A recent paper has just been added to the Wildlife Tourism Australia research bibliography:
The article explores what prompts visitors to a Queensland turtle rookery adopt conservation actions after their visit
A workshop run by Scenic Rim Wildlife was held at Tamborine Mountain, Southeast Queensland, on Saturday 2nd April 2011
You can read details at the Araucaria blog and they will shortly appear also on the Scenic Rim Wildlife website (see also the corridors discussion on the Scenic Rim Wildlife Facebook)
Wildlife corridors are essential considerations whenever there is large scales tourism development planned. Big resorts and new roads can easily disrupt movements of many animals by affecting habitat continuity (not so obvious for some strong-flying birds but very much so for smaller ones and some of our understorey and arboreal mammals, lizards and other creatures). The roads – especially those allowing fast travel through wildlife habitat – can result in high levels of mortality, as well as imhibiting movement of some animals. There are many more faunal overpasses in Europe and underpasses in Amercia than we see here in Australia, although we have a few good examples, as pointed out by the speakers.
The kind of green infrastructure schemes discussed by Jaap Vogel are inspiring, and it would be good to see a progression towards a sort of ‘network of networks’ throughout Ausralia.
Wildlife tourism operations can contribute to wildlife corridors, as we were told by Geoff Warne from WTA member Cedar Creek Estates Winery and Glow Worms. I visited their corridor just before the workshop (and have done so many times in the past) – it is quite remarkable how much growth they have achieved in just 11 years, linking with neighbouring landowners and the local national parks.
Scenic Rim Wildlife is the Scenic Rim (southeast Queensland) branch of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Message from Wildlife WarriorsThe Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit are experiencing a dramatic increase in wildlife injuries and orphans due to the devastating floods. We need your help!
Our Queensland wildlife are feeling the pain with the majority of their habitats inundated with flood waters. As the clean up continues around South East Queensland, the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and Australia Zoo Rescue Unit are seeing an influx of flood affected victims.
If you would like to help, please make your tax deductible donation to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital Flood Appeal please visit www.wildlifewarriors.org.au
Read the recent Wildlife Extra article about an award-winning project to photograph and log the movements of the world’s largest fish. Visit the Ecocean whale shark site for more details of how you can be involved.
I’m told by those who have been diving with whale sharks that it really is awe-inspiring. They resemble whales not only in being so big but in eating krill, so they are both harmless and enormous. Dive operators advise the angle and distance of approach so as not to disturb the shark or put yourself in accidental slapping range of the massive tail.
In parts of Asia they are still hunted for their huge fins and their flesh, which is reportedly not very good quality compared to other fish. The Wildlife Extra article suggests some localities could consider diving ecotours rather than fishing as an income source.
There is still a lot we don;t know about their ecology and behaviour, so if you do find yourself diving with these spectacular fish, learn how your photos could be valuable for the database.
And while you’re at it, if you happen to be diving at Ningaloo, Western Australia (one of the best places for diving with whale sharks), especially if doing so regularly, you may be able to add to important monitoring of coral bleaching.
This cassowary at the David Fleay Wildlife Park will be ok - but maybe not some of her cousins near Cairns
Many areas of forest, especially those that are fragmented, not buffered by large areas of forest surrounding them, have been severely damaged. The forests of Mission Beach, famous for its cassowaries, in particular suffered much damage.
Wildlife Tourism Australia members and Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland members have reported seeing cassowries, including chicks, wandering around affected areas since the cyclone, which is great. However, once they finish eating the fruits that fell to the ground during the heavy winds and rain, they will have very little food.
Those who lived through Cyclone Larry a few years ago recall that many cassowaries were hit by cars or attacked by dogs when wandering out of damaged forests in search of food.
So this may be a good time to actually see cassowaries, but also a very urgent time to come to their aid. Find out how by visiting the Save the Cassowary News page
Mahogany glider at the David Fleay Wildlife Park
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland reports that it is too soon to say how much of the endangered mahogany glider’s very restricted habitat has been lost, or how drastic the impact might have been on them.
This beautiful little animal has only been discovered in recent decades. Because its range is so restricted and its habitat (tall wet eucalypt forest) was disappearing so fast already, a few were captured some years ago and taken to the David Fleay Wildlife Park, where they have been breeding very successfully. Let’s hope though that these captive individuals are not now the only members of their species surviving. And as WPSQ points out, although we can fairly easily provide supplementary feeding to ground-feeding animals like the cassowaries to help them through a rough spot, it is difficult to do the same for animals that live high up in tall trees.
Other plants and animals – e.g. epiphytic ferns and orchids, and birds that eat fruit from rainforest canopies, will probably be hit fairly hard.
There is still beautiful forest, animals to see and many activities to engage in, and Cairns itself was not badly damaged, nor were a number of other areas in the district, so if you are planning a trip to the far north of Queensland, don’t cancel (unless we hear warnings of another cyclone on the way). You can still have a great trip, and maybe even get a chance to pitch in and help with some of the aftermath in the worst-affected areas: that would certainly add to your experience and understanding of the region as well as being something of value you can contribute. If driving yourself, please take special care along the roads in case cassowaries and other creatures come suddenly from the forest seeking food or shelter elsewhere.
The day-frog or torrent frog Taudactylus diurnus used to be seen sitting in streams in the daytime in the forested hills adjoining Brisbane’s western and northern suburbs, enabling rangers to point out frogs to visitors in daylight hours.
Now it is no more, not having been seen since the late 1970′s, and declared extinct in the 1990′s.
The closely-related tinker frog (T. liem) from the north looks as though it may be fated to go the same way, but Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has recently succeeded in breeding this critically-endangered species. Read about this and also their attempts to assist the critically-endangered Coxen’s figparrot in the latest Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary News
While Tasmanian Devils have been declining alarmingly in the wild, they are breeding very nicely at Healesville Sanctuary
Read the Sydney Morning Herald report
Beetle visiting lilypilly flower: photo by Darren Green (Araucaria Ecotours
Two draft biodiversity management plans by state governments are currently under public review:
NSW – submissions due 11th February 2011
Queensland – submissions due 18th March 2011
This is very relevant to our industry: wildlife tourism both depends on biodiversity and has responsibility towards maintaining it.
If your state or territory has not yer produced such a draft, perhaps you could consider asking if they intend to soon.
A new book by Clare Palmer, “Animal ethics in context” poses many questions and discusses what our ethical obligations might be towards domestic and wild animals. The book is available as a mail order from Andrew Isles. She suggests for instance that where we as humans have disturbed animals or their habitat we owe some moral obligation, but not when animals are living independently in the wild, and that different contexts need different considerations in working out what our obligations should be.
