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A TO Z OF WILDLIFE : NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA | bilby

Bilby populations booming at Currawinya Recent heavy rains and favourable weather conditions have resulted in a booming bilby population at the 2500-hectare enclosure at Currawinya National Park, with numbers estimated to be 3-4 times the initial release group. Monitoring using remote cameras and trackers attached to the base of the bilbies tail are revealing exciting news – these endangered  marsupials are thriving at Currawinya and efforts to save the  species in a long-standing partnership with Save the Bilby Fund are delivering early...

Creature Feature | Richmond birdwing butterfly

  The Richmond birdwing butterfly  – Ornithoptera richmondia – is the largest subtropical Australian butterfly, found only in subtropical northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. Richmond birdwing butterfly populations have declined in Queensland since the 1920s following the loss and fragmentation of their habitats, mainly rainforests. The species is protected in Queensland, where it is classified as a threatened species at risk of extinction. The RBCN – Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network – hopes to recover the vulnerable Richmond...

The very unique (strange) ‘monotremes’

A previous post has explained why the platypus is so special.  This wild animal – often called a ‘freak of nature’ – and the echidna – together make up the ‘monotremes’ …. Monotremes are different from other mammals because they lay eggs and have no teats. The milk is provided for their young by being secreted by many pores on the female’s belly. The echidna The Short-beaked echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus is the only species of echidna in Australia. There are...

Australia nature conservation in federal budget….a verdict

“This week’s federal budget was a new low point for investment in nature. Environmental groups roundly criticised the “bad budget for nature”, which delivered next-to-no money to protect and recover Australia’s unique and threatened biodiversity. “ Three researchers wrote the following commentary in The Conversation  Our government has great aspirations. It has committed to end extinctions and expand our protected areas to cover 30% of every Australian ecosystem by 2030. This is part of its Nature Positive Plan, aligned with...

Green industry yes…. the Federal Budget

Last night’s budget is another missed opportunity to arrest the poor and deteriorating state of the Australian environment. Subsidising green industry in Labor’s Future Made in Australia policy may offer economic advantages if implemented well, but there is nothing in this budget to help address the immediate environmental crisis facing Australia. more information: https://theconversation.com/green-industry-yes-conservation-no-a-budget-for-people-not-for-nature-229904  ...

Creature feature | striped possum

  The striped possum is most commonly found in New Guinea and several small islands including the Solomon Islands. In Australia, it lives in Australia, in tropical rainforests and eucalypt eucalypt woodland along the east coast of Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Townsville, but is otherwise uncommon and rarely seen elsewhere in Australia. Like many species of wildlife in Australia – no-one knows how many there are / might be, since surveying the areas where they live...

Creature feature | the brilliant bilby

The Bilby has bene offered as an alternative to the Easter bunny  What is there difference between the Bilby and Bandicoot? Bilbies have the characteristic long bandicoot muzzle and very big ears that radiate heat. They are about 29–55 cm (11–22 in) long. Compared to bandicoots, they have a longer tail, bigger ears, and softer, silky fur. The size of their ears allows them to have better hearing.   For more, including conservation efforts, check out Save the Bilby Fund...

Habitats | Channel Country in Australia – some good news!

12 December 2023, the Queensland Government made this announcement: “Today, the Queensland government will announce historic protections for the Channel Country’s rivers and floodplains. Under the protections, any future oil or gas drilling in the floodplain areas of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre basin would be prohibited. Today’s announcement will come after eight years of rolling commitments from Queensland Labor to protect the Channel Country rivers and floodplains since they entered government in 2015. Throughout this time Traditional Owners, Channel Country...

Creature Feature….the digging machine called Wombat!

October 22nd is World Wombat Day…..   Interesting Facts Wombats are natural digging machines and perform a very important role in our ecosystem. Wombats can dramatically improve soil health by bringing important nutrients to the surface and help organic matter and plant seedling mix into compacted soil through their burrowing actions. But sadly, wombats are disappearing. The fatal combination of disease, increasing habitat loss, road deaths and extreme weather events are all serious threats to the future of our precious...

Flying-foxes: Guardians of biodiversity

  September was Biodiversity Month in Australia — a month dedicated to promoting the importance of biodiversity through awareness, conservation, and sustainable practices. The following from Wildlife Queensland, hightlights well the importance of …. Flying-foxes, also known as fruit bats, as the unsung biodiversity heroes. Extraordinary members of the animal kingdom These intelligent, sentient mammals bring life to our forests and keep the ecological balance intact. But as they face numerous challenges, including habitat loss and human conflicts, it’s important...

Creature Feature | The wallaby

  Question – Is a Wallaby a (small type of) Kangaroo? Answer: No! The Wallaby is a small marsupial, actually much smaller than its big sister / cousin the kangaroo sister. One of the biggest characteristics of the wallaby that separates them from kangaroos is size Body Shape: Both are known to be the happy “hopping” creature of the Australian brush because they are both macropods, meaning they both have overly large feet. Kangaroo legs are really long between the...

DID YOU KNOW? Koala myths

The drop bear (sometimes dropbear) is a hoax in contemporary Australian folklore featuring a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala. This imaginary animal is commonly spoken about in tall tales designed to scare tourists. Koalas are actually  marsupials. Did you guess the animal that features on the background of this website…..?...