Latest news with #DougGimesy
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Confronting picture could 'embarrass' Australia on world stage
Inside a large cage is not where most Aussies picture a wild animal, but behind its steel bars is one of the only places the dingo is safe. An image of the creature inside its nighttime quarters has captured the world's attention, as it made the shortlist of an international photography competition. Taken by wildlife photojournalist Doug Gimesy, the plan was to show both the dingo and Lyn Watson from the Australian Dingo Foundation 'trapped', because governments in Australia promote the trapping, poisoning and shooting of our native apex predator. They have been completely wiped out across much of the landscape. "I wanted to create a picture that makes people stop and think, what's going on?" Gimesy told Yahoo News. "It is sad that a lot of our wildlife seems to only be 100 per cent safe when it is in an enclosed area, which is an affront to the term wild-life." During the day, the dingoes are able to roam free on a custom-fenced property, but at night they return to their pens. Gimesy's image was taken early in the morning before they were let outside into the sunshine. Setting up the right angle and perfect lighting took close to an hour because focusing on the eyes of two subjects behind metal bars is technically tough. Gimesy wanted the image to be both beautiful and shocking. The picture, named 'On their side', was a finalist in the 'Human/Nature' category of the prestigious BigPicture: Natural World Competition. It's one of two pictures he was nominated for — the other, 'Baby on Board' shows another threatened species, a grey-headed flying fox carrying its young as she flies. Despite their numbers continuing to decline, the species continues to be forced out of its habitat due to noise, mess, and claims about damage to trees. Gimesy hopes his images will help Australians see native animals in new ways. "When our wildlife are put on the world stage, it can sometimes nudge policy just a little bit, because people may be embarrassed about what we're doing," he said. "All imagery that I shoot is really about trying to change attitude and behaviour." Dingo culling continues in Victoria because some farmers believe they kill sheep. Watson, the subject of Gimesy's portrait, believes they much prefer to eat native animals, and will only eat sheep as a last resort when they've been shorn. "If I put down a bowl of crickets and a bowl of lamb, the lamb won't get touched because it's so fatty," she said. Although dingoes are threatened with extinction across the state, in 2024 the Victorian government extended a culling program until 2028. The program will mean that a genetically distinct population of Victoria's alpine dingoes which numbers fewer than 2,640 individuals, will continue to be killed. Although a population in the northwest that numbers just 40 is now protected. However, they were put at risk earlier this year when a contractor mistakenly dropped baits in their known habitat. Watson compares the dingoes' situation in modern Australia to that of wolves in Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries, where they were hunted to near extinction. "Nobody even knows how many dingos we started with in Australia, before they started killing them wholesale," she said. "I wish we didn't have to keep our sanctuary, but it's the safest place in Victoria for them." Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussies warned over 'hidden' property danger as new owners adopt lifesaving trend
With native wildlife in Australia facing threats from habitat loss to the disruption of invasive species, a quiet trend could be the solution to protecting vulnerable animals — and new property owners are being urged to get involved. Bridget, who lives in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, was out clearing unused fencing from her grandfather's 42-acre property recently. "It's a lovely piece of natural environment," she told Yahoo. "It's bordering on a lot of farmland, and a lot of that space people don't actually have cattle on any more, so you would see a lot of that barbed wire." But that barbed wire no longer serves a purpose and poses a "definite hazard" to wildlife. "It's changed because of who has moved here," she explained. "We're in the Northern Rivers which are quickly expanding... Some people who just want a good amount of land are buying these properties and they might not necessarily run cattle on them any more." 🐫 Confronting roadside photo highlights 'massive' outback problem 😱 Tourists stunned by 'unlikely' sight on Aussie beach ☔️ Incredible scenes as Aussie outback goes under water In many cases, new landowners might not even realise the extent of defunct fencing on their property. "We had the floods come through and getting to that barbed wire, a lot of it was quite hidden, because it has collected all that foliage and debris from that flood," she said. "Especially estates where boomers or the older generation have owned the land, they might not be getting out there as much. So when it does change hands, I think it's a really good idea to get out there and have a look" and ideally, remove unnecessary wire fencing. Bridget, one half of the 'Wildlife Twins', believes the trend of "unfencing" will play a crucial part in the future of conservation, as private landowners work to regenerate land and make their properties more amenable to native wildlife in an effort to create habitat corridors where animals can thrive. "I think it's how wildlife is going to be conserved in the future to be honest," she told Yahoo. "I truly believe that'll make a difference." It's an issue that multiple wildlife rescuers have spoken to Yahoo about, sharing countless stories of kangaroos and other animals including bats and birds, left stuck in barbed wire — often left to die a painful death. "Usually there is about a case a day where there's [a kangaroo] trapped," one Victorian-based wildlife rescuer told Yahoo recently after responding when a mother kangaroo with a joey in her pouch was found dangling in a fence about an hour outside of Melbourne. One new property owner, Doug Gimesy, who recently bought a property in regional Victoria also found a kangaroo stuck in his fence the day after taking over. The encounter, he told Yahoo earlier this year, ultimately prompted him to painstakingly remove the wire fencing from 17 kilometres of his Wongarra property — a job that took him a solid 10 months to complete. Last week, the NSW government made the somewhat controversial decision to commit to legalising so-called virtual fencing — where livestock are fitted with a neckband that sends electric shocks and noises if an animals wanders outside a certain area. Touted as a boost to farmers and the agricultural industry, the move will bring the state in line with Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory that also allow the practice but has raised concerns among animal welfare advocates. By using GPS coordinates farmers will be able to rely on the technology rather than having to construct new or maintain existing fencing — and it could also pave the way for the removal of hazardous fencing for native wildlife. "The NSW Government has listened... and will work with both industry and animal welfare groups to ensure we get the right balance for delivering virtual fencing on farms," NSW agricultural minister Tara Moriarty said. "These changes seek to reduce costs for farming, and to enable agile paddock formation across land holdings to meet the needs of farmers while also protecting the welfare of cattle." Andrea Harvey from the Sydney University School of Veterinary Science told the ABC the technology was "amazing" but cautioned it could make animals anxious, and if boundary lines were redrawn they would have to re-learn which would cause added discomfort. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussies warned over 'hidden' property danger as new owners adopt life-saving trend
With native wildlife in Australia facing threats from habitat loss to the disruption of invasive species, a quiet trend could be the solution to protecting vulnerable animals – and new property owners are being urged to get involved. Bridget, who lives in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, was out clearing unused fencing from her grandfather's 42 acre property recently. "It's a lovely piece of natural environment," she told Yahoo. "It's bordering on a lot of farmland and a lot of that space, people don't actually have cattle on any more, so you would see a lot of that barbed wire." But that barbed wire no longer serves a purpose and poses a "definite hazard" to wildlife. "It's changed because of who has moved here," she explained. "We're in the Northern Rivers which are quickly expanding ... Some people who just want a good amount of land are buying these properties and they might not necessarily run cattle on them any more." 🐫 Confronting roadside photo highlights 'massive' outback problem 😱 Tourists stunned by 'unlikely' sight on Aussie beach ☔️ Incredible scenes as Aussie outback goes under water In many cases, new land owners might not even realise the extent of defunct fencing on their property. "We had the floods come through and getting to that barbed wire, a lot of it was quite hidden, because it has collected all that foliage and debris from that flood," she said. "Especially estates where boomers or the older generation have owned the land, they might not be getting out there as much. So when it does change hands, I think it's a really good idea to get out there and have a look" and, ideally, remove unnecessary wire fencing. Bridget, one half of the 'Wildlife Twins', believes the trend of "unfencing" will play a crucial part in the future of conservation as private land owners work to regenerate land and make their properties more amenable to native wildlife in an effort to create habitat corridors where animals can thrive. "I think it's how wildlife is going to be conserved in the future to be honest," she told Yahoo. "I truly believe that'll make a difference." It's an issue that multiple wildlife rescuers have spoken to Yahoo about, sharing countless stories of kangaroos and other animals including bats and birds, left stuck in barbed wire – often left to die a painful death. "Usually there is about a case a day where there's [a kangaroo] trapped," one Victorian-based wildlife rescuer told Yahoo recently after responding when a mother kangaroo with a joey in her pouch was found dangling in a fence about an hour outside of Melbourne. One new property owner, Doug Gimesy, who recently bought a property in regional Victoria also found a kangaroo stuck in his fence the day after taking over. The encounter, he told Yahoo earlier this year, ultimately prompted him to painstakingly remove the wire fencing from 17 kilometres of his Wongarra property – a job that took him a solid 10 months to complete. Last week, the NSW government made the somewhat controversial decision to commit to legalising so-called virtual fencing – where livestock are fitted with a neckband that sends electric shocks and noises if an animals wanders outside a certain area. Touted as a boost to farmers and the agricultural industry, the move will bring the state in line with Queensland, WA, Tasmania and the NT that also allow the practice but has raised concerns among animal welfare advocates. But by using GPS coordinates, farmers will be able to rely on the technology rather than having to construct new or maintain existing fencing – and could also pave the way for the removal of hazardous fencing for native wildlife. "The NSW Government has listened ... and will work with both industry and animal welfare groups to ensure we get the right balance for delivering virtual fencing on farms," NSW agricultural minister Tara Moriarty said. "These changes seek to reduce costs for farming and to enable agile paddock formation across land holdings to meet the needs of farmers while also protecting the welfare of cattle." Andrea Harvey from the Sydney University School of Veterinary Science told the ABC the technology was "amazing" but cautioned it could make animals anxious, and if boundary lines were re-drawn they would have to re-learn which would cause added discomfort. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie homeowner's epic 17km act to remove 'silent killer' from new bush property
Doug Gimesy was excited to move into his new home last year when a disturbing encounter dramatically changed the trajectory of the next 10 months of his daily life. On the very day he moved in, he spotted a kangaroo caught upside down on the barbed wire fence that circled his vast rural property. "We moved down here in May and the first day at our new home we saw an eastern grey kangaroo caught in the top two barbed wire lines of our fence," he told Yahoo News Australia. "That moment did two things. "Of course we cut the fence so it could escape, but I also decided, 'Not on my watch'," he recalled. The next day he marched to the perimeter of his Wongarra property in Victoria, armed with "a pair of small bolt cutters", and began to hand cut the wire, line by line, to lower the fence so wildlife could cross more easily. "I'd spend two to three hours a day cutting the wire and hand roll it for recycling... I cut each line from each post and after about 100 metres I would hand roll it and then start again... I literally walked all the fence lines of my property twice after realising I had to remove both of the top wires, not only the one," he said. The mammoth task has ended with 17 kilometres worth of barbed wire being removed, with Doug admitting the job was more a "labour of compassion" than a labour of love. "If there's something on your property that is going to inflict pain, get rid of it," he said matter-of-factly. Doug, a conservation and animal welfare photojournalist, told Yahoo News it was a tiring task but one he deemed necessary due to the "brutal" nature of barbed wire. It's well-documented how hazardous it can be for a range of wildlife that can get caught in it. "I'm really aware of how brutal barbed wire is," he said. "80 species have been recorded to be caught in it and it's the lucky ones that are found... others spend hours, if not days, caught in pain and eventually die a horrible death," he said. "They're designed to inflict pain." Barbed wire has been dubbed a "silent killer" of wildlife and rescuers across the country continue to flag the horrific injuries it can cause. Kangaroos have been found with necrotic limbs, birds have almost had their wings torn off and a bat's penis was even impaled by a barb. While Doug's task was a mighty one, there are many small steps being taken by Aussies to make their backyards more habitable for wildlife. Residents are creating makeshift animal shelters, from the bustling Sydney suburbs where Marita Ekengard made a possum shelter from $10 worth of Bunnings materials to Stephen Forrest and his grandson Tom making a bird box from natural finds in one-acre property in WA's Kimberley region. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
