Wildlife

State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth ... introduced the KAP’s Crocodile Control, Conservation, and Safety Bill 2024 into Parliament, taking a no-nonsense stand against the escalating crocodile threat in North Queensland. The Bill is a response to constant calls from North Queensland communities and places a premium on human life by implementing aggressive measures to mitigate the risks to human life posed by the increasing crocodile population.

Working on the land, Moulamein farmer Nick McKindlay found farming gave him a great opportunity to explore his passion for birds. "As a farmer, I spend most of the workday outdoors, and my passion for birds has naturally woven itself into my daily activities," said Nick.

A rare Coastal Emu nest, containing nine eggs, has been discovered by Forestry Corporation staff in a State forest on the North Coast, giving hope to the future of the endangered population. The discovery near Grafton was made by Forestry Corporation Lead Forestry Officer Kurt Holzhauser during a broad area habitat search for threatened and endangered species.

In view of the Australian Koala Foundation's march in Canberra planned for 1 September 2024, and its advocacy for a federal "Koala Protection Act", Australian Rural & Regional News felt it timely to ask some questions on koala matters and maybe even start up a useful, and very probably robust discussion ... ARR.News approached Dr Brad Law, Vic Jurskis and then Deborah Tabart OAM and the AKF for their response to questions ...

Australia's national science agency CSIRO is calling on all Aussies to record koala sightings in the Koala Spotter all, to help build the most accurate national population count to date ... The latest koala national population estimate according to NKMP is between 224,000 and 524,000. The next estimate is due in March 2025.

Laboratory-based study confirms bacteriophages can suppress the growth of rattles-causing bacteria in soil. A ground-breaking project led by Dr Gary Muscatello at The University of Sydney has paved the way for a novel potential management strategy to combat Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals, commonly known as ‘rattles’.

A special event is set to celebrate the Sunshine Coast’s magnificent ocean and coastline like never before. If you are a thalassophile – a lover of the ocean – then get ready to take part in the inaugural Sunshine Coast Marine Bioblitz...

It’s part of the deal for most people living in a small regional town; lots of time spent on the road between places. This means that what happens on the roads attracts a lot of attention ... And lately it seems that what happens on the road is: animals, lots of different animals.

An operation to remove an estimated 20 tonne whale carcass from Greys Beach was successfully completed ... City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ross McKim said it was the most difficult removal the City has undertaken in more than a decade.

Whales have been dropping into Yorke Peninsula waters in the past month seemingly unbeknown to authorities. There have been no reports to the state’s dedicated whale-watch page of the huge mammals in the YP region so far this whale season — which starts in May and goes to October — despite at least two confirmed sightings locally.  

An additional 80 Murray crayfish have been released into the River Murray as part of an ongoing project to re-establish this iconic species in South Australia. The crayfish were released into the river at a secret location to protect the community in its infancy.

A shark advice has been issued due to a whale carcass on the beach just south of the Sovereign Park foreshore access. On July 20 Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said the whale carcass – at WN42 Sovereign Park BEN sign – had been reported by a member of the public.

A leading Charles Sturt University researcher co-led a multi-discipline team investigating the origins of dingoes, when they arrived in Australia, and how they changed over nearly three thousand years. Professor of Evolution and Environmental Change Alan Cooper … analysed genomes from skeletons and mummies of dingoes found in the many caves of the giant Nullarbor Plain across southern Australia.

150 Murray crayfish were released in Barham on Friday after many of the iconic species were relocated during the 2022 and early 2023 blackwater events. During the flood event, blackwater poured out of forests that had already had long periods of inundation with environmental water, contributing to poor water quality within the river system.

State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, has unleashed his fury at the Queensland Government for the forced withdrawal of his Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill from the Health, Environment, and Agriculture Committee ... "In my 20 years in parliament, I have never been forced to withdraw a private member's bill on what I would call a technicality. This is another example of how broken our parliamentary system is in Queensland": Shane Knuth.

Lockhart Shire’s Marrocka Emus has been collaborating with other emus farms and Charles Sturt University to develop new emu oils with huge health benefits to humans as well as the further development of the farms as agritourism experience for visiting groups. Marrocka Emu farm was first purchased as a vacant block of land in 1991 by its current owners Ian and Marilyn Marston.  

Natalie Krebs. Australians have a dedicated overlanding and camping culture. They cook a leisurely breakfast and then simply wade out into the marsh a few hundred yards to pass-shoot ducks. These lowkey setups make it easy for casual hunters to have a good time, and convenient for activists to interfere.

Laura Jones’ prize-winning portrait of Winton is helping to promote a documentary film supposedly aimed to save koalas from extinction ... The multimillion-dollar, multinational koala industry is part of the problem, not the solution. Well-meaning people are unwittingly donating money to increase koalas’ suffering. Sensible fire management could restore healthy and safe landscapes with naturally low densities of healthy koalas ...

Local magpie family, known as Hilary, Martin and Princess have come first in the wildlife section of the Camberwell Rotary Art Show. Captured in gouache (watercolour) on paper, local artist Robyn Riley has propelled the trio to stardom.

The whale watching season in Queensland is now officially open with 40,000 gentle giants holidaying on Queensland’s coastline from June to November. Queensland’s east coast, also known as the humpback highway, is expected to attract more than 127,000 domestic visitors. Queensland has a high association as a destination with world-class nature and wildlife experiences...