Category: australian wildlife

Australian Wildlife Hospital Staff Devastated as Funding Scrapped

A wildlife hospital set up after the Black Summer bushfires faces imminent closure after the New South Wales (NSW) government reneged on a $6 million (US$4 million) funding deal struck by the previous administration. Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital chief executive Stephen Van Mil said the loss of the government funding over four years was very…


How the Purple Fairywrens Survived Extreme Floods: Bird Expert

The resilience of the iconic Australian birds—purple-crowned fairywrens—who were found alive and well four months after extreme flooding despite all their nests being washed away is noteworthy, according to researchers. The Western Australian floodings at the start of the year brought heavy rain and swelled the nearby Fitzroy River to nearly 15.81 meters (52 feet)…


Live Animals Openly Traded on Open Web: Australian Research

Animals, plants, fungi, and their parts are being routinely traded on the dark web, mostly for use as drugs or medicine, with e-commerce marketplaces, private forums, and messaging apps making the process easier, according to new university research. Australia has nearly 900 native reptile species, of which over 90 percent cannot be found anywhere else. Each…


Wild Cockatoos Overcome All Odds to Bust Into Australians Rubbish Bins

New research and reports from local birdwatchers have documented a unique phenomenon of Australia’s iconic sulphur-crested cockatoos opening household kerbside bins, despite increasingly sophisticated barriers, forcing both sides to step up their game in the “arms race” between the cockatoos and the people. The scientists monitored 3,283 bins over a few years across four Australian…


Australian Cockatoos Overcome All Odds to Bust Into Bins

New research and reports from local birdwatchers have documented a unique phenomenon of Australia’s iconic sulphur-crested cockatoos opening household kerbside bins, despite increasingly sophisticated barriers, forcing both sides to step up their game in the “arms race” between the cockatoos and the people. The scientists monitored 3,283 bins over a few years across four Australian…


Australia’s Rare Potoroos Bouncing Back After Bushfires

An increased number of potoroos—a rabbit-sized kangaroo—has been detected in the Barry Mountains, a bushfire impacted area in Victoria, as the endangered marsupial shows signs of recovery after the Black Summer bushfires destroyed over 70 percent of its habitat. In Dec. 2021, a remote camera monitoring survey conducted in the area by the government’s Bushfire…