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ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Fears injured wildlife suffering with shortage of WA animal control agents
South West West Australian wildlife groups say a lack of qualified people to euthanase injured animals is causing needless suffering, with police forced to step in. Warning: This story contains details of animal injuries that some readers may find distressing. Wildlife care group FAWNA president Suzanne Strapp said animal control agents and volunteers accredited to legally destroy injured kangaroos by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) were in short supply. "In one case, one of our veteran carers reported a kangaroo with a broken leg, but when she went back the next day, the animal was still alive and foxes had eaten its tail," she said. "She said it was one of the most disturbing things she had seen in 40 years of [rehabilitating wildlife]." Ms Strapp said FAWNA did not have accredited agents who could destroy an animal, requiring the group to contact the Department's Wildcare Helpline. The volunteer-run helpline takes about 10,000 calls each year from members of the public who find sick or injured animals. For injured kangaroos, the helpline then contacts animal control agents to euthanase the animals. However, Ms Strapp said past experiences had taught them they needed to check on the animal the next day to make sure it had been euthanased. Australind Police Station Acting Officer in Charge Grant Earnshaw said officers were often the only people available after hours. "We mainly do it on the weekends or after hours because during the day, the rangers are the people who deal with it, however, they don't work 24/7 like we do," Sergeant Earnshaw said. Mr Earnshaw said officers had educated themselves on how best to destroy the animals. "It's not in formal training, but it's recognised obviously by staff that that's what we do regularly," he said. "There are photographs in the station of different animals like a cow, a horse, or a kangaroo with the best angles [to shoot at] to put an animal down." Margaret River Wildlife Management owner Michael Penrose was an animal control agent for 12 years. Mr Penrose said changes to firearm laws in June 2024 had made volunteering as an animal control agent (ACA) difficult. Stipulations about needing written permission from property owners to shoot kangaroos made him concerned that he would break the law if he euthanased an animal by the road. "Once new laws came in, we had to get permission from the property owner to be able to euthanase kangaroos on their property," Mr Penrose said. "We had to have the property owner's details, a written letter sent to confirm all the details were on the register, and that we were registered on the property to use that firearm." "It's not just myself, it's left every other ACA in the region frustrated." Mr Penrose said he had seen members of the public try to euthanase wildlife themselves and put the animal through unnecessary suffering as a result. "Trying to help the animal, people will use whatever blunt object they can to try and euthanase the animal from suffering," he said. "They could be charged with animal cruelty despite trying to euthanase it as quickly as possible." A DBCA spokesperson told the ABC the responsibility for managing injured wildlife was shared between government agencies, volunteers and land managers. There are 85 volunteer animal control agents registered with DCBA.
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.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
DBCA documents reveal damage to rare forest after hundreds of trees felled by controlled burn
Internal Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) documents have revealed the full extent of damage caused by a prescribed burn that felled hundreds of rare native trees along Western Australia's south coast. Giant red tingles are the largest buttressing species of eucalyptus in the world and only grow in a small parcel of forest 400 kilometres south of Perth, known as the Valley of the Giants. The trees, which can live for 500 years and reach heights of 80 metres, are considered under threat by global authorities. But they are targeted as part of WA's controlled burning program that is designed to reduce the bushfire risk across the state's south. Conservation groups raised the alarm in December last year, after a burn in an area of Walpole-Nornalup National Park known as the Giants Block saw a 400-year-old tingle tree destroyed. "We have seen a lot of the demise of flora and fauna, and we're very concerned about that," conservationist Bart Lebbing said. Immediately after the fire, DBCA stated it was aware of "one large tree" felled by the fire. But internal documents obtained by the ABC showed 114 trees, including 95 red tingles, were destroyed. Documents also show the fire burned 99 per cent of the prescribed area with greater severity than mitigation burns conducted at the same block three decades ago. Crown scorching, where the tops of the trees are visibly damaged and something meant to be minimised during mitigation burns, occurred in more than half of the mature karri and tingle trees in the area. The DBCA report suggested the severity of the fire could be attributed to higher fuel loads, the intervals since its last burn, ignition timing, and lighting strategies. DBCA initially declined to release its Prescribed Burn Plan until compelled to do so under Freedom of Information rules. Despite the damage caused, DBCA said the burn was a success, but several experts contacted by the ABC concluded the burn was a failure. At a community forum in June, the department confirmed 19 blocks in neighbouring forest were earmarked for burning over the next three years, including four with stands of red tingle trees. The Leeuwin group, a consortium of WA's top environmental scientists, has urged the government to amend its burn program to avoid another mass felling. "We are really keen to see a form of fire protection put in place that doesn't involve burning blocks of tingle," Professor Steve Hopper said. "Rather, burns around the periphery of them to afford some protection from incoming fire, but not taking out literally tens if not hundreds of trees. "That's what we've recommended consistently to the government, and as yet, they haven't responded in a way that indicates a change is afoot." WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn declined multiple requests from the ABC for an interview. A statement from his office said DBCA had a legislated responsibility to protect communities and the environment from bushfires and defended the department's management of its burn program. "DBCA follows specific operational guidelines that include scrub rolling, clearing, hosing, and applying fire retardant to the base of tingle trees to protect large hollow trees and prevent canopy fires during prescribed burns," it read. 'The prescribed burning of red tingle forests follows scientific evidence and operational best practice. "DBCA continues to assess and learn from all events." An earlier statement said the burn program was based on 60 years of data, with new research underway. However, the Leeuwin group said the minister's response amounted to a red herring. "The minister's solution has been to park it for 10 years, and he's given the department a bit of money for new research to be done," Professor Hopper said. "We think the scientific evidence is already compelling." A trial burn of the same plot in 1997, conducted by the then Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), found that 10 trees per 100 hectares was the highest acceptable loss. DBCA's assessment of the Giants Block burn identified 114 trees in a 91-hectare area as having fallen, well in excess of the CALM report. Ecologist and lecturer at the University of Tasmania, Nathan Anderson, has been studying red tingles in the south-west for the past five years. He said some historical data, like the 1997 CALM report, was being ignored. "The previous burn that was in there, there were 30 trees that collapsed, that was a concerning loss of trees, and we're at more than three times that amount for the same area," he said. "We're looking at a concern that was raised in the 1990s, and it's still a concern today, and if we don't address that, then it's only going to get worse." Mr Anderson said continued burning in the tingle forest would only serve to weaken existing trees and increase the risk of future collapse. Mr Anderson said that as the climate in the south-west changed, so too should fire mitigation practices. "In the next five decades, we're looking at the entirety of the red tingle forest becoming drier than the driest portion of red tingle now," he said. "There needs to be an open acknowledgement that this is a fire-sensitive ecosystem, then we can move forward with that with discussions from ecology, from fire practitioners, from fire science within the department."
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.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Government fails to protect dozens of WA threatened ecological communities
More than two thirds of Western Australia's threatened ecological communities (TECs) are ineffectively monitored and protected, with an auditor general's inquiry exposing the state's failure to act under its own conservation laws. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has made little progress in monitoring or protecting 72 per cent of TECs, according to the report by Auditor General Caroline Spencer. Recovery plans were either interim or outdated, with none approved by the environment minister. The report also found it would take more than a century, at the current rate, to assess 390 at-risk communities identified as potentially threatened. It said 60 of the communities awaiting assessment were in the Kimberley. Ms Spencer said DCBA lacked the resources and planning to meet its obligations. She found the department did not have a TEC strategy, and it was unclear if current activities aligned with long-term conservation goals. The WA Biodiversity Conservation Act was passed in 2016, coming into effect with regulations in 2019. It allowed the environment minister to list a species or ecological community as threatened. There have been 65 threatened ecological communities listed across the state. Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard said the government was not prioritising the environment. "It's so disappointing the government is choosing not to fund the proper management of these threatened ecological communities to make sure they survive," he said. "This means we don't know what's happening to these environments. "Are they being severely impacted by cattle? Is climate change impacting them? Is the extraction of ground water a major threat to them?" Mr Pritchard said he was "shocked" part of the $2.4 billion operating surplus for 2024-25 could not be used to fund ecological protection. The Montane Heath and Thicket of the Eastern Stirling Range are listed as critically endangered on the state's south coast. University of Western Australia botanist Stephen Hopper said it was time to protect "wonderful natural heritage assets". "It's simply going to decline and get worse, and that is not just a local problem, it's a national and international challenge," Professor Hopper said. He blamed low state and federal government funding, in part, for limiting the DCBA's ability to effectively do its job. "There are well-meaning people in the department trying to do the best they can," he said. "They're in this invidious position of not even having the resources to be able to monitor whether the conservation status was going up or down with threatened communities." The DCBA did not confirm whether it had made a formal case for increased funding to implement the Biodiversity Conservation Act. In a statement, a department spokesperson said it welcomed the auditor general's review. "Recovery actions for TECs and threatened species are built into broader conservation programs by DBCA and supported by State, Commonwealth, and non-government funding," they said. "Regional conservation planning is being finalised across all nine DBCA regions, ensuring a consistent, prioritised approach to addressing threats to threatened species and ecological communities." The spokesperson said recovery plans were prioritised when significant complexities in conservation planning arose.
