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| Wildlife |
| King Cheetah |
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It’s not every day there’s an up-close and cuddly opportunity to meet a rare King Cheetah – even if you are a renowned wildlife veterinarian and documentary film-maker, like Dr Stephen Van Mil. But due to the arrival of a new King Cheetah cub at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, that’s exactly what he got to do. Thanks to a new program, you too can experience a ‘rare breed encounter’, as Dr Stephen explains.
It’s believed that 10,000 to 12,000 years ago – during the Holocene period – the cheetah population suffered a major decline in numbers, which almost wiped out this amazing cat. There is no clear reason why this occurred, and it may well be that the entire population survived due to one pregnant female. A consequence of this dramatic drop is that cheetahs are highly inbred and males have very low sperm counts – in fact if cheetah were livestock, they would be classified as infertile!
To read the rest of this article on the magnificent cheetahs in King Cheetah
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| Conservation Volunteer |
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During spring, hundreds of seals perch on the rocks of Montague Island in southern NSW. In the surrounding waters, Humpback Whales breach and perform acrobatics during their annual migration, while thousands of Little Penguins waddle ashore to breed.
Montague Island is a gazetted nature reserve situated nine kilometres off the coast of Narooma. The island has cultural significance – 125 years of lighthouse and maritime history and evidence of Aboriginal campsites, thought to be at least 4,500 years old. It’s also an important breeding ground for 15 bird species, including Little Penguins, shearwaters and Silver Gulls.
For many years, the island’s visitors were restricted to people working at the lighthouse station, but today, Montague Island is accessible via guided tours run by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) or through Naturewise conservation holidays with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA). CVA is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to attract and manage a force of volunteers in projects for the betterment of the Australian environment.
To read the rest of this article on volunteering to help wildlife and habitats in Volunteering for Conservation
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| Galah Release |
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Louise Travaille, a vet nurse at the hospital, answered her door to a distraught neighbour. A baby galah had injured itself while learning to fly in the neighbour’s backyard. He’d found the baby bird at the bottom of a large gum tree next to his vegetable garden.
Together they gently picked up the bewildered, bleeding chick while one of its parents made distressed cries from the gum tree. Carefully they examined the bird, which is no easy task. Galahs have formidable beaks, strong claws and an ear-shattering cry, even when they are only fledglings. One of the chick’s wings was blood-stained and hanging limply. It looked like an open fracture and clearly the galah was in pain.
Louise rang me and I suggested she place the galah in a cardboard box with some old sheets and bring it in to the hospital as soon as possible. The description of the injuries suggested that the bleeding was unlikely to be life threatening. Pain was the major issue, which strapping would only make worse.
To read the rest of this article on rehabilitating and releasing galahs in Feathers, Scales and Hospital Tales
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| King of Kings |
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For centuries, the mythical powers of white lions have been retold in African legend. Spiritual leader Credo Mutwa, recognised as the ‘Pope of Africa’, says the white lion, believed to appear only once every hundred years or so, is spiritually significant. The white lion, according to Credo Mutwa, is a child of the Sun God, and bestows great prosperity and fortune when it arrives.
According to Shangaan legend, Queen Numbi of the Timbavati region in South Africa was an ugly old woman who ruled with an iron fist. One night, a shaft of bright light appeared and a voice called her name, ‘Numbi, Numbi, Numbi …’ The Queen walked into the light, and some days later emerged as a beautiful young woman. From that day forth, white animals began to appear in the Timbavati, including the white lion.
In 1975, while working in the Timbavati, lion researcher Chris McBride discovered three white lion cubs born to two normal-coloured or tawny lionesses. Until then, no Western person had verified the existence of these mythical creatures, although sightings had been sporadically reported.
To read the rest of this article on white lions in White Lion, King of Kings
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| Reptile Revival |
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Reptiles have been on the outer ever since a serpent took the rap for getting Adam and Eve kicked out of Eden. Almost every word associated with reptiles has a negative connotation: reptilian, cold-blooded, slippery and scaly, just for starters. But like the ugly duckling that turned into a swan, reptiles are enjoying a revival of another kind – and this time they’re popular.
The number of reptiles being kept as pets has grown phenomenally in the past few years, and each week in Australia approximately 200 reptiles, including snakes, lizards and turtles, are sold throughout the country.
Sydney veterinarian Dr Mike Cannon has been treating reptiles for more than 20 years. ‘In the 1980s most of the reptiles I saw were brought in by enthusiasts,’ he says. ‘Back then there was a stereotype associated with owning snakes or lizards that said you had to be a bit rough. Now I find a lot more young people, especially younger females, bringing them in. I think we are seeing a whole different generation getting into reptiles.’
To read the rest of this article on reptiles in Reptile Revival
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| Walking with Dinosaurs |
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The sun has barely risen and everything is still. A gentle mist hangs softly over the river and the forest drips dew and birdsong. Environmentalist Steve Waters is enjoying the serenity of the bush – then a two-metre Lace Monitor crashes through the scrub, shattering the silence. The encounter, as Steve explains, is like walking with dinosaurs.
The first thing you notice about a Lace Monitor is how reptilian they look. Immensely powerful, they possess all the skills of a crack SAS outfit – camouflage, strength, speed and rat cunning. Their cold-blooded reptile eyes appear to show disdain and wariness and not an ounce of fear. Rival males engage in chest-wrestling – standing erect on their hind feet in an attempt to grab their opponents and throw them to the ground. Although normally wary of humans – when confronted they will bolt up the closest tree – they have no qualms searching for food at empty campsites and are frequently seen in picnic sites in national parks.
To read the rest of this article on Lace Monitors in Walking with Dinosaurs
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| Majestic Giants |
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Despite its name, the Whale Shark is not a whale but the biggest fish in the world. Huge, beautiful and harmless, this majestic giant can grow up to 18 metres long. Sadly, like many other creatures on earth, the Whale Shark is under threat of extinction, but there is hope, as Dr Stephen Van Mil explains.
The Whale Shark can weigh as much as an amazing 20 tonnes and swimming next to it can feel a little like floating alongside an underwater bus. They have the thickest skin of any animal on earth, with the epidermis measuring up to 10 centimetres. They are one of only three filter-feeding sharks, sucking thousands of litres of water through their large mouth – up to 1.5-metres wide – to extract from the water the plankton, krill and small fish that sustain them.
The sight of one of these giant creatures emerging through deep blue water is a breathtaking and life-changing experience.
To read the rest of this article on Whale Sharks in Majestic Giants
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| Wildlife Rescue |
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Summer is a precarious time for wildlife. Not only are they more active, but so are we – collisions with vehicles remain the number one cause of death and injury to wildlife in Australia. Networks of volunteers across the country are donating huge amounts of time and resources to care for injured wildlife, and as Briar Jensen discovered, from the numbers involved, it’s apparent that Australians rate wildlife care as a top priority.
‘To release a bird or animal which, but for our help, would have died, is the biggest buzz,’ says Caroline Enfield from the Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) in New South Wales. ‘Watching a bird soar or possum scramble for the highest branches is a feeling like no other.’
This may be the reason why thousands of people across the country – over 4,000 in New South Wales alone – volunteer to help and rehabilitate injured wildlife. Volunteers come from all walks of life and many join up after rescuing an animal from their own garden.
To read the rest of this article on saving wildlife in Wildlife Rescue
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| Wild Art |
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Wildlife photographer Christian Pearson is not only passionate about his work, but also about his subjects. A trip to Africa six years ago rekindled his childhood love for animals and ultimately determined the future direction of his work. In the first of our In-Focus series on photographers, Christian spoke to photojournalist Karen Graham.
This is Christian’s most sought-after photo. His customers adore the ‘Tiger on the Track’ photo, and it’s easy to see why. Capturing the shot combined all the ingredients of classic photography – patience, luck and skill.
‘The tiger walked to the crest of the hill and paused,’ recalls Christian. ‘Nearby, cheetal [spotted deer] were grazing. The tiger’s tail started to kick around and her ears were up. She looked like she was going to launch an attack when a monkey spotted her and started chattering away, alerting the cheetals.’ Christian laughs. ‘It was like she blamed us. She relaxed her pose, turned to look and gave a snarl – and that was the moment.’
To read the rest of this article on photographer Christian Pearson in Wild Art
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