Archive for the 'Wildlife' Category

Extinct Frog Species Rediscovered In New South Wales

Published on March 4, 2010 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

It is pretty amazing but not surprising that this frog once thought extinct is actually still alive in Australia:

An Australian frog which disappeared nearly 40 years ago and was feared extinct has been rediscovered in a remote creek, astounding experts.

A state government scientist spotted an unusual species during a trip to New South Wales’ Southern Tablelands, and later returned with a frog specialist to confirm the Yellow-Spotted Bell Frog’s first sighting since 1973.

“This was definitely the most exciting moment of my career and I will be surprised if I repeat it,” doctor David Hunter, who was led to a thriving community of the frogs by conservation officer Luke Pearce, said Thursday.

State environment minister Frank Sartor said the re-emergence of the green and gold amphibian showed the importance of protecting natural habitats.

“I’m advised that finding this frog is as significant a discovery as a Tasmanian tiger,” he said, referring to an animal which is believed to have died out last century.  [AFP]

Australia has so much remote wilderness such a find of a small frog like this is not surprising me.  However, I doubt a larger animal like the Tasmanian Tiger will ever be found again.  This discovery of this frog reminds of the discovery of another long extinct species, the Wollemi Pine which was also found in the remote New South Wales wilderness.

Experts Recommend Fighting Back If Bitten By A Shark

Published on February 15, 2010 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .

Try and remember to do this the next time you find yourself attacked by a shark:

A shark expert says a 60-year-old woman who repeatedly punched a shark to save herself from its attack on the weekend probably surprised the animal into letting her go.

Sydney woman Paddy Trumbull was attacked by a shark off Dent Island in the Whitsundays in north Queensland.

She says she began punching it on the nose as it bit her on her leg and buttocks.

The Queensland Shark Control Program’s manager, Tony Ham, told ABC News Breakfast sharks generally do not expect their prey to turn around and strike back.

“It’s a good strategy and one that’s been used by a number of shark attack victims in recent times,” he said.

“They [the sharks] get a bit surprised I think, and one of the bonuses of today’s modern life is that humans are far more aware of what they can do for themselves.  [ABC Online]

I have always been told to not only punch a shark on its nose if attacked, but to try and poke its eye out as well.  Good to see that this lady survived the attack though.

Great White Sharks Seen Near Bondi Beach

Published on January 24, 2010 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Here is are some incredible Google Earth images of Great White Sharks being seen near beach goers at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.

Click the image to go to the link.

Search On for Person Who Slaughtered 100 Australian Brumbies

Published on January 4, 2010 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

This is a senseless slaughter of horses:


(Image from here.)

UP to 100 brumbies have shot by a gunman, some at close range, over the past 18-months in a state forest in southern New South Wales.

Police and Forests NSW are appealing for public help to find the person, or persons responsible for the shootings after discovering another 10 brumbies slaughtered in the Maragle and Bago State Forests near Tumbarumba.

Six of the horses were shot within 50 metres of each other with what appeared to be a high-powered rifle.

Forests NSW feral animal control officer Mark Goldspink found the animals after being alerted to their deaths by a member of the public.

He said it was an appalling, heart-breaking slaughter of horses that were well known to people in the area.

“One of the horses shot appears to be a domestic palomino mare, who had escaped from a property and joined the brumbies,” he said. “She has been brutally shot approximately three times – in the flank, ribs and neck.”  [News.com]

For those that don’t know brumbies are the Australian version of a mustang.  They are wild horses that live mostly in the Australian Alps of southern New South Wales and northern Victoria.  These wild horses were made famous by the books and later movies of The Man From Snowy River.

The Effort to Study the Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease

Published on November 26, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Here is a nice article about a effort on Tasmania to conserve the wild Tasmanian Devil population that continues to be ravaged by the facial tumor disease:

‘Skinny boy’ is back. The three-year-old Tasmanian devil is a serial offender. Thin and hungry, he’d been among the first devils trapped last March during the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s (TMAG) field trip to the remote coast south of Cape Sorell, halfway up Tasmania’s west coast. And here he is the very next day, again at the wrong end of a metre-long PVC tube trap.

“He has this big open wound, from under his chin right down his chest,” says scientific officer Billie Lazenby, as she peers down at Skinny Boy in the upended trap while wriggling her hands into disposable latex gloves. “Yesterday it had this yucky flap of skin hanging off it. He’d most likely have gotten it fighting.”

With help from fellow researcher Brian Looker, Billie slides Skinny Boy into a fresh hessian bag, which she carries to where veterinarian Jemma Bergfeld is pulling on her disposable gloves. Brian, meanwhile, wanders away with the empty trap and dons his elbow-length rubber gloves and starts thoroughly cleaning the trap with water, brushes and an industrial-strength disinfectant named Virkon.

All these gloves and cleanliness hint at the reason the TMAG team is here, on this rarely visited stretch of coast. The devils here have never been studied, but mere zoological curiosity wouldn’t have got the helicopter flying here. It was Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). This deadly, transmissible cancer – responsible for rapidly wiping out three-quarters of devils in areas where it’s found – has invaded about two-thirds of Tasmania. But, it seems, it isn’t here. Not yet. None of the devils trapped so far on this trip has shown signs of the disease.

Softly spoken and reassuringly gentle with her marsupial charge, Billie settles down on the sandy track beside Jemma, who is preparing her tools of trade – needles and phials for collecting blood samples. Billie positions Skinny Boy so that Jemma can extract her samples. He isn’t the first devil recaptured on the 10 km long line of 40 traps, and won’t be the last, according to team leader David ‘Doozie’ Pemberton.

“A lot of animals are incredibly wary of traps,” Doozie says. “Some ?just can’t be trapped. Devils, however… they’re probably the most trap-happy animals I’ve studied.”

Once Billie and Jemma have the blood samples they start examining Skinny Boy’s wound, a fist-sized patch of raw flesh on his chest. “There’s no sign of infection,” Jemma says. “For such a big wound it looks really good. I reckon he’ll be fine.”  [Australian Geographic]

You can read the rest of the article at the link.

Kangaroo Nearly Kills Victorian Man

Published on November 25, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .

For those that don’t know, kangaroos are wild animals that should be respected because they do have the ability to kill you:

A VICTORIAN man was almost drowned by a kangaroo after he dived into his farm dam to save his pet dog.

Chris Rickard, 49, of Arthurs Creek, is being assessed by Austin Hospital surgeons after being mauled by the 1.5m roo at 9am (AEDT).

He only managed to end the attack when he elbowed the kangaroo in the throat as it tried to hold him under water, The Herald Sun reported.

By then he had already suffered a deep gash across his abdomen as the kangaroo tried to disembowel him with its hind legs, as well as a deep gash across his forehead and further cuts and scratches across his chest.  [Herald-Sun]

Read the rest of the story at the link, but this gentleman is lucky to be alive.  Just last year a kangaroo nearly killed a woman in New South Wales who got to close to one.  I have had my own run ins with feisty males that dominate their mob of kangaroos.  When confronted by a large male it is best just to give them their space and keep your distance.  But as this case shows circumstances don’t always make that possible, but I’m glad Mr. Rickard is alright.

Picture of the Day: Baby Turkey

Published on November 8, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .
A young brush turkey, around two weeks old.

A young brush turkey, around two weeks old.

Via Australian Geographic.

Picture of the Day: Baby Bandicoot

Published on November 6, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .

An infant bandicoot laps at milk.

Via Australian Geographic.

Picture of the Day: Dingo Babies

Published on November 5, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .
Dingo pups are born in litters – an average of five are born per litter, but the number can reach ten. Pups become independent at three to four months old.

Dingo pups are born in litters – an average of five are born per litter, but the number can reach ten. Pups become independent at three to four months old.

Via Australian Geographic.

Picture of the Day: Baby Fur Seal

Published on November 4, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .
Around five days after giving birth, a mother fur seal leaves her pup for a week to go and feed at sea.Around five days after giving birth, a mother fur seal leaves her pup for a week to go and feed at sea.

 Via Australian Geographic.