Urban Myths...

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I had to look that up. 1935. I thought cane toads arrived more recently than that. They had great insight back then.

Yes, the last thylacine died in captivity in1936. Apparently he/she froze to death after the Hobart zoo keepers forgot to open its shelter. You'll be pleased to know that the thylacine finally received government protection two months before it died.

All part of a past public belief in the terror of nature. Lock, scold, kill and tame any flora and fauna possible as undesirable or a resource. Victorian ideals reaching well into and past the 20th century.

And yet the Japanese still want to kill whales, trump Jnr shows off a lion he killed as a trophy. Outdated and ignorant values.

Beautiful coastal regions destroyed by gregarious and evil development and still more push.

The sparkling Gold Coast was beyond beautiful way back in the day. An idea might have been to keep the coastal areas well clear of building and development.

A lot of people here in Sydney are fighting back to save what little nature we have left.

Maybe we are all thylacines to some extent, destined to be f**ked over by something. It gets annoying watching everything being concreted over.

 

[Bazal]

The thylacine (a marsupial much more like a dog than a tiger) was very real. Once they inhabited all of Australia, but the introduction of the dingo saw them confined to Tasmania. Bounties on them in Tasmania, where they were regarded as a pest by farmers (who have a lot to answer for in this country as far as conservation of fauna goes), saw them become extinct pre World War II.

Geez, thanks scoop...

 

[horrie hastings]

Also the Tassie tiger. Although that's probably not a myth as such

One would like to think that the Tassie Tiger may have survived somewhere in the wilderness of Tasmania in areas which man would find impenetrable , there have been plenty of uncreditable sighting over the years , hopefully some are true but there hasn't been any photographic evidence to back them up. I still think there is a chance that they still exist somewhere out there in the wilds.

 

[Bazal]

One would like to think that the Tassie Tiger may have survived somewhere in the wilderness of Tasmania in areas which man would find impenetrable , there have been plenty of uncreditable sighting over the years , hopefully some are true but there hasn't been any photographic evidence to back them up. I still think there is a chance that they still exist somewhere out there in the wilds.

If there's anywhere it could happen, Tasmania is high on the list.

Of course a big barrier is that the idea that they were all shot to death is a myth. The bounties pushed them over the edge fast but they were already in trouble before that. Wild dogs were outcompeting them and had also introduced distemper. So they were on the way into serious trouble even without the bounty scheme.

That said, the Tassie government all but verified/authenticated a sighting the in 80s. I'll see if I can dig up a link, but there's little doubt they survived beyond 1930 and a good chance it was until about 35 years ago, and 35 years is a lot closer than 1930. Who knows?

 

[Willow]

One would like to think that the Tassie Tiger may have survived somewhere in the wilderness of Tasmania in areas which man would find impenetrable , there have been plenty of uncreditable sighting over the years , hopefully some are true but there hasn't been any photographic evidence to back them up. I still think there is a chance that they still exist somewhere out there in the wilds.

All the 'sightings' get filed according this article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10...have been no confirmed,still exists," it said.

Some people are convinced that the thylacine is not extinct. But with sightings, surely there should be other evidence such as animal tracks and droppings?

It may be that the best chance for the thylacine is through its DNA. In 1999, the Australian Museum started the Thylacine Cloning Project. It has been a bit stop-start with available samples being not up to scratch, and the project was dropped at one point. But apparently the Melbourne Museum is having another go. Here: https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/return-of-the-living-thylacine/

 

[horrie hastings]

A lot of people here in Sydney are fighting back to save what little nature we have left.
.

We have a disease free Koala population just south of Campbelltown and while there have been a few band aid situation to protect them the NSW government have approved a plan of a housing estate by Land Lease at Mt Gilead, even though there have been stipulations put on Lend Lease to make the development koala friendly and the original plans have been scaled back this is just not good enough in 2020/21 considering the considerable hit the koala populations took with the bush fires and we have a disease free viable population on Sydney's door step.

I can still remember the northern beaches having a population of Koalas back into the 70's and even early 80's but they were all but wiped out from the area but luckily with part of the area bordering the Ku-ring-gai National Park a small percentage could remain as an adult Koala was found in Belrose in January last year but the days when Koalas were spotted around Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Whale Beach , Bilgola areas are long gone.

 

[Willow]

We have a disease free Koala population just south of Campbelltown

Is that the one at Wedderburn? I remember the fight going on to save it in the 1980s, the Campbelltown Mayor was in favour of saving it but recognised it just had to be done right. Some of the developers and pro-Koala folk were at each other's throats. At times it was like keystone cops but they eventually got their act together.

 

[Bazal]

All the 'sightings' get filed according this article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-16/thylacine-sightings-in-tasmania-revealed-in-rti/11602970#:~:text="There have been no confirmed,still exists," it said.

Some people are convinced that the thylacine is not extinct. But with sightings, surely there should be other evidence such as animal tracks and droppings?

It may be that the best chance for the thylacine is through its DNA. In 1999, the Australian Museum started the Thylacine Cloning Project. It has been a bit stop-start with available samples being not up to scratch, and the project was dropped at one point. But apparently the Melbourne Museum is having another go. Here: https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/return-of-the-living-thylacine/

There are tracks that pop up every so often, but they're not common...which is about what you'd expect from a relict population of secretive animals living in places people rarely go. Folks out for a hike aren't going to be looking for tracks. And even of you do find them, the historical thylacine tracks are pretty easy to confuse with a devil.

It's fascinating to me because there's loads of evidence that it existed long after 1930. The sighting I mentioned last night was the Hans Naarding sighting in 1982. Really interesting, he was a ranger and his sighting was so good it triggered a two year secret expedition. Hans himself says that he believes his thylacine was probably the very last one though...which is unlikely but might not be far from the truth.

There's a conspiracy theory, although I'm not into that sort of thing, that they actually found them after that sighting. And that the millions they put into funding fox eradication programs are actually going towards study and protection, because there has never been evidence of a successful and permanent fox population in Tasmania (I also don't necessarily agree with that idea, but that's another discussion)

The problem is that even if they do still exist, I can't see how they survive long term. Still, I'd be thoroughly unsurprised if somewhere down the track the Tasmanian government announces that they actually went extinct in our lifetime, and they had (rightly) been protecting the existence of a small number of animals in a last ditch effort to save them

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

We have a disease free Koala population just south of Campbelltown and while there have been a few band aid situation to protect them the NSW government have approved a plan of a housing estate by Land Lease at Mt Gilead, even though there have been stipulations put on Lend Lease to make the development koala friendly and the original plans have been scaled back this is just not good enough in 2020 considering the considerable hit the koala populations took with the bush fires and we have a disease free viable population on Sydney's door step.

I can still remember the northern beaches having a population of Koalas back into the 70's and even early 80's but they were all but wiped out from the area but luckily with part of the area bordering the Ku-ring-gai National Park a small percentage could remain as an adult Koala was found in Belrose in January last year but the days when Koalas were spotted around Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Whale Beach , Bilgola areas are long gone.

That’s a good point Horrie.

I tend to see the human v nature in other things as well such as the mad rush to buy suvs. P

People are happy to lug around an extra ton or so of sheet metal and plastic for no compelling reason.

No thought to the environmental impact of grubby diesels or overheating turbos, space etc.

And the state governments are bringing in extra taxes on electric cars, when probably, they should be offering more incentives.

This age of developers, accountants and spin doctors controlling society gets lame after awhile.

“ don’t skip this ad” is a red flag to a bull.

 

[horrie hastings]

Is that the one at Wedderburn? I remember the fight going on to save it in the 1980s, the Campbelltown Mayor was in favour of saving it but recognised it just had to be done right. Some of the developers and pro-Koala folk were at each other's throats. At times it was like keystone cops but they eventually got their act together.

Yep that is the Wedderburn population and yes i remember the fight back in the 80s, its amazing the fight that originally saved the population but the fight is still going on 30 years later to have this population of Koalas completely protected. It is interesting that along the Georges River is a corridor that Koalas have even been spotted as far as Liverpool from that population, the Holsworthy Military base was a spot where Koalas were found and protected within the boundaries but the bush fires there a few years ago really devastated that colony.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Knew some monkey wrench protestors back in day.

Ahead of their time.

Their mission was to get media attention to the plight of endangered species.

One of them serves our country these days.

Seems an apt career choice for a young radical.

 

[Willow]

Yep that is the Wedderburn population and yes i remember the fight back in the 80s, its amazing the fight that originally saved the population but the fight is still going on 30 years later to have this population of Koalas completely protected. It is interesting that along the Georges River is a corridor that Koalas have even been spotted as far as Liverpool from that population, the Holsworthy Military base was a spot where Koalas were found and protected within the boundaries but the bush fires there a few years ago really devastated that colony.

Bloody hell Horrie. You're not going to tell me you're a westie as well as a Newtown dweller?

 

[horrie hastings]

Bloody hell Horrie. You're not going to tell me you're a westie as well as a Newtown dweller?

Nah mate, the further west i have lived is Stanmore. Just took a bit of an interest back in 80s when the plight of Wedderburn koalas was exposed and have been following it on and off ever since. Just think it is still amazing we have a disease free viable population on the door step of Sydney which should be protected at all costs.

 

[Willow]

Nah mate, the further west i have lived is Stanmore. Just took a bit of an interest back in 80s when the plight of Wedderburn koalas was exposed and have been following it on and off ever since. Just think it is still amazing we have a disease free viable population on the door step of Sydney which should be protected at all costs.

Pretty similar experience here.

I heard about Wedderburn while working in Newtown in the early 80s. There was a proposed development going in. I did a bit of bush walking around there. IMO it was well worth preserving so became involved for a brief period, but the leadership was a bit messy so I left them to it. I recall there was some sort of compromise made in the end between the developers, conservationists and Council. As you say, it should be protected. Perhaps the establishment of the Dharawal National Park is a part legacy of this.

 

[Generalzod]

We have a disease free Koala population just south of Campbelltown and while there have been a few band aid situation to protect them the NSW government have approved a plan of a housing estate by Land Lease at Mt Gilead, even though there have been stipulations put on Lend Lease to make the development koala friendly and the original plans have been scaled back this is just not good enough in 2020/21 considering the considerable hit the koala populations took with the bush fires and we have a disease free viable population on Sydney's door step.

I can still remember the northern beaches having a population of Koalas back into the 70's and even early 80's but they were all but wiped out from the area but luckily with part of the area bordering the Ku-ring-gai National Park a small percentage could remain as an adult Koala was found in Belrose in January last year but the days when Koalas were spotted around Palm Beach, Avalon, Newport, Whale Beach , Bilgola areas are long gone.

There is a reason why they call Gladys the Koala killer you know...

 

[Generalzod]

My brother and his chem trail..lol

 

[horrie hastings]

Pretty similar experience here.

I heard about Wedderburn while working in Newtown in the early 80s. There was a proposed development going in. I did a bit of bush walking around there. IMO it was well worth preserving so became involved for a brief period, but the leadership was a bit messy so I left them to it. I recall there was some sort of compromise made in the end between the developers, conservationists and Council. As you say, it should be protected. Perhaps the establishment of the Dharawal National Park is a part legacy of this.

Another interesting Koala encounter on the Sydney fringes

 

[Willow]

Another interesting Koala encounter on the Sydney fringes

It could be a good sign but it may be that it forced out of its usual habitat. I assume someone is checking it out.

I saw a kangaroo hopping down Cotlew St, Southport one day, one of the main streets near the CBD. Some bushland further west has just been cleared.

 

[horrie hastings]

It could be a good sign but it may be that it forced out of its usual habitat. I assume someone is checking it out.

I saw a kangaroo hopping down Cotlew St, Southport one day, one of the main streets near the CBD. Some bushland further west has just been cleared.

Just looking at the map Brooklyn is connected to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park which has been known to have Koalas over the years but they have been rarely spotted for many years, another adult koala was spotted at Belrose at the other end of the park in Jan 2019 which hopefully indicates the park has a population of koalas, they were prominent in the park in the 80s so hopefully a population still exists. Also just to the north west of the Hawkesbury River in the Dharug National park night vision cameras picked up images of two Koalas back in 2017, the first time they have been spotted in that area in at least 2 decades.

 

[horrie hastings]

I saw a kangaroo hopping down Cotlew St, Southport one day, one of the main streets near the CBD. Some bushland further west has just been cleared.

Wild life in Newtown lol

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-25/escaped-water-buffalo-run-down-king-street-in-sydney/5343292