Stop Privatisation of Public Assets
Where are the Wallabies?
A Fauna Officer stated the Red-Necked Wallabies were abundant around Brisbane and now are hardly ever seen. In his job he found although he was called in to relocate native animals from construction sites often he had difficulty finding some suitable habitat due to the amount of construction and loss of subsequent bushland. The remaining wildlife corridors around greater Brisbane are not sufficient according to this spotter catcher.
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Biodiversity is critically contained in the big blocks like Mt Coot-tha but these areas are becoming islands with development blocking wildlife corridors. This makes the chances of native animal extinction so much higher according to Prof. Darry Jones of Griffith University. Wayne Cameron of Bulimba Catchment Coordinating Committee added that developers are encroaching on waterway corridors that link forest areas and the Brisbane is currently known as the biodiversity capital of Australia.
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A concerned Brisbane resident stated that Brisbane City Council do not enforce their own regulations and are creating a barrier to the movement of wildlife with the construction of a megazipline development on Mt Coot-tha.
We have red-necked wallabies and swamp wallabies on Mt Coot-tha.
"Myopathy in Macropods (being wallabies, pademelons and kangaroos)
happens when the animal is under extreme stress, as is the case when it is being attacked or chased by a dog.
The animal does not have to be injured directly to develop rhabdomyolysis, which is a disintegration of the muscle fibres. From within 24 hours up to a few weeks after the incident, the wallaby will
show stiffness and paralysis mainly in the hindquarters, progressing to complete paralysis, it will also salivate excessively, death will occur within 2-14 days after the stressful incident.
Usually we will not see an animal in this state, as it will go somewhere quiet and out of sight to die. It is natural for us to think that if the dog did not catch the wallaby, no harm has been done, the dog had a good run, the wallaby got away. As you have just read, the wallaby may have gotten away, but it did not escape a painful and slow death.
It is very unfortunate that this situation takes place on a regular basis in the country, as it is avoidable, just by locking up your dog at night when most Australian native animals are most active.
Be alert to what is taking place around you, specially at night, and help our native animals survive in an ever diminishing natural environment.
Myopathy can be treated in very young pouch joey's if treated when the stressful incident has just taken place. In adult macropods it is too late by the time the animal is found..."
Red-Necked Wallaby
Wallaby
