Latest news with #ConservationandAttractions
West Australian
31-07-2025
- West Australian
Locals say dramatic rescue effort to retrieve Carolina Wilga's bogged van took more than four days
Wheatbelt residents have revealed it took more than four days to manage to retrieve German backpacker Carolina Wilga's van from the remote area in which it was trapped. The 26-year-old German backpacker miraculously survived 11 nights alone in the remote Wheatbelt bush after crashing her car, hitting her head and wandering off in a state of confusion. She survived by drinking rainwater from puddles and sleeping in a cave before she was spotted by local farmer Tania French near Beacon. Bonnie Rock farmer Andrew Sprigg said he rallied a group of locals together after learning the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions had been called in to retrieve the van. He said the vehicle was removed by a 20t loader which ploughed through the dense bushland last weekend. 'I heard the DBCA were in charge with the recovery and I knew their resources would be stretched, so I contacted (a mate) in Merredin and we got approval to run a loader out there to clear the track,' he told The West Australian. 'We thought we could do it with an old 4WD but (the bush) was too thick. 'There's no track . . . the police damaged their vehicles extensively getting down the track as it was.' Mr Sprigg said it took four days to retrieve the van, and said it was being stored in a local shed for one of Ms Wilga's friends to collect. Fellow farmer Kim Graham helped with the retrieval and said he was happy to lend a hand, given his extensive knowledge of the land. 'At the end of the day you've got someone from the other side of the world that needs a hand, and it's not the most easiest terrain for the authorities to get to,' he told 6PR on Thursday. 'I suppose being locals, we've got a bit of an idea (about the area) . . . for us guys to be able to help out, it's the least we can do, that's what the community does.' '(We knew) it was going to be tough terrain to retrieve, and probably going to cost more than it's even worth for the authorities to do it, and for us guys to be help out ... that's what the community does.' He said the van was in 'pretty good condition' with some 'minor dents and scratches.' Mr Graham said he was part of the initial search effort to find Ms Wilga and said it was a miracle she was found alive. 'We put our plane up and we had guys on the ground looking around with utes and motorbikes,' he said. 'At the end of the day she's got a story to tell, she may not have made it (because) it was -4C here one morning, (it was) pretty tough conditions, so she's very, very lucky. 'I think it's probably a good lesson if we're to take the positives out of it, and that's to make sure that we're covered with our safety whether it's (taking) EPIRBs or satellites if we're going off grid.' Mr Sprigg urged travellers to educate themselves on WA's harsh climate before venturing into the outback. 'My cousin hires campervans out and he has a lot of issues with European backpackers, they follow Google Maps and it leads them into all sorts of strange places,' he said. 'I think there needs to be better planning and better safety and awareness.' Ms Wilga spent four nights recovering in Fiona Stanley Hospital before being discharged on July 16. She returned her family's home town, Castrop-Rauxe, on July 20.
Sky News AU
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'How stupid are you': Canadian influencer slammed after catching baby crocodile in Australia for distressing social media stunt
A social media influencer from Canada has stirred up a storm online after uploading a video in which he grabs a baby crocodile from a creek in Australia and mocks its cries as those of a "little b***h". Colton Macaulay, 27, hailing from Nova Scotia, has amassed a massive online following under the usernames @kingcoltyy and @coltyy, boasting around 16 million followers across his platforms. Known for engaging in wildlife stunts and animal-based challenges, Macaulay's latest post has inited a firestorm of controversy. In the now-deleted clip titled 'Catching crocodiles in Australia', Macaulay is seen reaching into a creek at night and lifting a young freshwater crocodile with his bare hands. As the animal writhes, he holds it up for the camera by the neck. 'Hey guys, I'm in Australia right now, and we just yoinked a freshwater croc,' he says. 'I don't think he was happy about it because he started making these sounds like a chainsaw. Or maybe that's the sound they make when they decide to cry like a little b***h.' The crocodile, clearly distressed, is seen with its mouth wide open, letting out a high-pitched shriek as Macaulay grips its neck. The video, while removed from most of his channels, remains accessible on Facebook and has racked up nearly half a million views, and reactions were far from positive. 'How stupid are you?' one commenter asked. Another called him an 'idiot', and someone else simply labelled him a 'moron'. Macaulay's video includes a disclaimer claiming the act was 'performed by a professional'. In Australia, only authorised individuals with proper permits are legally allowed to handle crocodiles. Permits are managed by different state and territory departments, such as Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, and the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. Freshwater crocodiles are protected under Australian law via the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. 'A person may commit an offence if they take or move a member of a listed threatened species from in or on a Commonwealth area without approval,' a spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told The penalties for interfering with crocodiles vary by region. In the Northern Territory, it can result in a fine of up to $92,500 or five years behind bars. In Queensland, the figure is up to $26,615, while Western Australia enforces penalties as high as $200,000. What remains unclear is where the video was filmed or whether Macaulay held any relevant permits. Legal professionals and conservationists have raised concerns over both the legality and ethics of Macaulay's conduct. 'There is no doubt a plethora of nature conservation laws that would apply to this person,' a lawyer from the Animal Defenders Office, an organisation that focuses on animal protection, told Experts also warned that these types of interactions pose serious dangers to both humans and animals. 'It can cause injury or death and impact a crocodile's behaviour around humans,' a spokesperson for Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife said. 'Interference can result in the animal needing to be removed from the wild due to altered behaviour and becoming dangerous to the public. Often these animals are destroyed.' The backlash follows a similar case involving an American influencer who took a baby wombat from its mother last March. That incident sparked international condemnation, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it an 'outrage'. In that case influencer Sam Jones claimed in an emotional post that she was 'truly sorry' and had received 'thousands' of threats to her life. She said she fled the scene fearing an attack, insisting she was 'extremely concerned' about the wombat's wellbeing. However Macaulay has continued to post wildlife-related stunts. This week, he uploaded a clip showing him handling a stonefish, known to be the most venomous fish in the world. Despite its ability to kill an adult within an hour, Macaulay casually picked it up and attempted to squeeze venom out of it using a thong. In March, he told his audience that he had caught 40 snakes during a 10-day trip in Australia. In one instance, he was bitten by an Eastern Small-eyed snake, a species with highly toxic venom. He called it his 'closest brush with death'. Other videos on his channels show him swimming in crocodile-infested waters. has reached out to Macaulay for comment.
West Australian
09-07-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Shark warning issued for Pelican Point near Coral Bay as whale carcass floats close to shore
A shark warning has been issued off the Gascoyne coast with a whale carcass floating near Coral Bay. The carcass was reported floating at Pelican Point in the Shire of Carnarvon at 10.07am on Wednesday. Parks and Wildlife Service officers from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said it was possible the carcass would attract sharks close to shore. Beaches and waters within a radius of about 300m of Pelican Point have been closed off. Swimmers, surfers and other water users are urged to be extra vigilant in the areas nearby. Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, along with staff from other agencies, are monitoring the situation. Switch on your Sea Sense and stay informed of shark activity information by checking the SharkSmart website , download the SharkSmart WA app or follow Surf Life Saving WA Twitter – . Check for updates to this alert and to view other warnings and media releases.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The state made new laws to protect WA nature. Then it forgot something
The department charged with protecting Western Australia's threatened plants and animals is not only failing to protect three-quarters of them, but was never given the resources to do so. A damning auditor general report tabled in parliament on Thursday says of the 65 threatened ecological communities listed in this state, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is only focusing monitoring and protection of the 28 per cent of them on land it manages. Auditor General Caroline Spencer has found the department has made no significant progress on monitoring the condition of the 72 per cent of these precious communities on others' land, and is not making landowners aware of their existence and available assistance to protect them. Spencer said this amounted to some of the state's threatened ecological communities having only legal, not practical protection. She also found that at its current pace, the department would take more than 100 years to list and protect the additional 390 priority ecological communities identified, if they were all deemed suitable for listing as threatened. It was unclear if the condition of the state's threatened ecological communities was improving or declining. She found the department could not effectively track nor demonstrate the impact of its conservation activities. She said parliament passed the Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2016 and given it effect in 2019 through regulations, but had not resourced the department to implement those regulations. But she also said the department's implementation planning was weak, and it lacked a strategic plan to demonstrate the level of resourcing it needed to meet its threatened ecological community responsibilities under those laws.
The Age
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
The state made new laws to protect WA nature. Then it forgot something
The department charged with protecting Western Australia's threatened plants and animals is not only failing to protect three-quarters of them, but was never given the resources to do so. A damning auditor general report tabled in parliament on Thursday says of the 65 threatened ecological communities listed in this state, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is only focusing monitoring and protection of the 28 per cent of them on land it manages. Auditor General Caroline Spencer has found the department has made no significant progress on monitoring the condition of the 72 per cent of these precious communities on others' land, and is not making landowners aware of their existence and available assistance to protect them. Spencer said this amounted to some of the state's threatened ecological communities having only legal, not practical protection. She also found that at its current pace, the department would take more than 100 years to list and protect the additional 390 priority ecological communities identified, if they were all deemed suitable for listing as threatened. It was unclear if the condition of the state's threatened ecological communities was improving or declining. She found the department could not effectively track nor demonstrate the impact of its conservation activities. She said parliament passed the Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2016 and given it effect in 2019 through regulations, but had not resourced the department to implement those regulations. But she also said the department's implementation planning was weak, and it lacked a strategic plan to demonstrate the level of resourcing it needed to meet its threatened ecological community responsibilities under those laws.
