Latest news with #Caloundra
News.com.au
7 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Man jailed after exotic snakes, turtles, iguanas found in foul-smelling package marked as ‘toys' during border search
A man's attempt to import a series of exotic animals into Australia – some of which died during the ill-fated voyage – has been exposed after the plot was foiled by border force officials. Queensland man Jesse Sayeg was this week handed a nine-month jail term after pleading guilty in Caloundra Magistrates Court to three offences related to the illegal importation of live exotic animals. The case was cracked open in March 2023 when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers became suspicious of a package sent from the Philippines. A strong odour from the package prompted them to alert the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). An X-ray of the parcel, which has been misdeclared as 'toys' and sent under a false name, revealed a consignment of reptiles and spiders. A DAFF veterinarian opened the package to discover three snakes, six iguanas, three soft shell turtles and three tarantulas stuffed into calico drawstring bags. Many of the animals were dead. The discovery launched a two-year, multi-agency investigation dubbed Operation Cascade, which uncovered a broader criminal network spanning three Australian states including Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Subsequent search warrants led authorities to seize a further trove of exotic species, including two hog nose snakes, 45 tarantulas, three eco-skeleton spiders, two scorpions, an African hedgehog and an alligator snapping turtle. DAFF Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity, Operations and Compliance, Justine Saunders, warned of the serious risks posed by such illegal activity. DAFF Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity, Operations and Compliance, Justine Saunders, said the illegal introduction of exotic animals into Australia poses a significant threat. 'Exotic animals can carry biosecurity risks and diseases unknown in Australia, potentially devastating agriculture, native wildlife and even human health,' Ms Saunders said. She said breaches of Australia's biosecurity laws are treated with the utmost seriousness, carrying penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment and fines as high as $1.65 million for individuals, or $8.25 million for companies. 'DAFF has more than a thousand biosecurity officers working at our borders and in mailrooms every day who are trained to pick up anomalies in the system,' she said. Ms Saunders said wildlife trafficking was a major global crime, ranking just behind arms, drugs and human trafficking in scale. 'DAFF, along with other government agencies, are united in their commitment to eradicate the illicit wildlife trade and will take vigorous and relentless action to seek out those responsible, bring them to justice and stop this global crime.'
ABC News
24-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
'Stranded' Eddie the echidna thought to have swum from Bribie Island's broken tip
An echidna found washed up on the Caloundra foreshore may have swam more than a kilometre from the isolated northern tip of Bribie Island. Locals and wildlife carers believe the animal may have been swept away overnight during a high tide and say it could be "Eddie", a solitary echidna first spotted several weeks ago on the eroding spit of land. Sunshine Coast resident Dave Cairns discovered the echidna at the base of a rock wall near Golden Beach and said it was alive but appeared to be exhausted. "I think it floated across overnight," he said. "It was about a kilometre from where wildlife's been trapped [on the spit]. "With the tide and swell, it could've easily been swept off." Mr Cairns said in all his years living near the passage he had never seen an echidna in that part of Golden Beach. "Never — not once in 30 years," he said. "It's why I reckon it came from the tip [of Bribie]." The echidna is now receiving veterinary care at Australia Zoo's animal hospital, being treated for exposure to salt water. Licensed wildlife carer Sybelle Foxcroft took the creature in and said the echidna was in a humidicrib receiving oxygen. She has previously taken part in a search of the island's tip to locate any animals that were isolated. Ms Foxcroft said she believed it was the same echidna they had been tracking for several weeks. "Looking at footage, his size and condition, it matches what I'd expect if he'd gone without proper food," she said. Where the echidna was found is a densely populated area with apartment buildings and foreshore infrastructure, with little suitable ground for echidnas to burrow or shelter. Dr Kate Dutton-Regester, a wildlife conservationist and lecturer at the University of Queensland, said echidnas were capable swimmers, though it was not often seen. While typically found around freshwater sources, she said echidnas could plausibly travel some distance in salt water, particularly if assisted by currents. Dr Dutton-Regester said the symptoms described were consistent with salt water exposure. She said the echidna could have been swept off the island or may have entered the water voluntarily, but she could not confirm whether it came from the tip of Bribie Island. "We're at the beginning of echidna breeding season," Dr Dutton-Regester said. "If it's a male they often roam more widely in search of a mate." Dr Javier Leon, a coastal erosion expert from the University of the Sunshine Coast, said recent conditions may have already displaced some animals. "We have had a large swell from the east the last two days that might have contributed to further erosion and, potentially, the wash-over of wildlife," he said. He said the area had already been severely damaged following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in February and warned it would become uninhabitable for animals. Jen Kettleton-Butler from the Pumicestone Passage Catchment Management Body (PPCMB) also travelled to the tip with a wildlife carer at sunset last week in an effort to locate Eddie, but they were unable to find the animal. Animals including goannas, lizards, snakes and small marsupials have recently been observed on the isolated section. Ms Kettleton-Butler said the spit, cut off by two tidal breakthroughs, now measured about 30-40 metres wide and 300-400 metres long and appeared to be shrinking with every high tide. When first contacted the Department of Environment said it had not seen any evidence of worsening impacts on wildlife at the northern tip of Bribie Island that would justify intervention. The statement said the animals in the area were considered to be adapted to rapidly changing coastal conditions. The department has been approached for further comment following the discovery of the echidna at Golden Beach. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie previously said he would request expert coastal engineers to urgently investigate the erosion and assess potential risks to wildlife.
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 The Roses: Philia wins at Doomben for trainer David Vandyke
It's been an 11-year wait but Caloundra trainer David Vandyke thinks he has the filly to give him a Queensland Oaks. In 2014, Vandyke won the Doomben Roses with Arabian Gold before that filly came up agonisingly short 14 days later when second to Tinto in the three-year-old fillies' Group 1. Fast forward to 2025 and Philia led from barrier to box to give Vandyke his second victory in the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben on Saturday and bookmakers reacted to the win by firming the filly's Queensland Oaks quote from $11 into $3.50 favouritism for the $700,000 Group 1 on June 7. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'She was a month between runs and now I've got the nice two-week progression off a hard run today, 2200 (metres). Bring on the Oaks,' Vandyke said. 'Moving forward into the Oaks, when she's got that amazing racing pattern where she can get taken on and absorb pressure, that's a great asset. She loves it. 'She's a half to Duais, a multiple Group 1 winner that won over 2400 (metres) and she goes right back to one of the best families in the world.' . @KPMcEvoy guides Philia to victory in The Roses for @vandykeracing13! — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 • Philia was forced to work early in The Roses when challenged leaving the straight by Verona Rose before a midrace move from Canny Queen applied more pressure to the leader, but the daughter of All Too Hard was up to the challenge. 'She was more relaxed in herself today which is pleasing going out in trip,' winning rider Kerrin McEvoy said. 'She kicked off the corner but had a bit of a stargaze at the barriers and thought 'job done' so I got a bit vocal with her but she's heading in the right direction. 'She's bred to and I think she will run the distance of the Oaks.' Philia ($3.70) defeated two fast-finishing backmarkers, Jenni's Meadow ($31) by three-quarters-of-a-length with Movin Out ($21) another length back in third. The $3.50 favourite Benagil struggled, beaten almost seven lengths into 10th. • 'I knew she was 100 per cent for today,' Vandyke said. 'She had to sprint a few times during the race and still had the audacity to kick in the straight and hold off the late charge. 'Moving forward into the Oaks, when she's got that amazing racing pattern where she can get taken on and absorb pressure, that's a great asset. She loves it.' Connections of Jenni's Meadow declared 'bring on the Oaks''. Jockey Ethan Brown declared the filly could have won The Roses if she'd drawn better than barrier 14. Co-trainer JD Hayes, who prepares the filly with brothers Ben and Will, said: 'That was a huge Oaks trial. She drew really wide, in the carpark actually, so we had to take our medicine and go back. But it was a beautiful Oaks run, bring on two weeks' time.' Jenni's Meadow firmed from $51 into $8 for the Queensland Oaks while Movin Out shortened from $51 to $11.
ABC News
15-05-2025
- ABC News
Two people fighting for their lives after caravan crash on Bruce Highway
Two people have been left with life-threatening injuries after a vehicle towing a caravan rolled down an embankment on the Bruce Highway near the Sunshine Coast this morning. Paramedics are treating a man who is fighting for his life at the scene and a woman in her 60s has been taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with chest and abdominal injuries. A third patient is in a stable condition and declined to be taken to hospital. Emergency services were called to the scene at Nirimba, near Caloundra, at 11:20am following initial reports of a two-vehicle crash. It is understood the vehicle towing the caravan left the road and crashed down an embankment into a creek. Police are yet to confirm whether other vehicles were involved. The Bruce Highway northbound is closed near Roys Road and traffic is being diverted. Drivers are asked to avoid the area. More to come.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Olympian Emily Seebohm shares very telling photo amid split rumours with Married At First Sight's Ryan Gallagher: 'Gets me through'
Ryan Gallagher and Emily Seebohm have been the subject of split rumours for weeks. And on Thursday, the Olympic athlete added some fuel to the fire with a cryptic Instagram post. Emily shared an image of the couple's young son, Sampson, and added a telling caption. 'He gets me through' the 32-year-old swimmer wrote across the photo. The high profile pair have yet to make public statements about the state of their relationship, but all signs have pointed to a split. The couple, who got engaged in December 2022, have unfollowed each other on Instagram, with sources close to the pair also suggesting they have separated. In another telling move, Emily just days ago posted photos in which she was spending quality time with their son Sampson. Emily posted a reel of images of herself enjoying a weekend getaway to Oaks Oasis Resort in Caloundra with her two-year-old tot. The mother-son duo were all smiles as they went on a trip to Australia Zoo and Sealife, posing for several photos as they took in the wildlife. 'Weekend recap,' Emily captioned the gallery, but her MAFS star husband, 36, was nowhere to be seen in any of the photos. The father-of-one, just hours later, shared his own set of pictures to Instagram of an outing with his son. He could be seen cuddling the toddler in one photo, while another saw Sampson sitting in a high-chair in a restaurant. But eagle-eyed viewers can see someone else at the table wearing the same shirt Emily wore at the aquarium with Sampson earlier that day, suggesting the pair are continuing to put on a united front to co-parent their toddler. It comes after a source close to the couple appeared to confirm they had split. The pair first sparked break-up rumours when they unfollowed each other on Instagram, with Ryan removing Emily from his feed. Just last week, a source told Sky News Australia the pair called it quits—two years after welcoming their son Sampson. A source told the publication: 'Ryan and Emily are trying to find a new normal, which has been a real process. 'Their number one priority is Sampson and ensuring he continues to feel supported by both parents. 'They haven't felt the need to make public statements.' It was also reported by the publication Ryan has relocated to Brisbane and is living on his own after the split. Emily's last appearance on Ryan's grid was more than two years ago. The post was a screenshot of the pair's appearance on The Challenge Australia. Ryan had also apparently removed a snapshot showing himself and Emily with Sampson when he was a newborn. The photo captured the couple nestled together on a hospital bed with their baby cradled in his father's embrace. Meanwhile, Ryan's most recent appearance on Emily's feed came over the Christmas season when she shared a photo of their small family posing with Santa Claus. Ryan and Emily became engaged in December 2022, a mere four months after their initial meeting while filming The Challenge Australia. However, they opted to keep their engagement under wraps until March. 'We just wanted to live in our own little bubble, we just wanted that for us and our families,' Emily told the Daily Telegraph. Ryan proposed to her next to a dam on his farm near Goulburn, NSW, with a trilogy diamond ring from Goulburn's Zantis Jewellers. Speaking to Stellar in February, Emily revealed the couple were in no rush to marry but could elope at any time. 'I feel like sometimes we talk about it and say maybe we should elope or we'll go to the Town Hall and just get it done,' Emily said. 'If weddings weren't so expensive or take so long to plan, we would have done it. It's probably an after Paris [Olympics] thing.' Subsequently, they revealed their pregnancy in July 2023 through an endearing social media video, accompanied by the caption: 'We've had a little bump in the road.'
