World's rarest animals shot in Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oryx_Dammah.jpg

It seems inconceivable that canned hunts - where wild animals are released specifically to be shot by rich men who love killing things, so they can have their pictures taken with them - are going on in Australia, but they are, the NT News reports.

And the victims of this bloodsport - because 'sport' is what it is, with the animals purely shot for trophies - are some of the world's rarest animals, refugees from a failed wildlife park.

The ENDANGERED Bentang (south-east Asian wild cattle) and the EXTINCT-in-the-wild African Scimitar oryx are among the animals hunted on the Mary River safari park near Kakadu.

The animals reportedly come from a wildlife park in North Queensland, which received them from Tipperary station, 190km southwest of Darwin.

Apparently a few must be shot in order to support the remainder of the herd, which seems laughable when the whole property is a giant safari park - a dedicated killing zone for men with guns who can afford the cost. Not exactly animal conservation, is it?

The herd's original owner is said to be devastated. One-time multi-millionaire businessman Warren Anderson imported the animals and bred the herd up before selling it to a Queensland zoo. "They are shooting my beloved animals," Mr Anderson said. "For me, to see these beautiful animals shot by these madmen is a tragedy. They are extinct in the wild. It's like shooting a Sumatran tiger or a white rhino. It's disgusting. These are protected animals that I spent millions of dollars and years breeding."

Mr Anderson also blasted Mr Nioa's description of "hunting" the oryx. "These things are in a paddock. You could throw hay out and they would come up to eat it . . . Those scimitar are like your favourite dairy cow."

Mr Anderson said he bred the herd up to 100, which he sold to the Mareeba Wildlife Park in Queensland, but when the park failed to gain permission for authorities to bring the animals into Queensland, the Mareeba zoo operator on-sold them to Mary River Australia Safari park.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Banteng_at_Alas_Purwo.jpg

Gorge-ous monster croc freed from trap

A MONSTER crocodile has been caught - and released - in the Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory. The 2.5-3m croc swam into one of the permanent traps at Nitmiluk Gorge, from where it was freed by rangers.

The huge freshie is a well-known inhabitant of the Gorge and can occasionally be seen on boat cruises.

Nitmiluk Tours general manager Michael Sulser said the croc was believed to be at least 30 years old.

"It's not very often that you see such a huge freshwater crocodile," he said.

Freshwater crocodiles are not considered dangerous for people unless provoked.

Monster croc Ian's master work

 

Apparently Ian can't be stuffed anymore. That was going to be our cheesy headline, but we've been ripping out a few too many taxidermy puns of late, so we'll play this one straight.

The NT News, one of Australia's most colourful newspapers, however couldn't resist a naughty headline for this interesting story about the impending retirement of taxidermist Ian Archibald, the man behind one of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory's most famous exhibits - 'Sweetheart', the monster croc: 'Sweetheart, Ian can't be stuffed'.

Apparently Ian hadn't been with the museum long in the early 1970s when he was charged with the job of preparing and mounting the 5.1m saltwater crocodile, which was caught in the Finniss River.

The outboard motor-crunching croc, a habit which swiftly brought about his demise, is pictured above getting the immortality treatment from Ian (pictured at the croc's head) and his colleagues. 

Good luck Ian. And yes, we're just using Ian's retirement as an excuse to show you a cool photo. I'm sure he would understand.

Megalania centrepiece of Gondwana Exhibition

A monstrous replica Megalania skeleton helps to form the centrepiece of a collection of flora and fauna specimens from 3.8 billion years ago to the present, which has gone on display this week at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).

Arts and Museums Minister Gerry McCarthy said the Wildlife of Gondwana exhibition - presented by the Monash University’s Monash Science Centre – showcases the research by some of the world’s leading palaeontologists.

“Fossils, including dinosaurs, will be some of the key attractions at MAGNT during the next few months,” Mr McCarthy said. “Wildlife of Gondwana is a rare opportunity for Territorians to see fossils from Australia, Antarctica and South America, and understand more about the super-continent Gondwana.”

Gondwana once included most of the southern hemisphere landmasses about 500 million years ago before it began to break-up during the mid-Jurassic period about 167 million years ago.

“The exhibition includes more than 130 fossil specimens and full replica skeletons of the Giant Lizard Megalania and the Territory’s very own flightless bird Bullockornis,” Mr McCarthy said. “This giant bird lived about 15 million years ago, standing 250cm tall and weighing up to 250kg.

“Wildlife of Gondwana also reveals the Territory’s rich fossil record with specimens from Central Australia’s premier megafauna fossil site, the Alcoota Scientific Reserve, on display along with a short documentary highlighting the significant research taking place at Alcoota.

“Visitors to MAGNT will also get to see a six metre long Jurassic dinosaur Cryolophosaurus which lived in what is now Antarctica.”

Complementing the exhibition is a cycads display by the Northern Territory Herbarium titled Living Gondwana: Cycads of the NT. Cycads are the ultimate living fossil, having overseen the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals over 250 million years.

Dingo centre stage for Azaria Inquest

Thirty years after the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain, whose parents always claimed she was taken by a dingo, Australia is preparing a new inquest to try to resolve the question.

Azaria's mother, Lindy, was found guilty of murder in 1982. But she was later exonerated after a piece of the baby's clothing was found in an area full of dingo lairs. The inquest will examine the question of whether the baby was taken by a dingo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11511581

Mayor discovers new frog in NT

Darwin Lord Mayor and Frog Watch co-ordinator Graeme Sawyer has discovered a new species of frog on the Napier Peninsula in Arnhem Land, but warns it's already under threat from the exotic cane toad.

"It is a bit different from anything else we have seem in the Northern Territory," he said.

"Whilst it is exciting to find a new species, we have significant concerns about the fact that the site of this new species is just being invaded by cane toads, and we know nothing about the life cycle of this frog and possible impacts from things like cane toads."

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/09/21/180951_ntnews.html

Mutant croc found in NT

A saltwater crocodile found in the Northern Territory has been described as a "freak of nature".

The half-metre long reptile has sharp spurs protruding from the underside of its back legs.

The five millimetre-long spurs connect to a bone stemming from the crocodile's ankle joint.

"I don't know whether a croc's been playing up with a platypus or not, but it looks a bit funny, I reckon," said crocodile hunter and taxidermist Mick Pittman.

"I've never seen anything like it."

Mr Pittman, known as "Crocodile Mick", says he and his family have been in the crocodile industry for 53 years.

He thinks the spurs might be mutant toes.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/05/2974200.htm

Monster cow-eating croc shot

A monster 6.5m croc was killed by locals in a remote Territory Aborigine community because it was killing their cattle.
Jeida Francis, 23, said the croc was caught in Manangoora, an outstation 56km east of Borroloola in the mid '90s.
However, another earlier posting on the Internet seems to indicate the croc was in fact shot in the Albert River near Burketown, which is in Queensland. Which is only 500km away and just over the border.

Rom and Nik Whittaker have written a very interesting piece on the world's biggest crocodiles on record, which can be read here.

It reads in part: "The oft quoted 28 footer killed back in July 1957 by the Pawlowskis in the Norman River Estuary of the Gulf of Carpentaria remains just an unverified anecdote, no matter how many publications the story appears in.
"Adam Britton and I (RW) measured two of the largest saltie skulls in Australia, one called ‘Charley’ at the Darwin Croc Farm (a ‘mere’ 64.4 cm) and one shot by Terry Holtz on display at the Corrorboree Tavern near Darwin.

"This one measures 68.8 cm and is possibly the largest skull in Australia. Driving down the road we stopped in for yet another cold one at Bark Hut Inn, Annaburroo and there we found and measured just the mandible of a saltie 89.9 cm – bigger than the Corroboree mandible. Adam has heard of another croc skull in NT with a mandible of 96 cm (close to the size of the Paris Museum monster croc). The search continues for the largest Aussie skull.
"News of an estimated 22 footer has also come from the Bullo River. We did see some 16 footers and one massive slide, but the Bullo giant is still out there."
Read more about the latest NT monster croc here: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/08/05/169811_ntnews.html

A lion in the Outback?

During the compilation of the opus that is Australian Big Cats: An Unnatural History of Panthers,authors Michael Williams and Rebecca Lang were handed lots of intriguing video footage - and possibly one of the most puzzling was that of what appears to be a lioness roaming the Northern territory Outback.
'Shot' by NT resident Jan Donovan, this still from the footage (which featured this week on the front page of the Northern Territory News) could lend weight to the notion feral exotic cats are running around in Australia's wilderness.
You might recall the case of the recently shot pygmy hippo in the Top End, which appears to have been an escapee from a private zoo.
What do you think?
We'd love to hear your thoughts - and if you have a photograph or video footage, we'd be happy to have a look and venture an opinion.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/07/28/167481_ntnews.html

OOPA: Monkey spotted roaming Darwin (NT)

AN out-of-place monkey was picked up on CCTV footage crossing a Darwin road. (Pic from NT Department of Lands and Planning)

A bus driver and several passengers saw the small primate wandering around Darwin's northern suburbs on Friday morning.

Following the sightings, the Northern Territory environment department issued a warning for people to stay clear of the animal.

All registered monkeys have been accounted for.

The department says the roaming monkey could have been brought illegally to the Territory from Asia and could be carrying exotic diseases, such as rabies.