Wildlife

Today marks a significant milestone for Phillip Island Nature Park and the very popular little penguins − which were put on the map as a must-see experience 100 years ago today ... Penguin numbers on the island have almost tripled since the mid-1980s − from 12,000 to around 32,000 breeding birds today thanks to extensive conservation work.

Two years ago, bushfire ravaged Bungawalbin land. Property owner Jimmy Malecki had to flee his home known as  The Bog  on the day the fire tore through the tall trees. The film maker is documenting the recovery from the bushfire which includes regular visits from the Envite team. Envite coordinator Maree Thompson said they were working with Landcare groups and about 10 private landowners and working on seven National Park reserves.

Australia is in the grip of an unprecedented alien attack on its native wildlife and environment, with experts warning more of our unique flora and fauna is in danger of disappearing by 2050 unless urgent action is taken.  

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today taken aim at the Animal Justice Party (AJP) for recklessly threatening the future of the state’s invaluable fishing industry. Mr Marshall said he would not entertain the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Aquatic Animal Recognition) Bill 2021 tabled before Parliament by the radical group.

A petition of more than 1150 signatures has been tabled in the Victorian Parliament requesting the Government abandon aerial and ground shooting of wild horses.    The Government wants to remove 560 brumbies from the Bogong High Plains and Eastern Alps this year.  Petitioners argue that the population counts, and the environmental damage apportioned to the horses, are wildly exaggerated.   Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur, tabled the petition.

An in-depth review of an excellent, timely and well-written book. Sold Down The River is really a text book on water trading for the uninitiated which sums up the tragedy of the Murray-Darling created by successive governments of all persuasions. Highly recommended.

Gabrielle Duykers. Local council will begin its annual shooting of corellas throughout the district this month in an attempt to mitigate damage caused by the species.  At its October meeting, Naracoorte Lucindale Council moved to begin its Little Corella Management Program 2021-22 which will extend to April 2022.

A massive expansion is underway at the DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre courtesy of a multi-million Government investment in native fish breeding. The world class centre is Australia’s largest native fish breeding and research facility producing hundreds of thousands of fingerlings annually to stock dams and waterways in the Murray-Darling Basin.

The park has provided access to a range of wildlife for both the community of Whyalla and visitors over a number of years, helping educate students and enable children to get up-close and interact with some of their favourite animals. However, the economic downturn brought about by COVID-19 and, in particular, the associated restrictions on travel have had a significant impact on the ongoing viability of the business.

Greater Shepparton City Council has received several reports of turtles exploring local lakes and wetlands, with the rainy conditions triggering turtles to look for safe sites to lay their eggs.

A  letter co-signed by a consortium of environmental community groups has been sent to Mount Alexander Shire and Central Goldfields Shires seeking their support to have duck shooting banned in the Cairn Curran Reservoir area. Signatories say the activity is no longer appropriate for safety reasons, and the area would be better served as a sanctuary to protect threatened species.

Ozfish volunteers and local community members have taken the first steps to make Lake Wyangan a stronger native freshwater fishery thanks to a serious habitat upgrade. A thriving and resilient aquatic ecosystem requires the nurturing of suitable habitats that will support the native fish populations. Without somewhere to hide, feel safe and breed and feed, fish numbers cannot be optimized.

The iconic Australasian Bittern is the focus of a summit in Leeton on 1-4 February 2022, designed to advance the conservation of this cryptic species ... “The Bittern holds a special place in Indigenous culture and Australian folklore, with its booming call thought to be behind the legend of the bunyip,” said Senior Local Land Services Officer and conference lead Anna Wilson.

A new frog species has been discovered in Wollumbin National Park in northern New South Wales, and is one of only two known species that store their tadpoles on their bodies. Researchers from University of Newcastle and the South Australian Museum recently identified the species as distinct from its close relation, another ‘hip-pocket’ or pouched frog Assa darlingtoni, after genetic analysis.  

An unbelievable discovery unfolded in the Barkly on Tuesday after one of the most endangered species in Australia - the Bilby - was found near Bootu Creek Mine. Tennant Creek's Barkly Vet Practice was contacted by a woman from the mine who came across a mother Bilby’s body, and held onto it until Central Land Council Rangers came to pick it up. In the mother’s pouch was a baby.

Geoff Wakeman is not against the principles of environmental watering. He does, however, have a huge problem with the way it is being used in the Gunbower Forest/National Park, particularly around Cohuna ... As a geologist, his interest was piqued when he came across some commentary surrounding the Barmah Choke, which prompted him to take a closer look at what was happening out in the Gunbower Forest. It was then he became alarmed.

Lismore City Council will install temporary signage to reduce the number of koalas being hit by vehicles at six identified koala-strike hot spots around Lismore. “Since the beginning of this year 33 koalas were killed on roads in the Lismore Local Government Area – this is 33 too many,” said Council’s Environmental Strategies Officer Angie Brace.

Justin Gilligan. I'm excited that my image 'Rich Reflections' has been announced as the winner of the Plants and Fungi category of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The digital awards ceremony was just broadcast live from the Natural History Museum in London, with more than 50,000 entries from 95 countries.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia recently completed the final report for the LHI Galapagos shark research project, which has been running since January 2018. This research used acoustic listening stations around LHI waters to track Galapagos sharks fitted with internal acoustic tags to determine their movement patterns, as well as identifying where, when and how frequently these sharks interact with fishing vessels.

New research from the University of Wollongong, a partner at the NSW Bushfire Research Hub, has found climate change will expose larger areas of forest in coastal NSW to higher frequency and more intense fires, amplifying the changes to fire regimes brought about by the 2019/20 fires ... Amongst other findings: Previous timber harvesting did not increase the fire extent or severity of the 2019/20 fires. However, there is potential for cumulative impacts in harvested landscapes that are subject to fire, particularly in the next 5 to 10 years.

There was nothing new or unexpected about the recently announced NSW Natural Resources Commission research on timber harvesting and koalas ... There’s nothing in the NRC report that actually deserves a tick. It’s a well-established historical and scientific fact that koalas are an irruptive species which responds positively to soft new growth ... Declining trees continuously resprout soft young growth until they eventually run out of resources. Koalas breed up in declining forests.

The McGowan Government is enhancing WA's program of shark mitigation measures in the lead up to summer, with the Shark Warning System now automated to alert beachgoers to the presence of a tagged shark in the vicinity.