Wildlife

Over 150 exhibitors, artisans and woodworkers, workshop presenters, speakers and performers! With a dynamic program on offer, a full house of exhibitors, and some new features built into the program this year, the return of the Maleny Wood Expo is set to be a fantastic weekend for the whole family to enjoy!

Several times IndyNR.com contacted the RSPCA for comment about what was going on with the bison at the closed Aranyani Bison Adventure Tourist Park ... Once we had that confirmation on April 20, we reported the deaths of bison at Myrtle Creek.

Tickets are now available for the upcoming Lockyer Valley Koala Forum. The Forum, presented by Wildlife Watcher and an initiative of Social Marketing @ Griffith in partnership with the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, will be held on Thursday 18 May at the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre, as well as online.

Pastoralists and land managers can have complete confidence the information they record about wild dog activity, control and livestock attacks entered on FeralScan® (including WildDogScan®) is kept confidential and managed securely.

Allora Landcare Group (ALG) is delighted to announce the 2nd edition of their book "A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of Allora Mountain Flora and Fauna Reserve" is now available. Since the success of the first edition in 2020 more species of bird have been identified on the Mountain with now well over 100 which suggests the Mountain's ecosystems are richer and more diverse than originally thought.

Visitors to Yamba this Easter may be greeted with the same inquisitive looks that have been exciting locals over the past couple of months from a Coastal Emu that has taken up residence in paddocks near Wynyabbie House at Palmers Channel. Social media has been abuzz with sightings and photos of the critically endangered, world’s second tallest bird, which is only found on the NSW North Coast.

Farmers are on the lookout for increased mouse activity with reports of increasing damage to crops and fodder across the state. Two years after a mouse plague saw vehicles, buildings and towns infested while crops were destroyed, NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin is urging growers to be extra-vigilant about mouse activity.

To ensure that the emu population receives appropriate funding and care, a recent on-country meeting was held on Mount Wycheproof, with participation from Council, Traditional Owners, State Government agencies, Friends of Mount Wycheproof, Landcare, and community members. The group collectively resolved to establish a team representative of all stakeholders to oversee the welfare of the emus.

Kermadec Petrel to call LHI home once again, thanks to new project funding - Road upgrade - Project and funding updates - Welcome to the new Ranger, Thomas Nixon

Wildlife artist Fiona Lumsden puts enormous amounts of time and effort into crafting and hand-painting intricate bird posters ... "I fell instantly in love with the Island and its birds ... your birds are so cooperative and charismatic!": Fiona Lumsden.

Vic Jurskis's clear account of the history of the cycle of plagues and crashes of koalas in Australia's eastern states and the circumstances of those plagues and crashes makes one question whether the time frame for assessing the status of koalas should be 200 years, not 20, and whether the public perception about this much-loved animal is fully informed.

Despite the public perception that the only way to protect species is to create more conservation reserves, Forestry Australia’s view is that koala recovery can best be achieved through a landscape-wide approach to active management of these populations and their forest habitats across all land tenures. There is considerable evidence that the National Park estate is continuing to be degraded due to unnatural fire regimes, pests and diseases, and a lack of active management to mitigate their impacts.

The Lions Club of Clarence – Environmental are launching a cat campaign designed to protect the extraordinary biodiversity of the valley and allow cat owners to enjoy their pets and keep them safe ... “The campaign is designed to make people aware of what their cats are doing when they are out of their home, and it’s feral cats as well as domestic cats”: President Barbara Linley.

A frustrating four-and-a-half-year battle of hide and seek with one elusive fox has finally come to an end within a fenced area safe-haven in north west NSW’s Pilliga State Conservation Area. The final predator, nicknamed ‘Rambo’, was outfoxed by a couple of floods and the project area has now officially been declared feral predator-free.

More and more people are rediscovering South Australia’s natural beauty with visits to some national parks skyrocketing 35 per cent over the past year. Naracoorte Caves saw a 35 per cent increase in visitors in the past 12 months while Seal Bay had a 33 per cent increase over the same period as tourists and locals head back out to explore our unique national parks.

Forestry Corporation ecologists have spent the week walking through Bondo State Forest near Tumut calling ‘hey frog’ – The most effective survey technique for detecting the critically endangered Northern Corroboree Frog. Amazingly, yelling 'Hey Frog' elicits a response from the frogs, which call out in response.

It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the 437,394 hectare site between Tibooburra and Bourke will become the third largest national park in NSW and a major new tourism drawcard for the region. “This is the largest ever single parcel of land to be acquired for the national park estate in NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.

Australia’s rarest bird of prey - the red goshawk - is facing extinction, with Cape York Peninsula now the only place in Queensland known to support breeding populations ... “Over four decades the red goshawk has lost a third of its historical range, which is the area that it’s previously been known to occupy”: Chris MacColl, UQ.

Australia Rural & Regional News asks some questions about AWC's koala conservation projects and koala monitoring, and land and fire management of Andrew Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist and Peter Stanton, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Ecologist.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has secured $179,211 in new federal funding to assist in a three-part Koala conservation project at Curramore and Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuaries in Queensland ... Tim White, AWC Chief Operations Officer, welcomed the grant, saying it will help improve habitat, data and knowledge on Koala populations at both sanctuaries.