General News
13 September, 2024
Barry's Corner
Sometimes it seems animals are designed to give us grief - and it seems to be true when we consider the sad tales of the impact of vehicles on wildlife.
Our wildlife cannot communicate with humans (with the exception of Skippy): in other words, wildlife cannot give advice about their lifestyles and future needs.
We see roads crossing sensitive waterways; suburbs plonked in valuable habitat, facing the wrong way; wetlands drained; fences built to constrain animals; roads built to let traffic increase its speed.
There are lots of things that can be a hazard to wildlife, such as fences.
If you go to all the trouble to put up a netting fence to stop rabbits, this becomes like a brick wall to other animals.
Snakes will often slip through but emus, kangaroos and goannas are stuck on one side.
Animals move to find enough food or at mating time.
Getting stuck trying to cross a fence can be fatal.
Roos are often snagged between the top wire and the second one down.
As a roo leaps it brings its legs from a rear-facing to a forward position so it can land safely on the ground but often a foot is caught between the wires, as it in a vice.
The wire is often so tight that cutting the fence is the only option.
If not released in a few minutes the roo loses blood supply and suffers an agonising death.
Animals focusing on a new piece of food can be so intent that they do not notice a car looming at speed on a collision course.
Holes in the ground act as death-traps with sharp walls and no way of escape.
These might give scientists a snapshot of 2024 in a million years or so.
Mouse plagues can affect no-target species with secondary poisoning from baiting.
Young reptiles heating their bodies on a bitumen road are clobbered by vehicles.
Hibernating animals down a rabbit hole can be killed by warren destruction.
Storms blow nests out of trees and sometimes even smash entire trees down.
Drink-can tops can kill small lizards.