Leading Story
Morriset Kangaroos
A spate of gruesome and sadistic attacks on kangaroos has led Hunter New England Health to install steel security gates to restrict overnight access to Morisset Hospital. Unauthorised access to the site would be restricted from 6.30pm to 6am, mental health general manager Jude Constable said. The new security arrangements began operating last night. Ms Constable said the restrictions would help protect kangaroos and increase safety for patients and staff. The Newcastle Herald reported last December that more than 100 kangaroos had been slaughtered in six months in the hospital grounds. *Newcastle Herald
A $1000 reward has been offered for information leading to the conviction of violent criminals found slaughtering kangaroos at Morisset Hospital. The slaughter of up to 200 kangaroos in the hospital grounds in the past year led the Australian Wildlife Protection Council to post the reward. The council’s Hunter spokesman, Les Hutchinson, described the offenders as ‘‘bullies with guns, bows and four-wheel-drives’’. Mr Hutchinson organised the reward, for which people donated amounts of $50 to $100. He said the reward would extend to information leading to the conviction of offenders killing kangaroos unlawfully anywhere in the Hunter, including Walka Waterworks wildlife reserve at Maitland. The Newcastle Herald reported yesterday that a spate of gruesome and sadistic attacks on kangaroos had led Hunter New England Health to install steel security gates to restrict overnight access to Morisset Hospital from 6.30pm to 6am.
Native Animal Trust Fund president Audrey Koosmen, whose organisation has cared for kangaroos injured and orphaned in attacks at the hospital grounds, wanted to thank the health service. ‘‘They and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been very responsible in taking this action,’’ Ms Koosmen said. ‘‘It’s a wonderful step forward. ‘‘It’s taken a long time and a lot of animals have died – up to 200.’’ Mr Hutchinson organised the reward because of his love for native wildlife. ‘‘I love to see creatures in the bush, but nowadays every piece of bush you go to is shot out,’’ he said. He said the Hunter and Australia in general was ‘‘losing its bush wildlife’’. ‘‘When I go to Barrington Tops, walk in the rainforest and swim in the river, I want to see paddy melons, swamp wallabies and other creatures, not just bloody trees and dirt,’’ he said. He said kangaroos were ‘‘gentle creatures’’. ‘‘All they want is a bit of grass for boy kangaroos to chase girl kangaroos and joeys to hop around and have fun,’’ he said. *Newcastle Herald
Editorial
We didnt expect to be able to send out Wildlife Bytes this week, as we intended to be out in the field....way out in the field. However, bad weather has forced us to postpone our field trip for a few more weeks. Meanwhile, as we predicted, proposed changes to the EPBC Act will have little effect on protecting wildlife, and are more about facilitating and fast-tracking development. The ACF agrees with us, and you can read their Media Release further below.
Spiders
In the UK, wildlife experts have come up with an ingenious low-tech method of transferring, and providing living quarters, for rare ladybird spiders. They are using empty plastic water bottles, which are an ideal shape and size for the spiders to make their nests in. They fill the bottles with heather and moss, partly bury them, and the spiders make their homes in there, spinning their webs, and living on ants and beetles. *
Wildlife Smuggling
Madagascar officials foil smuggling plot of rare tortoises. A shipment of extremely rare and threatened Malagasy tortoises has been seized by officials in Madagascar as smugglers attempted to board a flight with around 200 specimens. Two men, one a native of Madagascar and an Indian national were arrested. The haul of rare creatures was made up of 27 ploughshare tortoises, 169 radiated tortoises and one spider tortoise. The animals were divided into three suitcases and a number of boxes and following the Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi the consignment was due to continue on to Dubai before reaching the final destination of Jakarta. The animals are worth tens of thousands of pounds in the illegal pet trade, where they are highly sought after. The reptiles, believed to range in age from babies through to adult were not picked up on the airport scanning system, and it was as the luggage was loaded onto the aircraft that the authorities became suspicious and the illegal haul was discovered. The tortoises are currently being held at secure quarantine centres while the case is being investigated. * Wildlife Extra
Wildlife Pets
The world's biggest rodent has been spotted at a water treatment works in California. The giant South American capybara, weighing at least 100lbs, has since disappeared into the brush "If you think a giant guinea pig is cute, then you probably would like it," said Todd Tognazzini, a lieutenant with the California Department of Fish and Game. The capybara - believed to be an escaped pet - was seen at a waste-water treatment facility in Paso Robles, northwest of Los Angeles. An employee at the plant took photos of the animal, which is estimated to stand 2ft tall, as it crawled out of a pond. The animal spotted in Paso Robles was found near the Salinas River and a hot spring, a watery habitat similar to the regions where capybaras live in South America. A capybara can hold its breath under water for up to five minutes, and spends much of its roughly four-year lifespan near the water. The latest spotting of the capybara comes two years after another sighting of a capaybara a mile away. Officials believe that was the same animal seen at the waste-water treatment facility in Paso Robles. *Orange.co.uk
In another incident, a US man has been arrested for stealing exotic snakes from a pet shop - by hiding them down his shorts. Eric Fiegel was allegedly caught on camera trying to smuggle five snakes from a store in Mesa, Arizona. The 22-year-old wandered round the store for "about an hour" with the snakes stuffed down his shorts before leaving, the shop's owner said. Christian Kaleta said: "He hangs out here for an hour with the animals in his pockets he doesn't just take off with them he hangs around. Really bold. "Who steals a snake of all things?" One of the snakes allegedly stolen by Fiegel was a rare baby albino boa constrictor, worth about £500, reports the Arizona Republic. Police say Fiegel took the snakes to another pet store where he traded some of them for cash and a large reptile tank.
EPBC Act Review
THE federal government has announced a major overhaul of Australia's environmental laws, which it says will better protect the environment while also being kind to business. Environment Minister Tony Burke on Wednesday formally outlined his plans to rework the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which was created in 1999. He said the changes, the act's first major overhaul, will cut red tape and improve environmental impact assessments, so they're quicker and covered by a new set of national standards. The government has committed to setting up a single national list of threatened species, rather than having multiple jurisdictional registers. It's also vowed to improve the regulation of heritage listings and the international trade in wildlife. "These reforms will help to ensure Australia's national environmental laws remain effective in protecting our unique environment," Mr Burke said in a statement. "It sets out a new national approach to the protection of Australia's environment and biodiversity." It's a win-win for the environment, businesses and regulatory services, he said. The changes adopts either fully or in part 56 of the recommendations handed down in Allan Hawke's independent review, and rejects 15. Dr Hawke completed his review in December 2009. *News.com.au
Getting Fired Up
There is irony in the ACT Government considering bringing forward the start of the fire season owing to the threat of wide-scale grassland fires (''Growing fears grass to fire up summer'', August 26, p1). According to the ACT Emergency Service Agency Commissioner the grass loads across the region are as heavy as they have been in 20 years and could pose a risk. Yet only 10 weeks ago Territory and Municipal Services decided to kill off thousands of grass-eating kangaroos on the basis they were eating and destroying the grassland habitat of endangered species. A great deal of wildlife has been killed off over the last few years on the dubious advise of Government that we need to protect the ACT grassland. But it appears there was never a problem. Now we are to burn off large areas of grassland. In the same article TAMS claims they '' are looking at the big picture''. If only they would. * Philip, Letter in the Canberra Times
Wildlife Hospital Funded
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital will be given $50,000 a year for three years as part of a council grant. The hospital treated more than 8600 animals last year. Care for each of those could amount to thousands of dollars. Appeals manager Murray Monro said the new funding would allow the wildlife hospital to pay for medical supplies and rehabilitation of the animals. “The funding allows us peace of mind, knowing it's budgeted,” he said. Cr Anna Grosskreutz said the State Government so far had contributed nothing to the animal rescue group. “We will now spend $150,000 over three years,” Cr Grosskreutz said. “It's also about going to the state to look at what funding it can provide.” Each day, the hospital receives almost 100 wildlife emergency calls and 30 different species are admitted. At any time, the hospital is treating about 80 koalas. According to the wildlife hospital, about 70% of all animals admitted have been attacked by domestic pets or struck by cars. Although Australia Zoo is a major sponsor, the hospital requires donations to survive. *SC Daily
Huge New Wasp Found
The new species of wasp, discovered by Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, is one of the world's largest wasps. The jaw-dropping, shiny black wasp appears to be the "Komodo dragon" of the wasp family. It's huge. The male measures about two-and-a-half-inches long, Kimsey said. "Its jaws are so large that they wrap up either side of the head when closed. When the jaws are open they are actually longer than the male's front legs. I don't know how it can walk. The females are smaller but still larger than other members of their subfamily, Larrinae." Kimsey discovered the warrior wasp on the Mekongga Mountains in south-eastern Sulawesi on a recent biodiversity expedition funded by a five-year grant from the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group Program. The insect-eating predator belongs to the genus Dalara and family Crabronidae. "I'm going to name it Garuda, after the national symbol of Indonesia," Kimsey said. Garuda, a powerful mythical warrior that's part human and part eagle, boasts a large wingspan, martial prowess and breakneck speed. *Wildlife Extra
Fraser Island Dingoes
More about the sad state of the Fraser Island dingoes here ..... http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/fraser-island-dingoes-driven-to-extinction/?sn=l
Seal Kill Oppposed
Eco-Action Kangaroo Island is concerned about recent reports advocating the culling of New Zealand fur seals. A spokesman said the New Zealand fur seal population in SA “is a native species living within its natural range and not an introduced species as suggested by the proponent of a cull”. “This species is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA). Little penguins are prey for seals - including New Zealand fur seals, Australian fur seals and Australian sea lions but these seals prefer fish, squid and rock lobster. Seal populations were drastically reduced in the 19th century and are still making a recovery. Today their numbers are reduced by drift nets and possibly by illegal shooting.” The spokesman said it was likely other factors were at play in relation to the penguin populations at Penneshaw and Kingscote including the cumulative effect of artificial illumination on the sea surface and feral cat predation. “There is no scientific equivalency in pointing to the koala cull elsewhere. Penguin populations are decreasing world-wide so it is irresponsible and premature at this time to call for any intervention. “Saner heads will prevail at today’s (Monday’s) KI Natural Resources Management Board meeting when [DENR regional manager] Bill Haddrill will announce that the board has met with experts and received strong advice against any direct action toward the fur seals and that he will lobby for additional funds for research for monitoring seals and penguins and their interactions,” the spokesman said. *Kangaroo Islander
Gold Coast Road Kill
A wildlife carer says there has been a large increase in the number of kangaroos being hit and killed on suburban roads on Queensland's Gold Coast. The director of the Wildlife Trauma Clinic, Trish Wimberley, says she has had to euthanase 42 roos in the past 10 weeks. Ms Wimberley says it is because suburbia is taking away the animals' natural habitat. "The furthest I've gone would probably be Oxenford but Pacific Pines, Oxenford, Southport, Helensvale, Helensvale Road, Sanctuary Cove - I just don't want to think of how many I've done there," she said. "So of course when you think of Hope Island, around that area, Gilston Road, you've got all those new developments. "That's just kangaroos I've euthanased, that's not any other animals, not bats or possums or anything else I've euthanased, that's just kangaroos. "I just went through my book, I was horrified, I knew I was doing a few, I knew I was doing some but I didn't know it was that many. "Have a look at some of the development going on around here. "What happens each time you do a development is that it pushes these animals into another area where you have other animals and henceforth they've got to cross roads and what have you and also, we're not being careful on our roads at night, these people aren't even stopping for these animals." *ABC
Sea Turtles
Five young sea turtles have been released near Exmouth after they washed up on Perth beaches. The three loggerhead turtles, one flatback turtle and one green turtle were cared for by the Naragebup Rockingham Regional Environment Centre and the Aquarium of WA before their release at Jansz beach last week. Department of Environment and Conservation Exmouth wildlife officer Renae Gibbs said the green turtle was found in Lancelin last month and the flatback turtle was found in Warnbro this month. The loggerhead turtles had been in rehabilitation for more than three years. "When they were found they were quite small," she said. The turtles were thought to have been carried south by the Leeuwin current and washed ashore in strong winter winds. *The West
Happy Feet to go Home
Hundreds of people have visited Wellington Zoo to bid farewell to an emperor penguin who washed up on a New Zealand beach in June. Nicknamed Happy Feet, he is being returned to Antarctica on Monday after recovering from surgery to remove 3kg (6.6lb) of sand from his stomach. The bird is thought to have eaten the sand, having mistaken it for the snow penguins swallow to stay hydrated. He is to be transported four days out to sea by a fisheries survey vessel. Happy Feet, named after the popular animated film about a tap-dancing penguin chick, has been fitted with a tracking device so the zoo can monitor his progress. His unexpected appearance on Peka Peka Beach - north of Wellington and 3,000km (1,860 miles) from his Antarctic colony - stunned wildlife experts who said he was only the second emperor ever recorded in New Zealand. Hopes he would make his own way back were dashed when he became ill and his subsequent recovery, on a diet of "fish milkshakes", has captured the public's imagination. Hopes he would make his own way back were dashed when he became ill and his subsequent recovery, on a diet of "fish milkshakes", has captured the public's imagination. The zoo's veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla said: "Everyone's been really curious to see what happens. It was touch-and-go there for a while but he's doing really well now." A webcam set up in his small, ice-filled room at the zoo attracted an online following of more than 120,000 people. A public campaign raised more than NZ$20,000 (£11,000) towards the costs of his recovery. However, the total spent saving and returning him is estimated to be at least three times that. Some, like Wellington's Victoria University biologist Wayne Linklater, writing in Wellington's Dominion Post, have questioned the use of money on an animal whose species is not endangered. *BBC
Magpies
Scenes of pedestrians and startled cyclists ducking for cover have started to unfold across the Coast. The culprits? Magpies. While the magpie breeding season began in July, it is at its peak from now until October. Patrons of the Mooloolaba Bowls Club have been ducking for cover for weeks, while an unsuspecting cyclist was swooped while riding down First Ave in Caloundra on Friday. Traditional hotspots include Buderim State School on Main St, opposite Montegos at Double Bay Park on Kawana Island, Peregian at Stint St and near the roundabout at the University of Sunshine Coast in Sippy Downs. Swooping magpies are generally males protecting an area usually 100m surrounding a nest. Magpies are not usually relocated, so residents are encouraged to take the necessary precautions to live with magpies during the nesting season. If you must enter the area, move through it quickly, but do not run. Wear a hat and sunglasses or carry an umbrella. Cyclists should dismount and walk through the territory, which will reduce the chance of falling off the bike or swerving if a bird does swoop. Cyclists can also attach large cable ties to the back of their helmet – use two black ties, sticking up like antennae. A council spokesman said officers were not authorised to capture or relocate overly aggressive magpies, but complaints about swooping birds on council land would be assessed and a decision made on an appropriate response. “This may include further monitoring of the site, erection of signage, and-or engagement of a licensed private wildlife contractor,” he said. Reports of swooping magpies on private land should be referred to the Department of Environment and Resource Management. *SC Daily
National Parks
Labor will push to have new federal oversight powers of national parks by October to head off the next round of a controversial Victorian cattle trial in the Alpine National Park before the grazing season starts. The Age understands the federal Environment Department has started to draw up regulations giving Environment Minister Tony Burke the ability to stop new grazing, mining, logging and land-clearing projects in most national parks, which are currently controlled by the states. The Victorian government has indicated it is preparing to push ahead with the next phase of the controversial grazing trial - setting up a stand-off between the two governments - though the timing is not yet decided. In a letter responding to Mr Burke's plans, state Environment Minister Ryan Smith is understood to have said there is a lack of evidence for the move, that Victoria manages its parks well, and the issue should be referred to the council of state and federal environment ministers. Mr Smith said yesterday he would need to see the regulations put forward by Mr Burke ''in order to get advice on its impact or legitimacy''.
Mr Burke said yesterday ''all the evidence I could ever need was on display in the Alpine National Park last summer''. Cattle grazing was first banned in the Alpine National Park in 2005 by the Bracks government, with compensation paid to grazing families. But the Baillieu government has allowed trials in the park, which it says will study whether cattle grazing reduces bushfire risk. Last year's trial sparked the anger of the federal government because Victoria had not sought approval for the project under national environment laws. The changes do not mean the Commonwealth would manage national parks day-to-day or have control of their boundaries. Federal Environment Department insiders say without the changes Victoria would have likely been able to design a new grazing trial that did not fall foul of national environment laws by avoiding areas where endangered species are present. The changes put forward by Mr Burke would mean that just holding the trial in a national park would be contrary to federal laws. *Age
Biodiversity Lost
The Federal Government's response to a major review of Australia's key environmental laws will not reverse the rapid decline of Australia's biodiversity, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today. "The environment is Australia's natural life support system and all the indicators of its health are heading in the wrong direction," said ACF's Healthy Ecosystems program manager Dr Paul Sinclair. "The government's response to the independent Hawke Review of the Environmental Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) falls short of what’s needed. "Delegating power to the states to approve projects that affect matters of national environmental significance would be a backward step – if business wants a one-stop-shop, it must be a federal shop. "The decision to expand protection under the EPBC Act to Ecosystems of National Significance is welcome, but protection plans and more strategic assessments means little if the regulatory powers and resources needed to implement these plans are inadequate.”
ACF is concerned the Act has too much wiggle room in it already and the Minister's rejection of the Hawke Review recommendations on mandatory decision-making criteria and judicial review will not improve the community's confidence in the law. ACF believes it is critical Australians have legal standing to question decisions made by the Minister about their environment. "The Montara spill, which leaked 400 barrels of oil into the ocean off the Kimberley coast every day for 10 weeks in 2009, shows what happens when governments fail to adequately assess the risks of development proposals," Dr Sinclair said. "ACF supports reforms that will prevent damage in the first place, but it's also vital the government gives adequate resources to those responsible for enforcing laws. "All members of the Federal Parliament should be looking to protect our life support systems by strengthening our national environmental laws and committing the resources required to implement them effectively." *ACF Media Release
Bathurst Kangaroos
A wildlife lobby group says it will seek legal advice about what action to take over the culling of kangaroos in central western New South Wales two years ago. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has finished and investigation into the cull on Mount Panorama before the Bathurst 1000 motor race in 2009. It is alleged a contractor for the Bathurst Regional Council killed 88 joeys without a licence during the cull. The NPWS says its investigation has found the council and its contractor acted in accordance with the licence conditions and no further action will be taken. Lindy Stacker from the World League for the Protection of Animals says neither the council nor the NPWS have been forthcoming with the public. "What we have done is we've gone and we've sought legal advice," she said. "So it will be interesting now to see what will happen. "Because I think that's really unsatisfactory and that the public need to know. "We had many people from Bathurst ... ringing our organisation at the time and saying they didn't want that to do ahead."
She says there are still unanswered questions. "If they're really serious about their claims that it was all absolutely above board and everything was done according to the Wildlife Act, why haven't they given us more information?" she said. "Why have they just been trying to pass the buck onto council, council onto [the] parks service and no-one's been forthcoming when several groups, not just us, have been asking for this information." However, the Bathurst Regional Council says information about the cull has always been publicly available. General manager David Sherley says the council understood the joeys were classified separately under the licences. "Council has always believed that it acted in accordance with the permit conditions that were required," he said.
"When we were looking at actions needed to be taken up in that precinct, the first thing we did was put in an application for the appropriate permits. "We worked closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service who provided really good assistance during that time." He says the groups have had access to council documents about the cull. "Council through the gentleman who took action for us, clearly made available how many joeys were involved and it was in all our documentation and that was how the groups who had issues with us were able to pick it up," he said. "It wasn't anything hidden it was always there, made clear to the public." The council says it is now developing a flora and fauna management plan for the precinct and will use fencing and herding to control kangaroos at this year's race. *ABC
Creekbank Destruction Continues
The Environment and Natural Resources Department faces charges of hypocrisy for not stopping the bulldozing of creeks in the Lockyer Valley despite its own website warning landholders against such practices. Tens of kilometres of creeks, wooded banks and in-stream logs have been removed, with the excuse that it had to be done because of January flood damage. Despite this, the Environment Department website warns that "riparian (creek-side) vegetation stabilises banks, reduces erosion and can minimise flood peaks". It says flood velocity can be slowed by large woody debris, which also provides fish habitat. Ironically, the department warns that banks with low slopes or flat benches - such as that achieved with bulldozing - are likely to accumulate more organic matter than steep natural banks. Queensland Conservation Council chairman Simon Baltais said it was appalling the department had supported such destructive practices.
Such work was considered so damaging by the NSW Primary Industries Department that it was listed as a key threatening process to streams."Perhaps DERM are a little behind the times," Mr Baltais said. "(This) amounts to hypocrisy and a waste of public monies and is contrary to protecting waterways' health." Australian Rivers Institute deputy director Jon Olley also warned against clearing, saying that over the past 100 years, the practice had resulted in faster and more destructive flows. "While ... slowing the movement of water may slightly increase flooding and delay drainage ... it will also increase recharge of the groundwater aquifers, providing more water for production during droughts," he said. A Environment Department spokeswoman said work in Blackfellow and Tenthill creeks occurred under Water Act emergency provisions to restore access to flood-affected communities and did not need to be approved. Work was carried out by the Main Roads Department at Tenthill and Blackfellow creeks and by Lockyer Valley Regional Council at Left Hand Branch Rd on Tenthill Creek and by landholders. Transport Minister Rachel Nolan will meet the waterways group, SEQ Catchments, about the bulldozing this week. Lockyer residents Diane and Mark Bruhn said Tenthill and many streams did not suffer in the floods yet had faced substantial clearing for months. This was hardly urgent work to allow access, they said. *Courier Mail
Climate Change
Researchers have discovered that plants and animals are responding up to three times faster to climate change than previously estimated; as wildlife shifts to cooler altitudes and latitudes. Reuters newsagency says scientists have previously reported on individual species moving towards the poles or uphill as their traditional habitats shifted due to global warming. However, a new study analysed data on more than 2000 species to get a more comprehensive picture. This new analysis has shown researchers that on average, wildlife moved to higher elevations at the rate of about 12.2 metres decade. They are moving toward the poles at an average rate of 16.6 kilometres a decade, scientists reported in the journal Science. The altitude shift is twice what scientists had estimated as recently as 2003, according to Dr Chris Thomas, a professor of conservation biology at the University of York in Britain, and the leader of the project. The average latitude shift is triple earlier estimates, says Dr Thomas.
At the same time he notes that not all species move toward the poles as quickly as that, some don’t move much at all and others actually move slightly toward the Equator, depending on what they need most to survive. What became clear in this study, according to Dr Thomas and colleagues, was that species moved furthest in places where the climate warmed most, an unambiguous link to climate change over the past 40 years. The key finding, said Dr Thomas, was the “huge diversity of responses” observed in different plants and different locations. “Because each species is affected by different things, when the climate changes, they will have different availabilities of new habitat that they might be able to move into,” he said. Not every animal or plant shifts to a cooler place when its habitat heats up, because of pressure from other factors like rainfall, human development and habitat loss.
For example, a British butterfly, the high brown fritillary butterfly, might have been expected to move northward if the only factor affecting it was climate warming. Instead, the species declined because its habitats were lost, the researchers report. The comma butterfly, however, was able to make the leap from central England to Edinburgh, a distance of about 220 kilometres, in two decades. In Borneo, moths shifted 67 metres upward on Mount Kinabalu, the study found. This area has been protected for more than 40 years, so habitat destruction was not a factor in the move, says Thomas. Because of different species diverse reactions, he says, “it’s very hard to predict what an individual species is going to do, and that means that if you want to manage the world in some way, save species or whatever, unfortunately it looks as though a lot of detailed information is going to be required in order to take practical action.” * Eco-News
Sharks
Sharks more than two metres long are homing in on waters off North Queensland, cementing Townsville's reputation as a hot spot for the deadly creatures. A bull shark from Sydney has made its way to Townsville with 25 more of the deadly species on their way, according to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries which is tracking the creatures after a number of attacks in Sydney Harbour. The bull shark, tagged along with the 25 other bull sharks, abandoned southern waters in March for their journey north. A great white shark named "Rachael" - the first shark embedded with a satellite tag by the Queensland Government's Large Shark Tagging Program - however, travelled south to Victoria. The great white is among 49 sharks with acoustic or satellite tracking devices. The department plans to tag 150 large bull, tiger, great white and dusky sharks between Cairns and the Gold Coast. The latest tracking paths show Townsville is Queensland's second most popular spot for big sharks, after Rainbow Beach. The research is being done to improve shark control programs and better protect swimmers. Experts have been trying to work out the reason for the movements so the animals could find warmer waters, or if they were following food.
Queensland shark scientist Dr Jonathan Werry said it was already known that the movement of sharks was not random but it was difficult to determine the exact reason for the paths they took. "Things like water temperatures and currents can affect their movement," he said. "They can move from where the schooling fish are sparse to a place where they were more abundant." Queensland Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace said satellite transmissions showed "Rachael" had travelled to northern Victoria, but was now back in New South Wales waters.he said. "This research is about understanding where along the coastline dangerous shark species like to visit, how long they stay, and how often they go there," he said. Dr Werry said the species in the program had very different migratory patterns. "Great whites generally move from Victoria all the way up the Queensland coast, across to New Zealand and up into the bottom of New Caledonia," he said. "Tiger sharks can also migrate up to thousands of kilometres, but we're still learning more about their patterns over these distances." Mr Wallace said the tagging technology also tracked the movement of sharks into rivers and canals, which would help to address swimmer safety in these areas. Safety is our number one priority in Queensland and this project will improve our knowledge of shark movements for inshore waters," he said. Shark control equipment is in place off 85 Queensland beaches. *Townsville Buletin
Tiger Farm Horrors
An american diplomat posed as a Korean tourist to investigate a notorious tiger breeding centre in southern China, where he saw animals whipped, made to perform ''marriage processions'' and reportedly sold to be used in traditional medicines. As a result of the undercover visit to Xiongsen Tiger and Bear farm, the US government was notified of doubts about China's conservation efforts, according to a diplomatic cable recently released by WikiLeaks. The investigation was inspired by a flurry of foreign media reports in 2007 alleging the farm offered tiger meat in its restaurant and tiger bone wine in a shop. In a cable sent from the Guangzhou US consulate headed ''Devouring Dragon, Disappearing Tigers'', an un-named economics officer said he was initially treated with suspicion by the sales personnel in the facility. But once he convinced them he was Korean, they became eager to do business. ''The staff stated that up to three tour groups of Koreans came a day, numbering more than 30 in each group.The Koreans were among the most enthusiastic purchasers of both the black bear bile and the tiger wine.'' The price of the bottles ranged from 80-896 yuan ($12-$134). China says it has nearly 6000 tigers in captivity, but only 50 to 60 are left in the wild. In the 1980s, China set up tiger farms to try to preserve the big cats. But conservationists have criticised the farms, accusing them of seeking primarily to produce tiger parts, which some Asians regard as aphrodisiacs.
The visitor to the farm - which has more than 1000 tigers in its cages - described the spectacle of a tiger killing an ox in a ''training cage'' purportedly set aside as a training area for animals that are to be introduced to the wild. But most of the animals appeared tame and some were used in circus-like entertainment shows, where they were beaten. Black bears - kept for their bile - were also made to join a mock Chinese marriage procession where they acted as bride and groom, he wrote. Locals told him that the farm served tiger meat and sold tiger skin, but this was denied by staff. Nonetheless, he concludes in the cable dated July 12, 2007, that: ''The commercial nature of the farm was troubling. The large number of endangered tigers and bears present with no current plans to reintroduce them into the wild raises concern regarding the motivation of such a farm.'' Four years later, these concerns remain valid. Reports earlier this year suggest the tiger population of the farm has grown. *Guardian News & Media
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wildlife Bytes 23/8/11
Leading Story
Giant Cuttlefish at Risk
There's more signs Whyalla's giant cuttlefish are in danger, with hundreds of their eggs floating in the ocean. Whyalla Diving Services owner Tony Bramley said the cuttlefish, which should be stuck safely under rocks, wouldn't hatch once they were detached from rocks. "Once they're floating, that's the end of them," Mr Bramley said. "They can't take the sunlight, they have to be under a ledge to survive." On Thursday, Mr Bramley had to collect 50 eggs for an Adelaide University research project. "I had to dive for 40 minutes, it should have taken one minute," he said. "It was really depressing to go out there. In that 40 minutes we only found two small egg masses and we turned over hundreds of rocks." Adelaide University marine biologist Professor Bronwyn Gillanders said the lack of eggs was concerning. "They breed and then they die so if the eggs don't survive they're not around to come back and breed again," she said. "And anecdotally we have a decreased abundance of adult population. "It's a recipe for disaster."
Neither Prof Gillanders or Mr Bramley knew what was causing the laid eggs to come away from the rocks. "The large ones that normally come in lay about 90 eggs but this year the few cuttlefish that have turned up are smaller and lay more like 15 eggs," Mr Bramley said. Meanwhile, fourth generation Moonta professional fisherman Noel Kemp has told the Sunday Mail he believes an enormous school of salmon is responsible for the decreased cuttlefish numbers. Mr Kemp said since the number of salmon netting licences was reduced in 2005 and closure areas were introduced, the salmon population had swelled. "Stocks have gone out of balance now," Mr Kemp said."We've got four to five years' build-up of fish. I'm seeing a lot more salmon than I used to. "I was working an area in early June for six days and I saw a large school of huge salmon cruising near Whyalla. Cuttlefish are natural food for them." Prof Gillanders said salmon were one of many predators for cuttlefish.
In a statement released to the Sunday Mail, the Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA said: "the Government has committed to establishing a more robust and comprehensive monitoring program (of cuttlefish) with particular reference to population biomass, water quality and habitat condition". However they said in the statement there was "no evidence available to support that assumption" that salmon were responsible for the decreased cuttlefish population. "A South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) dive team will commence a survey of Giant Cuttlefish in the closed area next week," the PIRSA statement said. *SA Sunday Mail
White Cockatoo to be Caged
An 85-year-old cockatoo who has been a Coburg pet shop mascot for as long as anyone can remember has been kicked off his perch and ordered to live behind bars. "Cocky" has enjoyed years of freedom greeting and amusing customers from his stand in Monika Jarosz's pet store. But this month inspectors from the Department of Sustainability and Environment told her the elderly bird must be confined to a cage. Ms Jarosz said Cocky had been a mascot of the Bird City store for the 15 years she had owned it, and probably much longer. "He's well-known in the area and we have lots of kids coming in during the school holidays just to see him," Ms Jarosz said. She said the outspoken bird became lonely when he wasn't around people. Because of his advanced age Ms Jarosz said it was difficult for Cocky to adjust to living in a cage. She said he had started self-mutilating, a sign of stress in cockatoos. "How do you explain to a bird 'You've been out for years now you're not allowed out?' " she said. "It's not fair. (He's) never attacked a person or done anything to compromise his position or mine." A DSE spokeswoman said under the Wildlife Regulations Act 2002 all wildlife had to be kept in suitable enclosures to prevent their escape. "The enclosures are also necessary to protect the wildlife from predators, and to resist access by people not authorised to handle that wildlife," she said. *HeraldSun
Dolphins
The environmental group World Wildlife Fund is warning Cambodia's river dolphin population faces extinction unless the government takes urgent action. WWF says there are just 85 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong River, and almost all are in north-eastern Cambodia. The organisation wants a conservation area established and a ban on fine-mesh nets - known as 'gill nets' - which it says are drowning the dolphins. But the government's dolphin specialist, Dr Touch Seang Tana, says WWF's figures are too low. He believes there are about 170 dolphins left - twice the environmental group's estimate. He does, however, agree with the requirement to ban gill nets and says the ban should be in place by the end of the year, as should a dolphin preservation area. Cambodia's critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are an increasingly popular tourist drawcard. *ABC
National Parks
An Alice Springs-based botanist says the Northern Territory doesn't have enough parks and wildlife staff or resources to properly conserve the natural environment. Thick buffel grass is causing a high wildfire danger in much of central Australia after heavy rain last year. The grass was introduced in the 1860s for cattle feed and there's a thick cover of it in the region. Peter Latz spoke about the best way to tackle the introduced grass at an Eco-Fair in Alice Springs at the weekend. He says Parks N-T should be doing much more to reduce the weed, but is held back by a massive shortage of staff. "Tourism is our biggest industry and we have only just got enough rangers to keep the tourists happy," he said. "There is just nothing getting done in terms of looking after the ecology of our parks. "If we are going to have lots of buffel grass and lots of fires, we could lose our hollow trees and our ecology. "Everything would go downhill." Mr Latz says efforts to reduce buffel grass are held back because local people are taking holidays at the best time to spray. "It is just damn hard work at the moment," he said. "The only way to control buffel grass is to spray ... at the right time, which is only a very short period. "Unfortunately (this is) when most people are on holidays. "That is the biggest problem actually, being around to spray at the right time." *ABC
Sea Shepherd
One lone observer closes down a stall promoting endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna sales, and were also offering free samples to wholesale trade buyers at Asia's biggest food expo. * WPAA
Read more http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2011/08/15/bluefin-standoff-in-hong-kong-478
Green Energy
As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another -- although you don't hear state officials admitting it. Wind power is the fastest growing component in the state's green energy portfolio, but wildlife advocates say the marriage has an unintended consequence: dead birds, including protected species of eagles, hawks and owls. "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out." California supports roughly 2,500 golden eagles. The state's largest wind farms kill, on average, more than 80 eagles per year. But the state is set to triple wind capacity in the coming years as it tries to become the first state in the nation to generate 33 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. *FoxNews
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/16/energy-in-america-dead-birds-unintended-consequence-wind-power-development/#ixzz1VJgGyWJc
Reptiles
Did you know that dn the United States in 2004, 74,000 reptile owners were struck down by salmonella poisoning. Veterinarian Dr Carmel says most, if not all, reptiles carry salmonella in their gut and kissing one is like eating gone-off chicken. Owners are also at risk if they eat or smoke while handling their reptiles, and should wash their hands well before putting anything in their mouth. And he says young children, people with compromised immunity and the frail elderly are most at risk.
Read more http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/kissing-a-reptile-is-riskier-than-it-looks/story-fn7x8me2-1226068970997
NMIT Kangaroos
Australian Society for Kangaroos (ASK) together with Victorian volunteers and Eden Park residents have now maintained their vigil at NMIT Eden Park Victoria for 5 months. Every night and day activists and residents have prevented the shooting of hundreds of Eastern Grey Kangaroos and their joeys for five months. NMIT's permit runs out in just eight weeks so we're on the home straight now. Thank you to everyone who has helped in every little way. We could not have done this without you. With particular thanks to Val, Lisa, Leanne, Brian, Bernie and the residents who have hung in there for this final home stretch and made it possible for us to save these kangaroos with our health and sanity intact. THANK YOU!! *ASK
Wind Farms
As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another -- although you don't hear state officials admitting it. Wind power is the fastest growing component in the state's green energy portfolio, but wildlife advocates say the marriage has an unintended consequence: dead birds, including protected species of eagles, hawks and owls. "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out." California supports roughly 2,500 golden eagles. The state's largest wind farms kill, on average, more than 80 eagles per year. But the state is set to triple wind capacity in the coming years as it tries to become the first state in the nation to generate 33 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. *FoxNews
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/16/energy-in-america-dead-birds-unintended-consequence-wind-power-development/#ixzz1VhudD6OL
Kangaroos
An extensive investigation by the National Parks and Wildlife Service into the culling of joeys at Mount Panorama in 2009 has cleared Bathurst Regional Council of any wrongdoing. The Australian Society for Kangaroos (ASC) had claimed 88 joeys were illegally killed as a safety precaution before the Bathurst 1000. ASC conducted a Freedom of Information investigation in 2010 which it said revealed a professional shooter killed the joeys, which resulted in the cull quota of up to 140 of the marsupials being exceeded. As a result ASC lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Environment and Climate Change regarding the alleged breach of the NSW Parks and Wildlife Act. But a National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said yesterday they issued council a licence to cull kangaroos for the Mount Panorama race track in 2009 to protect the safety of drivers and spectators. “Vehicle collisions with kangaroos have occurred in the past,” the spokesperson said.
“The NPWS reviewed the implementation of the licence and found the council and its contractor had carried out the culling in accordance with the expectations of NPWS and in compliance with the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos. The NPWS will not be taking any further action.” The spokesperson said council was developing a long-term Kangaroo Management Plan for the site and has reported that for the 2011 race it will implement measures similar to 2010 which involve strategic fencing and personnel on site. Council general manager David Sherley said yesterday council was always confident it had followed the correct protocols relating to the cull. “We have worked closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service at all times,” he said. “We are currently in the process of developing a precinct fauna management strategy for the Mount Panorama area. *Western Advocate
Backyard Wildlife
More and more people are getting up close with wildlife, prompting complaints about everything from flying foxes, to possums, ticks, mosquitoes and foxes. And it must say something about us that we are regularly outwitted by scrub turkeys - creatures with a brain not much bigger than a few peas, but the capacity to rearrange a landscaping project overnight. Griffith University urban wildlife specialist Darryl Jones said yesterday that part of the reason for this burgeoning urban warfare was because many creatures had bred up after two good seasons. Increased housing density and land clearing was resulting in humans pushing into wildlife habitat and animals such as flying foxes were being forced into suburbia. Many urban wildlife interactions occurred because people inadvertently supplied animals with food and lodging. If people left gaps in eaves, a possum, bird or carpet snake would make a home faster than it took a scrub turkey to move a truckload of mulch. And when people converted back yards into trendy rainforest patches, it became a gilt-edged invitation to a turkey to move in.
Peter the Possum Man, aka Brian "Peter" Vernon, said his business had increased because of natural fluctuations in animal populations. "Years ago, you'd only get one possum in a roof. Now it's not unusual to find two or three or even more," he said. Mr Vernon has a permit to remove animals such as possums but they have to be released within 25m. This is because they usually had other dens they could move into. People who illegally removed possums virtually ensure the animal dies a slow death of hunger or is attacked by other animals. "Unfortunately we've been knocking down the big old gums and they have hollows for animals like possums and birds," he said. Professor Jones said he was disappointed that some residents illegally move or harass animals. This was cruel, unethical and ecologically silly because they immediately tried to return or their niche was soon filled by another creature. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Adam Northam said the maximum penalty for taking a native animal, such as a possum or brush turkey, was $10,000.
Prof Jones argues it's more entertaining to see a scrub turkey strutting down George St than a politician, and people should be proud of Brisbane's wildlife, which was extraordinary by world standards. "The next thing people will complain about is crows because the mums will soon be kicking young out of the nest," he said. "These teenagers will gather at schools and McDonald's where they get scraps. They are simply trying to make a living." Mr Northam said that if problems arose with an animal, people should contact the department or a licensed handler. "If you have room, why not let a turkey have a mound?" he said. "If you are mulching, don't do it in spring when they're nesting." Another tip is to get rid of cocos palms as they attract bats, despite making them ill. Mr Vernon said scrub turkeys were difficult characters, and he once saw a bird kick compost up a driveway, across the road and into a neighbour's yard. "With scrub turkeys, things can get a little chaotic," he said. They cost about $200 to remove and possums from $300 to $500, depending on what is involved. Prof Jones said that as Australia became more urbanised, generations were growing up with nature deficit syndrome - no connection to the bush or animals. "A lot of people are really worried that kids' only connection to wildlife is via TV," he said. "I wonder, will these kids feel any compulsion to protect animals in the future?"
Ed Comment; Amazing, some people spend a lot of time and money making their backyards wildlife freindly, while others just want to get rid of backyard wildlife....
Kangaroo Genome
AN international team of researchers say they have sequenced the first genome of a kangaroo, a project aimed at pinpointing the genes that give the marsupial its remarkable abilities to hop and smell. The DNA code of the tammar wallaby is presented in Genome Biology, published by British-based open-access science publisher BioMed Central. The pint-sized 'roo measures only 45 centimetres from head to tailtip and has long intrigued biologists. It has a 12-month gestation of which 11 months is a period of suspended animation in the womb. At birth, the young weigh only half a gram, and spend nine months in the mother's pouch for protection as they grow. The wallaby joins more than other 130 organisms whose genome has been unravelled. They include humans, the chimpanzee, dog, rat, mouse and rabbit, as well as valuable crops, fungus and the fruit fly, a standard model for lab research. * News.com.au
Prehistoric Eel Found
A new species of eel found in the gloom of an undersea cave is a "living fossil" astonishingly similar to the first eels that swam about 200 million years ago, biologists reported. The strange find was made last year in a 35-metre-deep fringing-reef cave off an island in the Western Pacific state of Palau, they said on Wednesday in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The small brown fish has very few of the anatomical characteristics of modern eels, a vast range whose 819 species are grouped into 19 families. In contrast, it has many hallmarks of primitive eels which lived in the early Mesozoic era, back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. The similarities include a disproportionately large head, a short compressed body, collar-like openings on the gills, rays on the caudal fin and a jawbone tip called a premaxilla. The find is so exceptional that the eel has been honoured as a separate species, Protoanguilla palau. *Age
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/fossil-eel-squirms-into-the-record-books-20110817-1ixsm.html#ixzz1VhqSxX9T
Wildlfie Trafficking
As shady and lucrative as drug trafficking, the illegal trade of Australian wildlife is a growing form of organised crime in WA. Animal smugglers are ramping up their cruel operations in WA because of the State's many unique and rare fauna. Reptiles, such as lizards, geckos and snakes, are the most common creatures smuggled out of WA and can fetch $12,500 each on the black market overseas. Wildlife officers in WA are using DNA profiling, similar to that used by police on humans, to confirm whether animals have been poached from the wild. Department of Environment and Conservation wildlife officer Matt Swan said they relied heavily on tip-offs from the public. "It's like drugs and guns coming into the country," he said. "We act swiftly on information when we can get it. "Wildlife crime is certainly a growing trend." Mr Swan said reptiles were a common target because they were small, relatively easy to transport and those unique to WA or Australia made them valuable overseas. Hong Kong national Ho Wong, who lives in Thornlie, appeared in Perth Magistrate's Court yesterday charged over attempting to take four Western blue-tongued lizards, a threatened species, out of WA in May. Last month, 12 bobtail lizards were allegedly found wrapped in masking tape and stitched inside teddy bears to be exported illegally by post. "It's unbelievably cruel," Mr Swan said. "We believe the bobtails were fetching around $7500 in Asia." Last August, eight pygmy spiny-tailed skinks, reportedly worth $3000 on the black market, were found in a raid on a NSW home by customs officials who suspected they were poached in the Pilbara. The skinks could not be released in case they contracted diseases in captivity. Perth Zoo took them in but they were in poor health and all but one died. Mr Swan said a rare lizard unique to Rottnest Island was being targeted and smugglers were trying to sell them on a Japanese website for $12,500 each. To report wildlife crime, call 9474 9055. *WAnews
A surprising variety of endangered Australian wildlife is up for grabs on the black market. Native green tree pythons (Morelia viridis) can sell fo r $2000-10,000 on the black market. (Credit: Wikimedia) he didn't think he was doing anything wrong; it seemed a harmless act. When, in 2008, wildlife officers from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation came knocking at his house in Morawa, east of Geraldton, the man was surprised to see them - not because the game was up, but because he didn't realise he'd broken any laws. The wildlife officers were following up on a tip from someone who'd spotted the then 55-year-old swiping a chick from an endangered black cockatoo's nest hollow, high in a nearby salmon gum tree. "He literally didn't think he was doing the wrong thing," says Nicole White, a conservation scientist studying black cockatoos at Perth's Murdoch University who identified the bird species. "He was saying: 'There are plenty of them around. Why can't I have one?'." Then the officers heard squawking coming from the neighbour's yard where, upon investigating, they found a further 14 red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii), Carnaby's cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) and galahs - most of which require a licence. The neighbour, 59-year-old Herbert Edward Kenyon, was illegally trading thousands of dollars worth of birds and was caught red-handed. Wildlife theft is a massive, complex and nebulous beast. It ranges from individuals taking the odd bird as a pet, through to organised trafficking by international crime syndicates. .........
Read more .. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/australias-wildlife-blackmarket-trade.htm
Dingo Killed
A DINGO has died after being struck by a 4WD on Fraser Island’s Eastern Beach. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Great Sandy Marine Regional manager Ross Belcher said the dingo “veered into” the tourist’s vehicle as it travelled along Eastern Beach near Dilli Village on Wednesday. “There were two dingoes on the beach – one veered away from the vehicle and one veered into the vehicle and was struck in the head and killed instantly,” he said. Mr Belcher said the dingo was about four years old and was one of 18 collared dingoes. The collars send GPS signals every two hours. “Tracking information confirms that it spent most of its time on Eastern Beach between Dilli Village and Cathedral Beach, which indicates it was likely to be a habitual animal. “Statistically, the more time a dingo spends in high traffic areas, the greater risk of being hit by a vehicle.” Mr Belcher says the dingo was in excellent condition, weighing 22 kilograms. The average weight of an adult dingo is 15kg. “It was collared in May when its weight was recorded as 19.5kg, which means it had put on a healthy 1.5kg since it had the collar attached.” There was no indication that the dingo, the second to have been hit and killed by a car in the past two years, was pregnant. According to dingo conservationists, only 60 to 80 dingoes remain on Fraser Island. They are the last pure strain of dingo left and qualify as an endangered species. The GPS collar project was aimed at gathering information about the movement of dingoes. QPWS hopes it will give them a better understanding of the prey species that are on the island. *FC Chronicle
Kangaroos
The powdered testicles of the great red kangaroo are the latest victims to Asia's insatiable appetite for aphrodisiacs. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating claims made by Australian companies who are illegally selling the product in duty-free stores and pharmacies known to be frequented by Asian tourists. The Therapeutic Goods Administration lists two approvals for Essence of Kangaroo for "export only" yet news.com.au found several outlets in Australia selling the product domestically in breach of TGA conditions. One pharmacy supplier at Surfers Paradise said the product had sold out as they had just had a busload of Asian tourists visit. Another outlet - a gift store in Ashfield - freely sold the product to news.com.au. Manufacturers of Essence of Kangaroo claim the product can improve sexual prowess. “Made from Australian Red Kangaroo Testis. This large, powerful animal is the most magnificent of all the Kangaroos. It can leap up to 3.6m into the air and has a top speed of 65 km/hour. It alone illustrates the Kangaroos amazing strength and vitality,’ the website claims.
Linda Stoner from Animal Liberation was outraged that kangaroos were being killed for yet another unproven claim. “It’s really sickening that people are killing kangaroos and preying on the naivety and gullibility of people and it’s disgusting people in Australia are profiting from the misery of kangaroos,” Ms Stoner said. “There is no substantiated claim that any body part of any animal from tiger penis to rhino horn will enhance sexual performance,” she said. Professor John Dwyer, who is an advisor to the NSW Interagency Committee on protecting consumers from health fraud, said no herbal or animal part concoction had even been proven to assist libido. “They have been proven time and time again to be nonsense and it is a tragedy that animals like tigers (hunted for tiger penis) and rhinoceros poached for their horns are endangered when there is no effect on libido,” Professor Dwyer said.
News.com.au understands the ACCC is investigating any inflated claims made by manufacturers and written in Mandarin and Cantonese as potentially fraudulent. Jane Sun from Nature’s Naturals based in Brisbane said their Essence of Kangaroo product could only be sold as a food product in Australia but her main market was Taiwan and China. She said the product was made from the testicles and penis of the kangaroo which she bought from kangaroo meat producers. “It works very slowly, but Asian people believe it works,” Ms Sun said. A spokesperson for the TGA said the product in question was listed on the register of therapeutic goods as an "export only medicine" and was not to be supplied in Australia, including Australian duty-free outlets. “Breaching of a condition of listing may result in cancellation or suspension of a product,” the spokesperson said. *News.com.au
Crocodile Shot
A much-loved giant crocodile has been killed - shot between the eyes at close range in Arnhem Land. The 5.1m "boss croc" - known as the Black Crocodile - was "of high cultural importance", elder Goldie Blyth said. Its home for at least 40 years was in and around the Murrkan, Murgenella and Wark billabongs on the Coburg Peninsula north-east of Darwin. Ms Blyth said "this latest victim of new-age technology, avarice and intolerance" appears to have been "murdered" from the Murgenella Creek Crossing last Sunday. The croc was found floating two days later. "He (once) came up with a large barramundi, he threw the large fish around in his mouth as if to say, 'I got this barramundi' - waving it to us and showing us his catch; he then ate it front of us. It was a very special moment," Ms Blyth said. "The crocodile's death is a very sad and a significant loss to traditional owners and the wider community. "Cultural respects were paid on each visit to the site and the resident boss crocodile would seem to respond in kind, by showing itself and then swimming off to tend to its business. Traditional owners would regularly talk to the large crocodile.
"People had an enormous respect for the animal and the relationship goes back well over 40 years. "On some occasions, people would talk to the crocodile before fishing or entering the water to hunt file snakes." Ms Blyth called for signs to prevent stopping at the creek by "hoon shooting individuals". She has also called for Parks and Wildlife rangers to be reinstated at Murgenella - and wants the the culprit prosecuted. Ms Blyth last visited the croc about three weeks ago. "In recent times, the Black Crocodile did not like the sound of quad bikes and appeared to be agitated when he heard their sound," she said. "The crocodile was well-known to the old people and his killing is a loss of an important link to past generations that have passed on. "The crocodile was always present or in close proximity to the crossing and was well known to both locals and some visitors." Anyone with information about the shooting of the crocodile should contact Parks and Wildlife. *NT News
Giant Cuttlefish at Risk
There's more signs Whyalla's giant cuttlefish are in danger, with hundreds of their eggs floating in the ocean. Whyalla Diving Services owner Tony Bramley said the cuttlefish, which should be stuck safely under rocks, wouldn't hatch once they were detached from rocks. "Once they're floating, that's the end of them," Mr Bramley said. "They can't take the sunlight, they have to be under a ledge to survive." On Thursday, Mr Bramley had to collect 50 eggs for an Adelaide University research project. "I had to dive for 40 minutes, it should have taken one minute," he said. "It was really depressing to go out there. In that 40 minutes we only found two small egg masses and we turned over hundreds of rocks." Adelaide University marine biologist Professor Bronwyn Gillanders said the lack of eggs was concerning. "They breed and then they die so if the eggs don't survive they're not around to come back and breed again," she said. "And anecdotally we have a decreased abundance of adult population. "It's a recipe for disaster."
Neither Prof Gillanders or Mr Bramley knew what was causing the laid eggs to come away from the rocks. "The large ones that normally come in lay about 90 eggs but this year the few cuttlefish that have turned up are smaller and lay more like 15 eggs," Mr Bramley said. Meanwhile, fourth generation Moonta professional fisherman Noel Kemp has told the Sunday Mail he believes an enormous school of salmon is responsible for the decreased cuttlefish numbers. Mr Kemp said since the number of salmon netting licences was reduced in 2005 and closure areas were introduced, the salmon population had swelled. "Stocks have gone out of balance now," Mr Kemp said."We've got four to five years' build-up of fish. I'm seeing a lot more salmon than I used to. "I was working an area in early June for six days and I saw a large school of huge salmon cruising near Whyalla. Cuttlefish are natural food for them." Prof Gillanders said salmon were one of many predators for cuttlefish.
In a statement released to the Sunday Mail, the Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA said: "the Government has committed to establishing a more robust and comprehensive monitoring program (of cuttlefish) with particular reference to population biomass, water quality and habitat condition". However they said in the statement there was "no evidence available to support that assumption" that salmon were responsible for the decreased cuttlefish population. "A South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) dive team will commence a survey of Giant Cuttlefish in the closed area next week," the PIRSA statement said. *SA Sunday Mail
White Cockatoo to be Caged
An 85-year-old cockatoo who has been a Coburg pet shop mascot for as long as anyone can remember has been kicked off his perch and ordered to live behind bars. "Cocky" has enjoyed years of freedom greeting and amusing customers from his stand in Monika Jarosz's pet store. But this month inspectors from the Department of Sustainability and Environment told her the elderly bird must be confined to a cage. Ms Jarosz said Cocky had been a mascot of the Bird City store for the 15 years she had owned it, and probably much longer. "He's well-known in the area and we have lots of kids coming in during the school holidays just to see him," Ms Jarosz said. She said the outspoken bird became lonely when he wasn't around people. Because of his advanced age Ms Jarosz said it was difficult for Cocky to adjust to living in a cage. She said he had started self-mutilating, a sign of stress in cockatoos. "How do you explain to a bird 'You've been out for years now you're not allowed out?' " she said. "It's not fair. (He's) never attacked a person or done anything to compromise his position or mine." A DSE spokeswoman said under the Wildlife Regulations Act 2002 all wildlife had to be kept in suitable enclosures to prevent their escape. "The enclosures are also necessary to protect the wildlife from predators, and to resist access by people not authorised to handle that wildlife," she said. *HeraldSun
Dolphins
The environmental group World Wildlife Fund is warning Cambodia's river dolphin population faces extinction unless the government takes urgent action. WWF says there are just 85 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong River, and almost all are in north-eastern Cambodia. The organisation wants a conservation area established and a ban on fine-mesh nets - known as 'gill nets' - which it says are drowning the dolphins. But the government's dolphin specialist, Dr Touch Seang Tana, says WWF's figures are too low. He believes there are about 170 dolphins left - twice the environmental group's estimate. He does, however, agree with the requirement to ban gill nets and says the ban should be in place by the end of the year, as should a dolphin preservation area. Cambodia's critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are an increasingly popular tourist drawcard. *ABC
National Parks
An Alice Springs-based botanist says the Northern Territory doesn't have enough parks and wildlife staff or resources to properly conserve the natural environment. Thick buffel grass is causing a high wildfire danger in much of central Australia after heavy rain last year. The grass was introduced in the 1860s for cattle feed and there's a thick cover of it in the region. Peter Latz spoke about the best way to tackle the introduced grass at an Eco-Fair in Alice Springs at the weekend. He says Parks N-T should be doing much more to reduce the weed, but is held back by a massive shortage of staff. "Tourism is our biggest industry and we have only just got enough rangers to keep the tourists happy," he said. "There is just nothing getting done in terms of looking after the ecology of our parks. "If we are going to have lots of buffel grass and lots of fires, we could lose our hollow trees and our ecology. "Everything would go downhill." Mr Latz says efforts to reduce buffel grass are held back because local people are taking holidays at the best time to spray. "It is just damn hard work at the moment," he said. "The only way to control buffel grass is to spray ... at the right time, which is only a very short period. "Unfortunately (this is) when most people are on holidays. "That is the biggest problem actually, being around to spray at the right time." *ABC
Sea Shepherd
One lone observer closes down a stall promoting endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna sales, and were also offering free samples to wholesale trade buyers at Asia's biggest food expo. * WPAA
Read more http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2011/08/15/bluefin-standoff-in-hong-kong-478
Green Energy
As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another -- although you don't hear state officials admitting it. Wind power is the fastest growing component in the state's green energy portfolio, but wildlife advocates say the marriage has an unintended consequence: dead birds, including protected species of eagles, hawks and owls. "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out." California supports roughly 2,500 golden eagles. The state's largest wind farms kill, on average, more than 80 eagles per year. But the state is set to triple wind capacity in the coming years as it tries to become the first state in the nation to generate 33 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. *FoxNews
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/16/energy-in-america-dead-birds-unintended-consequence-wind-power-development/#ixzz1VJgGyWJc
Reptiles
Did you know that dn the United States in 2004, 74,000 reptile owners were struck down by salmonella poisoning. Veterinarian Dr Carmel says most, if not all, reptiles carry salmonella in their gut and kissing one is like eating gone-off chicken. Owners are also at risk if they eat or smoke while handling their reptiles, and should wash their hands well before putting anything in their mouth. And he says young children, people with compromised immunity and the frail elderly are most at risk.
Read more http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/kissing-a-reptile-is-riskier-than-it-looks/story-fn7x8me2-1226068970997
NMIT Kangaroos
Australian Society for Kangaroos (ASK) together with Victorian volunteers and Eden Park residents have now maintained their vigil at NMIT Eden Park Victoria for 5 months. Every night and day activists and residents have prevented the shooting of hundreds of Eastern Grey Kangaroos and their joeys for five months. NMIT's permit runs out in just eight weeks so we're on the home straight now. Thank you to everyone who has helped in every little way. We could not have done this without you. With particular thanks to Val, Lisa, Leanne, Brian, Bernie and the residents who have hung in there for this final home stretch and made it possible for us to save these kangaroos with our health and sanity intact. THANK YOU!! *ASK
Wind Farms
As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another -- although you don't hear state officials admitting it. Wind power is the fastest growing component in the state's green energy portfolio, but wildlife advocates say the marriage has an unintended consequence: dead birds, including protected species of eagles, hawks and owls. "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out." California supports roughly 2,500 golden eagles. The state's largest wind farms kill, on average, more than 80 eagles per year. But the state is set to triple wind capacity in the coming years as it tries to become the first state in the nation to generate 33 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. *FoxNews
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/16/energy-in-america-dead-birds-unintended-consequence-wind-power-development/#ixzz1VhudD6OL
Kangaroos
An extensive investigation by the National Parks and Wildlife Service into the culling of joeys at Mount Panorama in 2009 has cleared Bathurst Regional Council of any wrongdoing. The Australian Society for Kangaroos (ASC) had claimed 88 joeys were illegally killed as a safety precaution before the Bathurst 1000. ASC conducted a Freedom of Information investigation in 2010 which it said revealed a professional shooter killed the joeys, which resulted in the cull quota of up to 140 of the marsupials being exceeded. As a result ASC lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Environment and Climate Change regarding the alleged breach of the NSW Parks and Wildlife Act. But a National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said yesterday they issued council a licence to cull kangaroos for the Mount Panorama race track in 2009 to protect the safety of drivers and spectators. “Vehicle collisions with kangaroos have occurred in the past,” the spokesperson said.
“The NPWS reviewed the implementation of the licence and found the council and its contractor had carried out the culling in accordance with the expectations of NPWS and in compliance with the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos. The NPWS will not be taking any further action.” The spokesperson said council was developing a long-term Kangaroo Management Plan for the site and has reported that for the 2011 race it will implement measures similar to 2010 which involve strategic fencing and personnel on site. Council general manager David Sherley said yesterday council was always confident it had followed the correct protocols relating to the cull. “We have worked closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service at all times,” he said. “We are currently in the process of developing a precinct fauna management strategy for the Mount Panorama area. *Western Advocate
Backyard Wildlife
More and more people are getting up close with wildlife, prompting complaints about everything from flying foxes, to possums, ticks, mosquitoes and foxes. And it must say something about us that we are regularly outwitted by scrub turkeys - creatures with a brain not much bigger than a few peas, but the capacity to rearrange a landscaping project overnight. Griffith University urban wildlife specialist Darryl Jones said yesterday that part of the reason for this burgeoning urban warfare was because many creatures had bred up after two good seasons. Increased housing density and land clearing was resulting in humans pushing into wildlife habitat and animals such as flying foxes were being forced into suburbia. Many urban wildlife interactions occurred because people inadvertently supplied animals with food and lodging. If people left gaps in eaves, a possum, bird or carpet snake would make a home faster than it took a scrub turkey to move a truckload of mulch. And when people converted back yards into trendy rainforest patches, it became a gilt-edged invitation to a turkey to move in.
Peter the Possum Man, aka Brian "Peter" Vernon, said his business had increased because of natural fluctuations in animal populations. "Years ago, you'd only get one possum in a roof. Now it's not unusual to find two or three or even more," he said. Mr Vernon has a permit to remove animals such as possums but they have to be released within 25m. This is because they usually had other dens they could move into. People who illegally removed possums virtually ensure the animal dies a slow death of hunger or is attacked by other animals. "Unfortunately we've been knocking down the big old gums and they have hollows for animals like possums and birds," he said. Professor Jones said he was disappointed that some residents illegally move or harass animals. This was cruel, unethical and ecologically silly because they immediately tried to return or their niche was soon filled by another creature. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Adam Northam said the maximum penalty for taking a native animal, such as a possum or brush turkey, was $10,000.
Prof Jones argues it's more entertaining to see a scrub turkey strutting down George St than a politician, and people should be proud of Brisbane's wildlife, which was extraordinary by world standards. "The next thing people will complain about is crows because the mums will soon be kicking young out of the nest," he said. "These teenagers will gather at schools and McDonald's where they get scraps. They are simply trying to make a living." Mr Northam said that if problems arose with an animal, people should contact the department or a licensed handler. "If you have room, why not let a turkey have a mound?" he said. "If you are mulching, don't do it in spring when they're nesting." Another tip is to get rid of cocos palms as they attract bats, despite making them ill. Mr Vernon said scrub turkeys were difficult characters, and he once saw a bird kick compost up a driveway, across the road and into a neighbour's yard. "With scrub turkeys, things can get a little chaotic," he said. They cost about $200 to remove and possums from $300 to $500, depending on what is involved. Prof Jones said that as Australia became more urbanised, generations were growing up with nature deficit syndrome - no connection to the bush or animals. "A lot of people are really worried that kids' only connection to wildlife is via TV," he said. "I wonder, will these kids feel any compulsion to protect animals in the future?"
Ed Comment; Amazing, some people spend a lot of time and money making their backyards wildlife freindly, while others just want to get rid of backyard wildlife....
Kangaroo Genome
AN international team of researchers say they have sequenced the first genome of a kangaroo, a project aimed at pinpointing the genes that give the marsupial its remarkable abilities to hop and smell. The DNA code of the tammar wallaby is presented in Genome Biology, published by British-based open-access science publisher BioMed Central. The pint-sized 'roo measures only 45 centimetres from head to tailtip and has long intrigued biologists. It has a 12-month gestation of which 11 months is a period of suspended animation in the womb. At birth, the young weigh only half a gram, and spend nine months in the mother's pouch for protection as they grow. The wallaby joins more than other 130 organisms whose genome has been unravelled. They include humans, the chimpanzee, dog, rat, mouse and rabbit, as well as valuable crops, fungus and the fruit fly, a standard model for lab research. * News.com.au
Prehistoric Eel Found
A new species of eel found in the gloom of an undersea cave is a "living fossil" astonishingly similar to the first eels that swam about 200 million years ago, biologists reported. The strange find was made last year in a 35-metre-deep fringing-reef cave off an island in the Western Pacific state of Palau, they said on Wednesday in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The small brown fish has very few of the anatomical characteristics of modern eels, a vast range whose 819 species are grouped into 19 families. In contrast, it has many hallmarks of primitive eels which lived in the early Mesozoic era, back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. The similarities include a disproportionately large head, a short compressed body, collar-like openings on the gills, rays on the caudal fin and a jawbone tip called a premaxilla. The find is so exceptional that the eel has been honoured as a separate species, Protoanguilla palau. *Age
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/fossil-eel-squirms-into-the-record-books-20110817-1ixsm.html#ixzz1VhqSxX9T
Wildlfie Trafficking
As shady and lucrative as drug trafficking, the illegal trade of Australian wildlife is a growing form of organised crime in WA. Animal smugglers are ramping up their cruel operations in WA because of the State's many unique and rare fauna. Reptiles, such as lizards, geckos and snakes, are the most common creatures smuggled out of WA and can fetch $12,500 each on the black market overseas. Wildlife officers in WA are using DNA profiling, similar to that used by police on humans, to confirm whether animals have been poached from the wild. Department of Environment and Conservation wildlife officer Matt Swan said they relied heavily on tip-offs from the public. "It's like drugs and guns coming into the country," he said. "We act swiftly on information when we can get it. "Wildlife crime is certainly a growing trend." Mr Swan said reptiles were a common target because they were small, relatively easy to transport and those unique to WA or Australia made them valuable overseas. Hong Kong national Ho Wong, who lives in Thornlie, appeared in Perth Magistrate's Court yesterday charged over attempting to take four Western blue-tongued lizards, a threatened species, out of WA in May. Last month, 12 bobtail lizards were allegedly found wrapped in masking tape and stitched inside teddy bears to be exported illegally by post. "It's unbelievably cruel," Mr Swan said. "We believe the bobtails were fetching around $7500 in Asia." Last August, eight pygmy spiny-tailed skinks, reportedly worth $3000 on the black market, were found in a raid on a NSW home by customs officials who suspected they were poached in the Pilbara. The skinks could not be released in case they contracted diseases in captivity. Perth Zoo took them in but they were in poor health and all but one died. Mr Swan said a rare lizard unique to Rottnest Island was being targeted and smugglers were trying to sell them on a Japanese website for $12,500 each. To report wildlife crime, call 9474 9055. *WAnews
A surprising variety of endangered Australian wildlife is up for grabs on the black market. Native green tree pythons (Morelia viridis) can sell fo r $2000-10,000 on the black market. (Credit: Wikimedia) he didn't think he was doing anything wrong; it seemed a harmless act. When, in 2008, wildlife officers from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation came knocking at his house in Morawa, east of Geraldton, the man was surprised to see them - not because the game was up, but because he didn't realise he'd broken any laws. The wildlife officers were following up on a tip from someone who'd spotted the then 55-year-old swiping a chick from an endangered black cockatoo's nest hollow, high in a nearby salmon gum tree. "He literally didn't think he was doing the wrong thing," says Nicole White, a conservation scientist studying black cockatoos at Perth's Murdoch University who identified the bird species. "He was saying: 'There are plenty of them around. Why can't I have one?'." Then the officers heard squawking coming from the neighbour's yard where, upon investigating, they found a further 14 red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii), Carnaby's cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) and galahs - most of which require a licence. The neighbour, 59-year-old Herbert Edward Kenyon, was illegally trading thousands of dollars worth of birds and was caught red-handed. Wildlife theft is a massive, complex and nebulous beast. It ranges from individuals taking the odd bird as a pet, through to organised trafficking by international crime syndicates. .........
Read more .. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/australias-wildlife-blackmarket-trade.htm
Dingo Killed
A DINGO has died after being struck by a 4WD on Fraser Island’s Eastern Beach. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Great Sandy Marine Regional manager Ross Belcher said the dingo “veered into” the tourist’s vehicle as it travelled along Eastern Beach near Dilli Village on Wednesday. “There were two dingoes on the beach – one veered away from the vehicle and one veered into the vehicle and was struck in the head and killed instantly,” he said. Mr Belcher said the dingo was about four years old and was one of 18 collared dingoes. The collars send GPS signals every two hours. “Tracking information confirms that it spent most of its time on Eastern Beach between Dilli Village and Cathedral Beach, which indicates it was likely to be a habitual animal. “Statistically, the more time a dingo spends in high traffic areas, the greater risk of being hit by a vehicle.” Mr Belcher says the dingo was in excellent condition, weighing 22 kilograms. The average weight of an adult dingo is 15kg. “It was collared in May when its weight was recorded as 19.5kg, which means it had put on a healthy 1.5kg since it had the collar attached.” There was no indication that the dingo, the second to have been hit and killed by a car in the past two years, was pregnant. According to dingo conservationists, only 60 to 80 dingoes remain on Fraser Island. They are the last pure strain of dingo left and qualify as an endangered species. The GPS collar project was aimed at gathering information about the movement of dingoes. QPWS hopes it will give them a better understanding of the prey species that are on the island. *FC Chronicle
Kangaroos
The powdered testicles of the great red kangaroo are the latest victims to Asia's insatiable appetite for aphrodisiacs. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating claims made by Australian companies who are illegally selling the product in duty-free stores and pharmacies known to be frequented by Asian tourists. The Therapeutic Goods Administration lists two approvals for Essence of Kangaroo for "export only" yet news.com.au found several outlets in Australia selling the product domestically in breach of TGA conditions. One pharmacy supplier at Surfers Paradise said the product had sold out as they had just had a busload of Asian tourists visit. Another outlet - a gift store in Ashfield - freely sold the product to news.com.au. Manufacturers of Essence of Kangaroo claim the product can improve sexual prowess. “Made from Australian Red Kangaroo Testis. This large, powerful animal is the most magnificent of all the Kangaroos. It can leap up to 3.6m into the air and has a top speed of 65 km/hour. It alone illustrates the Kangaroos amazing strength and vitality,’ the website claims.
Linda Stoner from Animal Liberation was outraged that kangaroos were being killed for yet another unproven claim. “It’s really sickening that people are killing kangaroos and preying on the naivety and gullibility of people and it’s disgusting people in Australia are profiting from the misery of kangaroos,” Ms Stoner said. “There is no substantiated claim that any body part of any animal from tiger penis to rhino horn will enhance sexual performance,” she said. Professor John Dwyer, who is an advisor to the NSW Interagency Committee on protecting consumers from health fraud, said no herbal or animal part concoction had even been proven to assist libido. “They have been proven time and time again to be nonsense and it is a tragedy that animals like tigers (hunted for tiger penis) and rhinoceros poached for their horns are endangered when there is no effect on libido,” Professor Dwyer said.
News.com.au understands the ACCC is investigating any inflated claims made by manufacturers and written in Mandarin and Cantonese as potentially fraudulent. Jane Sun from Nature’s Naturals based in Brisbane said their Essence of Kangaroo product could only be sold as a food product in Australia but her main market was Taiwan and China. She said the product was made from the testicles and penis of the kangaroo which she bought from kangaroo meat producers. “It works very slowly, but Asian people believe it works,” Ms Sun said. A spokesperson for the TGA said the product in question was listed on the register of therapeutic goods as an "export only medicine" and was not to be supplied in Australia, including Australian duty-free outlets. “Breaching of a condition of listing may result in cancellation or suspension of a product,” the spokesperson said. *News.com.au
Crocodile Shot
A much-loved giant crocodile has been killed - shot between the eyes at close range in Arnhem Land. The 5.1m "boss croc" - known as the Black Crocodile - was "of high cultural importance", elder Goldie Blyth said. Its home for at least 40 years was in and around the Murrkan, Murgenella and Wark billabongs on the Coburg Peninsula north-east of Darwin. Ms Blyth said "this latest victim of new-age technology, avarice and intolerance" appears to have been "murdered" from the Murgenella Creek Crossing last Sunday. The croc was found floating two days later. "He (once) came up with a large barramundi, he threw the large fish around in his mouth as if to say, 'I got this barramundi' - waving it to us and showing us his catch; he then ate it front of us. It was a very special moment," Ms Blyth said. "The crocodile's death is a very sad and a significant loss to traditional owners and the wider community. "Cultural respects were paid on each visit to the site and the resident boss crocodile would seem to respond in kind, by showing itself and then swimming off to tend to its business. Traditional owners would regularly talk to the large crocodile.
"People had an enormous respect for the animal and the relationship goes back well over 40 years. "On some occasions, people would talk to the crocodile before fishing or entering the water to hunt file snakes." Ms Blyth called for signs to prevent stopping at the creek by "hoon shooting individuals". She has also called for Parks and Wildlife rangers to be reinstated at Murgenella - and wants the the culprit prosecuted. Ms Blyth last visited the croc about three weeks ago. "In recent times, the Black Crocodile did not like the sound of quad bikes and appeared to be agitated when he heard their sound," she said. "The crocodile was well-known to the old people and his killing is a loss of an important link to past generations that have passed on. "The crocodile was always present or in close proximity to the crossing and was well known to both locals and some visitors." Anyone with information about the shooting of the crocodile should contact Parks and Wildlife. *NT News
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wildlife Bytes 17/8/11
Leading Story
A 300,000-strong bat colony is set to be “moved on” from Gayndah in the next five weeks – but where it will go, nobody knows. North Burnett Regional Council workers will start cutting branches from the trees where the animals roost in about five weeks time. It is a move that will pave the way for future flying fox colony relocations, with the Department of Environment and Resources pouring $40,000 into monitoring the impacts of dispersing the animals and the risk of spreading hendra virus. “We have to wait about five weeks until the little bats are able to fly before we move them on,” Mayor Joy Jensen said. “Where are these bats going to go? No one knows. But the permit has been granted for the full township of Gayndah so at least we know we can work on them until they leave.” Ms Jensen said residents were sick and tired of the bats, which not only posed a health risk but had caused “immeasurable” damage to the town’s riverbank since they arrived in September last year. A number of businesses had also been hit hard by the “smelly” and “noisy” colony, particularly the ones located along the river. “There has been no explanation as to why they’re in such large numbers. It’s an unbelievable sight to see that many bats hanging in so few trees,” Ms Jensen said. Anyone who couldn’t understand why residents were so distressed should come and have a look for themselves, Ms Jensen said. “It hasn’t been a pleasant situation and it’s driven a lot of people to say and threaten to do a lot of things they wouldn’t consider under normal circumstances. “Residents feel the bats were given priority over them.” *Fraser Coast Chronicle
Gt Barrier Reef
Pesticides are harming the Great Barrier Reef according to a study of water quality in the area. Dangerous levels of pesticides have been found up to 60 kilometres inside the World Heritage area, and threaten coral and sea grass beds. The WWF has called for limiting the use of pesticides including a ban on using Diuron. The report says that practices can be improved in the horticulture industry, but also in the sugar cane industry. *Ecomedia
Live Export; Today is National Call Your MP Day!
Tomorrow, Thursday, 18th August, the future of live exports will rest in the hands of our elected representatives in Canberra. Federal politicians will be presented a historic opportunity to right a dreadful wrong and end Australia's cruelest trade. If the Government rejects the proposed legislation and continues to support live export, it will be condemning millions of animals to unspeakable brutality and putting short-term profit before long-term benefits to the economy and Australian jobs. The animals need just 5 minutes of your time. With thousands of people making one urgent call to their elected member today, politicians will hear loud and clear that those they represent want an end to the cruelty. Please join us in a "National Call Your MP Day" urging politicians nationwide to support the Bills to end live export. This is your last chance to make your voice heard before the vote. Whether this is the first or twenty-first time you'll call your MP, please take this important opportunity to speak up.Please also call Julia Gillard's office (02) 6277 7700 to urge her to put the Bills to a conscience vote and free up politicians to honestly represent the will of the Australian public and support the Bills without the threat of being expelled from their party.
Click on the link below to find out who your local MP is: http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/national-call-your-MP-day.php
Media Madness
In the wake of the recent Murdoch scandals in the UK, and other media excesses in Australia, like the flying fox, possum, and kangaroo media demonisation campaigns, many people think it’s time to take a look at our media here in Australia, and consider how we can support quality journalism. However, transforming our media is going to take a sustained, strategic, long-term commitment. NewsStand is a new organisation working for a fair and diverse media. They are hitting the ground running with a petition for a parliamentary inquiry, so we can start the conversation about what changes are needed right now. The latest intelligence from Canberra is that Cabinet will discuss whether or not to hold a media inquiry as early as Monday next week. NewsStand have arranged to deliver their petition that very day.
Sign the petition on their new website here .... http://www.NewsStand.org.au
Sparrows
Chirping sparrows are actually trading insults like gangster rappers, a new study has shown. What sounds like harmonious song is really the noise of males trying to appear macho, say researchers. And, just like humans, most of the boasting and trading of insults is done to impress the girls. "Song sharing among sparrows is actually an aggressive behaviour akin to flinging insults back and forth," said lead researcher Janet Lapierre, from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Sparrows have a large repertoire of songs but, when advertising for a mate, males stick to a 'greatest hits' selection that they perform repeatedly. "The birds sing as aggressively and loudly as possible," said Ms Lapierre. Sparrows living in more competitive environments are likely to perform a more aggressive but smaller selection of songs, the researchers say. This is like trying to prove themselves in a tough neighbourhood. Those living in less competitive areas are more likely to sing their own songs rather than compete with other males by chirping the same tunes as them, the study adds. The research has been published in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology. *Orange.co.uk
Golf Course Kangaroos
Meadow Springs Golf and Country Club (WA) is promoted as ‘golf as nature intended’ but increased kangaroo numbers from encroaching development has decimated the biodiversity of the club’s bushland. Course superintendent Greg Simmonds fears the grounds could soon resemble wasteland. For 25 years Mr Simmonds maintained 40ha of natural bushland at the course. “As surrounding land was developed, I wanted this parcel of bushland to be a legacy for future generations to see what was endemic to the area before the development,” he said. But Mr Simmonds’ dreams have been thwarted because he claims the golf course has become a dumping ground for kangaroos. “Last summer the undergrowth was gnawed to oblivion and the grounds were thick with roo faeces,” he said. “The kangaroos eat all the native understorey and leave the weeds. “Any new shoots are eaten. “The whole ecosystem will be changed with the understorey depleted.” Mr Simmonds said kangaroos had already cleared 20ha of natural vegetation. “Through no fault of our own the kangaroos have become our problem,” he said. “All my efforts will be for nothing. I feel disheartened and need help.” The transient nature of the kangaroos meant it was hard to determine their numbers. About 180 kangaroos were counted on one occasion and about 100 of them were carrying joeys. *Inmycommunity Mandura
Wildlife Trade
Even pygmy spiny-tailed skinks have DNA which can link them to the scene of a crime. More used to investigating murders, ex-homicide cop Steven James is now part of a crack team of investigators taking on one of the fastest-growing criminal industries - the illegal trade in Australian wildlife. Acting on a tip-off, the squad found the seven pygmy spiny-tailed skinks among about 100 other animals when they raided the Northmead home of a 52-year-old reptile collector. The collector said he had bought them from a registered breeder. The Australian Crime Commission this year revealed criminal groups linked to the illegal trade in wildlife were highly specialised and had networks, methodologies and illicit markets. Sometimes drugs are the currency of payment. Native animals including western bearded dragons, parrots, thorny devils, northern green tree frogs and oblong turtles were among 36 reptiles and amphibians seized in 600 operations as part of the Interpol-led Operation RAMP. *Telegraph
Read More .. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/experts-crack-down-on-an-animal-act-the-illegal-trade-in-australian-wildlife/story-e6freuzi-1226114088396
The North Carolina Museum of Natural History is taking care of an extra 60 snakes and lizards this week, many of which have deadly venom. It’s not part of an exhibit though – the reptiles were seized from a man’s mobile home in western North Carolina. More than 50 of them are venomous, including several species of rattlesnakes, cobras, and the largest kind of viper in the world. Henderson County sheriffs deputise also found nearly 100 dead and frozen reptiles in the mobile home. They searched it after a local hospital told them a man had been bitten by a poisonous snake, according to the Hendersonville Times-News. The Museum of History will hold onto the snakes and lizards while authorities decide whether to press charges against the owner. *TimesNews
Saving Wildlife
Bob Irwin explains why he is trying his best to save our wildlife .. http://wildtimeonline.blogspot.com/2011/08/save-australias-dugongs-and-turtles-in.html http://www.mixcloud.com/player/
Gibbons
Scientists have uncovered the secret behind the extraordinary jumping ability of the white-handed gibbon, capable in the wild of leaping across more than 10 metres in gaps in the forest canopy. Using high-speed cameras and laser measurement, researchers recorded two captive gibbons - one an adult male, the other a juvenile female - as they jumped between trunks at a wildlife park in Belgium. They found the apes were able, in a single movement, to accelerate their bodies to a stunning 8.3 metres per second - nearly 30km/h - in order to make a vertical jump of 3.5 metres. To achieve this performance, the gibbon (Hylobates lar) needs to muster a reserve of pent-up energy and release it efficiently in a jolt through its muscles, tendons and skeletons. But the gibbon's biomechanics are not those of specialised leapers, like the locust, the flea and bushbaby, whose anatomies have been sculpted by evolution to make them super-jumpers. The ape, a native of tropical forests in south-east Asia, does the trick through a mixture of resources, the investigators believe.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/gibbons-leap-secrets-unveiled-20110810-1imi3.html#ixzz1V2LpGIH3
Albatrosses
A young albatross that had lost its bearings had to be given some tender, loving care by an East Coast resident this week. The shy albatross was found far from sea sitting in the corner of a paddock at Seymour, north of Bicheno, on Tuesday. Fearing it was hurt, the owner of the property called Parks and Wildlife. Wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon said shy albatrosses had only three colonies in the world, all in Tasmania. "Obviously a paddock is not where an albatross should be so Parks and Wildlife staff from Freycinet boxed it up and brought it to Hobart," Mr Carlyon said. However, he said this episode was hard to explain. "This happens rarely and they are an oceanic species," he said. "When we've seen this before it's following a big storm or weather event, but there was nothing like that on the East Coast." Wildlife officers found the young bird was slightly underweight but not injured. "They're such big birds they need quite a long runway to get airborne," Mr Carlyon said. "It could be that he got stuck in the corner of a paddock where there wasn't room to take off." After keeping the 4-5kg youngster overnight, the bird was taken to waters near Bruny Island and released on Wednesday. "We just took it out and dropped it off the side of the boat, they're quite happy sitting on the surface," Mr Carlyon said. "He stretched his wings, spent about 30 seconds getting his bearings, then got a big run up and took off." *Mercury
Snakes
A Yellow-Faced Whip Snake attacked by a cat has been treated and released by The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. The Hospital luclily found only some small superficial wounds over the middle of the body. After a total of four days in care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Angus was successfully released back into native habitat. Over 153 animals have been admitted so far this year as a result of a domestic cat attack. Accoding to the Queensland Museum, the Yellow-faced Whip Snake is very slender and is pale bluish grey to light olive green. It typically has a reddish tinge on the neck and front third of its back. The eye is large and is encircled by a pale ring. There is a black, comma-shaped marking beneath the eye and a dark, pale-edged line on the tip of the snout running between the nostrils. The belly is usually greenish-grey. This species grows to 1 m. This snake is widespread over a large portion of mainland Australia, found in open forests, farmland and suburban gardens. The Yellow-faced Whip Snake is potentially dangerous and should be treated with caution. The symptoms are usually local. If bitten, apply first aid and seek urgent medical attention. *WPAA
Sharks
Hammerhead sharks are being targeted by Lake Macquarie (NSW) fishermen seeking food and thrills, and a washed-up shark is thought to have been hooked first. A marine biologist said a hammerhead carcass found on Saturday at Myuna Bay, where another hammerhead beached and died last month, had probably been caught. ‘‘My guess would be that these sharks were killed and possibly dumped,’’ Department of Primary Industries shark biologist Vic Peddemors said. ‘I think it’s an incidental mortality rather than a natural mortality.’’ Some lake anglers are targeting hammerheads for their size and prestige. Several videos of hammerheads in the lake have popped up on YouTube and one shows two men on a boat hooking a shark, reeling it in and letting it go. *Newcastle Herald
Greens' MP Cate Faehrmann is on the New South Wales mid-north coast highlighting risks faced by the grey nurse shark. Ms Faehrmann, the Greens' environment spokeswoman, dived at Fish Rock near South West Rocks yesterday, a well known aggregation point for the sharks. She says the experience confirmed to her the need for protection of the species at Fish Rock. Ms Faehrmann says fishing bans that were in place before last year's election should be reinstated. "When you go down there and see the number of sharks that are hanging out at the bottom, it isn't rocket science to think that if you have fishing boats over the areas where these shark sleep during the day, hang out during the day, feed at night, then they are going to get accidentally hooked," she said. "It isn't rocket science. It really has to happen. "Divers and locals are telling me that boats are there almost every day. "Recreational fishing charter boats are going out to Fish Rock and fishing directly over the top of the grey nurse shark aggregation site. "Now the grey nurse shark hang down the bottom and they do take bait. "There was a study that the Department of Primary Industries has that of course shows that grey nurse shark take bait and they do get hooked." *ABC
Climate Change
About half of the recent record loss of Arctic sea ice can be blamed on global warming caused by human activity, a leading climate research centre has found. The study, funded by the US National Science Foundation is the first to attribute a specific proportion of the ice melt to greenhouse gases and pollution. It used one of the world's most sophisticated climate models to reach its conclusions, said lead author Jennifer Kay, a scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. The paper was published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Ms Kay said her study was an attempt to learn how much Arctic Ocean melting could be attributed to ''natural variability'' and how much to greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. In doing so, she was also able to look ahead to future fluctuations. She said conditions would become more volatile from year to year. That meant there would be years, perhaps decades, when the ice pack expands. But the trend is in the other direction. *Age
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/humans-to-blame-for-half-of-arctic-sea-ice-melt-says-study-20110815-1iuv0.html#ixzz1VDlw9UOS
Koalas and Logging
State forests is defending its strategy for koala safety during its logging operations. Logging is scheduled to start next week in the Boambee State Forest. Conservationists say Boambee is one of the last remaining key habitats for north coast koalas. David Wilson from Forests New South Wales says the search for koalas before logging is thorough. "We do a data base search, show our records, we then do another search on the ground and then when the operation commences it's true that the supervising officer is required and also the logging crews, all of these people have attended ecology training," he said. "I know they know what a koala looks like." However, the vice-president of the North Coast Environment Council, Susie Russell, says the system for protecting koalas is far from adequate. "You've got to remember that the guys who are marking up the forest, who are advancing only a couple of hundred metres in front of the machinery, they don't have time or the training to scrabble around at the base of the tree trying to count koala droppings," she said. "I mean they are quite hard to see and that's really the only mechanism that they have for identifying koala habitat." *ABC
Another Fish Kill
A giant groper has died in the Burrum River, (Qld) prompting speculation as to why fish are perishing in an apparently healthy waterway. The stench of decaying fish hangs over sections of the river and stunned barramundi are reportedly being caught by hand as they swim aimlessly in the shallows. Lifetime local Peter Pearson said he had never seen anything like it in his time living and fishing in the region. After finding a dead Queensland estuary groper near his Pacific Haven property on Thursday, Mr Pearson said it was time something was done about the problem. “I would have seen 10 dead barra today,” he said. “And that groper, they are hardy critters, it takes a fair bit to knock one of those around.” After 49 years spent on and around the Burrum, Mr Pearson said the river had always been one of the cleanest in the region. “We used to test the water monthly, used to send it away for analysis and never found anything wrong with it,” he said. He also dismissed the theory that cold water was responsible for the string of recent fish deaths. “It's not the water temperature; we've had colder winters than this and fish didn't die, plus there were a lot more barra then. “I'm worried about it; of course we are worried. We've lived nearby all this time and what's happening is new in our experience.” A spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Resource Management said reports had been made to Wide Bay Water and the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI). DERM will continue to liaise with those groups and will conduct an investigation as further information becomes available,” the spokesperson said. *FC Chronicle
Gouldian Finch
The Northern Territory Government says it is still concerned about the future of the Gouldian finch, despite considering taking it off the endangered species list. The move is one of 75 recommended changes to wildlife classifications in the Territory. Department of Natural Resources spokesman Simon Ward says the birds are not going to die out as quickly as was previously thought. Populations of the rare finch are no longer declining and there are signs of a recovery in numbers, he says. If the reclassification is approved, the Gouldian finch would go from being listed as endangered to vulnerable. "We are getting more frequent reports of larger numbers of birds," Mr Ward said. "It is easier to see them around Katherine but they are also popping up in places like the Victoria River district. "There are also quite large populations in the Maningrida area, quite large relative to what they were of course." He said there were a number of reasons for the recovery in Gouldian Finch numbers. These included better land management and fire regimes. The Environment Department says it is working to address threats to wildlife in the Territory. Environment Minister Karl Hampton says work is being done to address threats to wildlife in the Territory. "We know that the biodiversity of our landscape, of our animals and plants is very delicate," he said. "We know there are a number of issues that we have to deal with in terms of feral animals, particularly the cane toad in the Top End and the cat in central Australia, as well as the threat of fires." The recommended changes to wildlife classifications are open for public comment until early next month. *ABC
Ancient Birds
Scientists believe they have found the complete fossilised skeleton of a prehistoric wedge-tailed eagle during excavations on the Nullarbor Plain. The fossils were found in a cave known as Leaena's Breath about 100 kilometres north-west of Eucla in Western Australia, just over the South Australian border. The excavation work is being carried out by scientists from Flinders University and the Western Australian Museum. The discovery was made in a pit about one metre deep. Palaeontologist Dr Gavin Prideaux from Flinders University says the bones are likely to belong to a wedge-tailed eagle or a closely related species. "We're very confident that they're older than 780,000 years of age and we think they might be perhaps even a million or more. That's yet to be verified but they're certainly in the vicinity of a million years old or so," he said. "As soon as we pull [the bones] out we preserve them and wrap them up so we haven't really got a good opportunity to study them and what we really need to do to ascertain whether it is a different species to the wedge-tailed eagle or not is get those bones back to the lab." "We're hopeful that it will in fact be a different species or perhaps even an ancestor of the modern wedge-tailed eagle," he said. Dr Prideaux says the cave is ideal for the work because it has acted as a death trap for birds for at least a million years. He says the discovery is exciting because very little is known about the history of the wedge-tailed eagle. "It's such an iconic species in Australia's fauna. It's the largest predatory bird and we know very little of its history. So because it's such a brilliantly preserved specimen, perhaps a complete skeleton, it's going to provide us with a much better appreciation of the history of that animal." *ABC
Possums
A second man who admitted torturing, burning and blowing up possums appeared in court yesterday. Callum Dane Broomhall, 20, of Main Rd, Meander, pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to three counts of animal cruelty. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of doing an act which caused the death of an animal, five counts of taking wildlife without a permit and four counts of illegal hunting. He was remanded in custody for sentence on August 26. Last month Mr Broomhall's co-accused Jason Stephen Hampton, 20, of Deloraine, received a two-month suspended sentence and 98 hours of community service after spending 13 days in jail awaiting sentence. The court heard that the two men had tortured, burned and blown up possums in a systematic demonstration of cruelty in 2009. Broomhall and Hampton had videoed the torture acts in Deloraine and Bronte Park, and their actions came to the attention of the RSPCA after they openly talked about them in public. RSPCA prosecutions officer Glenn Carey said the men used a vehicle to catch the brushtail possums and filmed the acts of cruelty. "There was systematic killing and wounding of five possums over a sustained period," Mr Carey said. "It was not just one act or one night." Three counts comprised the men driving a car at the possums, one count involved the stabbing of a caged possum with a knife on a stick and a third count involved beating the possum to death with a broom handle. Three of the possums were set on fire and blown up. Mr Carey said the animals would have suffered much pain and they died in an extremely brutal way. Magistrate Tim Hill described the offences as deliberate and callous acts. And he said Hampton had taken sadistic pleasure from the acts. *Mercury
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
WA Wallabies Saved
A four month operation to save wallabies marooned by floodwaters on small islands in Lake Argyle is over. “In the future, we know these islands are going to be cut off from the mainland and we may have to respond to future wallaby entrapments.”—Mr Terry. Image: flickr One NelsDepartment of Environment and Conservation Wildlife Officer Len Terry who led the operation said recent Kimberley floods had isolated 600–700 wallabies on what was normally a rocky headland. He said rising floodwaters caused the animals to retreat on to what became two temporary islands and four small outcrops. Neither the agile wallaby (Macropus agilis nigrescens) nor the nail-tail wallabies (Onychogalea unguifera) are endangered species. “[To save them] was more of an animal welfare issue,” Mr Terry said.
Local veterinarian Sarah Brett, who volunteered to assess the animals, was on the initial helicopter flight in March that landed on one of the islands. “It was a brief visit to reduce stress to the animals,” Ms Brett said. DEC biologist Winston Kay said macropods (kangaroos and wallabies) are susceptible to a potentially fatal condition called capture myopathy. Affected animals may die acutely from lactic acidosis or may live several days and show muscular stiffness or become recumbent. Sarah Brett while visiting the island noted a number of wallabies had already died as a result of stress. “The majority of those that were dead were nail-tailed wallabies.” Mr Terry said he began bringing commercially sourced feed to the animals and later took the difficult decision to trap and relocate most of them to the mainland. The wallabies were removed by boat using static traps and a hand net, placing the animals in hessian bags.
Mr Terry said they were then released on a flat sand plain near Lake Argyle’s Main Dam, about 30km from the islands. Orphaned juveniles were placed in the care of Sarah Brett, who also runs a voluntary service called Kimberley Wildlife Rescue from her veterinary practice. “They were considered too small or weak to release on the mainland,” Ms Brett said. Mr Terry said he expects flooding of a similar level to occur about once every 10 years and this flood event has enabled them to establish “trigger points” in water level heights. “In the future, we know these islands are going to be cut off from the mainland and we may have to respond to future wallaby entrapments.” About 330 wallabies were relocated with 25 of the animals retained on the islands with supplementary feeding over a four-month period. Despite relocating over 300 wallabies, a similar number died while trapped on the islands. He said about 90 per cent of the animals stranded were agile wallabies and 10 per cent were nail-tail wallabies. The operation was a joint effort involving the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Kimberley Wildlife Rescue, and Lake Argyle Cruises which supplied the boat. *ScienceNetwork
Whaling
Japan's powerful Fisheries Agency has publicly floated the idea of ending the country's controversial whaling program. A report by an official agency panel has raised the option stopping the whaling program, saying constant harassment by the militant Sea Shepherd conservation group has made whaling too dangerous for Japanese crews. Harassment by Sea Shepherd has limited the whaling fleet's effectiveness, and last season it was forced to return to Japan after harpooning only a fifth of its total quota of whales. The agency panel was convened to examine the impact of Sea Shepherd's actions and make recommendations for the upcoming Southern Ocean whaling season. Panel member Hisa Anan says she does not believe Sea Shepherd will ever stop its anti-whaling campaign. "The crew of the whaling fleet should not be exposed to danger, and the government should not force the fleet to go out," Ms Anan said. "So, I think Japan should end its research whaling." Only a minority of the fisheries panel agreed with Ms Anan's call to end the whaling program.
Other options include keeping the whaling expeditions as they are, or scaling back operations in the Antarctic and taking a smaller catch. For advocates of the whaling program, any talk of putting the harpoons away is defeatism and a capitulation to what is denounced as Sea Shepherd's "eco-terrorism". Masayuki Komatsu, a former Japanese representative to the International Whaling Commission, argues the whalers are doing nothing wrong. "We believe this is perfectly legal and scientifically justified," he said. "We should not give up." Mr Komatsu's assertion that the whaling program is scientifically vital is dismissed by Ms Anan. "Research whaling has been conducted for more than 20 years now," Ms Anan said. "I think they've gathered enough scientific data. And even if they want more, they can conduct non-lethal research."
But increasingly, more and more Japanese are calling an end to whaling because of the high cost of the program. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, it costs around $40 million a year to equip and supply the fleet and send it thousands of kilometres south. Few Japanese want to eat the meat the fleet harvests, and it mostly ends up in growing stockpiles in freezers around the country. With the whaling fleet due to embark on its annual hunt in November, Japan's Fisheries Agency has just three months to make a decision whether to continue with the program. *ABC
Penguins
Granite Island's (SA) penguin population is on the brink of being wiped out. The number of penguins at the popular tourist destination has dropped from 1548 to 146 in the past 10 years and researchers fear tomorrow's penguin census will reveal the trend is continuing. But penguin experts who work on the island say culling seals, an idea raised this week over concerns for Kangaroo Island's disappearing penguin population, is not the answer. Natalie Gilbert, who works in penguin management and conservation at Granite Island Nature Park, said investigations had begun to determine what was responsible for the decrease. "We need to investigate all possibilities," Ms Gilbert told the Sunday Mail. "We shouldn't be making such important decisions (on culling seals) without being completely knowledgeable on the subject. We haven't been able to pinpoint the problem." City of Victor Harbor director of planning and regulatory services Graham Pathuis said council would wait for recommendations from the research before determining if they could help. Mr Pathuis said council would have to look at shifting the direction of local tourism if the penguins disappeared all together from the island. "It's a long-standing tourism activity associated with Granite Island," he said.
But he was confident if the species vanished from the area tourism would not be affected overall. "There might be a shift, with more of a focus on other things; we have a large variety of tourism attractions." Ms Gilbert said work was already being done to address the declining penguin numbers, including research and improving the habitat on Granite Island to encourage breeding. A program encouraging people to bring in any dead penguins they discovered for autopsy was proving useful and indicated disease was not responsible for deaths. "Some carcasses show definite evidence of predators," Ms Gilbert said. "There's nothing conclusive. There's no doubt seals are involved but to what extent?" As well as seals, other potential threats included dogs and cats, rats and possums. As part of the program to save the Granite Island penguins, motion sensor cameras have been set up on the island to capture footage of predators in the penguin colonies.
Penguins are also being tagged with microchips for future identification and a tag reader has been installed that records when the penguin goes to and from the sea. School children and volunteers recently made and installed 35 penguin nesting boxes. Vegetation on the island is also closely monitored to ensure it meets the penguins' needs and Ms Gilbert said fish stocks did not appear to be a problem for the penguins. Penguin ecologist Annelise Wiebkin said while there was no denying seals were part of the problem, culling them was not the answer. "If we started culling them we would have to keep that up at a huge rate and also they're a native species," Ms Wiebkin said. "And there's just not enough information to prove it's going to work." Ms Wiebkin said the best way of dealing with the problem was managing things on the land. "If land predators like cats, rats and dogs are an issue - which have been in other colonies in Australia - if we can address that and improve habitat, that might counteract things happening out at sea," she said. She said some areas of Granite Island could be fenced off to protect the penguins from land predators. *Adelaide Now
Anti-Land Clearing Campaign
Outspoken animal rights campaigner Jaylene Musgrave says she has been the target of bullying and death threats, but it won’t stop her continuing her passionate campaign to protect animals. And she was true to her word yesterday, adding mining magnate Clive Palmer and Coast MP Alex Somlyay to the list of people she risks upsetting with her campaign. Ms Musgrave has challenged Mr Palmer, Queensland’s richest man, to make a real commitment to caring for wildlife at the Hyatt Regency Coolum he recently purchased and attacked Mr Somlyay, the Federal Member for Fairfax, for failing to condemn live animal export. Speaking at an animal protection rally at Cotton Tree Park yesterday morning, Ms Musgrave said she did not fear either of the public figures but was “embarrassed for them”. “I learned a long time ago not to be scared because the animals don’t have a lot of people out there fighting for them,” she said. “I have had death threats from the rodeo and circus industries ever since I started this journey. If fear stays us, then nothing is achieved.”
Mr Somlyay declined an invitation to attend yesterday’s rally, which attracted about 30 people, but released a statement which failed to condemn live animal export, as Ms Musgrave had hoped. He said there was no need for animals to be mistreated anywhere. “I was employed in the export inspection branch of Primary Industry in the era when the American meatworks insisted we had on-site meat inspectors under veterinary supervision,” his statement said. “The Americans insisted that Australian meatworks met their standards if we wanted to export meat into their markets. “Many northern Australian families rely on the live export trade and I support this industry.” A Coolum resident for seven years, Ms Musgrave also took a swipe at the land-clearing history of Mr Palmer’s newly acquired resort, claiming the land was being “raped” by bulldozers. “The resort’s website trumpets how they think holistically about the environment and replenish the planet, but because they make such gluttony of money from land clearing in our region, they should make a substantial contribution to the ongoing rescue and care of wildlife here,” she said. Ms Musgrave said she was yet to receive a reply from Mr Palmer. *SC Daily
Kangaroo Industry
The export of kangaroo meat is a multi-million dollar industry but right now, it’s hanging on by its fingertips – or paws, as the case may be. The $200 million industry has seen more than 200 jobs lost since the Russian Government blocked imports from meat producers in 25 countries over food safety concerns two years ago, citing hygiene concerns. The Russian market took up 70 per cent of all kangaroo exports. Executive officer of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA), John Kelly, said processing was down 50pc as a direct result and processing centres across Australia were closing. "The processing of kangaroo meat across the country has halved since trade to Russia halted,” Mr Kelly said. “There’s kangaroo processing premises closed in places like Brewarrina, Walgett and Broken Hill, and in Queensland at Charleville, St George, Roma and Longreach – the list goes on – and we think those towns deserve a bit more than that. “We’d like to see the Federal Government get a bit more active on the issue.”
In March, a Russian delegation – including the country’s agriculture minister – visited Australia to investigate the procedures for processing kangaroo meat. During talks about what needed to be done to get kangaroo meat back into the country, Russia’s agriculture minister asked Australian Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, to lend support to Russia’s efforts to join the World Trade Organisation. Discussions have remained largely quiet since then but Mr Kelly said last week, the Federal Government picked the issue back up again. “We’re now waiting to see what happens,” he said. “The other market we have been working on is China.” “Protein-hungry” China has been in talks with the Australian kangaroo industry for several years and Mr Kelly said he thought there was a good chance trade to China would be opened before Russia. More than $100 million in export income has been lost since the closure of Russia, as well as 60pc of the processing capacity being sidelined.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) now want to increase fees to kangaroo meat processors and harvesters by 40pc. “Last year the take of kangaroos was half the level we had when we had Russia, and the lowest in 25 years," Mr Kelly said. “This downturn is driven almost entirely by the Russian suspension. “If we get Russia back tomorrow, it would turn around almost instantaneously.” While the sustainability of pastoral activities in much of the Australian arid rangelands was under constant investigation, they are currently supporting a large population of kangaroos which, if uncontrolled, would threaten the economic viability of the pastoral industry and the environmental sustainability of huge tracks of land. These are fragile areas which can support a limited number of grazing animals, according to the KIAA. The KIAA said allowing the grazing pressure from all animals to increase was one of the most serious environmental hazards in the rangelands.
During the past 40 years a significant industry has developed which utilises the kangaroo resource. Initially its focus was largely on pest control for the pastoral industries, however, there has been a growing realisation that the kangaroo industry has significant economic and environmental benefits. Mr Kelly said intensive kangaroo farming was not a commercial proposition mainly because handling and husbandry presents difficulties, as does the low reproduction and growth rates in captivity. Rangeland farming would be high cost due to the amount and type of fencing required. Mr Kelly said the long–term future for the kangaroo industry (five to 10 years) was looking very strong. “There may be an opportunity some time down the track for pastoralists to devote some space to feeding kangaroos – the demand is definitely there to push that situation if we can get the numbers.”
At Southern Game Meat Pty Ltd, Seven Hills, the processing of kangaroo meat is mainly focused on that for human consumption, particularly for export. “We were mainly focused on the export component to Russia until July 2009,” Southern Game Meat manager, Greg Bates, said. He said the biggest demand for kangaroo meat was from Russia, with China still a relatively unknown quantity. Other markets such as the Philippines and Ukraine were also being investigated, however, exports to the European Union – in particular, France and Germany – and to Japan, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, continued. Prior to the closure of the Russian market, Mr Bates said Southern Game Meat were processing about 20,000 bodies a week. Currently, that is back to 4000. The company has two processing facilities, at Walgett for the domestic trade and at Hamilton, Queensland, for export. Export-bound meat goes directly from the Hamilton facility, while the domestic product is sent to Seven Hills for distribution. Vacuum sealed packs are used for distribution, largely to the restaurant trade. Mr Bates said the most popular cuts were the primal and leg cuts, particularly the fillets, for both the domestic and export trades. Kangaroo skins were also exported in “pickled” condition (the first stage of tanning). “Kangaroo leather is one of the strongest in the world,” Mr Bates said. *Land
A 300,000-strong bat colony is set to be “moved on” from Gayndah in the next five weeks – but where it will go, nobody knows. North Burnett Regional Council workers will start cutting branches from the trees where the animals roost in about five weeks time. It is a move that will pave the way for future flying fox colony relocations, with the Department of Environment and Resources pouring $40,000 into monitoring the impacts of dispersing the animals and the risk of spreading hendra virus. “We have to wait about five weeks until the little bats are able to fly before we move them on,” Mayor Joy Jensen said. “Where are these bats going to go? No one knows. But the permit has been granted for the full township of Gayndah so at least we know we can work on them until they leave.” Ms Jensen said residents were sick and tired of the bats, which not only posed a health risk but had caused “immeasurable” damage to the town’s riverbank since they arrived in September last year. A number of businesses had also been hit hard by the “smelly” and “noisy” colony, particularly the ones located along the river. “There has been no explanation as to why they’re in such large numbers. It’s an unbelievable sight to see that many bats hanging in so few trees,” Ms Jensen said. Anyone who couldn’t understand why residents were so distressed should come and have a look for themselves, Ms Jensen said. “It hasn’t been a pleasant situation and it’s driven a lot of people to say and threaten to do a lot of things they wouldn’t consider under normal circumstances. “Residents feel the bats were given priority over them.” *Fraser Coast Chronicle
Gt Barrier Reef
Pesticides are harming the Great Barrier Reef according to a study of water quality in the area. Dangerous levels of pesticides have been found up to 60 kilometres inside the World Heritage area, and threaten coral and sea grass beds. The WWF has called for limiting the use of pesticides including a ban on using Diuron. The report says that practices can be improved in the horticulture industry, but also in the sugar cane industry. *Ecomedia
Live Export; Today is National Call Your MP Day!
Tomorrow, Thursday, 18th August, the future of live exports will rest in the hands of our elected representatives in Canberra. Federal politicians will be presented a historic opportunity to right a dreadful wrong and end Australia's cruelest trade. If the Government rejects the proposed legislation and continues to support live export, it will be condemning millions of animals to unspeakable brutality and putting short-term profit before long-term benefits to the economy and Australian jobs. The animals need just 5 minutes of your time. With thousands of people making one urgent call to their elected member today, politicians will hear loud and clear that those they represent want an end to the cruelty. Please join us in a "National Call Your MP Day" urging politicians nationwide to support the Bills to end live export. This is your last chance to make your voice heard before the vote. Whether this is the first or twenty-first time you'll call your MP, please take this important opportunity to speak up.Please also call Julia Gillard's office (02) 6277 7700 to urge her to put the Bills to a conscience vote and free up politicians to honestly represent the will of the Australian public and support the Bills without the threat of being expelled from their party.
Click on the link below to find out who your local MP is: http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/national-call-your-MP-day.php
Media Madness
In the wake of the recent Murdoch scandals in the UK, and other media excesses in Australia, like the flying fox, possum, and kangaroo media demonisation campaigns, many people think it’s time to take a look at our media here in Australia, and consider how we can support quality journalism. However, transforming our media is going to take a sustained, strategic, long-term commitment. NewsStand is a new organisation working for a fair and diverse media. They are hitting the ground running with a petition for a parliamentary inquiry, so we can start the conversation about what changes are needed right now. The latest intelligence from Canberra is that Cabinet will discuss whether or not to hold a media inquiry as early as Monday next week. NewsStand have arranged to deliver their petition that very day.
Sign the petition on their new website here .... http://www.NewsStand.org.au
Sparrows
Chirping sparrows are actually trading insults like gangster rappers, a new study has shown. What sounds like harmonious song is really the noise of males trying to appear macho, say researchers. And, just like humans, most of the boasting and trading of insults is done to impress the girls. "Song sharing among sparrows is actually an aggressive behaviour akin to flinging insults back and forth," said lead researcher Janet Lapierre, from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Sparrows have a large repertoire of songs but, when advertising for a mate, males stick to a 'greatest hits' selection that they perform repeatedly. "The birds sing as aggressively and loudly as possible," said Ms Lapierre. Sparrows living in more competitive environments are likely to perform a more aggressive but smaller selection of songs, the researchers say. This is like trying to prove themselves in a tough neighbourhood. Those living in less competitive areas are more likely to sing their own songs rather than compete with other males by chirping the same tunes as them, the study adds. The research has been published in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology. *Orange.co.uk
Golf Course Kangaroos
Meadow Springs Golf and Country Club (WA) is promoted as ‘golf as nature intended’ but increased kangaroo numbers from encroaching development has decimated the biodiversity of the club’s bushland. Course superintendent Greg Simmonds fears the grounds could soon resemble wasteland. For 25 years Mr Simmonds maintained 40ha of natural bushland at the course. “As surrounding land was developed, I wanted this parcel of bushland to be a legacy for future generations to see what was endemic to the area before the development,” he said. But Mr Simmonds’ dreams have been thwarted because he claims the golf course has become a dumping ground for kangaroos. “Last summer the undergrowth was gnawed to oblivion and the grounds were thick with roo faeces,” he said. “The kangaroos eat all the native understorey and leave the weeds. “Any new shoots are eaten. “The whole ecosystem will be changed with the understorey depleted.” Mr Simmonds said kangaroos had already cleared 20ha of natural vegetation. “Through no fault of our own the kangaroos have become our problem,” he said. “All my efforts will be for nothing. I feel disheartened and need help.” The transient nature of the kangaroos meant it was hard to determine their numbers. About 180 kangaroos were counted on one occasion and about 100 of them were carrying joeys. *Inmycommunity Mandura
Wildlife Trade
Even pygmy spiny-tailed skinks have DNA which can link them to the scene of a crime. More used to investigating murders, ex-homicide cop Steven James is now part of a crack team of investigators taking on one of the fastest-growing criminal industries - the illegal trade in Australian wildlife. Acting on a tip-off, the squad found the seven pygmy spiny-tailed skinks among about 100 other animals when they raided the Northmead home of a 52-year-old reptile collector. The collector said he had bought them from a registered breeder. The Australian Crime Commission this year revealed criminal groups linked to the illegal trade in wildlife were highly specialised and had networks, methodologies and illicit markets. Sometimes drugs are the currency of payment. Native animals including western bearded dragons, parrots, thorny devils, northern green tree frogs and oblong turtles were among 36 reptiles and amphibians seized in 600 operations as part of the Interpol-led Operation RAMP. *Telegraph
Read More .. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/experts-crack-down-on-an-animal-act-the-illegal-trade-in-australian-wildlife/story-e6freuzi-1226114088396
The North Carolina Museum of Natural History is taking care of an extra 60 snakes and lizards this week, many of which have deadly venom. It’s not part of an exhibit though – the reptiles were seized from a man’s mobile home in western North Carolina. More than 50 of them are venomous, including several species of rattlesnakes, cobras, and the largest kind of viper in the world. Henderson County sheriffs deputise also found nearly 100 dead and frozen reptiles in the mobile home. They searched it after a local hospital told them a man had been bitten by a poisonous snake, according to the Hendersonville Times-News. The Museum of History will hold onto the snakes and lizards while authorities decide whether to press charges against the owner. *TimesNews
Saving Wildlife
Bob Irwin explains why he is trying his best to save our wildlife .. http://wildtimeonline.blogspot.com/2011/08/save-australias-dugongs-and-turtles-in.html http://www.mixcloud.com/player/
Gibbons
Scientists have uncovered the secret behind the extraordinary jumping ability of the white-handed gibbon, capable in the wild of leaping across more than 10 metres in gaps in the forest canopy. Using high-speed cameras and laser measurement, researchers recorded two captive gibbons - one an adult male, the other a juvenile female - as they jumped between trunks at a wildlife park in Belgium. They found the apes were able, in a single movement, to accelerate their bodies to a stunning 8.3 metres per second - nearly 30km/h - in order to make a vertical jump of 3.5 metres. To achieve this performance, the gibbon (Hylobates lar) needs to muster a reserve of pent-up energy and release it efficiently in a jolt through its muscles, tendons and skeletons. But the gibbon's biomechanics are not those of specialised leapers, like the locust, the flea and bushbaby, whose anatomies have been sculpted by evolution to make them super-jumpers. The ape, a native of tropical forests in south-east Asia, does the trick through a mixture of resources, the investigators believe.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/gibbons-leap-secrets-unveiled-20110810-1imi3.html#ixzz1V2LpGIH3
Albatrosses
A young albatross that had lost its bearings had to be given some tender, loving care by an East Coast resident this week. The shy albatross was found far from sea sitting in the corner of a paddock at Seymour, north of Bicheno, on Tuesday. Fearing it was hurt, the owner of the property called Parks and Wildlife. Wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon said shy albatrosses had only three colonies in the world, all in Tasmania. "Obviously a paddock is not where an albatross should be so Parks and Wildlife staff from Freycinet boxed it up and brought it to Hobart," Mr Carlyon said. However, he said this episode was hard to explain. "This happens rarely and they are an oceanic species," he said. "When we've seen this before it's following a big storm or weather event, but there was nothing like that on the East Coast." Wildlife officers found the young bird was slightly underweight but not injured. "They're such big birds they need quite a long runway to get airborne," Mr Carlyon said. "It could be that he got stuck in the corner of a paddock where there wasn't room to take off." After keeping the 4-5kg youngster overnight, the bird was taken to waters near Bruny Island and released on Wednesday. "We just took it out and dropped it off the side of the boat, they're quite happy sitting on the surface," Mr Carlyon said. "He stretched his wings, spent about 30 seconds getting his bearings, then got a big run up and took off." *Mercury
Snakes
A Yellow-Faced Whip Snake attacked by a cat has been treated and released by The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. The Hospital luclily found only some small superficial wounds over the middle of the body. After a total of four days in care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Angus was successfully released back into native habitat. Over 153 animals have been admitted so far this year as a result of a domestic cat attack. Accoding to the Queensland Museum, the Yellow-faced Whip Snake is very slender and is pale bluish grey to light olive green. It typically has a reddish tinge on the neck and front third of its back. The eye is large and is encircled by a pale ring. There is a black, comma-shaped marking beneath the eye and a dark, pale-edged line on the tip of the snout running between the nostrils. The belly is usually greenish-grey. This species grows to 1 m. This snake is widespread over a large portion of mainland Australia, found in open forests, farmland and suburban gardens. The Yellow-faced Whip Snake is potentially dangerous and should be treated with caution. The symptoms are usually local. If bitten, apply first aid and seek urgent medical attention. *WPAA
Sharks
Hammerhead sharks are being targeted by Lake Macquarie (NSW) fishermen seeking food and thrills, and a washed-up shark is thought to have been hooked first. A marine biologist said a hammerhead carcass found on Saturday at Myuna Bay, where another hammerhead beached and died last month, had probably been caught. ‘‘My guess would be that these sharks were killed and possibly dumped,’’ Department of Primary Industries shark biologist Vic Peddemors said. ‘I think it’s an incidental mortality rather than a natural mortality.’’ Some lake anglers are targeting hammerheads for their size and prestige. Several videos of hammerheads in the lake have popped up on YouTube and one shows two men on a boat hooking a shark, reeling it in and letting it go. *Newcastle Herald
Greens' MP Cate Faehrmann is on the New South Wales mid-north coast highlighting risks faced by the grey nurse shark. Ms Faehrmann, the Greens' environment spokeswoman, dived at Fish Rock near South West Rocks yesterday, a well known aggregation point for the sharks. She says the experience confirmed to her the need for protection of the species at Fish Rock. Ms Faehrmann says fishing bans that were in place before last year's election should be reinstated. "When you go down there and see the number of sharks that are hanging out at the bottom, it isn't rocket science to think that if you have fishing boats over the areas where these shark sleep during the day, hang out during the day, feed at night, then they are going to get accidentally hooked," she said. "It isn't rocket science. It really has to happen. "Divers and locals are telling me that boats are there almost every day. "Recreational fishing charter boats are going out to Fish Rock and fishing directly over the top of the grey nurse shark aggregation site. "Now the grey nurse shark hang down the bottom and they do take bait. "There was a study that the Department of Primary Industries has that of course shows that grey nurse shark take bait and they do get hooked." *ABC
Climate Change
About half of the recent record loss of Arctic sea ice can be blamed on global warming caused by human activity, a leading climate research centre has found. The study, funded by the US National Science Foundation is the first to attribute a specific proportion of the ice melt to greenhouse gases and pollution. It used one of the world's most sophisticated climate models to reach its conclusions, said lead author Jennifer Kay, a scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. The paper was published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Ms Kay said her study was an attempt to learn how much Arctic Ocean melting could be attributed to ''natural variability'' and how much to greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. In doing so, she was also able to look ahead to future fluctuations. She said conditions would become more volatile from year to year. That meant there would be years, perhaps decades, when the ice pack expands. But the trend is in the other direction. *Age
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/humans-to-blame-for-half-of-arctic-sea-ice-melt-says-study-20110815-1iuv0.html#ixzz1VDlw9UOS
Koalas and Logging
State forests is defending its strategy for koala safety during its logging operations. Logging is scheduled to start next week in the Boambee State Forest. Conservationists say Boambee is one of the last remaining key habitats for north coast koalas. David Wilson from Forests New South Wales says the search for koalas before logging is thorough. "We do a data base search, show our records, we then do another search on the ground and then when the operation commences it's true that the supervising officer is required and also the logging crews, all of these people have attended ecology training," he said. "I know they know what a koala looks like." However, the vice-president of the North Coast Environment Council, Susie Russell, says the system for protecting koalas is far from adequate. "You've got to remember that the guys who are marking up the forest, who are advancing only a couple of hundred metres in front of the machinery, they don't have time or the training to scrabble around at the base of the tree trying to count koala droppings," she said. "I mean they are quite hard to see and that's really the only mechanism that they have for identifying koala habitat." *ABC
Another Fish Kill
A giant groper has died in the Burrum River, (Qld) prompting speculation as to why fish are perishing in an apparently healthy waterway. The stench of decaying fish hangs over sections of the river and stunned barramundi are reportedly being caught by hand as they swim aimlessly in the shallows. Lifetime local Peter Pearson said he had never seen anything like it in his time living and fishing in the region. After finding a dead Queensland estuary groper near his Pacific Haven property on Thursday, Mr Pearson said it was time something was done about the problem. “I would have seen 10 dead barra today,” he said. “And that groper, they are hardy critters, it takes a fair bit to knock one of those around.” After 49 years spent on and around the Burrum, Mr Pearson said the river had always been one of the cleanest in the region. “We used to test the water monthly, used to send it away for analysis and never found anything wrong with it,” he said. He also dismissed the theory that cold water was responsible for the string of recent fish deaths. “It's not the water temperature; we've had colder winters than this and fish didn't die, plus there were a lot more barra then. “I'm worried about it; of course we are worried. We've lived nearby all this time and what's happening is new in our experience.” A spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Resource Management said reports had been made to Wide Bay Water and the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI). DERM will continue to liaise with those groups and will conduct an investigation as further information becomes available,” the spokesperson said. *FC Chronicle
Gouldian Finch
The Northern Territory Government says it is still concerned about the future of the Gouldian finch, despite considering taking it off the endangered species list. The move is one of 75 recommended changes to wildlife classifications in the Territory. Department of Natural Resources spokesman Simon Ward says the birds are not going to die out as quickly as was previously thought. Populations of the rare finch are no longer declining and there are signs of a recovery in numbers, he says. If the reclassification is approved, the Gouldian finch would go from being listed as endangered to vulnerable. "We are getting more frequent reports of larger numbers of birds," Mr Ward said. "It is easier to see them around Katherine but they are also popping up in places like the Victoria River district. "There are also quite large populations in the Maningrida area, quite large relative to what they were of course." He said there were a number of reasons for the recovery in Gouldian Finch numbers. These included better land management and fire regimes. The Environment Department says it is working to address threats to wildlife in the Territory. Environment Minister Karl Hampton says work is being done to address threats to wildlife in the Territory. "We know that the biodiversity of our landscape, of our animals and plants is very delicate," he said. "We know there are a number of issues that we have to deal with in terms of feral animals, particularly the cane toad in the Top End and the cat in central Australia, as well as the threat of fires." The recommended changes to wildlife classifications are open for public comment until early next month. *ABC
Ancient Birds
Scientists believe they have found the complete fossilised skeleton of a prehistoric wedge-tailed eagle during excavations on the Nullarbor Plain. The fossils were found in a cave known as Leaena's Breath about 100 kilometres north-west of Eucla in Western Australia, just over the South Australian border. The excavation work is being carried out by scientists from Flinders University and the Western Australian Museum. The discovery was made in a pit about one metre deep. Palaeontologist Dr Gavin Prideaux from Flinders University says the bones are likely to belong to a wedge-tailed eagle or a closely related species. "We're very confident that they're older than 780,000 years of age and we think they might be perhaps even a million or more. That's yet to be verified but they're certainly in the vicinity of a million years old or so," he said. "As soon as we pull [the bones] out we preserve them and wrap them up so we haven't really got a good opportunity to study them and what we really need to do to ascertain whether it is a different species to the wedge-tailed eagle or not is get those bones back to the lab." "We're hopeful that it will in fact be a different species or perhaps even an ancestor of the modern wedge-tailed eagle," he said. Dr Prideaux says the cave is ideal for the work because it has acted as a death trap for birds for at least a million years. He says the discovery is exciting because very little is known about the history of the wedge-tailed eagle. "It's such an iconic species in Australia's fauna. It's the largest predatory bird and we know very little of its history. So because it's such a brilliantly preserved specimen, perhaps a complete skeleton, it's going to provide us with a much better appreciation of the history of that animal." *ABC
Possums
A second man who admitted torturing, burning and blowing up possums appeared in court yesterday. Callum Dane Broomhall, 20, of Main Rd, Meander, pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to three counts of animal cruelty. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of doing an act which caused the death of an animal, five counts of taking wildlife without a permit and four counts of illegal hunting. He was remanded in custody for sentence on August 26. Last month Mr Broomhall's co-accused Jason Stephen Hampton, 20, of Deloraine, received a two-month suspended sentence and 98 hours of community service after spending 13 days in jail awaiting sentence. The court heard that the two men had tortured, burned and blown up possums in a systematic demonstration of cruelty in 2009. Broomhall and Hampton had videoed the torture acts in Deloraine and Bronte Park, and their actions came to the attention of the RSPCA after they openly talked about them in public. RSPCA prosecutions officer Glenn Carey said the men used a vehicle to catch the brushtail possums and filmed the acts of cruelty. "There was systematic killing and wounding of five possums over a sustained period," Mr Carey said. "It was not just one act or one night." Three counts comprised the men driving a car at the possums, one count involved the stabbing of a caged possum with a knife on a stick and a third count involved beating the possum to death with a broom handle. Three of the possums were set on fire and blown up. Mr Carey said the animals would have suffered much pain and they died in an extremely brutal way. Magistrate Tim Hill described the offences as deliberate and callous acts. And he said Hampton had taken sadistic pleasure from the acts. *Mercury
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
WA Wallabies Saved
A four month operation to save wallabies marooned by floodwaters on small islands in Lake Argyle is over. “In the future, we know these islands are going to be cut off from the mainland and we may have to respond to future wallaby entrapments.”—Mr Terry. Image: flickr One NelsDepartment of Environment and Conservation Wildlife Officer Len Terry who led the operation said recent Kimberley floods had isolated 600–700 wallabies on what was normally a rocky headland. He said rising floodwaters caused the animals to retreat on to what became two temporary islands and four small outcrops. Neither the agile wallaby (Macropus agilis nigrescens) nor the nail-tail wallabies (Onychogalea unguifera) are endangered species. “[To save them] was more of an animal welfare issue,” Mr Terry said.
Local veterinarian Sarah Brett, who volunteered to assess the animals, was on the initial helicopter flight in March that landed on one of the islands. “It was a brief visit to reduce stress to the animals,” Ms Brett said. DEC biologist Winston Kay said macropods (kangaroos and wallabies) are susceptible to a potentially fatal condition called capture myopathy. Affected animals may die acutely from lactic acidosis or may live several days and show muscular stiffness or become recumbent. Sarah Brett while visiting the island noted a number of wallabies had already died as a result of stress. “The majority of those that were dead were nail-tailed wallabies.” Mr Terry said he began bringing commercially sourced feed to the animals and later took the difficult decision to trap and relocate most of them to the mainland. The wallabies were removed by boat using static traps and a hand net, placing the animals in hessian bags.
Mr Terry said they were then released on a flat sand plain near Lake Argyle’s Main Dam, about 30km from the islands. Orphaned juveniles were placed in the care of Sarah Brett, who also runs a voluntary service called Kimberley Wildlife Rescue from her veterinary practice. “They were considered too small or weak to release on the mainland,” Ms Brett said. Mr Terry said he expects flooding of a similar level to occur about once every 10 years and this flood event has enabled them to establish “trigger points” in water level heights. “In the future, we know these islands are going to be cut off from the mainland and we may have to respond to future wallaby entrapments.” About 330 wallabies were relocated with 25 of the animals retained on the islands with supplementary feeding over a four-month period. Despite relocating over 300 wallabies, a similar number died while trapped on the islands. He said about 90 per cent of the animals stranded were agile wallabies and 10 per cent were nail-tail wallabies. The operation was a joint effort involving the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Kimberley Wildlife Rescue, and Lake Argyle Cruises which supplied the boat. *ScienceNetwork
Whaling
Japan's powerful Fisheries Agency has publicly floated the idea of ending the country's controversial whaling program. A report by an official agency panel has raised the option stopping the whaling program, saying constant harassment by the militant Sea Shepherd conservation group has made whaling too dangerous for Japanese crews. Harassment by Sea Shepherd has limited the whaling fleet's effectiveness, and last season it was forced to return to Japan after harpooning only a fifth of its total quota of whales. The agency panel was convened to examine the impact of Sea Shepherd's actions and make recommendations for the upcoming Southern Ocean whaling season. Panel member Hisa Anan says she does not believe Sea Shepherd will ever stop its anti-whaling campaign. "The crew of the whaling fleet should not be exposed to danger, and the government should not force the fleet to go out," Ms Anan said. "So, I think Japan should end its research whaling." Only a minority of the fisheries panel agreed with Ms Anan's call to end the whaling program.
Other options include keeping the whaling expeditions as they are, or scaling back operations in the Antarctic and taking a smaller catch. For advocates of the whaling program, any talk of putting the harpoons away is defeatism and a capitulation to what is denounced as Sea Shepherd's "eco-terrorism". Masayuki Komatsu, a former Japanese representative to the International Whaling Commission, argues the whalers are doing nothing wrong. "We believe this is perfectly legal and scientifically justified," he said. "We should not give up." Mr Komatsu's assertion that the whaling program is scientifically vital is dismissed by Ms Anan. "Research whaling has been conducted for more than 20 years now," Ms Anan said. "I think they've gathered enough scientific data. And even if they want more, they can conduct non-lethal research."
But increasingly, more and more Japanese are calling an end to whaling because of the high cost of the program. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, it costs around $40 million a year to equip and supply the fleet and send it thousands of kilometres south. Few Japanese want to eat the meat the fleet harvests, and it mostly ends up in growing stockpiles in freezers around the country. With the whaling fleet due to embark on its annual hunt in November, Japan's Fisheries Agency has just three months to make a decision whether to continue with the program. *ABC
Penguins
Granite Island's (SA) penguin population is on the brink of being wiped out. The number of penguins at the popular tourist destination has dropped from 1548 to 146 in the past 10 years and researchers fear tomorrow's penguin census will reveal the trend is continuing. But penguin experts who work on the island say culling seals, an idea raised this week over concerns for Kangaroo Island's disappearing penguin population, is not the answer. Natalie Gilbert, who works in penguin management and conservation at Granite Island Nature Park, said investigations had begun to determine what was responsible for the decrease. "We need to investigate all possibilities," Ms Gilbert told the Sunday Mail. "We shouldn't be making such important decisions (on culling seals) without being completely knowledgeable on the subject. We haven't been able to pinpoint the problem." City of Victor Harbor director of planning and regulatory services Graham Pathuis said council would wait for recommendations from the research before determining if they could help. Mr Pathuis said council would have to look at shifting the direction of local tourism if the penguins disappeared all together from the island. "It's a long-standing tourism activity associated with Granite Island," he said.
But he was confident if the species vanished from the area tourism would not be affected overall. "There might be a shift, with more of a focus on other things; we have a large variety of tourism attractions." Ms Gilbert said work was already being done to address the declining penguin numbers, including research and improving the habitat on Granite Island to encourage breeding. A program encouraging people to bring in any dead penguins they discovered for autopsy was proving useful and indicated disease was not responsible for deaths. "Some carcasses show definite evidence of predators," Ms Gilbert said. "There's nothing conclusive. There's no doubt seals are involved but to what extent?" As well as seals, other potential threats included dogs and cats, rats and possums. As part of the program to save the Granite Island penguins, motion sensor cameras have been set up on the island to capture footage of predators in the penguin colonies.
Penguins are also being tagged with microchips for future identification and a tag reader has been installed that records when the penguin goes to and from the sea. School children and volunteers recently made and installed 35 penguin nesting boxes. Vegetation on the island is also closely monitored to ensure it meets the penguins' needs and Ms Gilbert said fish stocks did not appear to be a problem for the penguins. Penguin ecologist Annelise Wiebkin said while there was no denying seals were part of the problem, culling them was not the answer. "If we started culling them we would have to keep that up at a huge rate and also they're a native species," Ms Wiebkin said. "And there's just not enough information to prove it's going to work." Ms Wiebkin said the best way of dealing with the problem was managing things on the land. "If land predators like cats, rats and dogs are an issue - which have been in other colonies in Australia - if we can address that and improve habitat, that might counteract things happening out at sea," she said. She said some areas of Granite Island could be fenced off to protect the penguins from land predators. *Adelaide Now
Anti-Land Clearing Campaign
Outspoken animal rights campaigner Jaylene Musgrave says she has been the target of bullying and death threats, but it won’t stop her continuing her passionate campaign to protect animals. And she was true to her word yesterday, adding mining magnate Clive Palmer and Coast MP Alex Somlyay to the list of people she risks upsetting with her campaign. Ms Musgrave has challenged Mr Palmer, Queensland’s richest man, to make a real commitment to caring for wildlife at the Hyatt Regency Coolum he recently purchased and attacked Mr Somlyay, the Federal Member for Fairfax, for failing to condemn live animal export. Speaking at an animal protection rally at Cotton Tree Park yesterday morning, Ms Musgrave said she did not fear either of the public figures but was “embarrassed for them”. “I learned a long time ago not to be scared because the animals don’t have a lot of people out there fighting for them,” she said. “I have had death threats from the rodeo and circus industries ever since I started this journey. If fear stays us, then nothing is achieved.”
Mr Somlyay declined an invitation to attend yesterday’s rally, which attracted about 30 people, but released a statement which failed to condemn live animal export, as Ms Musgrave had hoped. He said there was no need for animals to be mistreated anywhere. “I was employed in the export inspection branch of Primary Industry in the era when the American meatworks insisted we had on-site meat inspectors under veterinary supervision,” his statement said. “The Americans insisted that Australian meatworks met their standards if we wanted to export meat into their markets. “Many northern Australian families rely on the live export trade and I support this industry.” A Coolum resident for seven years, Ms Musgrave also took a swipe at the land-clearing history of Mr Palmer’s newly acquired resort, claiming the land was being “raped” by bulldozers. “The resort’s website trumpets how they think holistically about the environment and replenish the planet, but because they make such gluttony of money from land clearing in our region, they should make a substantial contribution to the ongoing rescue and care of wildlife here,” she said. Ms Musgrave said she was yet to receive a reply from Mr Palmer. *SC Daily
Kangaroo Industry
The export of kangaroo meat is a multi-million dollar industry but right now, it’s hanging on by its fingertips – or paws, as the case may be. The $200 million industry has seen more than 200 jobs lost since the Russian Government blocked imports from meat producers in 25 countries over food safety concerns two years ago, citing hygiene concerns. The Russian market took up 70 per cent of all kangaroo exports. Executive officer of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA), John Kelly, said processing was down 50pc as a direct result and processing centres across Australia were closing. "The processing of kangaroo meat across the country has halved since trade to Russia halted,” Mr Kelly said. “There’s kangaroo processing premises closed in places like Brewarrina, Walgett and Broken Hill, and in Queensland at Charleville, St George, Roma and Longreach – the list goes on – and we think those towns deserve a bit more than that. “We’d like to see the Federal Government get a bit more active on the issue.”
In March, a Russian delegation – including the country’s agriculture minister – visited Australia to investigate the procedures for processing kangaroo meat. During talks about what needed to be done to get kangaroo meat back into the country, Russia’s agriculture minister asked Australian Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, to lend support to Russia’s efforts to join the World Trade Organisation. Discussions have remained largely quiet since then but Mr Kelly said last week, the Federal Government picked the issue back up again. “We’re now waiting to see what happens,” he said. “The other market we have been working on is China.” “Protein-hungry” China has been in talks with the Australian kangaroo industry for several years and Mr Kelly said he thought there was a good chance trade to China would be opened before Russia. More than $100 million in export income has been lost since the closure of Russia, as well as 60pc of the processing capacity being sidelined.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) now want to increase fees to kangaroo meat processors and harvesters by 40pc. “Last year the take of kangaroos was half the level we had when we had Russia, and the lowest in 25 years," Mr Kelly said. “This downturn is driven almost entirely by the Russian suspension. “If we get Russia back tomorrow, it would turn around almost instantaneously.” While the sustainability of pastoral activities in much of the Australian arid rangelands was under constant investigation, they are currently supporting a large population of kangaroos which, if uncontrolled, would threaten the economic viability of the pastoral industry and the environmental sustainability of huge tracks of land. These are fragile areas which can support a limited number of grazing animals, according to the KIAA. The KIAA said allowing the grazing pressure from all animals to increase was one of the most serious environmental hazards in the rangelands.
During the past 40 years a significant industry has developed which utilises the kangaroo resource. Initially its focus was largely on pest control for the pastoral industries, however, there has been a growing realisation that the kangaroo industry has significant economic and environmental benefits. Mr Kelly said intensive kangaroo farming was not a commercial proposition mainly because handling and husbandry presents difficulties, as does the low reproduction and growth rates in captivity. Rangeland farming would be high cost due to the amount and type of fencing required. Mr Kelly said the long–term future for the kangaroo industry (five to 10 years) was looking very strong. “There may be an opportunity some time down the track for pastoralists to devote some space to feeding kangaroos – the demand is definitely there to push that situation if we can get the numbers.”
At Southern Game Meat Pty Ltd, Seven Hills, the processing of kangaroo meat is mainly focused on that for human consumption, particularly for export. “We were mainly focused on the export component to Russia until July 2009,” Southern Game Meat manager, Greg Bates, said. He said the biggest demand for kangaroo meat was from Russia, with China still a relatively unknown quantity. Other markets such as the Philippines and Ukraine were also being investigated, however, exports to the European Union – in particular, France and Germany – and to Japan, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, continued. Prior to the closure of the Russian market, Mr Bates said Southern Game Meat were processing about 20,000 bodies a week. Currently, that is back to 4000. The company has two processing facilities, at Walgett for the domestic trade and at Hamilton, Queensland, for export. Export-bound meat goes directly from the Hamilton facility, while the domestic product is sent to Seven Hills for distribution. Vacuum sealed packs are used for distribution, largely to the restaurant trade. Mr Bates said the most popular cuts were the primal and leg cuts, particularly the fillets, for both the domestic and export trades. Kangaroo skins were also exported in “pickled” condition (the first stage of tanning). “Kangaroo leather is one of the strongest in the world,” Mr Bates said. *Land
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