Latest news with #AlfredHunter
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Trail cameras capture images of unique creature not seen in decades: 'It was the first time everyone had actually seen one'
Australian trail cameras have caught what's perhaps the most unique animal on Earth outside of Sasquatch. The footage from Flaggy Creek proves the platypus — unlike Bigfoot — is, in fact, real, even though it hasn't made a cameo in some of its once well-inhabited hotspots for decades, according to a report from Yahoo News. "Everyone was so happy. It was the first time everyone had actually seen one around Kuranda," Alfred Hunter, a ranger, told Yahoo. Kuranda was once a platypus oasis, but local elders have been concerned because the unique species hasn't been spotted there for years, per the report. Once observed, the animal is hard to forget. It has a duck-like bill, waterproof fur, and webbed appendages. That's not to mention the venomous spurs the males sport on their hind feet, according to a description from the World Wildlife Fund. The animal is only found in Australia. The WWF reported that habitat destruction and changes linked to our planet's overheating have contributed to its dwindling population. A BBC story noted that locations where the creatures are usually found have dropped by 22% since 1990. What's more, the Australian Platypus Conservancy warned that the population decline could hit 30% during the next 21 years if threats go unchecked. The conservancy listed the species as "near threatened." It is considered "vulnerable" and "endangered" in certain parts of the country but even "common" in others, per the report. Trail cameras are becoming powerful tools to help experts gauge population health for platypuses and other species. One recently recorded a tapir in Brazil, where it was thought to be extinct. In some cases, the video clips provide evidence of successful protection efforts. Smart management of our environment and the creatures in it — including fish in the ocean — can help to make sure more species survive. The result can even impact our food supply. Reducing heat-trapping air pollution and regrowing our forests are important ways to help. The International Fund for Animal Welfare reported that higher Earth temperatures are contributing to habitat loss, natural disasters, and the extinction of certain animals. NASA's experts said the higher temps are linked to a greater risk for severe weather, a contributor to habitat loss. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Adding some extra plant-based meals to your menu each week is an easy way to help. It's a move that can limit meat-industry-related pollution, cut household food costs, and even improve your health, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Down Under, Indigenous community knowledge has been augmented by artificial intelligence, drones, and cameras to track rare species with the goal of attaining a better understanding of their health, according to the Yahoo report. The Flaggy Creek platypus observation is encouraging. Its presence is especially welcome to native residents like Djabugay Ewamian Elder Aunty Rita Gutchen. She said in the Yahoo story that it had been 60 years since she last saw one. "Hopefully they're breeding," she added. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussie animal not seen in 60 years filmed in creek: 'Then he was gone'
One of the world's strangest looking animals has been rapidly vanishing from Australian waterways. When ranger Alfred Hunter was growing up in remote Queensland, he'd hear stories from the elders about platypuses being regular visitors in times gone by, but in his 35 years they were seldom seen. In Flaggy Creek, near Kuranda, which means 'place of the platypus' in the Djabugay language, it had been decades since the last individual was documented, and the elders were becoming worried. So when cameras picked up the unmistakable beaver-like shape of one swimming, members of the community literally jumped out of their chairs in excitement. 'Everyone was so happy. It was the first time everyone had actually seen one around Kuranda,' Hunter told Yahoo News. Related: 😳 Aussie state's delay in banning traps that kill platypus The likelihood of seeing a platypus was described as 'a needle in a haystack' by World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia. Its Eyes on Country program, which is supported by Google, has been helping Indigenous communities monitor wildlife by combining ancient knowledge and advanced technologies including AI, drones, trail cameras and environmental DNA. Hunter and the Djabugay Bulmba rangers had used trail cameras to collect more than 400,000 images, but remarkably it took less than an hour for them to spot the platypus briefly come to the surface. 🐨 Growing $157 billion problem Australia can't afford to fix 💰 $18k fine as mining company's rule breach sparks frustration 🌳 Hunters of Australia's rare 'giant trees' warn time running out to visit them In four separate images taken in July, the animal can be seen swimming below a clump of thick reeds, before it disappears. Until the photo was recently analysed, Djabugay Ewamian Elder Aunty Rita Gutchen, hadn't seen a platypus since she was a child, living on a mission 60 years ago. 'That's the first time I saw a platypus. There was a splash and he was gone. The platypus probably thought 'Oh, here's the noisy ones coming now'. It's nice they survive. There's probably more too. Hopefully they're breeding,' she said. Another Djabugay Bulmba ranger, Caesar Hunter, said the team had been guided by elders during their search. 'We decided to take on that responsibility to go find platypus. It makes me feel good doing stuff the elders want done,' he said. Other rare animals were captured by the 20 trail cameras they set up, including a young cassowary. They also picked up several feral pigs, a species that digs up the river banks where platypus burrow. Knowing the location of pigs will help authorities locate and eradicate them. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
