10-04-2025
Sad discovery on outback road sparks warning to Aussies over deadly act
Conservationists are repeating their pleas to the public to be mindful of their wastage and to never discard rubbish while out in nature, after sad footage emerged of a native lizard with its head stuck in a Fanta can in the bush.
The video, captured in Queensland and posted online this week, shows a lizard with its head firmly stuck inside the can, ironically right beside a huge billboard that warns against littering. A local man was passing by and came to the little animal's aid, freeing the lizard in just under a minute using pliers.
"That's why we don't litter, guys," the man said, adding in the video caption that the lizard eventually escaped harm-free. Responding to the upsetting incident, Malene Hand, WWF-Australia's No Plastics in Nature Policy Manager, said the impact pollution continues to have on our animals is both horrifying and heartbreaking, and serves as yet another reminder that our careless actions can have devastating consequences for native animals.
"The impact of littering on our Australian wildlife is shocking," she told Yahoo News.
While in this instance the lizard was trapped inside a can, Malene said one of the most problematic types of litter in the natural environment is plastic, "which has been found everywhere in Australia, even in our most remote coastal areas".
"Littered plastic kills Australian wildlife," she said. "Sea turtles eat plastic bags they have mistaken for jellyfish, while whales, dolphins and sea birds are dying with stomachs full of plastic. Just recently, scientists found that young Australian seabirds are suffering from organ failure and brain damage from eating plastic bottle caps, clothes pegs, balloon clips, and smaller plastics.
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"We are also seeing as many as two-thirds of hermit crabs using artificial shells made from plastic, mostly bottle lids, instead of snail shells."
Australians consume a lot of single-use plastic — the second-highest in the world — with up to 145,000 tonnes of single-use plastic leaking into Australia's environment every year, Malene added.
"Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to stop this from happening," she said.
"We can replace single-use plastics with reusable options. Switching from single-use items like plastic water bottles, coffee cups and plastic bags to reusable items can have a big impact. We know that reducing our reliance on single-use plastics will reduce the amount of litter in our environment and, critically, the devastating impacts on Australian wildlife."
Across the nation, the impact of pollution on wildlife has become increasingly visible, with more frequent reports of animals becoming entangled in, or ingesting human rubbish.
Native species, such as birds, reptiles, and marine life, are particularly vulnerable to litter and chemical runoff. As population growth and consumer demand continue to rise, experts warn that Australia must move faster to adopt circular economy principles and strengthen environmental protections to prevent irreversible damage.
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