Rare Animals Blog, Protect Rare Animals: August 2015

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Saskatchewan animals preparing for fall

When it comes to priorities in Saskatchewan's animal world these days, finding enough food and a warm home for the winter are at the top of the list.

Kenton Lysak explained what large animals including moose and bears are searching for to Saskatoon Morning's Leisha Grebinski. Lysak is the Senior Interpreter at Beaver Creek Conservation Centre near Saskatoon.

"At this time, these animals are just looking for a place to hang out and eat a ton of food. They're trying to gain as much weight as possible."

Lysak has spotted a moose in the conservation area and said he has heard reports of moose sightings in recent weeks.

"These moose are looking for tasty treats and trying to get their fat and protein content up so they can survive the harsh winter months."

Moose have been spotted in the Beaver Creek Conservation Area in recent weeks. They are looking for food to survive the winter.

Moose have been spotted in the Beaver Creek Conservation Area in recent weeks. They are looking for food to survive the winter.

Birds preparing for flight

Birds are also looking to stock up on food as the temperature begins to fall in the province.

Lysak said most birds are looking for food to help them prepare for the long migration south to warmer temperatures.

But he also pointed out that some birds stay and brave the cold prairie winter.

"The birds that stay here need as much protein and fat as possible to get through the winter months. So feeding those chickadees and other animals in your backyard do them a big benefit."

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Senate backs call for urgent federal funding for cassowary rehab centre

The Senate has backed a Greens push for the federal government to consider urgent funding for a struggling far north Queensland cassowary rehabilitation centre.

Greens senator Larissa Waters called on the federal government to help the state government keep the centre open and to expand its operations to treat adult birds. Photograph: Robert Tidey/AAP/Rainforest Rescue

The Garners Beach Rehabilitation Centre at Mission Beach had been earmarked for closure but the state government this week stepped in with up to $50,000 interim funding to keep it open for another three months.

Only chicks will be admitted during that time, prompting concerns that injured adults would have to be put down at the roadside.

In a Senate motion submitted on Wednesday, Greens senator Larissa Waters called on the federal government to help the state government keep the centre open and to expand its operations to treat adult birds.

Waters said the government needed to update and commit funding to a national recovery plan for the endangered species, the last of which was published in 2007.

“Not only do we have a duty to protect the cassowary for its intrinsic value but this iconic species is also an important tourism drawcard,” she said.

“If passed, it [the motion] will send a powerful message to the federal environment minister about the need to work with the state government to properly fund the rehabilitation centre.”

The motion was carried on the voices, despite the government maintaining it is already taking action to save the endangered cassowary through the threatened species strategy.

“In response to the motion, the federal government said it would write to the state government about funding,” Waters said.

Outspoken far north Queensland vet Dr Graham Lauridsen, who is involved with the centre, said the facility would not need federal funding if the state government did “its job”.

“Why reinvent the wheel when it was working fine a year or two ago?” he said.

Queensland’s environment and heritage protection minister, Steven Miles, has written to Lauridsen to assure him the department is working to reinstate normal ranger services amid a number of staff movements.

But the vet said he was still concerned his staff would have to pick up the slack after he was told the rangers were not to respond to calls outside normal work hours.