Greater Glider Nest Boxes

The tree hollows that greater gliders live in take over 80 years to form but during the bushfires of 2019/20 a third of those homes were destroyed and the populations of greater gliders declined to such an extent that they became endangered.

However ecologists at ANU, together with Greening Australia and the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, have designed, tested and installed “goldilocks” nest boxes for greater gliders in fire-affected forests, 120 in NSW and 114 in Victoria.

"As the frequency and severity of heatwaves increases with climate change, gliders have become especially sensitive to warmer temperatures.

"To keep them cool in warm temperatures and warm in cool temperatures, the boxes were fitted with insulation, air gaps, and heat-reflective, fire-resistant, non-toxic coatings.”

Motion-sensing cameras have detected that these boxes are being used by greater glider. “I just burst into tears,” ecologist Kita Ashman said. “I was so surprised and happy. Seeing greater gliders using the boxes after only 10 weeks was joyous.”

However the nest boxes are only a temporary measure and "not enough to bring the marsupials back from the brink”.

Ref: Millie Muroi, Homes 80 years in the making burnt in moments. Now this glider has a new home Sydney Morning Herald, 18 December 2022.

Need to Restore Bat Habitat

Bats have had coronaviruses, as well as other viruses that are deadly to humans, such as rabies and Hendra, for thousands of years but they do not seem to suffer much from them because of their excellent immune systems.

Researchers believe that the key to preventing the spread of these viruses to humans is to protect and restore their habitats. This will ensure there is abundant winter nectar away from farms and cities.

"When we destroy native forests, we force nectar-eating flying foxes into survival mode. They shift from primarily nomadic animals following eucalypt flowering and forming large roosts to less mobile animals living in a large number of small roosts near agricultural land where they may come in contact with horses.

"Two-thirds of Hendra cases in horses have occurred in heavily cleared areas of northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. That’s not a coincidence."

Ref: Alison Peel et al, To stop new viruses jumping across to humans, we must protect and restore bat habitat. Here’s why, The Conversation, 17 November 2022.

Handling Stresses Koalas in Care

Researchers in the Stress Lab at the University of Queensland have found that koalas are stressed by human handling while they are in care.

"Wild koalas that don’t interact with humans do not like to be handled. Humans are also a source of stress for even well-adapted, captive, zoo koalas.”

Unlike humans, koalas don’t tend to touch each other outside of breeding and they especially don’t like to be touched by people, even though they look so cuddly.

Stress is not always a bad thing but "too much stress can exacerbate many issues, especially diseases such as chlamydia. This is a huge obstacle for clinicians when koalas enter animal hospitals.” One study found that 60% of koalas in care in southeast Queensland died or were euthanised.

Ref: Edward Narayan, Testing the stress levels of rescued koalas allows us to tweak their care so more survive in the wild, The Conversation, 15 December 2022.

Bring Back the Tasmanian Tiger?

A Texas-based biotechnology firm, Colossal Biosciences, together with researchers at the University of Melbourne, have announced a multi-million dollar project to bring back the Tasmanian tiger from extinction.

The firm is using social media influencers to promote their research. However Professor Kristofer Helgen, the Australian Museum’s chief scientist, does not believe the project is feasible.

The use of social media influencers who are not experts in the field, is highly unusual in the field of science and suggests that the aim is to attract investors and raise the awareness of Colossal’s brand.

Ref: Donna Lu, US firm behind Tasmanian tiger ‘de-extinction’ plan uses influencers to promote research, The Guardian, 26 August 2022.

Cocky Bennett, the Cockatoo

Cocky Bennett, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, is reputed to have lived to the age of 119. He apparently accompanied a ship captain on his seafaring journeys for 78 years, and reportedly circled the globe seven times. Later he contracted Psittacine Circoviral disease which caused his feathers to fall out and his beak to curve and twist. He nevertheless lived for decades longer at the Sea Breeze Hotel where he was a star attraction with his witty outbursts.

"After the bird was offered a drink, he would screech; 'One at a time, gentlemen, please' and then proceed with his antics, which included a failed attempt at flying. 'If I had another bloody feather I’d fly,' was one famous line, while another was 'I’ll fly, I’ll fly; my God, I’ll fly'. The bird was also known for his foul language, which was said to have 'put to shame the hardiest bullocky'."

Sulphur-crested cockatoos normally live for about 60 years in the wild but live much longer in captivity.

Ref: Benjamin Mayne, Meet 5 Remarkably Old Animals, The Conversation, 28 June 2022; Mick Roberts, The pubs of Cocky Bennett, Time Gents, 22 May 2016.