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Bulletin
Number 24 Welcome to Bulletin 24. WOMBAT CULL As many of you already know an article appeared in Sunday's Sydney Morning Herald regarding a wombat cull. The link to the article appears below. We were contacted then by Illawarra Mercury's Jodie Minus and spoke to her at length and an article appeared in that paper. Link below. Print outs of these have been sent with mail out bulletins. WE THEN REQUESTED THAT THOSE INTERESTED DO THE FOLLOWING: 1. Write a letter to the editor of the Sunday SMH to keep the matter alive (pardon the pun) in the Herald. 2. Log onto the Illawarra Mercury's link and you'll see where you can give feedback. Late this afternoon only two feedbacks had been received. They need more to keep the matter alive. 3.
Write to your local paper and express an opinion;please focus on Letters Various members have sent emails and letters to Ian Cohen, various members of the State and Federal Governments, various wildlife agencies, and NPWS. Amanda Cox had a meeting with Mike Kelly ( Labour MP South Coast). Many of these letters asked the following questions: 1.
How many licenses were issued this year and how many wombats those licenses covered
Responses As a response to many of the letters and emails that were sent NPWS spokesman John Dengate spoke on local south coast ABC radio on Friday 5th December with Sophie Longdon. Prior to his interview the producer Jennifer Hunt had contact with Amanda and had set up an interview for Monday 8th to talk about John's comments specifically. Unfortunately, late Friday Jen Hunt called and said they had decided not to have the interview but instead speak with Helen George a WIRES wombat carer. Amanda had spoken with Helen earlier that morning and Helen felt NPWS more money. The Society has since received a number of anguished comments about what John Dengate said. A summary of what John Dengate said appears below; Firstly he made the comment that animal welfare groups had got things wrong and culling 1500 was a gross exaggeration. This figure appeared in the Illawarra Mercury and may have been based on Amanda's comment to the reporter that she had been told by a NPWS officer who issued permits that he usually issued them for no more than 10 wombats at a time but others were issued for higher numbers. John said it was more likely to be "a few hundred animals being put down". He said that the wombat is "very common as the name implies" and that their numbers have increased "due to wild dog and dingo control, we think, over the last decade". He said there are no longer any controls in the local area and that permits are issued when "economic damage" is complained of. He mentioned "other options" such as weldmesh fencing, bricking up under houses "as being not always reasonable to do" but said those alternatives were always "our first approach". Mange he described as "ghastly", said it was primarily caused by foxes and claimed there was less mange in most parts of NSW and that wombats got mange when they were run down. He described that a trial of trapping and relocating (anyone know of any reference to this?, supposed to have involved Taronga Zoo) indicated that resident wombats would fight the others and this led to mange. When asked about research into any of this he said that mange was a "welfare issue" and that NPWS only did research into endangered animals like the Red Tail Phascogale or Rufous Betongs indicating that their focus was on animals on the brink of extinction. He minimised Phil Borchard's research (a fencing study) saying it showed wombats entered enclosed areas one way but left in different directions, (rather than what Phil showed which is that he managed to reduce a substantial number of fence breaches to a minimum using wombat gates and on ground fence wire, reported previously). The Society wrote a rebuttal to this information and sent it to the ABC on line comments section .The newsroom contacted Amanda and taped a brief interview. Helen George's comments were also recorded and the talk back show aired the following day with excerpts from all of John Dengate, Amanda Cox and Helen George. In addition a quote from the Pastures Protection board vet Brian Hodge to the effect that problems with wombats were being exaggerated and that mange was killing out wombats aired. Talk back then occurred with around 10 calls being aired and at least another three Society members being spoken to. The majority of callers were pro wombats but the belief that mange is a "natural culling mechanism" was mentioned by a number. A number of callers called for "living in harmony" with wombats and a number made it clear that illegal killing occurs. "The State of the Wombat Letter" sent to NSW was eventually replied to and it indicated that NSW didn't now ow many licenses had been issued and because these numbers weren't centrally collated, to et them, we would have to contact each individual NPWS office. A group of members co-ordinated by Shirley Lack began to call the various NPWS offices to get their figures . The few individual offices Shirley able to provide figures suggests John Dengates' "few hundred" wombats involved is likely to be the gross exaggeration, not the reporter's 1500. The Southern Area office of NPWS contacted at this point to say they wanted to provide figures in bulk and requested we write again which the Society did. They then asked for a meeting instead.
NSW HANSARD The issue was also raised in Parliament by Ian Cohen
BARE-NOSED WOMBAT CULL Mr IAN COHEN [6.02 p.m.]: I take the last opportunity of the year to speak against the unnecessary culling of the bare-nosed wombat, sanctioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and reported in the media last weekend. According to an article in the Sun-Herald on 30 November 2008, the National Parks and Wildlife Service will issue 200 licenses to shoot the marsupials this year. The reasoning supplied by the National Parks and Wildlife Service is that a larger number of farmers have been requesting licenses to cull wombats because there are more wombats around due to the successful killing off of wild dogs, which has caused an explosion in the wombat population. The information I have received is that that is not the case. Certainly, there is a lack of understanding of the habits of these wonderful iconic Australian animals, and their larger numbers and the increase in requests for culling licenses is used as evidence that there is a population explosion and therefore an excuse to grant a licence to kill one of our iconic native animals. According to organisations such as the Wombat Protection Society, Fourth Crossing Wildlife and other organisations, the common wombat breeds every two to three years and only have one young. The organisations state: While it is technically possible for them to breed every year this can only happen if the young lactating is killed. Thus destruction or removal of young wombats leads directly to an increase in young born in a particular period. According to Dr David Eldridge of the Department of Environment and Conservation, "reports of 'explosions of wombats' would not be consistent with what we know about wombats". That is to say that a pair of wombats can only produce a female wombat every four years, therefore making it virtually impossible to have a wombat explosion. I would be interested to know upon what scientific calculations the National Parks and Wildlife Service concluded that there is a dire need for farmers to conduct a wombat cull. Who will be inspecting or overseeing the culling of wombats? Will there be any overseeing or management of the culling process? Mr David Alder from Lithgow tells me that he has had success with the wombat measures on his property. He informs me that he has up to 20 wombat burrows within 100 metres of his house and he does not experience any problems with burrowing or wombat fences that are installed on his property. According to Mr Alder, the wombats do very little damage to gardens because the main food of wombats is native grasses. Mr Alder's attempts to have his property made into a wildlife refuge have been continually frustrated by disinterest on the part of government agencies regarding the wombats in his area. It is obvious that there are opportunities to undertake prevention and barriers. If this could be successfully undertaken, it would mean we would not see the unnecessary culling of this beautiful animal. The Greens would prefer to see the rollout of wombat gates or fencing stock from riparian zones in areas that are known to be home to large numbers of the bare-nosed wombats in New South Wales rather than the wholesale culling of our native icon. Is the National Parks and Wildlife Service keeping and maintaining extensive records of the numbers of licences it will be issuing and how many wombats are covered per licence? Is the National Parks and Wildlife Service carrying out inspections before the issuing of licences, and will they be conducting inspections after the kills have taken place? The Greens call on the National Parks and Wildlife Service to provide information of alternatives to culling to any person requesting a licence. This information could include things such as alternatives to shooting and more humane methods of dealing with the situation, particularly defensive methods, which are proven to work. This Government should be doing everything it can to conserve and protect our wombats, not grant licences for the wholesale culling of a national icon. Let us not see the same fate befall the bare-nosed wombat as has befallen the hairy-nosed wombat, which is on the threatened species list. These are iconic Australian animals and they should be protected. We should be very proud of them. There are ways of mitigating their minor nuisance value without actually destroying them.
MEETING
WITH NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NSW Dec
19th Present Jan Smith, Shona Macpherson (Director) Amanda Cox ( Public Officer) Wombat Protection Society Alistair Henchman; Regional Director NPWS Southern Tim Sheppherd Manager; NPWS Merimbula There are four Regional Managers covering NSW for NPWS Alistair Henchman - Southern, John O'Gormon North - around Nambucca Mark Peacock West - Dubbo area and Bob Conroy - Sydney Alistair believes his region Southern, is responsible for issuing 80 of an estimated 200 licenses "last year" for NSW. He is unable to say how many wombats were covered by these licenses but said it would be "hundreds" rather than more. He confirmed that these was no central collation of figures. He confirmed that in attempting to get these figures he "is not happy with how licensing happens" and that this / he "has triggered a review of policy and procedure". Jan Smith asked what policy he was referring to as it was understood no policy existed pertaining to licensing people to kill wombats. Alistair confirmed that there is no policy. NPWS uses its powers under the Wildlife ACT section S120- 121 which allows NPWS to issue licenses to kill native animals. Alistair said that "the policy area is built up over time in an informal way". Amanda commented that there were no policy or procedures in NSW and as such each region and frequently each individual office and even officer used different criterion. Alistair agree this was the case and said that was why a review had been ordered. He said he wanted to put a group of "stakeholders" together to develop this further and asked whether the WPSA would be willing to b part of this process. Amanda also pointed out that as no census was done regarding numbers there was no justification for suggesting numbers of wombats had increased. She also said that John Dengate's statements on Radio East for NPWS were wrong in fact and some discussion was had around those statements. Alistair questioned whether it was possible that the dog baiting program could have had an impact on numbers of wombats. The discussion centred around limited research which indicates that while dingos and wild dogs have been found to have wombat in their faeces it appears not to form a major part of their diet and foxes are more likely to eat road kill wombat than they are to have any predatory impact on other than the very young which are usually pouch young. Removal of animals at that stage would have no impact on population numbers. The Society's position was explained; that wombat numbers have overall decreased, range has decreased and that has been happening for decades, that habitat is being lost at a rapid rate which forces wombats into the smaller available areas. Farming and Forestry practices "squeeze" habitat leaving wombats to survive in limited regions and areas. This may lead to an impression of increased animals but such impressions are not science based. Failure of the general public and farmers in particular, to understand the habits and needs of wombats or basic issues like breeding rates and cycles as well as myth and superstition all play a part in non science based beliefs. Amanda suggested however that NPWS should not promulgate such myth and should be at the forefront of what little information exists. Alistair said that he accepted these issues but also recognised that farmers and others and places like pine plantations would all view the matter differently, science based or otherwise. He said as part of the policy and procedure review this matter has triggered he'd like to put together "stakeholders" to discuss the matter and to develop a protocol for licensing. He asked whether the WPSA would be prepared to have input into this process. Various other issues concerning wombats including mange, (nd particularly its increase in prevalence and the continued incorrect statements by NPWS that it only affects animals under stress or permanently affects their immune system) tagging or not carcasses of shot wombats, landcare groups, CMAs complaining that wombats undo their work etc. were discussed. The issues of inhumane killing illegal culling, rangers encouraging people to apply for licenses and failure of NPWS to provide information about or check capacity for humane killing also discussed.
BOB IRWIN As a result of the media Attention on wombats a letter was written by Bob Irwin. I have been recently made aware of the issuing to farmers of 200 licenses to slaughter wombats by the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change. The justification for this depraved act? The wombats are causing nuisance and damaging the farmers' fences. I understand that farmers make their livelihood from the land and that we would not have the wonderful produce available to us in this country without them, but surely there is a better solution. With traditional practices, graziers have over the years destroyed so much of the habitat of not only wombats but all of our amazingly unique Australian wildlife, and so it is little wonder that the animals now have to encroach on 'improved pastures' in their daily search for food. Thankfully many farmers are now becoming more environmentally aware in their everyday practices, implementing strategies that have been proven to minimize the effects of native wildlife on their properties, and indeed the effects of farming on our native animals. Unfortunately some farmers still retain an outdated mindset apparently akin to the Department's; that is that the only way to solve this human-animal conflict is to kill the animal. As far as this issue is concerned, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change has granted (and indeed instigated) a gross misjustice and leaves a lot to be desired of a government claiming to be dedicated to conserving what remains of our natural environment. To think that a farmer is able to apply and get a permit to kill what few wombats have managed to survive the destruction of their former habitat is most distressing! Just because wildlife at times may cause some inconvenience it does not justify the issuing of licenses to slaughter these animals; especially when there are many concerned members of the community who would be willing to help the farmers achieve sustainable solutions to their grievances. Moreover the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change will most probably have no control over the numbers of wombats shot or in fact that this disgusting act is carried out humanely. To think that a wombat not killed outright could endure several days of pain before finally becoming overwhelmed by secondary infection makes my blood boil! Have we, as a developed nation with prominent scientific advisors and groundbreaking animal and environmental research not yet learned from our past mistakes leading to the extinction some species? Certainly the relatively recent extinction of the Thylacine is a well known example of human-animal conflict leading to the extinction of what was formerly an apex predator and largest carnivorous marsupial in the modern world. Since European settlement in Australia we have seen 54 animal species become extinct with a further 18 animal species critically endangered and 128 classified as endangered. As the world becomes more environmentally aware I believe that we must as individuals recognize the magnificence of our natural world and feel a sense of accountability for our actions which affect it. I have been lucky enough over my lifetime to experience the joy that comes from appreciating nature and its marvels on a huge number of occasions and I certainly do not want my great-grandchildren to learn about wombats only from books or television because people of my generation were issued permits to shoot them to extinction. These animals have to contend with drought, fires, floods, motor vehicles, feral dogs and destruction of the habitat; now instead of a government doing their utmost to protect our native Australian wildlife they instead face a government department that is still living in the 17th Century! Bob Irwin MEDIA RELEASE As a result of all this activity a media release was created by the Society. The Wombat Protection Society of Australia was pleased to hear from Bob Irwin, a true wombat warrior and father of the late Steve Irwin, after he read an article about wombat culling in NSW, Bob's letter, in which he questions the justification for what he calls a "depraved act" speaks for many who have contacted the Society disturbed and concerned about these killings. The issues identified in this major controversy while of great importance in NSW affect wombats in other states as well. Licensed to Kill Bob asks "have we, as a developed nation with prominent scientific advisors and groundbreaking animal and and environmental research not yet learned from our past mistakes leading to the extinction of some species?" Apparently not. The Department of Environment and Climate Changes' National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in N.S.W. admit they have no scientific basis for their continued issuing of licenses to farmers and others to kill wombats yet continue to support this practice The Society has called for a moratorium on the issuing of any license to harm a wombat until that department has a proper policy and protocol regarding this matter. Licenses issued without any Census Information about wombats used by the service has no scientific basis and they admit that no census on wombat numbers has been undertaken yet spokesperson John Dengate claimed that wombat numbers were on the increase. He based this on an increase in the numbers of licenses issued this year to shoot wombats on the South coast of N.S.W. He also claimed that numbers suggested in recent media coverage were "grossly" exaggerated yet Michael Wright of their policy division admits no figures are collated and one office alone, Bombala , issued 13 licenses for 136 wombats to be killed. On that basis estimates of 1500 animals killed across N.S.W. reported in the media is likely to be a gross underestimation. Ian Cohen M.P. recently recorded in Hansard has asked that figures be made public. According to NPWS Southern regional manager, Alistair Henchman, 80 licenses for the South Coast were issued in the last year but he was unable to say how many wombats these licenses affected. He confirmed in a meeting with the Society following NPWS inability to provide adequate data that there is no policy or protocol regarding the issuing of licenses and invited the Society to join a group to be developed next year to investigate this matter. The Society's position is that there is no need to issue licenses to kill wombats but where that occurs proper overseeing of this process must be conducted and applicants must be given information about alternatives, humane methods used and licenses only be issued when all other avenues have been exhausted. None of these things happen currently. Killings unchecked and unmonitored NPWS issues licenses without information about how to humanely kill wombats and no protocol exists for what to do with pouch young of killed females. They die drawn out deaths as do improperly shot adults. Bob speaks for many when he says "to think that a wombat not killed outright could endure several days of pain... makes my blood boil". Spokesperson for the Wombat Protection Society of Australia, Amanda Cox said this matter has generated more outrage in the National and International community than any other concerning wombats. Licenses issued without any census or research It surprises and concerns everyone who works with and uses science to understand wombats that NPWS bases its assessment of wombat numbers on the number of licenses issued to kill them. NPWS conducts no research of its own instead uses anecdotal information often coming from those who would want wombats killed. It should be at the forefront of current research yet continues to promulgate information well known in the scientific community to be incorrect. The myths it has recently supported include that wombat numbers are increasing, that wombats cannot be relocated, that mange only affects ill or unwell animals and works as a "natural" cull and that foxes and wild dogs significantly affect the wombat population. Arguments for killing wombats come from farmers and others who cannot get correct information about wombats from NPWS and continue to believe a range of myths of their own, including that wombats have "litters of pups", that wombat burrows are joined underground and that wombats habitually undermine infrastructure such as fences and dam walls. Society members work tirelessly with farmers and others to develop alternatives to shooting wombats and are convinced that it is only the uneducated and cruel who believe wombat culling is a reasonable option. While the general populace may be excused for lacking knowledge about wombats and their habits, it is inexcusable that government departments charged with their wellbeing are similarly ignorant. Licensed shooting and killing is only the tip of the iceberg of cruelty to wombats with no prosecutions in NSW for unlicensed destruction of wombats or their habitat, yet it is well known that large numbers of wombats are killed each year by unlicensed killers. Too often it is forgotten that these animals don't "belong" to any one person and Australia has a mandate to care for and protect these animals. Too often the voices heard are limited to a few anti wombat folk and the Society tries to represent the broader views of the Australian and international community. The Society uses science based practical methods and tries to change the behaviour of those destroying wombats and their habitats by supporting and promoting positive ways of living with wombats. The voices of the many farmers who live harmoniously with wombats often aren't heard. As a result the Society is announcing a "wombat friendly" accreditation system where those farmers and plantation owners who don't kill wombats can have their efforts awarded and acknowledged by the Society. This system will also allow concerned consumers to source products knowing no wombat was harmed in their production. National census planned The Society is also planning a national wombat census day to begin in 2009 to allow a broad range of people to become involved in gathering the information on numbers and distribution of wombats Australia wide. Wombats are restricted in range to the eastern seaboard of Australia and their range has contracted and been limited by human activity over past decades. Spokesperson for the Society, Amanda Cox said "it was disappointing to hear NPWS spokesperson John Dengate suggest on ABC radio that wombat numbers were increasing based on numbers of licenses issued, this is a preposterous way of assessing numbers" she also condemned the unsubstantiated suggestion that the Departments' fox and dog baiting program had led to an increase in numbers. Mange, road kill and illegal hunting as well as licensed destruction and habitat loss has put the wombat populations throughout Australia on the brink she said. In many areas where wombats were once plentiful none have been sighted in decades. A National census will confirm these concerns and create a science based method of assessing numbers. Bob speaks for a majority of Australians when he says " I certainly do not want my great grandchildren to learn about wombats only from books or television because people of my generation were issued permits to shoot them to extinction". Mange ; an International Disgrace Licensed and unlicensed shooting is not the wombats' only problem. Mange, an infestation caused by an introduced mite, sarcoptes scabiei is decimating all populations of wombats. The wombat has no immunity to this introduced mite which burrows into their thick skin causing massive fluid loss and hideous craters which break open the flesh leaving the wombat maggot ridden, starving, dehydrating and disoriented. Mange "a welfare issue" claims NPWS denying responsibility Sarcoptic mange was admitted by NPWS spokesperson John Dengate to be "ghastly" but he excused the service from doing nothing about this terrible death to wombats by calling it a "welfare issue" and claiming less mange was around. This claim has no scientific basis as NPWS does not monitor mange. The Wombat Protection Society of Australia runs a mange mapping project which receives reports from people all over Australia and monitors mange reports Australia wide. Where once many populations of the Bare-Nosed and Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombats were free from mange, none are now. NPWS continues to use outdated information about mange including that it only affects weak or debilitated animals and that foxes are the main vector and that it is incurable. Spokesperson for the Society Amanda Cox said "these myths neatly justify doing nothing while claiming that fox culling programs are doing something." NPWS spokesman John Dengate while calling mange a "welfare issue" said that the services' concern was endangered animals and described the Bare-Nosed or Forest Wombat as "common". He said such populations weren't of interest or the basis for any ongoing studies nor the recipients of any of the services' budget. If NPWS is not concerned with "welfare issues" in native animals, it begs the question, who is responsible? This is the same philosophy that has seen the very situation NPWS now focuses on, "endangered" native animals develop. Tasmanian Devils too were considered "common" a few years ago. Amanda Cox said well regarded nationally and internationally published research into mange in the Bare-Nosed Wombat has been available since 2001. Lee Skerratt's research showed that while foxes may be a vector the absence of foxes on both Flinders Island and Tasmania contradicted the idea of foxes as sole vectors as both places have mange in their wombat populations. The Skerratt research shows NPWS claim that mange only affects debilitated animals to be totally incorrect. Skerratt's work convincingly showed that healthy wombats will get mange, it is simply a matter of how many mites they are inflicted with. Skerratt's work also showed complete recovery from mange when wombats were treated debunking another myth propagated by NPWS that mange is untreatable. Similarly NPWS claims that there is no point treating wombats because they will only get mange again, and no point relocating them because they will get stressed and get mange, both fit well with justifying shooting wombats rather than relocating them and allowing thousands to suffer and die from a hideous preventable and treatable infestation. The Society recently presented "Wombats, National Icon? Mange, International Disgrace" at the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference in Canberra following the proceedings of Society's mange symposium last year. This ongoing work indicates that mange is wiping out large numbers of wombats and is apparent in all populations of wombats in Southern Australia. Mange kills wombats, and it is a slow and hideous death and that no work to assist wombats is conducted by NPWS is a disgrace. Bob Irwin writes "these animals have to contend with drought, fires, floods, motor vehicles, feral dogs and destruction of habitat; now instead of a government doing their utmost to protect our native Australian wildlife they instead face a government that is still living in the 17th century".
CULLING AND MANGE NOT THE WOMBATS' ONLY PROBLEMS Burrow Fumigation - Inadvertent cruelty is inflicted on wombats as farmers , Pastures' Protection Boards and Catchment Management Authorities authorise the "fumigation" of burrows using aluminium phosphide and chloropicrin in a bid to control rabbits and foxes. Typical of inadvertent cruelty was the story told at "The Big Wombat Day" held in Candelo NSW recently where a community member hoped that wombats breathed at a different level to rabbits as she fumigated wombat burrows. Clive Marks, reknown wildlife scientist wrote in his recent essay "Empathy with the Enemy" that CSIRO research in Australia showed chloropicrin as "possibly the most inhumane means to kill any animal". Road Kill accounts for a huge number of wombat deaths each year. Despite proven reductions in wombat kills where road signs are placed warning of their presence, the RTA in NSW constantly refuses to place more signs claiming that they have little impact. This despite the fact that NRMA, a motorist organisation in NSW conducted research showing that after kangaroos, wombats were the most road killed animal resulting in huge damage claims, let alone the immense suffering as wombats die slowly following road collisions. Animal rehabilitation groups throughout Australia acquire virtually all of their orphan joey wombats from road killed females yet no law exists to requires drivers to report a road hit wombat or to check for pouch young. A young wombat can lie in its mother's pouch for many days after she dies and "at foot" youngsters tend to become road victims themselves as they constantly try to be with their road killed mother. Drivers in Australia receive no education or advisory information about where wombats are likely to be or their behaviour on the roads. Many think they will run away if they are seen, not realising that wombats react suddenly to smell and sound and are more likely to bolt into a car than away from it. Habitat Loss - land clearing and the practise of burning off over wombat burrows as well as farming and forestry practises where burrows are ripped or infilled cause immense harm and suffering to wombats, again no prosecutions for such cruelty have occurred in Australia; a gun device triggered when a wombat left its burrow was cause for sanction after a person trying to disarm it had their thumb blown off. Unmonitored Cage Trapping and Dumping - wombats are trapped in cages by farmers often getting traps from NPWS and animal rehabilitation groups. Trapped wombats suffer immense stress particularly in open trap cages. Wombats are nocturnal animals, needing the atmosphere of a burrow for well being and to be caught and left in bright light until traps are checked is totally inhumane. Relocation of wombats needs more than a perfunctory dumping into a new place, they take up to three months to get their bearings in a new environment and must have a vacant burrow to begin with. Recent research has shown that wombats range far more widely than was previously believed; Alison Matthews studying wombats in the Snowy region of NSW has found a male traveling over 500 hectares; previously it was thought they were limited to 5 hectares. This also suggests that it is pointless to relocate a wombat short distances. Previously NPWS claimed that animals had to be relocated short distances for genetic reasons but recent research by Derek Spielman has demonstrated that native animals are more likely to benefit from further distance translocations than was previously believed. Specialised and Situation Specific Approaches are Needed - Wombats are a big brained highly intelligent animals that use very different methods of locating themselves and responding than do domestic animals. These very characteristics and the individuality of single wombats and groups of wombats suggests that a far more analytic and tailored approach needs to be taken to any problems arising in the interface between man and wombat. Many Options Exist - Humans as the supposed most intelligent species should be able to find ways to live harmoniously with wombats and many have. Wombat gates, soft fencing around infrastructure, electric fencing and wire aprons, pallets and markers near paddock burrows and fencing stock out of the riparian zone have all proved successful methods. Often farmers are their own worst enemies and their failure to understand the wombat's behaviours leads to them creating their own problems. Wombats are reasonably territorial and maintain their own kinship groups. Shooting wombats out from an area allows recruitment from other areas and new wombats are more likely to dig new burrows creating the paradox of those farmers who shoot wombats having more burrows and more transitory wombats passing through their lands than those who allow stable populations to maintain themselves. There are many different ways to manage problems occurring on the interface between wildlife and production farming and these do not need to be lethal or cause immense harm and suffering. Some wonderful and groundbreaking work is happening in Australia, like the software developed to recognise certain animals and allow or disallow access to water and feedlots developed in Queensland. It is shameful that wombats are not the recipients of this type of innovation and input. As Bob Irwin says "as the world becomes more environmentally aware I believe that we must as individuals recognise the magnificence of our natural world and feel a sense of accountability for our actions which affect it". The Society applauds Bob and all those who do.
THE QUESTIONS IS WHERE TO NOW? The argument for and against wombat culling is an emotional one with very little factual data. The fact that many farmers are in financial difficulties after an extended drought has to be acknowledged by the Society and many of the remedial measures could just add to this financial strain. Many "facts" and "alernatives" argued by the Society are anecdotal and need to be substantiated by published research or they will be dismissed by the farming community. We as a Society need to brainstorm and come up with ways that we can present these facts. How can we as a Society carry out a meaningful census of wombats? The idea of wombat certification is a good one but it will not work unless it is recognised by the general populace. How can we influence people to achieve this? We need to know more about how many wombats are being killed both legally and illegally. How can we come up with these figures? Anecdotal stories are not enough for these arguments. We have all heard stories of drunken fun parties of wombat hunting but it is unknown how common this is. We as a Society need to come to grips with these issues or we will not have the desired impact. Wombat Cull Group There is a continuing wombat cull interest group that welcomes new contributors. Through this group the ongoing response to legal and illegal killing of wombats will continue and a list of reports received about both legal and illegal killing of wombats is being compiled. While currently information and contact is via email, the on line forum has been developed and communication will transfer to that forum next month. This will allow people to directly communicate and contribute and those who don't want to be fully involved can follow the progress and get updates when it suits. On Line Petition / Paper Petition The on line petition to start protecting wombats and stop shooting wombats cotinues to have a good response and the Society encourages you to send the link for this petition to as many people in Australia and overseas as possible. A print out version of the paper petition begun by the Wynans has been sent to members with emails and is attached to the paper mail out version of this Bulletin. www.gopetition.com/online/24328.html Wombat Census Organising a major national census is a huge task and will need a great deal of planning and review of suitable methods.. This could easily take a year to develop and design. In the interim the census can be started with a fairly simple approach of getting a yes/no to whether wombats are seen in each suburb in Australia. There is a current suggestion to develop this into a project which could be undertaken within the YEAR 9 Australian Public High school curriculum. Other Options and Alternatives The Society and its various members have worked on numerous projects where farmers and property owners have had concerns or problems with wombats and wombat burrows. The most important lesson from this work is you need to GO AND LOOK or receive very good photographs of the area and the problem. The Society wants to develop more material that can be given to people having issues with wombats, however, as the importance of really understanding the problem from the concerned person's point of view is vital to any solution suggested, we would like a group of members who feel capable of making visits to properties or assessing options from photographs to develop into a working party. As a result of the media cover and contact with NPWS we have had both members of the public referred to us by NPWS and have had rangers contact to get advice.We will publish a review of the issues in the next bulletin. Other Coalitions The Society is a member of the World Society for the Protection of Animals and is a signatory to The Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare www.animalsmatter.org/join as is CIWF Compassion in World Farming. Groups such as CIWF are good places to begin to locate farmers who would appreciate being accredited as "Wombat Friendly" and this area will be developed and discussed further next Bulletin.
WOMBEYAN WOMBAT WORKSOP Date:
March 7th 2009 Where:
Wombeyan Caves area (specific location to be determined) What
is WWW: a day to develop strategy to help wombats with mange in that area.
FORUM The on site forum has been put on site. You can go to the site www.wombatprotection.org.au and register now. |