Latest news with #EuanRitchie
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie rangers caught unlawfully using 'cruel' devices on native animals
Australian authorities have admitted to unlawfully using a controversial device to capture dingoes so they could be killed, despite the possession and practice being 'in breach' of their own animal welfare rules. The ACT Government confirmed the mistake with Yahoo News, revealing it permitted soft-jaw traps to be used for years, even after it passed an amendment in 2019 that prohibited them. When stepped on, the trap's jaws snap tightly around the animal's foot, keeping it in a fixed position until a routine check is made, sometimes causing it pain for hours. Unlike steel-jawed traps, they have padding to lessen damage to the animal's limb, and they are commonly used for dingo control in other states. The practice of trapping dingoes on public land was never hidden. But it's understood that until recently, the territory authorities didn't realise the method was now banned. Most animal welfare groups oppose the traps, with Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International) claims they are 'inherently cruel, cause intense stress, injury, and prolonged suffering'. While Deakin University ecologist Professor Euan Ritchie said governments have 'far better ways' to manage dingoes humanely. Alix Livingstone from wildlife protection organisation Defend the Wild described them as "outdated". Why are dingoes trapped? Dingoes are regarded as a separate species from domestic dogs, and they have notable behavioural differences, including howling like wolves. DNA testing across Australia suggests there is very little hybridisation between dogs and dingoes. Despite being culturally important to Indigenous people and playing an important ecological role as an apex predator, state and territory governments around Australia routinely trap, shoot and poison dingoes on public land that borders farmland, due to concerns they kill sheep. Two notable places they are protected are K'gari in Queensland and a small, critically endangered population in Victoria's northwest. How was the illegal trapping discovered? In July, a confidential source alerted Yahoo about conflicting descriptions of soft-jaw traps in ACT government documents. Their possession and use were explicitly prohibited as prescribed items alongside shock collars and cockfighting spurs under the Animal Weflare Act and the associated Animal Welfare Regulation. Yet another government document, the ACT Pest Animal Management Strategy, described them as an 'effective technique' to control wild dogs, which is a common term used to describe dingoes. On July 23 this year, Yahoo posed six questions to Parks and Conservation Services (PCS), which manages dingo control, about its use of soft-jaw traps. It did not respond directly and instead emailed a short statement from the government. 'The ACT Government is currently reviewing the legislation and the appropriateness of the regulatory settings regarding the management of overabundant wildlife in the ACT,' it said. For over a week, further requests for comment did not receive a response. Government amends laws and resumes dingo trapping Concerns about the use of soft-jaw traps were raised at an uncomfortable time for the ACT government. It is in the process of updating the Nature Conservation Act to change the status of dingoes from a pest species to a controlled native animal, giving it a similar status to eastern grey kangaroos. And this has upset some farmers who fear it could make it harder to control dingoes, and the matter was raised during budget estimates on Friday. After PCS was told it was illegally using traps, it suspended their use for weeks. But it quietly began working on amending legislation. On July 31, a new regulatory change was published by the government, creating an exemption for the use of soft-jaw traps by permit holders and conservation officers. Then on August 1, as the law came into effect, it resumed dialogue with Yahoo, responding to new questions by issuing a lengthy statement. 'The use of soft-jaw traps by [PCS], primarily for controlling pest animals or overabundant native wildlife under the Biosecurity Act 2023, was recently found to be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 1992 and its associated Regulation,' it said in part. 'Although PCS had used these traps for many years as part of their pest management activities, an amendment in 2019 added soft-jaw traps to the list of prohibited items under the Animal Welfare Regulation 2001, rendering their continued use unlawful.' It then explained its decision to resume their use, claiming they are "essential for effective dingo control". "To resolve the issue, the ACT Government has amended the Animal Welfare Regulation to include exemptions to the possession and use of soft-jaw traps," it said. Government urged to consider 'humane' control methods The government said soft-jaw traps are used in accordance with national animal welfare standards, including the National Code of Practice for the humane control of dingoes and that daily inspections and prompt euthanasia ensure "humane treatment". But the decision to amend legislation rather than adhere to established animal welfare protections has frustrated a number of leading experts and ecologists. Humane World for Animals Dr Renae Charalambous described the change as 'deeply troubling'. 'Rather than bringing their wildlife management practices into line with the law and community expectations, the government has amended the legislation to suit its own operational needs,' she said. "The use of these traps to manage native species like dingoes is particularly disturbing. Dingoes are a native apex predator, not a 'pest', and lethal control methods like trapping and killing fail to provide long-term solutions to conflicts with livestock." In many cases, traps can kill or harm non-target native wildlife, including birds, wombats, and goannas. Due to the risks they pose to animal welfare, Professor Euan Ritchie warned trapping can also harm and, in some cases, said 'strong considerations' needed to be made about where and when they were used. 'Leg-hold traps can cause a range of impacts on dingoes, ranging from relatively minor and short-lived pain and discomfort, through to more severe pain and distress, swelling, dehydration, bruising, lacerations, dislocations, and fractures,' he told Yahoo. Continuing, he said there are 'better ways' to manage dingoes that are more humane than trapping, shooting and poisoning, and that more investment was needed in alternative methods. 'Strategic fencing, but not large barrier fencing, has a role. So too does the appropriate use of guardian dogs and donkeys, which have been demonstrated to be effective in Australia, and around the world,' he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
ABC News
04-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Feral donkey concern after herd spotted in Victoria's Big Desert State Forest
A pack of donkeys has been tracked to a state park in Victoria's north-west, sparking concerns about the pests establishing a feral population in the state. The animals were seen in Big Desert State Forest by a dingo research group last week. The group tracked at least six donkeys more than 13 kilometres into the park. Deakin University ecologist Euan Ritchie said there were large populations of feral donkeys in other parts of Australia, but not in Victoria. Donkeys were first brought to Australia as a hardy pack animal in 1866. Once recognised for their prized resilience and adaptability, it is estimated there are now up to five million feral donkeys across the country. They are considered a pest as they cause ongoing ecological problems in western and central Australian areas in particular. "Feral donkeys have the ability to breed up in quite high numbers and eat a lot of the vegetation," Mr Ritchie said. The ABC contacted the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action regarding the donkeys. A spokesperson said there was "no established feral donkey population within Big Desert State Forest". But the spokesperson did say the department was aware that a small number of donkeys had escaped from a neighbouring property into the park. The department said it had contacted the landowner. "[The department informed] them the donkeys are roaming beyond their property and to request they take measures to address the issue," the spokesperson said. Dr Ritchie said the Big Desert region is already under pressure from drought and he was concerned about water access for other animals if donkeys were there. "Other wildlife that relies on that water may potentially have to compete with donkeys for access to water," he said. "So along with the sort of the impacts of grazing and potentially spreading weeds, donkeys could have a whole range of impacts on the ecosystem."
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Inconvenient truth' that's a growing threat to Australia's international tourism reputation
Tropical savannas cover 20 per cent of Australia's landmass and incorporate some of the nation's biggest drawcards like Kakadu, Nitmiluk Gorge and Arnhem Land. But three top ecologists are warning in a new paper that many of those in the Northern Territory are facing collapse, threatening the future of its $1.2 billion tourism industry, which has traditionally been built around wild places. Insects and birds thrive in the thick grassy understory that grows under open forest and woodlands, but most of the native mammals are already gone. Paper co-author Professor Euan Ritchie fears more losses are imminent. A 'perfect storm' of threats could mean the 'almost deafening' sound of insect noise could soon fall silent. 'You've got the impact of invasive species, you've got fire, you've got climate change. And now to propose a massive increase in land clearing is just going to make the situation worse,' the Deakin University ecologist told Yahoo News Australia. Related: 🛥️ Alarming map highlights growing threats to $3.8 billion whale tourism industry With the Great Barrier Reef facing an 'in danger' listing by UNESCO, and concerns about the degradation of the Pilbara's 40,000-year-old Murujuga rock art making international headlines over the last fortnight, there are concerns the crumbling state of the country's most important landscapes is rapidly becoming an international embarrassment. "Australians are known for being wonderful at sport, but there's this inconvenient truth that we're terrible at conservation and protecting culture. It's shameful," Ritchie said. "We're getting this pretty horrific reputation that we don't take care of the wonders that we have." In 2023, around 84 million hectares of northern Australia burned, but because the region is sparsely populated, few people paid attention. When native grasses try to grow, they have to compete with invasive buffel grass, which has been seeded for decades by the cattle industry. The region is also riddled with cats and feral pigs, which contribute to the decline in native mammals like the northern quoll, brush-tailed rabbit-rat and black-footed tree-rat. With the Top End already facing mounting challenges, ecologists are worried that the territory's already 'slack' environment protection laws are set to allow more habitat destruction that could tip the savannas over the edge. The researchers estimate that between 2000 and 2020, around 45,000 hectares of savanna habitat was destroyed. Clearing of a further 146,000 hectares has already been approved and another 100,000 could be flattened for the expansion of the cotton industry. As the State and Future of the Northern Territory's Savannas report was released, a senior Wagiman Traditional Owner, Jabul Huddlestone, spoke out about her concerns. "I don't want this rubbish, knocking down trees on my country. They are going to take all the goanna away — take away — everything," she said. "No goanna, no kangaroo, you can't find green plum, black plum, we got the wild potato... but now, there's too much hot fire, too many trees being knocked down — there is no green plum. There used to be big mob down by the riverside — nothing now — all knocked down. Black plum, all knocked down.' 🌏 Tourists to see 'extinct' animals behind national park's 25km predator-free fence 🚨 281 experts call for ban of 'toxic' product sold at Coles, Bunnings, Woolworths, Mitre 10 📸 Beach find highlights dark side of Queensland's $88 million tourism pledge The report was a huge collaboration supported by Charles Darwin University, Deakin University, Wagiman Traditional Owner, Griffith University, The Environment Centre NT, La Trobe University, University of Tasmania, Wilderness Society and World Wide Fund for Nature Australia. Environment Centre NT executive director Kirsty Howey said action from government is urgently needed to protect the savannas from bulldozers. 'These savannas are a fundamental drawcard for our tourism industry and represent the lifestyle we know and love as Territorians,' she said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
