy hippopotamus has been shot dead during a pig hunting expedition in the Northern Territory. The hippo is normally native to the swamps of west Africa, in particular Liberia. The Northern Territory News reports, Nico Courtney, 27, was out spotlighting for pigs with his mate Rusty on a station in the Douglas Daly district 200km south of Darwin on Saturday night. "It was about 1am and running away from us - from the tail end it just looked like a big pig," Mr Courtney said. "We got out, had a look at it, and thought 'that's not a pig, it's a hippo'. "Then we thought 'you don't get hippos in Australia'." Mr Courtney's boss, Gordon Coward said he believed the female hippo - estimated to be about 250kg - is an old escapee from Tipperary Station. The station was turned into an exotic wildlife sanctuary by its former owner, millionaire Warren Anderson. But it shut in in 2003 - meaning the hippo has been roaming the bush for at least six years. "I heard all sorts of funny stories of break outs and people kept saying 'look out for giraffes in the paddock', but I didn't think much of them." Mr Anderson began trying to sell the animals - which included rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, zebras and deer - after selling his interest in the station. *News.com.au

Ed Comment; Not only did Anderson try to sell the animals, without success, he also tried to shoot them. He arrived in the NT wellarmed, but police confiscated his guns. For a while the NT Government supplied supplimentary feed to the animals, and it's believed that some animals were deliberately released to stop them from starving.


More Dead Muttonbirds

Thousands of muttonbirds - upon arriving in Australia to breed - have been found dead along the Victorian and NSW coasts in the past two weeks. The birds, properly known as short-tailed shearwaters, probably died from exhaustion and malnutrition following their migratory flight to Australia from the Arctic Pacific. The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment said about 1000 shearwaters were found washed up between Portland and Apollo Bay. A Government spokesman said the DSE had ''taken samples and performed autopsies on some of the birds''. A Warrnambool-based DSE officer has reportedly suggested a shortage of fish caused the birds to starve. The situation along the Great Ocean Road has been complicated by a red algal bloom that is being blamed for the deaths of a variety of bird species, including cormorants. Dead fish have also been reported by concerned members of the public.

Meanwhile, National Parks and Wildlife Service officers in NSW have concluded that the hundreds of shearwaters that perished on the Central Coast last week succumbed to exhaustion on the final leg of their 30,000-kilometre round trip from the top of the world. Bird experts say there is a natural cull each year of older and inexperienced younger birds, but not often in numbers that cause alarm to the public. Rob Farnes, a Birds Australia observer based in Portland, said he found 86 dead birds on a three-kilometre walk along the coast two days ago. In previous years he has picked up hundreds of shearwaters, but that was over 16 kilometres. ''And I've never seen them inside the harbour before,'' he said. * Age

Birds
Drivers on New Zealand's south island are having to dodge birds which have begun crash-landing on roads. Hutton's shearwaters spend half of the year in Tasmania, then fly to New Zealand to lay their eggs. On the Kaikoura coast, near Christchurch, the sea birds are mistaking roads for flat expanses of water. Park Ranger Mike Morrissey says large numbers are crash landing on the bitumen. "It varies a lot, we've had up to 50 odd in one night," he said. He says the birds are being confused by bright lights. "Round town they're hitting buildings and the hard surfaces." The ranger says luckily, most of the birds have not been hurt, just stunned. *ABC


Sheep and Cattle

According to the Federal Government, there are 71 million sheep in Australia, and 24.5 million cattle, and again according to the Federal Government, 25 million kangaroos, except that even the kangaroo shooters can't find them!


Butterflies

The damaged forest in the hills of the Cycloop Mountain in Papua is threatening the habitat of its native butterflies. Thirty years ago, said Brother Henk van Mastringt, Jayapura residents could see about 30 kinds of butterflies. “Now, there are no more than 10,” said Papuan butterfly researcher during the International Biological Diversity Conference in Jayapura yesterday. According to Brother Henk, people who want to see butterflies must go about three kilometers inside the forest before they can see them. Yet, some years ago, these animals could be seen flying around Jayapura Regional General Hospital. He hoped that the government would be more careful when constructing in areas like Foja, Arfak, Wondama and Cycloop, which is rich eco-biodiversity.

Brother Henk said that there were other exotic and protected animals besides the butterflies. In Arfak, Manokwari, for instance, there are 30 species of butterflies. During the period between 2000 and 2004 in Wamena, some areas were deforested, causing butterflies to become extinct. Former Environment Minister Emil Salim said more than 50 percent of Indonesia’s biological diversity is found in Papua. “They are found with a high average of endemic species,” he said, in his address at the International Biological Diversity Conference. Papua also has a complete ecosystem, from coral reefs and mangrove, to savanna, lowlands and highlands, as well as mountains. *Network Item


Tassie Devils

The Tasmanian devil is doomed to extinction unless the State Government sets up an insurance population. That is the warning from the Tasmanian Conservation Trust. A "Noah's Ark" project has ground to a halt because of a lack of zoos and parks to keep devils. Four years ago, the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program began collecting devils free of facial tumour disease, with the target of 1500 animals. Only about 170 have been collected, including the offspring of those captured in the wild. "The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program told us there is no limit to the number they could trap but they have nowhere to put them," Conservation Trust director Peter McGlone said yesterday. "They informed us they stopped trapping for the insurance population in 2008." He said program staff had told the trust the devil was doomed without a focus on creating an insurance population.

Mr McGlone said islands should be chosen as devil sanctuaries, an idea first raised several years ago, and resources should be put into the plan. Wildlife tour operator Geoff King, of the Devil Program Stakeholder Reference Group, said: "With the disease spreading and no cure on the horizon, an insurance population of disease-free devils is essential to safeguard the species against extinction. "At this rate, it looks certain they'll fail to reach their target before the disease spreads over the entire state." A spokesman for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program said it had always been known zoos and parks would not be able to house all the devils, which was why free-range enclosures were being developed. One had been set up near Bicheno and the program was working with East Coast Natureworld owner Bruce Englefield on the enclosures, known as the Devil Island Project.

"Surveys and assessment have begun on building three more free-range enclosures and other options are being looked at," spokesman Warwick Brennan said. He said the island option required assessment of food sources and the impacts of putting devils on islands. "We recognise zoos and wildlife parks are not the only answer," Mr Brennan said. "We welcome the trust's input." Also yesterday, the Tasmanian Greens urged federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to reject the $23 million Tarkine road, which could put at risk threatened species including the devil and the giant freshwater crayfish. "Even the State Government's submission acknowledges that further work is yet to be done on crucial areas including impacts on threatened species and roadkill, which means a comprehensive assessment is not possible," environment spokeswoman Cassy O'Connor said. *Mercury


Jellyfish

A blood-orange blob the size of a small refrigerator emerged from the dark waters, its venomous tentacles trapped in a fishing net. Within minutes, hundreds more were being hauled up, a pulsating mass crowding out the catch of mackerel and sea bass. The fishermen leaned into the nets, grunting and grumbling as they tossed the translucent jellyfish back into the bay, giants weighing up to 200 kilograms (450 pounds), marine invaders that are putting the men's livelihoods at risk. The venom of the Nomura, the world's largest jellyfish, a creature up to 2 meters (6 feet) in diameter, can ruin a whole day's catch by tainting or killing fish stung when ensnared with them in the maze of nets here in northwest Japan's Wakasa Bay. "Some fishermen have just stopped fishing," said Taiichiro Hamano, 67. "When you pull in the nets and see jellyfish, you get depressed."

This year's jellyfish swarm is one of the worst he has seen, Hamano said. Once considered a rarity occurring every 40 years, they are now an almost annual occurrence along several thousand kilometers (miles) of Japanese coast, and far beyond Japan. Scientists believe climate change - the warming of oceans - has allowed some of the almost 2,000 jellyfish species to expand their ranges, appear earlier in the year and increase overall numbers, much as warming has helped ticks, bark beetles and other pests to spread to new latitudes. The gelatinous seaborne creatures are blamed for decimating fishing industries in the Bering and Black seas, forcing the shutdown of seaside power and desalination plants in Japan, the Middle East and Africa, and terrorizing beachgoers worldwide, the U.S. National Science Foundation says. *From CBS News


Motorcyclist hits Kangaroo

A motorcyclist has died following a collision with a kangaroo on NSW's South Coast. Police said the 39-year-old man was riding his Harley-Davidson south along the Princes Highway in South Nowra about 4.15pm yesterday when a kangaroo jumped onto the road. The animal hit the rider, causing him to fall off the bike and slide into the path of an oncoming Toyota LandCruiser, police said. The man, from Bondi Junction, suffered extensive injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at Shoalhaven Hospital. The kangaroo was not found, but witnesses saw it cause the accident, police said. The area where the accident occurred, about 400 metres north of the Btu Road intersection, was surrounded by bushland that was known to contain kangaroos, Inspector Wayne Thorpe from Nowra police said.

"But most of the kangaroo accidents are fortunately with cars, and not too often with motorcyclists," he said. "If you hit a kangaroo at 100km/h [while riding a motorcycle], you are not going to come off too well." There was nothing to suggest excessive speed or alcohol were factors, Inspector Thorpe said. Fred Madderom, director of Sydney chapter of the Harley Owners Group, did not know the rider but described the incident as a tragedy. While the area where the rider was killed was not necessarily a major bike route, kangaroos commonly posed a threat to bike riders, he said. "They're so unpredictable, they go in one direction and you think you've missed them and suddenly at the last second they go in another direction," he said."All you can do is improve your skills, do the best you can and then a kangaroo jumps out at you." Mr Madderom said a member of his chapter hit a kangaroo during a rally in Tasmania this week, but was not seriously injured. *AAP and Arjun Ramachandran


Dolphin Deaths

The Environment Minister Donna Faragher says a spate of dolphin deaths in the Swan River will be fully investigated. About six of the river's 25 bottlenose dolphins have died in the past five months. At least four of the mammals had failing immune systems and three had high levels of the banned pesticide Dieldrin. Mrs Faragher says while the deaths are of considerable concern there is no health risk to humans. However she says her department and the Swan River Trust are trying to figure out how and why the dolphins are dying. "They are already doing that in addition to work that is being done with Murdoch Uni and Curtin Uni," she said. "This is vital work, I am fully supportive of it, it has been undertaken for some considerable period of time and I expect that it will continue." *ABC


Expert: bats not the bad guys Hendra has given bats a bad name. Understandable given Hendra virus has killed people and horses, and scientists have discovered that Hendra virus is carried by bats. But it’s not all the bats’ fault. “Flying-foxes or fruit bats are large, very mobile animals that can fly long distances, possibly 100s of kilometres overnight. They are also very social animals, and roost during the day in large communal groups. We are very aware of them because they are so visible at dawn and dusk when we see them leaving or returning to their roosts” says Billie Roberts, an expert in flying-fox ecology and behaviour. “Because flying-foxes roost and feed within urban and coastal landscapes people have the impression there are more flying-foxes than ever, when in fact some species are actually undergoing dramatic decreases in numbers because of habitat loss and shooting of flying-foxes to protect crops.”

We’ve long had a mixed relationship with bats. These species are important to Australian forests because they are the major pollinators and seed dispersers of the forests, and tourist operators regarded them as a key ecotourism species. In urban areas, though, local governments are interested in the impact of flying fox camps on residential areas, because people are disturbed by the bats’ noise and smell. Farmers are concerned about fruit damage and loss. And now health departments and horse owners are worried about Hendra virus. But some of the negative outcomes we blame on bats are of our own making. “As urban development sprawls the flowering eucalypt trees that flying foxes should be feeding on are being chopped down. As a result, hungry flying foxes have to travel more to search for food, and sometimes they find an orchard with ripe fruit as a substitute to their natural food.”

“We should think of flying foxes as the canary in the coalmine; they are messengers of what we’re doing to our environment. We shouldn’t be shooting the messengers but regarding them as important indicators of the health of our environment.” Scientists are starting to think that the recent appearance of Hendra virus is a symptom of bats showing stress as a result to changes we’ve made to the environment. "The actual virus is uncommon in flying-foxes and does not appear to cause them any problems. All indications are that Hendra virus spills over from bats to horses and then from horses to humans – there are no known cases of people contracting Hendra virus from flying-foxes” says Dr Stephen Prowse, CEO with the Australian Biosecurity CRC. Despite recent annual outbreaks, Hendra infection is rare in horses and people. Hendra virus does not appear to be highly infectious and does not spread easily; however when it does the consequences can be devastating.

“More research is required to get a better understanding of how the virus persists in bats and spreads to horses, and for the development of vaccines and treatments. However, the public should not be unduly concerned about fruit bats but treat them as they would any other wild animal and enjoy having them in our urban environment. We need to better learn to live with bats.” So, if you find a sick or injured bat don’t try to pick it up, but call the RSPCA or the bat rescue helpline on 0488 228 134. Horse owners need to try to minimise the likelihood of contact between fruit bats and horses. And horse owners and veterinarians need to improve their biosecurity and infection control practices. In this way we can better manage and reduce the risks of Hendra virus outbreaks and allow bats, horses and people to safely share our environment. For more information about Hendra virus research visit http://www.abcrc.org.au/ * Australian Biosecurity CRC


Thinking about Wildlife? Who’s going to watch over our wildlife when you no longer share their World? Well, we are! The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will continue to forcefully lobby governments to do better with wildlife management, and by taking them to Court if necessary. We are currently working on developing eLearning projects, so students can become aware of the importance of our wildlife living in a safe and secure natural environment. After you have looked after your family and friends in your Will, think about wildlife. A bequest to the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will ensure that we can continue to take a leading role in protecting and conserving our precious wildlife. None of the donations we receive are diverted to "administration". Every dollar we get through bequests or donations for wildlife hits the ground running! Talk to your solicitor, or if writing your own Will, add the words "I bequeath to The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. for the purpose of protecting wildlife in Australia (a specified sum), or (specified items including land or vehicle), or (the residue of my estate) or (percentage of my estate) free of all duties, and the receipt of the President, Secretary or other authorised WPAA officer for the time being shall be a complete and sufficient discharge for the executor(s)." You can also phone me for a confidential chat, as to how a bequest can help us work to protect our wildlife, when you are no longer able to. * Pat O’Brien, WPAA 07 54941890

Monday, November 16, 2009

Wildlife Bytes 12/11/09

Back!

After several weeks of Internet dropout problems we are finally back on line. Eventually Telstra found a cracked conductor in a ground box several houses away from our new office at Deception Bay. We apologise for any emails we may have missed. If you sent us an email and we didnt reply, please send it again. *WPAA

Traveston Dam

After almost four years, the Traveston Crossing Dam is laid to rest, which then leaves Premier Anna Bligh free to carry out her threat of using taxpayer cash to build expensive, polluting and energy-hungry desalination plants to sustain a water supply for an ever-increasing southeast Queensland population. But there are some other options for the Premier. She could ask for water restrictions to remain in the region, rather than relaxing them on December 1 as is currently planned. She could ramp-up recycled water plans. She could size-up the possible savings from decommissioning the very thirsty coal-fired power plants in the region. *CM

Kangaroo Sterilisation

A sterilisation program to curb a growing kangaroo mob at the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands has been completed. The Melbourne Water program saw 28 female eastern grey roos and three dominant males sterilised in a bid to control the population, which had grown to about 70. Melbourne Water spokesman Nicholas McGay said it was necessary to keep kangaroo numbers down to secure their wellbeing. `It's just reducing the population pool to keep it sustainable,'' Mr McGay said. ``It's all about the welfare of the kangaroos .'' The Friends of Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands, which earlier this year halted school group tours because of safety fears, had been pushing for the sterilisation program for more than a year. Friends president Philippa Bailey said it was the most humane way to deal with the overpopulation problem. `It had to happen,'' Ms Bailey said. ``There was just way too many.'' *Mordialoc News

Spiders

The world's biggest web-weaving spider has been recently discovered in South Africa. The female of the new species of golden orb weaver spider has a leg span of 13cm -- many times the leg span of the tiny male. * WPAA

Snakes

A photograph purporting to show a 55ft snake found in a forest in China has become an internet sensation. It was originally posted in a thread on the website of the People's Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper in China. The thread claimed the snake was one of two enormous boas found by workers clearing forest for a new road outside Guping city, Jiangxi province. They apparently woke up the sleeping snakes during attempts to bulldoze a huge mound of earth. "On the third dig, the operator found there was blood amongst the soil, and with a further dig, a dying snake appeared," said the post. "At the same time, another gold coloured giant boa appeared with its mouth wide open. The driver was paralysed with fear, while the other workers ran for their lives. "By the time the workers came back, the wounded boa had died, while the other snake had disappeared. The bulldozer operator was so sick that he couldn't even stand up." The post claimed that the digger driver was so traumatised that he suffered a heart attack on his way to hospital and later died. The dead snake was 55ft (16.7m) long, weighed 300kg and was estimated to be 140 years old, according to the post. However, local government officials in Guiping say the story and photograph are almost certainly a hoax as giant boas are not native to the area. *Network Item

Sea Shepherd

International environmental organisation Sea Shepherd could lose one of its most important weapons in its battle against whaling. The organisation’s flag ship sails under the Dutch flag, but a Dutch cabinet member is fed up with the situation. Deputy Transport Minister Tineke Huizinga says Sea Shepherd is endangering relations with Japan. If she gets her way, the environmental organisation will lose its Dutch flag. * Radio Netherlands

Muttonbirds

Mutton birds in the midst of their annual migration are crashing onto NSW beaches because of exhaustion, warns a wildlife rescue group. The NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service says it has been inundated with exhausted birds, mainly short-tailed shearwaters, or Tasmanian mutton birds as they are known. These ``wanderers of the sea'' make one of the longest annual trips of any bird species, skirting around the Pacific Ocean for about six or seven months. The rescue group said it was caring for birds that had been rescued from Sydney's beaches. ``Many are exhausted from the long migration and crash onto suburban and city beaches before they reach home,'' the group said. ``In some years many hundreds of birds can be found dead or dying on beaches right along the coast of NSW.'' The group said mortality rates during migration can be very high, with up to 1600 birds dying per kilometre in particularly bad years. However, it said the short-tailed shearwater was among the world's most populous birds. There was no cause for alarm as it was a process of ``natural mortality'', the group said. `The gruelling migration is perhaps nature's way of sorting the weak from the strong,'' it said. *SMH

Ed Comment, Not so, in fact quite wrong. There IS cause for alarm. Overfishing for krill and increasingly bad weather worldwide has reduced populations severely. These birds are also shot for food in Asian countries on the migration path, and the chicks are dragged from their burrows and eaten in Tasmaina. *

Rare Possum

A baby possum under threat of extinction hung on to its life on Wednesday, October 28, when it was rescued from the jaws of a cat. Eagle's Nest Wildlife Hospital president Harry Kunz came to the rescue of the brown lemuroid ringtail possum when he saw it being taken by a cat at East Evelyn on Wednesday morning. He said the possum 's species was on its way to extinction due to climate change, but they were often killed by cats, dogs and barbed wire too. He said the cat dropped a large female possum after he stopped his car and chased it. The possum was dead, but nestled inside her pouch was a five-month-old baby. "The mother had her throat completely munched up," Mr Kunz said. Mr Kunz said he would raise the baby possum and release it back into the wild. The Lemuroid possum is found in just two locations, at the Carbine Tablelands at the Daintree and at the Atherton Tableland. The Daintree population of the possum was until recently believed wiped out during a heat wave in 2005. *Network Item

Pink for Joeys

Local WA animal carer Linda Moore is encouraging people to carry spraycans of pink paint in their cars, if they check kangaroo carcasses for joeys. She is caring for three joeys who survived their mothers road deaths, and were rescued from their pouches. The idea of spraying the carcass to show a check has been made originated in Queensland. It aims to save other drivers checking, and protect their safety on the roads. Ms Moore said FAWNA and local veterinarians supported the idea. * Margaret River Mail


Breeding Programs Dropped

Historic David Fleay Wildlife Park has scrapped its renowned breeding programs and is transferring native animals to other parks as it battles to stay open. The West Burleigh tourist attraction is owned by the State Government but is being starved of the funds needed to operate according to the vision of founder David Fleay. The issue is sensitive because Mr Fleay generously gifted the park to the state before his death, and comes after the State Government botched another Gold Coast tourism drawcard, the SuperGP. David Fleay's claims to fame ranged from successfully breeding some of Australia's most endangered animals to being bitten by the last living Tasmanian tiger.

Born in Ballarat in 1907, he tried to set up a breeding program for the tiger in the 1930s but his idea was rebuffed by Tasmanian authorities. In 1933 while filming a thylacine at the Hobart zoo he was nipped on the backside, leaving a scar. Mr Fleay began working for several zoos and wildlife parks and successfully bred the first platypus in captivity in 1943. His set up David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast in 1952, wrote several books, bred taipan and other snakes in captivity for medical research and was honoured with many awards both in Australia and overseas. Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo presented him with a baby boa constrictor for his 70th birthday. Mr Fleay's altruistic spirit can be summed up by the donation in the 1930s of his entire savings of pound stg. 1000 to an impoverished Aboriginal community outside Cunnamulla. * Gold Coast Bulletin


Snakes

Yarra Valley residents are urged to be aware of the risk of snake bites after a Launching Place boy was hospitalised last week. The eight-year-old boy was feeding chickens about 3.15pm on Thursday when he reported being bitten on his leg, through his tracksuit pants, by a snake. Paramedics from Healesville and Millgrove treated the boy and his mother performed first aid. `He had been feeding the chickens in a chook pen when he was bitten on the leg through his tracksuit pants,'' paramedic Danny Knight said. `The eight-year-old boy was very hot and sweaty, he had tightness across his chest, was vomiting and disorientated.'' Snake catcher Kerrie Alexander, from Wandin North's Black Snake Productions, said she was receiving two to three calls a day from people wanting snakes removed.

``In the Yarra Valley, you mainly get tiger snakes and copperheads. We don't have red-bellied black snakes out here, but often people confuse these with one of the other main species,'' she said. The Launching Place incident comes just weeks after a Coldstream woman was bitten while mowing her lawn. She killed the snake with the lawn mower. But, Ms Alexander warned against trying to catch or kill snakes, which are protected. ``Eighty per cent of people who get bitten are trying to kill the snake,'' she said, advising residents to call a snake catcher and keep an eye on the snake until help arrived. Yarra Ranges is a known risk area for snake bites. Statistics from the Monash University Accident and Research Centre, between 2006 and 2008, show 11 Yarra Ranges residents required hospitalisation the equal highest in the metropolitan area. For more information contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment on 136 186. For advice on treating snakebite phone the Poisons Information Centre on 13 1126. *Yarra Valley Leader

Meanwhile, The number of patients admitted to hospital after having contact with venomous snakes and lizards is on the rise, according to Queensland Health. Between 2008 and 2009, public and private acute hospitals admitted 182 patients, compared with 171 in the previous 12 months. Queensland Poisons Information Centre director Hugh Miller said the state had a range of potentially dangerous snakes, funnel web spiders , ticks and marine stingers. He said although bites and stings from some creatures were potentially lethal, and others could cause intense pain and debilitating injuries, most bites had minor consequences. Mr Miller said basic first aid knowledge could go a long way towards offering relief. *GCoast Sun


Duck Shooting

The Belair Park Golf Club has copped an angry backlash from people across the country following its controversial wood duck cull. About 30 ducks were killed by a registered duck shooter earlier this month to cut back the unusually high numbers plaguing the golfing greens, under a permit granted by the National Parks and Wildlife. One of the club's directors Ron Marshall said he'd been bombarded by ``at least 50 emails from people all over the country'' angered at the cull after reading about it on adelaidenow.com.au ``I was also abused over the phone by a woman from Victoria,'' he said. ``Everyone jumps on the bandwagon but most people don't understand what's going on and that the (Belair) National Park supported us in this.'' Mr Marshall said he responded to each email, explaining the reasons for the cull and received ``understanding'' replies. ``It's the first time we've done it in the five years we've been here and we won't be doing it again.

``The major thing people have to understand is that it was an occupational health and safety hazard with people walking into the restaurant with duck faeces on their shoes and little babies crawling along the floor picking it up and putting it in their mouths. ``You're the devil if you do and the devil if you don't.'' Mr Marshall said the cull was a ``last resort'' after rubber snakes and eagle kites - aimed to scare off the ducks - and Duck Off herbicide failed to work. `We've saved more ducks than we've destroyed. Last year alone we would have saved 50 or 60 birds and some koalas by taking them to the (Belair National Park).''

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Heritage, who issued the permit, said the culling of 40 ducks was approved ``to encourage the broader population to move to other areas''. Bev Langley, from the Cherry Gardens Minton Farm Animal Rescue Centre, said the cull was ``disappointing but bound to happen''. ``It's just an unfortunate thing, sometimes people and animals do clash,'' she said. Friends of Belair National Park president Mike Cerchez said he didn't see ``a big issue'' with the cull. ``The wood ducks are native but they're not rare and they had permission,'' he said. A group of concerned residents was expected to hold a demonstration at the entrance of the golf club on Saturday, October 24, after the paper's deadline. Organiser Sally Sutton, of Hawthorndene, said she expected a ``strong turnout'' after emailing up to 100 people and putting up posters in Blackwood. *Hills Valley Messenger


Vultures

Nairobi — In the Holy scriptures of the Hindus, Jatayu the vulture tried to rescue Lord Ram's wife, Sita from the evil clutches of the demon Ravan. Unfortunately for the valiant vulture, Ravan sliced off its wings and the bird bled to death but not before he had told Ram where Sita was and the lord was able to rescue her, setting the stage for celebrating India's biggest festival, the burning of Ravan's effigy during the festival of Dussehra. Despite its noble deed, Jatayu and the rest of its ilk are vanishing so fast in India that scientists fear they are well on their way to extinction. In the past two decades, vulture numbers have dropped by 99 per cent, causing major environmental problems in the country.

"In the early 1980s, vultures were a hazard in the aviation industry because they were frequently crashing into the aircraft. Now they are virtually extinct," comments Nikita Prakash, the technical assistant at the world's first vulture breeding conservation centre in Pinjore on the foothills of the Shivalik mountains, part of the lower range of the Himalayas. Her husband, Dr Vibhu Prakash, working on his research on the birds in the 1980s, sounded the alarm on the rapidly vanishing vulture populations in India. Today, he heads the vulture breeding conservation centre working with a team of volunteers and researchers, including his wife. As a young researcher, Kenya's Dr Munir Virani, programme director for The Peregrine Fund for Africa and South Asia with research on raptors in jeopardy, was under Dr Prakash's mentorship.

Back in Kenya, Dr Virani applied his skills to vulture research and found the frightening scenario repeated in Kenya -- that of a rapidly diminishing vulture population previously undetected -- and like the Indian scenario, the cause is human-induced by way of chemicals. In Kenya, it's the use of furadan, a highly lethal agro-chemical used as a poison to get rid of wildlife that "preys" on livestock, while in India farmers use diclofenac to increase the working life of cattle."Today, we have less than one per cent of the 1980 population remaining and it's a crisis that has been discussed in the Indian parliament. But unfortunately, vultures aren't as charismatic as the tigers, lions or elephants and so there's not much support coming for them," says Nikita. Today, vultures are only found in small pockets in the country where once there were flocks in their hundreds.

Vultures may not be pretty birds, but watching a pair of Himalayan Griffons rescued and brought to the centre, they are definitely handsome birds. The chemical diclofenac is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug used as a painkiller for cattle. Despite its banning in 2008, veterinary doctors are still prescribing diclofenac formulated for human use because it has the same effect on cattle. The drug prolongs the working life of the animals by reducing joint pain but the problem arises when the animal dies and vultures swoop in for a tragic feast. "When the vultures feed on the carcasses, the drug affects the birds' kidneys and they die of visceral gout. What happens is that there is uric acid deposited on the organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. It's a painful death for the birds," explains the researcher. The fact that there are no more vulture flocks to feed on the carcasses of cows killed by these drugs, has created a health hazard.

In the past, a dead cow would have been a feast for the vultures, which would have cleaned the carcass to the bone in minutes. The bone pickers then collect the fresh bones to sell to the food industry for the manufacture of food products such as gelatin used as a thickening agen. YUKKK! With the absence of the vultures to provide this eco-service, carcasses of cows now litter the street, with the stench of rotting flesh hanging heavy in the air. The bone pickers no longer find clean bones because most of the carcasses are infested with maggots. In addition, the rotting carcasses pollute the soils and water and pose a health threat. Related to the problem of rotting carcasses is the increasing number of feral dogs frequenting the city's dumpsites to feast on the dead cows.

And with a government minister's directive that no dog should be killed, studies now show that cases of rabies are on the rise in cities. In the absence of vultures, it's ironic that the very farmers who feed diclofenac to their cattle, are at a loss when their livestock die and there are no vultures to quickly help dispose of them. "It's a big problem for the farmers because they are incurring costs buying the chemicals to douse and burn the animals or to bury them." In 2004, 187 vultures died on the Athi-Kapiti plains adjoining the Nairobi National Park in 2004 after feasting on a dead animal that had been laced with furadan, still easily available over the counter. Although it is supposed to be used as an agro-pesticide on crops by farmers, it has found other uses such as poisoning problem wildlife. It's also used by fishermen to scoop an easy haul from the water by simple throwing the poison overboard. The dead fish pop up to the surface for the fishermen to scoop. A recent report by vulture researchers in Kenya reveals that at Bunyala Rice Scheme in western Kenya by the shores of Lake Victoria, thousands of birds are being poisoned every week. Bird meat is a delicacy among the local Bunyala and they have found that the use of furadan is an easy "hunting" option to get birds for sell. In small doses, furadan poses little danger to humans but long-term effects could be serious. At this point there are five vulture breeding centers in the world - three in India, one in Pakistan and one in Nepal. The time to save the vultures is now before it joins the dodo on the extinction list. *AllAfrica.com


Protecting UK Wildlife

Farmers will be issued with leaflets on how to better protect wildlife as part of plans to bring back the environmental benefits of set-aside. Land set-aside for wildlife should encourage farmland birds like skylarks. European subsides for farmland taken out of production or "set-aside" were scrapped in 2007. However it immediately became apparent that the system was beneficial to wildlife, with farmland birds and animals thriving on fallow land. Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, suggested bringing back a compulsory scheme that would pay farmers to set aside uncultivated land. But this met with outrage from farmers who argued that the land should be cultivated to produce food. Now the Government, farmers and conservation groups have come to an uneasy compromise by introducing a voluntary set-aside scheme. The Campaign for the Farmed Environment will see all farmers obliged to farm in a more environmentally friendly manner.

At the height of the European scheme set-aside resulted in around 8 per cent of agricultural land being left fallow. The voluntary scheme will aim to leave around 180,000 hectares of land uncropped as well as encouraging farmers to better manage farmed land for wildlife. For example by leaving stubble over the winter so birds can feed and leaving hedgerows between fields. Farmers will also be asked to double the amount of land being especially cultivated for wildlife under new European environmental subsidies from 40,000 to 80,000 hectares. This will include land left fallow for skylarks, wild flowers planted by fields and "beetle banks" created to help insects. The amount of land managed for the environment on a voluntary basis will be boosted by 30,000 acres. Altogether the voluntary scheme should ensure the same environmental benefits gained from set-aside.

Leaflets are being sent to every farmer asking them to build ponds, plant trees and bring in other environmental measures. Farmers with more than 10 hectares of land will also be surveyed in the New Year to ensure they are setting aside land for the environment. If the targets are not met Mr Benn has threatened to bring in compulsory measures. However he was confident farmers will sign up to the voluntary scheme. "We want to encourage them to take voluntary action that best fits how they farm, so they can support wildlife and protect water quality while continuing to produce food in a sustainable way," he said. *Telegraph.co


Burmese Pythons

It has to be an unsettling situation for parents of small children and owners of small pets in South Florida, where thousands of Burmese pythons are slithering amok. A state-sanctioned pilot hunting program aimed at determining location and formulating an eradication plan ended Saturday with 37 of the invasive reptiles being killed. "This was more about finding where they are and seeing if we can contain their expansion,'' Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the Miami Herald. The constrictors can measure 18 feet long and weigh 160 pounds, and wildlife officials say they could number in the tens of thousands in the South Florida region -- mostly in the Everglades. Snake owners who released pythons when they became too large to manage are believed largely responsible for this troubling phenomenon. The snakes, which are reproducing in the wild, have become a threat to native wildlife.

The wildlife commission is collecting data from the snakes killed so far and will expand the hunting program next year. Meanwhile, licensed hunters after other species can continue to kill pythons in designated areas, including parts of the Everglades around Big Cypress National Preserve. "If you're in there hunting, and you see a python, you can kill it,"' Hardin said. Hunters have used nets and snares and guns to subdue the reptiles, but all legal hunting methods are allowed, including bang sticks, harpoons and spear guns. In a letter encouraging the harvesting of pythons, posted on the commission website, Chairman Rodney Barreto wrote, "You can even have some fancy cowboy boots made from python, but I don't recommend eating the meat because testing revealed high levels of mercury in the meat -- levels well above that considered safe to eat." The Miami Herald notes that a bill is in the works aimed at banning the trade and import of pythons and other invasive snakes into the United States. *LA Times

Ed Comment; Its good to see they are finally going to stop importing the pythons for pets. One also has to wonder that if they are fulll of mercury...where did that come from? The Everglades water they drink, the pet dogs and cats they eat, or the fish and turtles they eat?


Kangaroos

The Rockhampton RSCPA was yesterday forced to destroy an adult kangaroo that was suffering in agony after being shot with an arrow on Rockhampton’s CQUniversity campus. The kangaroo, which stood about six feet tall, had suffered in pain for days after the arrow lodged in its leg. After putting the animal out of its pain yesterday, RSPCA Central Queensland senior inspector Shayne Towers-Hammond said the attack was the second of its kind in recent weeks. Mr Towers- Hammond said a cat was also shot with an arrow recently. The animal survived after being treated by a vet. Mr Towers- Hammond said in the kangaroo attack the arrow was lodged in its leg for two or three days before the animal was put out of its pain. “I got a call about 10am on Monday from an administration worker saying a kangaroo was lying in the gardens with what appeared to be an arrow in its leg,” Mr Towers- Hammond said. “The animal had a huge arrow sticking out of its leg.” He said he went to the university on Monday. However, the big Eastern Grey had moved off, so he had to return yesterday. “You could see the arrow head moving in the wound,” Mr Towers-Hammond said. “It would have been agonising.” He said the arrow was a target arrow.

The animal was in a very good condition before being shot,” Mr Towers-Hammond said. “Slowly but surely the site would become infected. “This had already started and it was going through an agonising death.” He said the university was private property with no archery club on its premises. "If this had been an accident then no one has come forward, you would know if you’ve hit an animal,” Mr Towers-Hammond said. He said if the person responsible was found the RSCPA would prosecute. Acts of animal cruelty such as this can be punished with up to two years in prison or a large fine. The attack follows reports in October that a gang of dog-baiting youths had been responsible for the death of five dogs. It is thought that the animals were all given strychnine. An autopsy report from one of the dead dogs confirmed the presence of the deadly poison.Anyone with information about the attacks on the kangaroo or the cat should call Shayne Towers-Hammond on 0427 595312. * The Morning Bulletin

Almost 300 Peel residents want Preston Beach’s (WA) kangaroos saved from culling, according to a petition. The 283-signature petition against the cull was organised by Preston Beach resident Trish Brown. She and 12 other Peel residents organised the petition after the Shire of Waroona sought a Department of Conservation (DEC) cull licence in August. The petition was given to the Shire and the DEC last week. The Shire has proposed 100 kangaroos in the coastal hamlet south of Mandurah be shot for pet meat.

It is understood seven Preston Beach Golf Course members complained to the Shire that the roos destroyed the fairways and greens, and the males threatened residents. But Preston Beach residents who spoke to the Mandurah Coastal Times during winter said the community was torn about the animals, many of which were regarded as pets and a tourist attraction. Last week, Ms Brown said the culling threat still existed. “Maybe the Shire will only consider the signatures of the local residents,” she said. The petition had 62 ratepayers’ signatures, 36 from regular visitors to the hamlet and 186 from Mandurah, Harvey and Perth residents. It had been circulated in the region for about two weeks.

Ms Brown said the long-term solution for Preston Beach’s kangaroos was for the golf course to be fenced. But a Shire application for National Party-derived Royalties for Regions money to fence the course was unlikely, she said. “The National Party are farmers, and they wouldn’t waste money on fencing roos,” she said. It is understood the DEC would not consider the cull licence until it received the petition and its officers have still to visit the hamlet to decide if the cull is needed. * PerthNow

Western Queensland MP Vaughan Johnson has called for urgent help from the State Government to control what he says is an "explosion" in kangaroo numbers in the region. Mr Johnson says he has never seen the problem so bad and the Russian ban on kangaroo meat and the worsening drought are not helping. He says the huge numbers of kangaroos are devastating grazing land by eating out pasture. "You've only got to travel the road from Longreach through to the south and roos are in plaque proportion "The dead ones on the road are a true illustration of just how epidemic this is. These landholders have got to be allowed to eliminate these roos in question.

"It's not about wiping out the roos, it's about giving them the opportunity to save their livestock "This is at crisis point at the moment. There has got to be a widespread elimination of these roos. "There's not going to be a grazing industry in western Queensland if this keeps going and you've only got to drive the highways at night-time to see how prolific they are. I have never - and I mean never - seen so many dead roos on the road at the moment." *ABC

Liberal Senator Gary Humphries has called for the ACT Government to get its act together and protect the local environment following the release of a controversial report on kangaroo numbers in the ACT. The ACT Environment Commissioner has rejected a report that found kangaroo culls could increase the risk of bushfires in Canberra, after it was rejected by other scientists. "I welcome the Commissioner’s decision, but it must be followed up by action by the Stanhope Government. “It is time to stop mucking around and accept the good hard evidence that exceptionally high kangaroo numbers are not good for the environment and are not good for the kangaroos themselves, with some kangaroos in fact starving to death," said Senator Humphries.

"The ACT Government needs to lock in long term plans to manage kangaroo numbers – including by regular culling if necessary – to ensure the animals are living in a fair condition, and that our environment is not at risk.” Senator Humphries was the ACT Environment Minister who established the Gungahlin grasslands reserve, to protect the habitat of the endangered legless lizard. "There has been far too much hand wringing by ACT authorities over this issue. "And while we continue to debate it, kangaroos are starving and endangered species are under real threat due to habitat destruction from overgrazing kangaroos. "Real local solutions – like effective management of the sustainability of our environment – are in dire need. "Stopping the mucking around and philosophizing and getting on with the job of managing kangaroo numbers; now there's a real local solution," Senator Humphries concluded. *Liberal Press Release


One of the stars of the hit show, "Judge John Deed, " Jenny Seagrove, became the second actress, to add her name to that of Liza Goddard, in support the campaign to have kangaroo products banned from the whole of the EU. Jenny said:-"I find the thought of these defenceless baby kangaroos being brutally killed or allowed to starve to death, quite unacceptable. It is vital that the EU bring in a total and absolute ban on all Kangaroo product without delay to save these animals. I am giving my support to this initiative and I call for all EU countries and Ministers to follow suit by agreeing to vote in favour of this ban." A great supporter of animal welfare, Jenny urged everyone who cares about animal welfare to support the ban, she said:- "By adding my support I hope others will follow in a show of strength across Europe to stop all imports of Kangaroo and save the lives of these 440,000 joeys who die each year as a "by-product of this dreadful industry. I give my support without reservation and urge others to do the same." The kangaroo killing season will start in a few short months in Australia with the prospect of thousands more joeys meeting their untimely deaths. *www.440000joeys.eu

The real impact of the kangaroo meat export ban to Russia is hitting North Queensland graziers and roo shooters hard. Roo shooter Noel Lingard is keen to see the industry cleaned up and back on track to trade with Russia. “If you get dirty product, you get audited,” Mr Lingard said. Although he has a low-risk rating, Noel is aware of the industry requirements. “There are a lot of different types of contamination,” he said. “But they (the processing plants)don’t explain what is wrong – you just get a pink slip saying it is contaminated. “Contamination can be linked to gutting procedures, worms or poor meat quality.” Without feedback from processing plants, accredited shooters are left in the dark about how best to secure their industry’s future. Graziers are being hit by plague numbers of kangaroos, and on the back of a 40 percent reduction in the kangaroo meat industry, have a reduced means of fighting to save their land.

Boulia Shire Mayor and grazier Rick Britton has seen a definite increase in numbers compared to other years. "We have between 200 and 300 kangaroos watering at each of our 27 man-made watering holes,” Mr Britton said. “We have had a good season but we don’t have the shooters to control the numbers. "There used to be four full-time shooters out here, but they have had to go get jobs on the council.” Stemming from the downturn and further hindering shooters’ ability to provide quality meat, has been the closure of the Boulia box. An almost full-time shooter on Mr Butler’s property uses a mobile cold storage facility. “We are trying to manage them (kangaroos) so he can make a living and so that my country doesn’t deteriorate to a point where it is unusable,” Mr Butler said. "We need to look after full-time professionals,” he said. Although the beef and kangaroo industries would seem a world apart, Mr Butler identified that it is all about having a passion for quality and standards. “He is as passionate about his harvesting as I am about my beef,” he said. *Nth Qld Register


Crocodiles The crocodile season is approaching but ambitious plans to establish a 50km croc-free zone around Darwin have stalled. Cabinet is yet to sign off on the plan, which was the brainchild of now-independent politician Alison Anderson when she was Environment Minister. But croc rangers yesterday unveiled their latest weapon in the war on toothy terrorism - a $46,000 croc boat. Environment Minister Karl Hampton said the boat - named Muk Muk - was part of the crocodile management strategy, which has been renamed Croc Wise. Mr Hampton said the Croc Wise strategy was in its "final stages" and would be soon signed off by Cabinet. "It wouldn't be too far away," he said. "But the important thing is that we have a new boat that is going to assist our officers get out here and manage our crocodiles in the harbour." Mr Hampton said the strategy would also include a $150,000 plan to place 20 new croc traps in the water.

There will also be a $140,000 education and public awareness campaign - which has already reached 1000 students. The plan was announced in April following the death of eight-year-old Briony Goodsell near Lambells Lagoon. It included the 50km "no tolerance zone", surveying of receding waterways and the monitoring of Adelaide River. The Federal Government last month signed off on a management plan - which included egg collection - but rejected a plan for safaris. "We're not going to give up on that. We'll continue to talk to the federal minister about croc safaris," Mr Hampton said. "The benefits, in terms of economic opportunity particularly, we will continue to pursue." Parks and Wildlife ranger Tommy Nichols said the new boat was necessary to reach smaller estuaries. "We had a smaller dinghy, which was very unstable. So when you're handling a large animal, it is pushing from side to side, everyone goes over to one side... which can be quite dangerous," he said. "There were close calls. This is a lot safer and easier for us to handle larger animals." *NT News


Thinking about Wildlife? Who’s going to watch over our wildlife when you no longer share their World? Well, we are! The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will continue to forcefully lobby governments to do better with wildlife management, and by taking them to Court if necessary. We are currently working on developing eLearning projects, so students can become aware of the importance of our wildlife living in a safe and secure natural environment. After you have looked after your family and friends in your Will, think about wildlife. A bequest to the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. will ensure that we can continue to take a leading role in protecting and conserving our precious wildlife. None of the donations we receive are diverted to "administration". Every dollar we get through bequests or donations for wildlife hits the ground running! Talk to your solicitor, or if writing your own Will, add the words "I bequeath to The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc. for the purpose of protecting wildlife in Australia (a specified sum), or (specified items including land or vehicle), or (the residue of my estate) or (percentage of my estate) free of all duties, and the receipt of the President, Secretary or other authorised WPAA officer for the time being shall be a complete and sufficient discharge for the executor(s)." You can also phone me for a confidential chat, as to how a bequest can help us work to protect our wildlife, when you are no longer able to. * Pat O’Brien, WPAA 07 54941890