Wildlife

As Scenic Rim residents continue to repair and rebuild following the devastating Christmas-New Year storms, native animals are re-establishing their homes as green shoots of recovery appear in bushland areas … a survey over three nights of a Council natural area at Tamborine aimed to assess the damage to habitat and its impacts on koalas and greater gliders to assist Scenic Rim Regional Council's efforts in protecting these endangered species.

Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, fears laws designed to protect livestock from wild dogs will be scrapped and promised consultation with people in the Upper Murray is nothing but lip service. Member for Northern Victoria Region, Wendy Lovell, told the Victorian Parliament last Wednesday that the Victorian government had surrendered to ill-informed propaganda from lobby groups without talking to the farmers who will be most affected.

Summer has proven to be an exciting time for observing new fish species in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP). Three species not previously recorded in the marine park have recently been reported: a potbelly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis), seawhip goby (Bryaninops yongei) and lattice butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesii).

Serena Kirby. The coming performances of ‘When Birds Take Flight’ will take audiences on a poetic and musical journey that symbolises the migratory path of birds between Denmark and Siberia. The musical collaboration for voice and instruments has been created by composer/lyricist Louise McKenna and poet and spoken word performer, Jen Fraser, and takes the form of a story-song cycle.

... a significant milestone for the developing Australian crocodile industry ... the launch of the Australian Crocodile Industry RD&E Plan 2024-2029 ... The recently finalised plan is designed to assist Australia’s 21 operators in capitalising on the industry’s recent growth and expansion across the country.

This 1.5-metre goanna found itself in trouble earlier this month when it became stranded at the base of Torrumbarry Weir. Goulburn-Murray Water Senior Storage Officer, Luke Simpson, found the tired and distressed looking goanna hanging on to the bottom of the weir gate...

Yamba has earned the unenviable reputation as the state’s hotspot for sharks after the NSW Department of Primary Industries shark tagging program recorded 17,501 detections of Great White, Tiger, and Bull Sharks off local beaches last year.

Thousands of rainbow lorikeets throughout the Clarence Valley have been taken into care during the past week, suffering from a mysterious condition which is continuing to baffle scientists, researchers, and Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Services (WIRES) volunteers. Referred to as Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome (LPS), the main symptoms include lethargy, , an inability to fly, walking with a wobbly action, impaired vision, and being unable to swallow.

Supporters advocating for the protection of Lots 512 and 513, DP727686, identified as part of Kariong Sacred Lands along Woy Woy Road, express shock and dismay over the lack of transparency and fairness during the Community Consultation Phase for the contentious rezoning proposal ... "We estimate over 3,000 public submissions opposing this unpopular planning proposal. It is impossible to contact every person to resubmit their views": Lisa Bellamy.

The Northern Territory Government has opened consultation for the Draft Saltwater Crocodile Management Program 2024-2034, which will allow for the public to have input on how crocodiles are managed in the Territory. There are currently more than 100,000 crocodiles in the Territory.

Things are looking up for yet another threatened small-bodied native fish in the region, with the state and federal government agencies’ rescue plan bearing fruit. The Murray-Darling lineage of the southern pygmy perch was once common in the wetlands and slow flowing creeks of the Basin.   

A Yanchep man, who appeared in Joondalup Magistrates Court on January 17, will remain remanded in custody until his next court appearance on February 28 ... 16 unlicensed firearms, including a sawn-off shotgun ... unlicensed native wildlife, including a carpet python snake and 34 geckos ..

Michelle Daw. A southern Yorke Peninsula fisher is worried sharks are becoming more aggressive around boats — and believes shark tourism is partly to blame ... Mr Bishop fishes in Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf and said he’s seen more sharks come close to his boat recently than at any other time in his 21-year career.

One simple idea and a whole lot of passion has created a legacy that’s removed more than 250,000 pieces of litter from Sunshine Coast beaches at a critical time during turtle nesting season ... The community is invited to come together to tidy up their local beach as part of the 10th anniversary of the annual Clean Up For The Hatchlings event...

A Gulmarrad wildlife corridor that is one of the last remnants of habitat for the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo in the Clarence Valley which is at risk due to a nine-lot subdivision determined in 2007 has seen a new approach, bringing together the landholder and conservationists to attempt to preserve the habitat and wildlife.

Gippsland's hardwood industry is now largely gone, with harvesting of timber from native forests on Crown land no longer permitted. Gippsland's native forest is part of the vast swathe of forest that stretches along the Great Dividing Range from the Dandenongs to behind Brisbane. It’s integral to Australia having the seventh biggest forest estate in the world ...

Clive Crouch. Over the past few days, a group of Little Red Flying Foxes have been roosting in trees near Nhill Lake. Little Red Flying Foxes are widespread throughout eastern and northern Australia, and they sometimes venture further inland but rarely come this far west.

The Australian Government signed the “30 x 30” target at COP15 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022, with a commitment to ensure that 30 per cent of the earth’s land and sea is protected through the establishment of Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) ... The WWF has urged the Australian Government to set up a $5B Green Fund to acquire forests, productive land and reforest wheat fields.  The land needed to meet the 30:30 objective has to be “high biodiversity value” land in accordance with the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA) is proudly announcing its transformation into the Australian Wild Game Industry Council (AWGIC). The change reflects the industry’s commitment to the expansion of its national membership base, representing the interests of wild game meat and skin processors throughout Australia.

Vic Jurskis comments on a research article on the causes of morbidity and mortality in rescued koala joeys ... "academics don't see the big picture of forest ecology and management ... the scientific solution would be to restore frequent mild burning in the bush ... "

The Victorian Government has launched a review of the current approaches to dingo management and conservation to quell its radical left-wing backers. At the same time, it has extended a legislative rule allowing control of dingoes by only one year, as opposed to five years in previous instances...