When Elina Walsh found an emaciated huntsman spider with only two legs, she did what most people would never consider doing — she saved its life.
Ms Walsh received the Hero To Animals award after she hand-fed the spider, nicknamed ‘Peggy’, for a month, while it grew its legs back.
By Nathalie Fernbach and Jessica Naunton, ABC North Qld. 31 July 2020
Former emergency leaders, climate scientists, doctors and community members are calling on the Federal Government to impose a levy on the fossil fuel industry for a climate disaster fund to help pay for the impact of natural disasters.
By Phillipa McDonald, ABC News. 30 July 2020
Vietnam has announced it will ban wildlife imports and close wildlife markets in response to renewed concerns about the threat from diseases that can jump from animals to humans, such as the virus that causes COVID-19.
By AP/ABC. 26 July 2020
State Liberal Matt Kean calls on his federal counterpart to drop opposition to an independent environment protection authority.
The New South Wales environment minister has called on the Morrison government not to “smash through” changes to national conservation laws and to drop its opposition to an independent environment protection authority.
By Adam Morton, Environment editor, The Guardian. 25 July 2020
Having a steady stream of suitors vying for your affection might seem like a dream come true, but for a female echidna it’s just a regular part of life at this time of year.
The usually solitary mammals are rarely sighted in groups, with the exception of the June to September breeding season, when lucky bushwalkers may come across an “echidna train” in action.
By Debra Pearce, ABC News. 25 July 2020
Moss bounds happily through the bush showing the usual exuberance of a young labrador. Despite this looking like play, he is on a serious mission to help fight the extinction of some of our most critically endangered species.
Moss is a detection dog in training. Unlike other detection dogs, who might sniff out drugs or explosives, he’ll be finding some of Victoria’s smallest, best camouflaged and most elusive animals.
By La Toya Jamieson and Marissa Parrott, The Conversation. 20 July 2020
Why is Australia a global leader in wildlife extinctions?
Plant and animal species in Australia are becoming extinct as fast as ever. Why is it happening? And what would it take to reverse the decline?
By Mike Foley, The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 July 2020
Only 10 percent of the koala habitat cleared in NSW and Queensland between 2012 and 2017 was assessed by the federal government, despite national environment law requiring protection for threatened species.
Koalas were listed as a vulnerable species in 2012 and of the 160,000 hectares of known and likely habitat cleared up to 2017, 90 percent was not reviewed by the federal government for its impact to the species.
By Mike Foley, The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 July 2020
Spain has ordered the culling of nearly 100,000 mink on a farm and an estimated one million mink have already been culled on Dutch fur farms, as coronavirus wreaks havoc in the European fur farming industry.
By Sophie Kevany, The Guardian. 18 July 2020
A Cairns-based wildlife rescue group has finally received a State Government permit for Australia’s largest ever macropod relocation.
The Agile Wallaby Project has been campaigning to relocate 400 wallabies that have been displaced because of development on the northern beaches of Cairns, and move them to a safer location.
By Kier Shorey and Amanda Cranston, ABC Far North. 16 July 2020
A 15-year-old boy has died in western Mongolia of bubonic plague, the country’s national news agency reported. The Health Ministry said laboratory tests confirmed the teenager died of plague that he contracted from an infected marmot, according to the Montsame News Agency.
By ABC News. 15 July 2020
