Rare Aussie creatures photographed coming to surface for 'super cool' battle
The pictures were taken at a predator-proof sanctuary created by Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), which keeps small mammals safe from invasive cats and foxes. Dr Alexandra Ross, an ecologist who studies greater bilby behaviour, said the animals are so sparsely populated, it's uncommon to see two together.
'I find it exciting to have two in one shot, and then to have them fighting is super cool… they're showing a behaviour that would be normal, but we don't see it because they're so rare,' she told Yahoo News.
Bilbies can share ranges and warrens, but large numbers don't live together, and they are known to be territorial. At least one of the bilbies is a male, and so Ross and the AWC team believe the images may capture a territorial dispute.
'The greater bilby used to cover around 80 per cent of Australia, but its range has declined by 80 per cent. They're super rare, but they're not supposed to be. They're supposed to be a common species,' she said.
Before Europeans arrived in Australia, it would have been common to hear the sounds of greater bilbies throughout Central Australia, extending across to Adelaide and Perth. Today, their range is limited to isolated pockets of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
'These two bilbies fighting should be a common sight outside your bedroom window, but we have to go to all this effort now so they can exist,' Ross said.
📸 Sad story behind viral image highlights Australia's invasive species crisis
😳 Grim discovery in abandoned fishing trap near popular track
🌏 Air crew makes exciting 'once-in-a-lifetime' discovery in outback
The footage was taken in the Northern Territory at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, a 261,501 hectare property that's home to 14 species threatened with extinction.
Because native marsupials evolved without any evolutionary recognition of cats or foxes, in the wild, those that can't quickly learn are quickly killed. Inside the sanctuary, there is some evidence that their wary behaviour changes because they don't have to be on the lookout for introduced predators.
'Once you've got the cats and foxes out, you can bring back the native species that used to be in the area, and then they do spectacularly well.
'They're meant to be here, so as soon as you give them a chance, they do great.'
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Before and after photos show 'dramatic' reality under the surface at Aussie beaches
"It looks like someone's been down there with a pressure washer and cleaned everything off the pylons." Those are the words of a devastated Steve Simmons, a diver of over 40 years. He's explored waters all around the world, but his favourite spot is Edithburgh Jetty in South Australia. In less than four months, his beloved diving oasis has become decimated from the algal bloom sweeping the state's coastline. The pictures he took eight months apart show the devastating impact the event is having on marine wildlife below the surface. "The first picture was taken about eight months ago, and it looked like that until April. That's when it all changed down there," Steve told Yahoo News. The second picture was only snapped a few weeks ago, with the once full-of-life jetty pylons now barren and mostly lifeless. "I was expecting to see a change, but never, ever imagined it to be that dramatic. It was quite confronting," he said. "It has basically gone from a beautiful, extremely colourful jetty, to what looks like a black and white picture." During his 40 years of donning a wetsuit and diving into Aussie waters, Steve has witnessed a vast range of marine life. At Edithburgh, situated 50 kilometres across the gulf from Adelaide, he said he has lost count of how many species he's seen. But today, there are hardly any. "There was a lot of abalone on their backs with their mantles curled up in the process of dying and numerous other dead fish and skeletons," he said. "There were thousands upon thousands of razor fish usually found down there. All dead." 🦈 Shark's worrying behaviour near coastline signals 'never seen' crisis 🏖️ Fisherman shocked by 'unfathomable' scene at Aussie beaches 🎣 Fisherman's sad admission highlights growing problem On his most recent dive, Steve saw few signs of life, with the usual species, including squid, frog fish, sea cucumbers, catfish, and leafy sea dragons all gone. "It's like a lush forest that had a bush fire go through it," he said. "This jetty was world class. It was dived by people nationally as well as internationally... and it's gone." Yahoo News has reported on multiple sightings of dead marine animals washing ashore since the algal bloom began to spread in March. Millions of shellfish were washed up on Goolwa Beach, and a string of sharks have been found along the state's coastline. However, most Adelaide residents now can't walk along city beaches without seeing dead creatures. State Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told Yahoo News the shoreline is simply a "graveyard of fish". A diver near Ardrossan in Yorke Peninsula — located over 75 kilometres north of Edithburgh — took underwater videos 55 days apart (seen below), and the difference between the marine activity is staggering since the algal bloom has spread. "With neon green water, the seabed was littered with dead and dying animals," Stefan Andrews, the co-founder of the Great Southern Reef Foundation, wrote on social media. South Australia's Department of Environment and Water (DEW) told Yahoo News it is keeping a close eye on the situation and is carrying out daily testing of state waters. However, there is not much authorities can do to stop or reduce the impact of the algal bloom. "Nothing can be done to dilute or dissipate the bloom," a DEW spokesperson told Yahoo last week. "The algal bloom is a dynamic situation. Its movement depends on weather and water conditions, and therefore makes the effect on people and wildlife unpredictable." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Remarkable 26-year change revealed on Aussie desert property
In the heart of Australia's outback, a vanishing world has been created that only springs to life at night. Behind towering fences at South Australia's 12,300-hectare Arid Recovery Reserve, 10 mammal species are being protected from invasive predators behind high fences, reestablishing a complex ecosystem that few people alive today have seen. The University of NSW's Professor Katherine Moseby is the lead author of a paper that has tracked dramatic changes over 26 years since rabbits, foxes and cats were excluded from the landscape. When it comes to the elusive spinifex hopping mouse, its population is up to 33 times higher inside than outside the fence. During the day, you'd have to have sharp eyes to notice signs of any of the tiny mammals that live there. There are small diggings in the soil from reintroduced species like bilbies, but the desert sands and plant life appear near identical. 'If you're driving around in a car, you have to go really slowly so you don't run over all the small mammals because they're just in such high abundance compared to the outside world,' Moseby told Yahoo News. 'If you're driving around outside, you can go at normal speed.' Related: Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct The study included nine native species, the spinifex hopping mouse, plains mouse, Bolam's mouse, Forrest's mouse, desert mouse, sandy inland mouse, stripe-faced dunnart, fat-tailed dunnart and Giles' planigale. The tenth species was the introduced house mouse. During drought, the number of native mammals naturally declines, but after rain, furious breeding helps restore numbers. But the presence of feral predators outside of the fence area appears to interrupt the natural boom and bust breeding cycles, suppressing their recovery and eventually leading to localised extinctions. The team was 'surprised' to discover that in the absence of introduced predators, mammals were expanding into new habitats where they're not traditionally found. This indicates they have retreated from an array of landscapes since the arrival of Europeans. The spinifex hopping house had primarily been associated with sand dunes, but behind the fences they have been seen in swales and clay-based lowlands. The plains mouse moved from swales to sand dunes. Sadly, not all of the animals that once roamed the Red Centre landscape have survived — there are several species missing from the study because they're extinct. But the recovery of 10 highlights how much the nation once looked before European settlement. 'It's incredible how that country would have been so different back then. I think people drive through the desert and think there's nothing out there, but they've just changed so much over the last 150 years,' Moseby said. Moseby isn't just sad that Australia has changed so dramatically and that few people are aware more species like the carnivorous kowari and greater bilbies are continuing to decline in numbers. She's mostly angry. In her decades of studying Australia's rare and endangered creatures, she hasn't seen any 'political will' to save those that have survived the initial wave of settlement, and the cocktail of threats that continue to suppress them. The country is famous for wiping out the Tasmanian tiger, very nearly killing off the koala, and it is notable for having the worst mammalian extinction record in the world. Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years Major weather event sees town overrun by 'rarely observed' phenomenon Once common 'extreme' genetic change unlikely to occur again in human history Director Stephen Spielberg famously recreated a "Lost World" in his movie franchise about bringing dinosaurs back from extinction. The pre-colonial landscape in Australia hasn't yet been lost, but extinction threats are mounting, including climate change, which is heating parts of the desert to uninhabitable levels. 'We know what we need to do. It makes me really frustrated that we could be doing so much more – we can improve land condition, reduce grazing, increase our control of cats and foxes, and improve fire management. We've done the research,' Moseby said. 'We know what we need to do, but it seems like we're banging our heads against a wall, because these things just don't get taken up.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
The Hill
5 days ago
- The Hill
Not all brands are onboard with ditching synthetic dyes
Major American brands have vowed to remove synthetic food dyes from their products, but M&M's and Skittles, made by Mars, remain colorful holdouts. Mars has continued to use synthetic dyes in its candies after backing off a 2016 plan to remove all artificial colors from its food portfolio. The company reversed course after it found that consumer attitudes varied by country, with Europeans largely opposed to synthetic dyes, while others preferred artificially colored treats, according to the Mars website. Synthetic dyes have come under fire recently from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wants them removed from the nation's food supply over potential health risks. Some research has linked the dyes to behavioral health issues in children and places like Australia, Canada and the European Union generally have tighter restrictions on their use. Despite those concerns, synthetic dyes remain widespread, appearing in nearly 1 in 5 packaged foods and beverages on U.S. grocery shelves, according to a recent study. That study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that confectionery companies had the most products containing synthetic dyes. The National Confectioners Association, a candy industry trade group, criticized the study, accusing the authors of having 'major gaps in their analysis.' The NCA argued that chocolate and candy differ from other foods because Americans eat them less frequently, only two to three times per week. Both Skittles and M&M's list several synthetic dyes on their ingredient labels, including common dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Mars did not respond to NewsNation's request for comment on Tuesday. So far, Kennedy has favored the carrot over the stick, encouraging companies to voluntarily phase out synthetic dyes rather than pushing for major changes in federal regulation. Recent announcements suggest the approach is gaining traction. Food giants like Kraft Heinz, General Mills, PepsiCo, Nestle and ConAgra have all unveiled plans to move away from artificial colors in their U.S. products. The question is whether they'll follow through. Thomas Galligan, principal scientist for food additives at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has expressed skepticism, noting that many companies have failed to keep similar promises in the past. 'If the FDA were to require warning labels on synthetically dyed foods, similar to the rule in place since 2010 in the European Union, there would be a much stronger incentive for industry to reformulate,' Galligan said in a recent statement. Several states have taken matters into their own hands, passing legislation restricting synthetic dyes. In West Virginia, most artificial food dyes will be banned starting in 2028. California and Virginia have banned six artificial dyes from school food. Meanwhile, beginning in 2027, Texas will require warning labels on foods or beverages made with any of more than 40 dyes or additives. 'We follow and will continue to follow regulatory guidance from the authorities in this space because consumer safety is our chief responsibility and priority,' the National Confectioners Association said in an April statement responding to Kennedy's push to phase out synthetic food dyes. While several artificial dyes remain, Mars has removed another controversial additive, titanium dioxide, from Skittles. The chemical, which helps make candy appear shiny, was removed from all Skittles production at the end of last year, the company confirmed to Bloomberg in May. The ingredient was already banned in the European Union in 2022 over possible health risks. According to its website, Mars is still committed to avoiding synthetic colors in its dinnertime foods.
