Wildlife

In many ways this captivating book describes the relationship between the author, Lachlan Hughson, and his much loved Australian Outback. In travels rivalling those of Odysseus in extent, the author takes us across the vast expanse of the ancient Australian continent, mixing geological insights, historical background, and personal experiences with vivid descriptions of nature in all its forms.

The Queensland Government has approved the preparation of legislative amendments to grant a 20-year extension to allow beekeeping to continue in national parks until 2044 ... The decision will formally extend beekeeping permits for a further 20 years in certain national parks that were created as part of the SEQ Forest Agreement in 1999.

Friends of the Koala. A koala so badly injured from the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, vets didn't think she'd make it, has been spotted in the wild with a joey. Ember was found in November 2019 walking on the burnt ground in Whiporie, New South Wales after devastating fires swept through the area ... Some 18 months later, in the same area where she was released, Ember has been spotted with a joey of her own. She was sighted thriving in the wild with her joey by the person who rescued her – Ros Irwin.

The Tasmanian Government welcomes the first sightings of Orange-bellied Parrots as they return to Tasmania for the breeding season, following the record-breaking success of last year’s breeding season. Four Orange-bellied Parrots marked to return to Tasmania for the breeding season have been sighted in the past week.

The draft plan for the management of wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park has been released for public comment. Environment Minister Matt Kean said the draft plan strikes the right balance between protecting the fragile alpine ecosystems and recognising the cultural heritage values of the wild horses ... The draft plan is open for public comment until Tuesday, 2 November 2021.

In September, strong winds often drive tens of thousands of blue sea creatures ashore, and the beaches are littered with their dead bodies. The surface of the open ocean supports large populations of these organisms that live their lives afloat, sometimes forming huge rafts kilometres long, carried by the currents and blown along by the wind.

LHI Board. Residents and visitors are advised that a leopard seal has been observed on the southern end of Middle Beach since Sunday and is likely to stay in the area for several days to rest and recover ... The seal has cookie cutter shark bite wounds, which are showing signs of healing, and the seal will be monitored over the coming days.

Greater Shepparton City Council and RiverConnect are inviting the community to join BirdLife, Australia’s annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count from 18-24 October 2021 and discover the birds sharing our local backyards, parks and reserves.

Once limited to science-fiction, drones and facial recognition technology have since become part of modern life and now the technology is being harnessed to help save Australia’s koalas. In new research being undertaken by Flinders University in partnership with conservation charity Koala Life and the SA Government, non-invasive koala monitoring techniques are being developed using drones and facial recognition technology to count, identify and re-identify koalas.

Toowoomba Regional Council has endorsed supporting the Phase 1 Implementation Plan (2020-2022) of the South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2020-2025 at its September Ordinary Meeting. In addition, Council will advise the state government that it wishes to see the Koala Conservation Strategy expanded to incorporate the Darling Downs following consultation with local communities.

“Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with coastal councils from Tweed to Bega Valley and everywhere in between to deliver the world’s largest shark management program to increase beachgoer safety,": Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro. “There is no other jurisdiction in Australia or across the globe which has done as much testing and trialling of technology and approaches to mitigate shark interactions.”

150 new species have been named in the past year by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and its partners. They include tributes to RuPaul and Pokemon to help Australians understand, protect and benefit from our nation’s biodiversity.

I took barely two steps from my car and a magpie slammed into the side of my face. I clutched my camera as I ran across the road. “I didn’t expect that,” I said breathless to the waiting residents. Happens all the time, they said. The group of six stood with umbrellas opened above their heads. It was a bright sunny day. The umbrellas were essential to deter the magpie if any of them stepped out of their units ... Marlene has lived on Pratt St for 11 years and the past five had been dominated by the magpie.

New artwork and informative signage has been revealed at Robert Dixon Park at Kingscliff to draw attention to the rare Glossy black-cockatoo. The Glossy black-cockatoo, also affectionately known as Glossies, is listed as vulnerable in NSW. The Tweed is lucky enough to be home to both the Glossy black-cockatoo and the Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo however, there isn’t enough reliable data to confirm Glossy black-cockatoo numbers.

Mark Knowles. The wilderness of Cape York is one of the last refuges for Australia’s rarest bird of prey, the Red Goshawk, according to findings emerging from the most comprehensive study of the bird to date. The study, a collaboration between the Queensland Department of Environment & Science, Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Rio Tinto, commenced following a sighting of a Red Goshawk nest on a mining lease near Mapoon in 2015.

Surf Life Saving WA's (SLSWA) shark mitigation services begin for another season this weekend - with the McGowan Government providing longer term certainty for the program with funding in the State Budget until 2024-25.

Budding citizen scientists are being called upon to help record and map sightings of the reclusive Albert’s Lyrebird as part of a project to help conserve the beautiful rare bird.

Forests across all tenures are declining and/or exploding from lack of sustainable management. A miniscule proportion is available for logging. Logging can have a beneficial effect on local fire behaviour, but no effect on a regional scale. The bushfires and logging debate is a dangerous distraction from our real major environmental issue – sustainable fire management.

The birthday of the world's happiest animal, the quokka, will again be celebrated during the month of September at Rottnest Island ... The event program will offer families the perfect chance to see Spring quokka joeys emerging from the pouch.

Visitors to the famous Mon Repos turtle-education and conservation centre will soon be able to book tickets to get up close to the ocean’s ‘heroes in a half shell’.

Sawfish - one of the world's most endangered rays - have lost over half of their habitat worldwide and largely disappeared from the entire east coast of Australia. A collaborative study by the University of Southern Queensland and Sharks and Rays Australia will endeavour to fill in gaps in information about the ray’s ecology, biology and distribution.

World-first technology is being used to rebuild natural habitats destroyed by bushfires, creating more than 800 new hollows that will provide displaced animals with a space to nest and roost for an accumulated 56,000 years.