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“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life”: The benefits of playing music can’t be understated

Whether you’re driving in the car, riding in a lift, or attending a concert, music is everywhere. For many, our involvement in creating music stopped outside of high school music classes and attempts to learn the recorder, keyboard, guitar, or to sing. Or it might have included playing in the school band, taking music lessons as a child, or maybe even continuing to play at university. But playing music is something that often falls to the wayside as we get older, with the demands of work, home and family taking priority. Given that playing music has benefits for our mental health, including easing anxiety and depression, feelings of satisfaction with life and health, and even reduced alexithymia - a dysfunction affecting emotional awareness, social attachment and how we relate to others - it’s an activity that many of us can reap benefits from. For Stephen O’Doherty, the conductor and musical director of Golden Kangaroos Concert Band, music has been an outlet for expressing himself creatively and maintaining his wellbeing - and he has seen similar effects in many of the players he works and plays with. “Having outlets to express myself creatively through musical performance has been absolutely essential in maintaining my wellbeing and having a stable quality of life,” he tells OverSixty. “The (Golden Kangaroos) have many members who have joined later in life. For some it is a chance to take up the same opportunity they gave their children, encouraging them to learn music at school and wishing they could have done the same. “For others it is the idea that playing music will help them to keep their brains active as they enter later life. For others, or perhaps for all of the above, joining a community band is a way of finding their tribe, their people, a safe place where people of a like mind can learn, grow, and contribute together. “Knowing the many life stories of our members, I can say with absolute alacrity that band contributes to their identity and self-fulfilment in ways that may never be explicitly known but are formative and extremely significant.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks0.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> With the benefits of playing music established, taking music into a community environment brings with it additional benefits to our wellbeing. In a study <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163211.pdf">published</a> in the London Review of Education, Dr Debra Rodgers, whose PhD focused on community music and mental health-related stigma, argued that community music can be beneficial in helping both to distract participants from their personal worries and as a place where they can interact without fear or judgement. O’Doherty agrees, adding that playing in a group is a way for many to truly be themselves. “We know that learning music has beneficial effects intellectually and emotionally. Learning or performing with others adds a social dimension that, I think, is critically important,” he says. “At its best, playing in a well-run musical group helps us to express our emotions in a safe and structured way, and that is good for the soul. We are part of something bigger than ourselves and, when we play for an audience, we are (hopefully) gifting them a great experience. Enriching others also enriches us. “For many, band is the place where they are most fulfilled. Where their contribution matters. Where they will be missed if absent. Where they are safe when expressing their creativity. “To play music alone is good. It is personally satisfying and should not be underrated. But to play with others and achieve a pleasing outcome for an audience is a whole new level. It both fosters and requires a level of interpersonal communication between performers that is beyond words. “Such intimacy is rare in everyday life. It enriches the human experience in a unique and very special way.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> For O’Doherty, playing music has had added benefits when it comes to his own mental health, including managing the symptoms of depression. “Depression is a serious and debilitating condition which, untreated, will attack our self-worth and seriously affect our quality of life. I have lived with this condition for my entire life,” he explains. “... if I can’t perform music I am not being fully me. I am somehow less than whole. Music is a way I find wholeness, an acceptance of who I am and of what I can contribute to the world around me. “When a black mood sets in and starts attacking my self-worth, playing music is one of the few things that can restore me, and I find joy and purpose in seeing the beneficial impact on the members of our group.” As for those who may have played music in the past or have always wanted to learn, O’Doherty suggests finding a safe place to give it a go. “Many people go through the stage of leaving their earlier musical learning behind. After school or Uni life gets busy!” he says. “I want to encourage people however to think about this: when you were the best version of yourself, was performing music part of the equation? If the answer is yes (or even maybe) then do you not owe it to yourself and your loved ones to return? And if you’ve not yet tried to learn an instrument but have a yearning desire to express your creative instincts in this way, what do you have to lose? “Find a safe place to explore your interest and give it a go! Creative expression is part of what it is to be truly human. Perhaps music is your pathway to a more fulsome life.” Images: Stuart Coster (Supplied)

Mind

This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea – descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago

Long ago, almost up until the end of the last ice age, a peculiar giant kangaroo roamed the mountainous rainforests of New Guinea. Now, research to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2022.2086518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> on Thursday by myself and colleagues suggests this kangaroo was not closely related to modern Australian kangaroos. Rather, it represents a previously unknown type of primitive kangaroo unique to New Guinea. The age of megafauna Australia used to be home to all manner of giant animals called megafauna, until most of them went extinct about 40,000 years ago. These megafauna lived alongside animals we now consider characteristic of the Australian bush – kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and the like – but many were larger species of these. There were giant wombats called Phascolonus, 2.5-metre-tall short-faced kangaroos, and the 3-tonne Diprotodon optatum (the largest marsupial ever). In fact, some Australian megafaunal species, such as the red kangaroo, emu and cassowary, survive through to the modern day. The fossil megafauna of New Guinea are considerably less well-studied than those of Australia. But despite being shrouded in mystery, New Guinea’s fossil record has given us hints of fascinating and unusual animals whose evolutionary stories are entwined with Australia’s. Palaeontologists have done sporadic expeditions and fossil digs in New Guinea, including digs by American and Australian researchers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. It was during an archaeological excavation in the early 1970s, led by Mary-Jane Mountain, that two jaws of an extinct giant kangaroo were unearthed. A young researcher (now professor) named Tim Flannery called the species Protemnodon nombe. The fossils Flannery described are about 20,000–50,000 years old. They come from the Nombe Rockshelter, an archaeological and palaeontological site in the mountains of central Papua New Guinea. This site also delivered fossils of another kangaroo and giant four-legged marsupials called diprotodontids. An unexpected discovery Flinders University Professor Gavin Prideaux and I recently re-examined the fossils of Protemnodon nombe and found something unexpected. This strange kangaroo was not a species of the genus Protemnodon, which used to live all over Australia, from the Kimberley to Tasmania. It was something a lot more primitive and unknown. In particular, its unusual molars with curved enamel crests set it apart from all other known kangaroos. We moved the species into a brand new genus unique to New Guinea and (very creatively) renamed it Nombe nombe. <figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/724328370" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A 3D surface scan of a specimen of Nombe nombe, specifically a fossilised lower jaw from central Papua New Guinea. (Courtesy of Papua New Guinea Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby).</figcaption></figure> Our findings show Nombe may have evolved from an ancient form of kangaroo that migrated into New Guinea from Australia in the late Miocene epoch, some 5–8 million years ago. In those days, the islands of New Guinea and Australia were connected by a land bridge due to lower sea levels – whereas today they’re separated by the Torres Strait. This “bridge” allowed early Australian mammals, including megafauna, to migrate to New Guinea’s rainforests. When the Torres Strait flooded again, these animal populations became disconnected from their Australian relatives and evolved separately to suit their tropical and mountainous New Guinean home. We now consider Nombe to be the descendant of one of these ancient lineages of kangaroos. The squat, muscular animal lived in a diverse mountainous rainforest with thick undergrowth and a closed canopy. It evolved to eat tough leaves from trees and shrubs, which gave it a thick jawbone and strong chewing muscles. The species is currently only known from two fossil lower jaws. And much more remains to be discovered. Did Nombe hop like modern kangaroos? Why did it go extinct? As is typical of palaeontology, one discovery inspires an entire host of new questions. Strange but familiar animals Little of the endemic animal life of New Guinea is known outside of the island, even though it is very strange and very interesting. Very few Australians have much of an idea of what’s there, just over the strait. When I went to the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby early in my PhD, I was thrilled by the animals I encountered. There are several living species of large, long-nosed, worm-eating echidna – one of which weighs up to 15 kilograms. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Author Isaac Kerr poses for a photo, holding an Australian giant kangaroo jaw in his left hand" /></a><figcaption>I’m excited to start digging in New Guinea’s rainforests! Author provided</figcaption></figure> There are also dwarf cassowaries and many different wallaby, tree kangaroo and possum species that don’t exist in Australia – plus many more in the fossil record. We tend to think of these animals as being uniquely Australian, but they have other intriguing forms in New Guinea. As an Australian biologist, it’s both odd and exhilarating to see these “Aussie” animals that have expanded into new and weird forms in another landscape. Excitingly for me and my colleagues, Nombe nombe may breathe some new life into palaeontology in New Guinea. We’re part of a small group of researchers that was recently awarded a grant to undertake three digs at two different sites in eastern and central Papua New Guinea over the next three years. Working with the curators of the Papua New Guinea Museum and other biologists, we hope to inspire young local biology students to study palaeontology and discover new fossil species. If we’re lucky, there may even be a complete skeleton of Nombe nombe waiting for us.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185778/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/isaac-alan-robert-kerr-1356949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaac Alan Robert Kerr</a>, PhD Candidate for Palaeontology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flinders University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-giant-kangaroo-once-roamed-new-guinea-descended-from-an-australian-ancestor-that-migrated-millions-of-years-ago-185778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Supplied

Domestic Travel

Man rescues mob of kangaroos from Ukraine zoo

Ten kangaroos have been evacuated to safety as Russia continues attacks in Ukraine’s second major city, Kharkiv. A video shows the animals being transported to a new home from Feldman Ecopark where three staff and animals including orangutans were killed after they were caught in the horrific war zone. A van driver fleeing with the frightened kangaroos says: 'It is one month since the war began and we keep evacuating the animals.' Other footage shows the peace and tranquility at the Kharkiv zoo before the war began. 'These kangaroos are already safe,' said the zoo. 'This is very good, because their enclosures, unfortunately, were repeatedly shelled. 'We believe that now they will be fine.' A statement said: 'Many thanks to volunteers and employees who take risks to save animals, as well as to our many friends - caring people, businesses and non-governmental organisations who help us financially and make our rescue operations possible. 'Your support truly saves lives.' The kangaroos were the latest to be saved from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv. Sadly, some have been killed in the attacks. 'We cannot avoid tragedies,' said a spokesman. 'Four fallow deer and three Welsh goats became victims of another barbaric shelling. 'The list of victims of aggression among our pets is growing - it already includes large cats, primates, ungulates, marsupials, and birds... 'Feldman Ecopark has been on the line of fire for the last month. 'In order for the mournful list to no longer expand, we must take out all the animals.' Ten days ago mortar shelling by the 'Russian aggressors' destroyed the winter enclosures of great apes at the popular facility, killing two orangutans and a chimpanzee. Staff and rescuers have recently managed to save rare spurred turtles, along with white-nosed and blue monkeys. The turtles each weighing over 100kg. 'For the first time in Ukraine, these Red Book giants successfully bred in our Ecopark, and we believe that everything will be fine with them.' Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the zoo had more than 300 species of animals but were repeatedly hit by Russian shelling since the 24th of February. Click <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/tp38yy/these_kangaroos_were_saved_from_an_eco_park_in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>to see the amazing footage. Images: Reddit

Family & Pets

Bizarre search for escaped kangaroo in Denmark

Police in south-east Denmark have appealed for public help to track down a kangaroo that was filmed hopping across a field. Police said on Facebook that a driver saw the marsupial "hopping around" near Oster Ulslev, a village 16km from the port city of Rodbyhavn where ferries connect to northern Germany. They said the driver, whom they did not identify, had the presence of mind to film the animal although they acknowledged the three-second video they posted was "short and grainy." The South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police requested any sightings or information on the animal's whereabouts to be reported using non-emergency number 114. The kangaroo is not considered to be dangerous and was not reported as missing. Despite the fact that kangaroos are not common in northern Europe, it is the second time the same police district has reached out for help in finding one: in 2014, a kangaroo escaped from a private animal farm in the same area. In July 2018, a kangaroo was on the run elsewhere in Denmark for half a day before its owner found it. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

The Versace fashion house recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/15/versace-bans-kangaroo-skin-after-pressure-from-animal-activists">announced</a> it had stopped using kangaroo skins in its fashion collections after coming under pressure from animal rights group <a href="https://www.lav.it/en">LAV</a>. Kangaroo meat and skin has an annual production <a href="http://www.kangarooindustry.com/industry/economic/">value</a> of around A$174 million, with skins used in the fashion and shoe manufacturing industries. There are legitimate questions regarding the ethical manner in which kangaroos are killed. But Indigenous people have long utilised the skins of kangaroos and possums. Versace’s concerns may have been allayed by understanding more about our traditions and practices. Reviving skills There has always been concern around how native animals are treated while alive and how they are killed to cause as little distress, pain and suffering as possible. Campaigners say <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australia-versace-kangaroos">2.3 million</a> kangaroos in Australia are hunted each year. Official <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives/wild-harvest/kangaroo-wallaby-statistics/kangaroo-2000">sources</a> cite this figure as the national quota, but put the number actually killed at around 1.7 million. Australian Aboriginal people have for many thousands of years utilised native animals, predominantly kangaroos and possums. Consciously and sustainably, every part of the animal was used. The kangaroo meat was eaten, the skins used to make cloaks for wearing, teeth used to make needles, sinew from the tail used as thread. The cloaks were incised with designs on the skin side significant to the wearer representing their totems, status and kinship. Cloaks were made for babies and added to as the child grew into adulthood, and people were buried in their <a href="https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/aboriginal-skin-cloaks/">cloaks</a>when they died. Aboriginal women from New South Wales and Victoria have begun <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/museums/images/content/exhibitions-events/where-we-all-meet/djon-mundine-essay-sectioned.pdf">reviving</a> the tradition of kangaroo and possum skin cloak-making to pass down knowledge of this important practice to future generations. Interestingly, possum skins can only be purchased from New Zealand for these crafts. As an introduced species, they have wreaked havoc on NZ animal populations and the environment, but are a protected species in Australia. Culls and trade In Australia, kangaroos are not farmed but are harvested for meat and fur in the wild under a voluntary <a href="https://www.viva.org.uk/under-fire/cruelty-kangaroos">code of conduct</a>. The code is difficult to monitor and enforcement is <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/thinkk_production/resources/29/Kangaroo_Court_Enforcement_of_the_law_governing_commercial_kangaroo_killing_.pdf">complicated</a> by federal and state sharing of responsibility. This code is currently under <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/kangaroo-commercial-code-review/">review</a>. The export and import of wildlife is <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives">regulated</a> under Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act. In practice, kangaroos are shot in the wild by professional licensed shooters with an intended single shot to the head to kill them quickly. There are <a href="http://thinkkangaroos.uts.edu.au/issues/welfare-and-enforcement.html">concerns</a> over whether shooters should be trained better and whether nighttime shoots with poor visibility result in the killing of alpha males or mothers with joeys in their pouches. If mothers are accidentally shot, the code dictates the joey should be shot too. Sometimes the shot does not kill them instantly and they are then clubbed over the head. Traditionally, Aboriginal people speared kangaroos. This was unlikely to kill them instantly, so they were swiftly killed with a blow to the head by a boondi(wooden club). Why kangaroo? Kangaroo skin is extremely strong and more flexible than other leathers, including cow hide. It is routinely used in the production of soccer boots as they mould to the feet extremely well and don’t need to be worn in like harder leathers. This has led to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-12/kangaroo-skin-hits-fashion-capitals/1799602">increase</a> in the use of kangaroo. LAV <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">reports</a> Italy is the biggest importer of kangaroo leather in Europe, where it is used to produce soccer shoes and motorbike suits. They are <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">lobbying</a> brands Lotto and Dainese to stop using kangaroo, arguing that shooting animals is not sustainable given the estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-left-millions-of-animals-dead-we-should-use-them-not-just-bury-them-129787">1 billion</a> creatures killed in bushfires this season. In terms of environmental sustainability, kangaroos cause less damage to the environment than cattle. Cows contribute methane gas, their hard hooves destroy the earth, they eat the grass to a point that it does not regenerate. Kangaroos eat the grass leaving a small portion to re-flourish, they bounce across the land without causing damage to it, and don’t produce methane gases. The use of kangaroo skins in fashion can be done ethically if the code is reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal people and enforced properly. The industry has the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">potential</a> to produce and support sustainable business opportunities for Aboriginal communities. While celebrities are <a href="https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/fur/latest-news/kardashians-shamed-among-10-worst-celebrities-fur-animals/">shamed</a> for wearing fur fashion, this relates to the unregulated and inhumane treatment of coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals. In contrast, scientists <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">consider</a> kangaroo harvest as “one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact”. Only natural Versace, along with most fashion retailers across the high-end to ready-to-wear spectrum, use synthetic fibres in their fashion products. Such materials eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-make-fast-fashion-a-problem-for-its-makers-not-charities-117977">cause more damage</a> to the environment than natural fibres and skins. They don’t biodegrade and many of these fibres end up in landfill, our oceans or in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119348808">stomachs of fish</a>. Animal skins will always be used in fashion and other products because of the unique properties the skins bring to design and function. While the bushfires have killed millions of Australian native animals, kangaroo culls are managed to have limited impact on the population. We should focus our energy on saving Australian native animals that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">close to extinction</a> and lobbying for a stricter ethical code for shooters that can be legally enforced to ensure kangaroos are killed humanely. Written by Dr Fabri Blacklock. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-on-the-kangaroos-back-animal-skin-fashion-exports-and-ethical-trade-130207">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

Devastating scenes for wildlife rescuers at Kangaroo Island

Wildlife rescuers have been left heartbroken as they comprehend the sheer scale and task of helping injured wildlife that have been impacted by the bushfires. Wildlife rescuers were surrounded by burnt-out trees and ground covered with ash and dead animals who passed in the bushfires. Dozens of injured koalas have been arriving at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park’s makeshift animal hospital in cat carriers, washing baskets or clinging to their carers. However, it’s not all positive as many that have been rescued are found to be so badly injured that they must be euthanised. Steve Selwood, South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management team leader at the hospital said that 46,000 koalas were thought to be on the island before the bushfires. “The fires here were particularly ferocious and fast moving, so we’re seeing a lot less injured wildlife than in other fires,” he tells <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wildlife-rescuers-find-signs-of-life-among-kangaroo-island-devastation/news-story/869a45d590338135af1254b4f6ec1176">news.com.au</a>. “A lot of the wildlife was incinerated.” With almost half of Kangaroo Island being ruined by fire, an estimated 80 per cent of koala habitat has been wiped out, which means that once the koalas are healed, they have nowhere to go. This issue is on the backburner as teams of vets work to save as many native wildlife as they can.

Domestic Travel

Tales of wombat "heroes" are unfortunately not true

If you’ve been following the bushfire crisis on social media and elsewhere, you may have seen reports of <a href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/animals/wombats-share-their-burrows-with-animals-displaced-in-bushfires/">benevolent wombats</a> herding other animals to shelter into their fire-proof burrows. These stories went quickly viral – probably reflecting the appetite for good news after the horrors of the bushfire crisis. However the accounts are not entirely accurate. Wombats do not heroically round up helpless animals during a bushfire and lead them to safety. But wombats do help other animals in a different way – even if it’s not their intention. Accidental heroes Wombats can emerge as accidental heroes during a bushfire, by providing a safe refuge underground for other wildlife. Wombat warrens – networks of interconnecting burrows – are large and complex, and considerably shielded from the above-ground environment. Small mammals are known to <a href="https://media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/Uploads/Documents/38347/ams370_vXVIII_05_LowRes.ffb19ac.pdf">use wombat burrows</a> to survive an inferno. <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1017/S0952836902001620">One study</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_hairy-nosed_wombat">southern hairy-nosed wombat</a>, for instance, found warrens with 28 entrances and nearly 90 metres of tunnels. What’s more, temperatures deep within burrows are very stable compared to surface temperatures, with daily temperature fluctuations of less than <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1017/S0952836902001620">1℃, compared to 24℃</a> on the surface. This thermal buffering would help a great deal during intense fires, and you can understand why other species would want access to these safe havens. The wombat sharehouse By placing camera traps outside 34 wombat burrows, <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/am/am15052">a 2015 study</a> showed a surprising variety of animals using southern hairy-nosed wombat burrows. Researchers observed ten other species, six of which used them on multiple occasions. The intruders ranged from rock wallabies and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2784/21961179">bettongs</a> to skinks and birds. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_penguin">Little penguins</a> were recorded using burrows 27 times, while the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/16751/21955343">black-footed rock wallaby</a> was observed using wombat burrows more often than wombats – nearly 2,000 visits in eight weeks! They were even observed using the burrows to specifically avoid birds of prey. But wombats aren’t alone in providing real estate for other species. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinifex_hopping_mouse">Hopping mice</a>, <a href="https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:0d4c9c0c-51d3-44e0-a365-fe0f8b791c66">echidnas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremiascincus">sand swimming skinks</a>, <a href="https://www.ridgeandvalleyreptiles.com/nephrurus-milli.html">barking geckoes</a> and numerous invertebrates <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196308001821">were found</a> using the warrens of bettongs and bilbies in arid Australia. Anybody home? It’s also important to recognise wombats don’t have “a burrow”. Rather, they have <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/wr07067">multiple burrows</a> within their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_range">home range</a>. In fact, a 2012 study tracked one wombat to <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00881.x">14 different burrows</a>. While wombats are often regarded as quite sedentary, <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00881.x?casa_token=SiuOr4VY07oAAAAA%3AQNnJyBxVubXbqq27P9j_Z6-fqIsTD0NE1rdU9OGlifTq2v53Ti6eJWPCAc77wljbRgYCzinXHVRiWv_Jyw">another study</a> found the average home range size of common wombats is 172 hectares. They spend <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/zo/ZO02061">a few nights</a> sleeping in one burrow, before moving onto another. Since each wombat has multiple burrows, many can be vacant within a home range, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320707001048">abandoned burrows</a> are common in some areas. <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/Fulltext/WR07067">A 2007 study</a> showed that even among “active” burrows (those with signs of recent use), only one in three are actually occupied by a wombat at any given time. This means, at times, other species may not need to share burrows with wombats at all. It’s vacant real estate. So how might a wombat react to an uninvited guest? This is difficult to know, and likely depends on who’s visiting. Wombats prefer not to share burrows with other wombats, although burrow sharing <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/zo/ZO02061">can be common</a> when wombat populations are very high in one place. In her book <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6088/">Wombats</a>, Barbara Triggs recalls a fox being chased from a burrow by an angry wombat. Meanwhile, the crushed skulls of foxes and dogs in wombat burrows suggest not all intruders are welcome. That a suite of species use wombat burrows suggests wombats may not notice or care about squatters – so long as they don’t pose a threat. But more research is needed on the fascinating interactions that take place in wombat burrows, particularly during fire. The battle is not over While empirical studies are needed, the available evidence suggests wombats may well provide an important refuge for other wildlife during fire. In any case, it’s important to recognise that surviving fire is only <a href="https://theconversation.com/animal-response-to-a-bushfire-is-astounding-these-are-the-tricks-they-use-to-survive-129327">half the battle</a>. Wombats and their house guests face a medley of challenges post-fire – not least avoiding predators in a barren landscape and eking out a living in a landscape with scarce food. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-nimmo-15432">Dale Nimmo</a>, Associate professor/ARC DECRA fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tales-of-wombat-heroes-have-gone-viral-unfortunately-theyre-not-true-129891">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Why some animals are able to pause their own pregnancies

Putting your pregnancy on pause until the time is right to give birth sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but for many mammals what’s known as “embryonic diapause” is an essential part of raising their young. Although scientists have known since the 1850s that some animals have this ability, it is only now becoming clear how it could teach us valuable lessons about human pregnancy, stem cells, and cancer. Which animals can do this? More than 130 species of mammal can pause their pregnancies. The pause can last anywhere between a couple of days and 11 months. In most species (except some bats, who do it a little later) this happens when the embryo is a tiny ball of about 80 cells, before it attaches to the uterus. It’s not just a single group of mammals, either. Various species seem to have developed the ability as needed to reproduce more successfully. Most carnivores can pause their pregnancies, including all bears and most seals, but so can many rodents, deer, armadillos, and anteaters. More than a third of the species that take a breather during gestation are from Australia, including some possums and all but three species of kangaroo and wallaby. The record-holder for pregnancy pause time is the tammar wallaby, which has been studied extensively for its ability to put embryos on hold for up to 11 months. Why pause pregnancy? The main advantage to pausing pregnancy is that it separates mating and birth. There are two main ways in which animals do this. The first way is to mate soon after giving birth, to have a backup pregnancy in case something happens to the newborn young. The stress of lactating triggers a pause that lasts during suckling, and the pregnancy restarts once the young leave. The second way is to pause every pregnancy until the time is right (usually depending on the season). For example, minks mate around the start of March but put the embryos on pause until after the spring equinox (March 21), when the days are growing longer in their northern hemisphere homes. This ensures that the young are born in spring when conditions improve, and not in winter. The tammar wallaby combines these two methods (suckling in the first half of the year, short days in the second) to pause for almost a year and give birth in January. This ensures the young leave the pouch the following spring instead of in the middle of a hot Australian summer. What can we learn from diapause? Diapause was first identified in 1854 after hunters in Europe noticed that pregnancy in roe deer seemed to last a lot longer than normal. Since then scientists have been fascinated by this process and it has helped us understand more about basic reproductive processes in all mammals. But it took until 1950 before our knowledge of pregnancy had increased enough so that we could confirm what the hunters had observed 100 years earlier. But how the process worked at the molecular level is still a mystery. Until recently, there seemed to be no connection between which species used it and which didn’t and there didn’t seem to be a unifying mechanism for how pregnancy was paused. Even the hormones controlling diapause are different between mammal groups. However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.140074bm">research</a> now suggests that regardless of what hormones affect the uterus, the molecular signalling between the uterus and the embryo is conserved, at least between the mouse, mink and tammar wallaby. Furthermore, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033027">researchers in Poland</a> paused embryos from sheep (a non-diapause species) by transferring them into a mouse uterus and then back into the sheep with no ill effects. This indicates the potential for diapause could lie in all mammals, including humans. So when can I pause my pregnancy? It’s unlikely that pausing pregnancy will become the norm in humans. For starters, you’d have to know you were pregnant within five days of conceiving to match the time when most species start diapause. Understanding how mammals pause their pregnancies does have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949116/">significant implications</a> for our understanding of how to make healthy embryos. The time when the embryo enters into diapause is the same time in IVF when an embryo is transferred into the uterus. Diapause could help us improve how we grow embryos in culture or how to recognise which is the “best” embryo to transfer. Diapause could also help create better stem cells and find new cancer treatments. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/292154a0">first stem cells</a> ever isolated by scientists came from a mouse embryo in diapause, when the cell cycle of the embryo is arrested. Stem cells are also <a href="https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807(15)00658-9">remarkably similar</a> to a diapaused embryo. So understanding how diapause works at the molecular level could lead to new therapies to halt cell division or to identify markers for tumour stem cells, which are thought to be <a href="https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/scrt13">responsible for metastasis</a> in cancer.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125635/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-fenelon-594114">Jane Fenelon</a>, Research fellow in monotreme and marsupial reproduction and development, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-animals-pause-their-own-pregnancies-but-how-they-do-it-is-still-a-mystery-125635">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Hopping wet: Stubborn kangaroo jumps back into river after police rescue

Police on a jetski were filmed rescuing a kangaroo who went for a swim in a lake in ACT yesterday. The video of the attempted rescue was filmed on the edge of Lake Burleigh Griffin and featured a very happy marsupial just going for a swim. Police officers on a jetski pulled the kangaroo onto their jetski in an attempted rescue and dumped the animal on shore, hoping it would hop away to safety. However, the kangaroo had other ideas. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ul087KosE8g"></iframe></div> As soon as the kangaroo was put onto shore, he turned around and jumped back into the water and swam away. The video ends with disgruntled police officers jetting back to the marsupial. Commenters were thrilled with the animals determination to keep swimming, as many had never seen a kangaroo in the water before. “Obviously wants to get to the other side! Kangaroos are great swimmers,” one commenter said. “Feet like flippers,” another said. ACT Police spoke to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/police-jetski-rescue-foiled-by-stubborn-swimming-kangaroo/news-story/c8d10ff0ae037d66c0b4b15d6044671b" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> about the incident, saying that after the camera stopped rolling, the kangaroo was rescued again and taken to the bush. “ACT Water Police officers were alerted to a kangaroo in the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin,” a spokesperson said. “Officers rescued the kangaroo from the lake, and handed it to parks workers who relocated the kangaroo to a bushland location.”

Domestic Travel

Kangaroo brawl captured on infrared police camera

Kangaroos are one of the most well-loved animals in Australia, but if this footage is anything to go by you wouldn’t want to come across one in a dark alley. Police have captured an incredible infrared video of two kangaroos coming to blows in bushland Victoria. The footage, which you can see below, was taken from a helicopter that was flying overhead and scanning the scene. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nlEGihR2ZBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Goodness knows what these two kangaroos were fighting about, but you definitely wouldn’t want to be the one to step in between the two and break the fight up. Have you ever seen a pair of kangaroos having a biff? Hero image credit: Victoria Police via Storyful

International Travel

This adorable kangaroo joey just wants a cuddle

Sometimes in life you just need a little bit of affection. In this video, an adorable mob of kangaroo joeys is hassling one of the volunteers at Our Haven Wildlife Shelter in Golden Beach, Victoria. And they’re just after a little TLC. The video, which you can see below, was shared on the shelter’s Facebook page and features Joe, a particularly insistent joey who clung onto the keeper’s leg, hoping for a smooch. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fourhavenwildlifeshelter%2Fvideos%2F1283271545113478%2F&show_text=0&width=400" width="400" height="400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> And who could resist that face? For more information on the sort of great work Our Haven Wildlife Shelter is doing for Australian animals at need, you can check out their website here. Have you ever had a cute encounter with a kangaroo?

International Travel

Older kangaroo helps young joey scratch his back

Ah, is there anything worse than having an itch you can’t quite reach? It’s enough to drive you hopping mad! <a href="http://www.ourhavenwildlifeshelter.org.au/">Our Haven Wildlife Shelter</a> in Victoria, Australia, has posted a video of a young kangaroo joey with that exact problem. Spud the joey has an itch that he’s been struggling with for a while, but no matter how hard he tries he just can’t get his tiny paws back there to scratch it. His friend Blue, an older kangaroo, notices this and decides to lend a helping paw. Our Haven Wildlife Shelter is a non-profit animal sanctuary where sick and injured wildlife are nursed back to health. For more information, <a href="http://www.ourhavenwildlifeshelter.org.au/">click here</a>. What’s your favourite Australian animal? Credit: Our Haven Wildlife Shelter Inc non profit via Storyful

International Travel

Kangaroo spotted bouncing through Melbourne streets

This kangaroo is living up to the Australian stereotype that kangaroos roam our streets. On March 2, the roo bounced past a primary school in the suburb to the shock of the pedestrians who captured the event on camera. This bouncy roo was spotted in Melbourne north-east suburb, Heidelberg. The video was captured by twitter user Andrew Leonard who spotted the marsupial early in the morning. On Twitter he wrote, “Kangaroo bouncing down the street in Heidelberg. #australia @notyoureverydayoccurance.” Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/03/luminous-jellyfish-spotted-in-depths-of-ocean/">Luminous jellyfish spotted in depths of ocean</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/03/live-stream-of-pregnant-giraffe/">People glued to watching live stream of pregnant giraffe</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2017/02/crocodile-bites-selfie-seeker-at-thai-national-park/">Crocodile bites selfie seeker at Thai national park</a>

News

Qantas unveils new flying kangaroo logo

Qantas has unveiled a new "flying kangaroo" logo to coincide with the launch of its 787 Dreamliner. Arriving next year, the new Boeing aircraft promises more space, better entertainment, technology and comfort. But the announcement of the new plane has been overshadowed by an updated logo. While the iconic flying kangaroo is still there, it has had a modern makeover. <img width="500" height="283" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29317/1_500x283.jpg" alt="1 (135)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> "This new brand is more streamlined and the shading behind the kangaroo gives a better sense of movement and depth. A silver band now extends from the tail to the rear of the fuselage, to give a more premium feel," said the industrial designer Marc Newson. "This is a streamlined version of the kangaroo, it's a modern version. It's something that we believe is the evolution of an amazing brand and over the years we have changed this flying kangaroo five times," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. <img width="500" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29318/2_500x280.jpg" alt="2 (138)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> But many people were quick to point out something was missing… the kangaroo’s paws. One user wrote on Facebook: "It look like a Nike tick gone wrong." "Looks like something I drew in primary school!" wrote another. What do you think of the updated logo? Are you a fan or not? Share in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/10/koala-and-butterfly-best-friends/">This koala and a butterfly are the best of friends</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/domestic-travel/2016/08/10-best-bird-watching-spots-in-australia/">10 best bird watching spots in Australia</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/domestic-travel/2016/08/breathtaking-images-of-flock-of-budgies/">Breathtaking images of flock of budgies</a>

News

Canberra cat spotted chasing kangaroo

A feisty feline from our nation’s capital has become quite the sensation after footage was released of him chasing after a kangaroo. Bailey, a domestic short-hair, has a reputation around Canberra for her decidedly dog-like behaviour, patrolling the neighbourhood and chasing after other animals – just like a good guard-cat should! “He does patrol the neighbourhood, he goes around the houses,” Bailey’s owner Ann Connell told <a href="http://www.9news.com.au/good-news/2016/10/07/06/09/canberra-cat-that-thinks-its-a-dog-filmed-chasing-kangaroo/?ocid=todaytw" target="_blank">9News</a>. “When someone rings the doorbell, he gets up and runs to the door and growls. There’s a guy who delivers community papers, Bailey follows him around every house, and when he gets to my letterbox (the cat) stands in front of him and growls.” The curious kitty has even taken on somewhat of a protective role towards his canine brother and Ann’s grandchildren. And, after watching the video above, we don’t think we’d want to get on his bad side! Tell us in the comments below, do you have a pet that thinks they’re another animal? Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/09/is-this-cat-walking-up-or-down-the-stairs/">Is this cat walking up or down the stairs?</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/09/ginger-cat-spends-nine-years-running-a-store-without-day-off/">Ginger cat spends nine years running a store</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/meet-samson-the-biggest-cat-in-the-world/">Meet Samson, the biggest cat in the world</a>

News

Meet Roger, the world’s buffest kangaroo

An absolute giant of a man approaches, kitted out like he's about to go on safari, and carrying two satchels around his shoulders. And inside those satchels are Hope and Patrick. They are two of the 13 orphaned kangaroos that Chris Barns is currently raising at home. Out in the enclosure, surrounded by a 2.5-kilometre fence that keeps the dingoes out, are 40-odd. Some will eventually go back into the wild, others have a new permanent home. He lets Hope and Patrick out of their fur-lined bags, and the pair of them scuttle around human feet without a care in the world. Hope has a broken leg, and it's covered in plaster that she'd clearly like to get rid of. "Baby kangaroos often learn to hop before they can learn to stop," says Chris with a shrug of the shoulders. Chris is a former zookeeper and tour guide whose life changed one day when he found a tiny orphaned joey inside the bloated two-or three-day old roadkill kangaroo corpse. "I gave up tour guiding that week," he says. That roadside encounter ten years ago set Chris off on a highly unlikely path to TV stardom. He decided to set up a kangaroo sanctuary, and did so with no money. "For six months I slept on a mattress out in the bush," he says. "Then I stayed in the shack for four years." Said shack is still at the entrance to the 90-acre reserve where the roos live as wild as they can do without falling prey to dingoes. "A really big brown snake lives there too," says Chris with an astonishingly blasé matter-of-factness that hints at why he has become a small screen hit on the other side of the world. "It lives in the walls – there are a lot of mice in there. That's why I always check it before bringing people in." Chris is the star of Kangaroo Dundee, a BBC series charting his roo rescue escapades. It has had relatively good viewing figures in the UK (it has also been shown at prime time on the ABC), and the third series is due to kick off in April 2016. The Steve Irwin comparisons go beyond the dress sense and clear love of wildlife. Chris has become a star overseas before Australia has properly cottoned on, and he's not afraid to put himself at risk. One of the stars of the show is Roger, the alpha male. "He's a big boy, and very aggressive," says Chris, lifting his shirt to show off some war wounds. "That's Roger," he says pointing at one scar. "That's Roger too. There are another six stitches on my groin. They're Roger." "Basically he's just a fighter," says Chris. "It's natural for an alpha male. He likes to see the threat go, so will always come out to confront you. If he grabs you, he doesn't let go. You can't get out easily. It's a chokehold. As for a well-placed kick, it can disembowel you." Roger made international headlines last year when a photo of the muscular giant crushing a metal bucket went viral. If visitors are coming, Roger has to be kept out of harm's way in his own paddock. And getting Roger inside the paddock is a surprisingly simple task. "He chases me everywhere, and charges full pelt at me," says Chris. "I just run in there and make sure I run fast enough to keep away from him." Chris leaps the fence to get in the paddock with Roger, who immediately gets on his hind legs and raises himself to Chris' height. Given that Chris is six foot seven, this is quite the display. And Roger is ripped to high heaven – he's all muscle. "Humans stand on two legs all the time," says Chris. "But to a kangaroo, that means 'fight'. And Roger thinks I want to fight." <img width="500" height="595" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/27241/kangaroo-in-text_500x595.jpg" alt="Kangaroo -in -text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The other roos aren't quite as feisty. Chris does his evening rounds of the property armed with bottles of milk for the orphans that need the extra feed. The tour group comes with him, but this is basically what he'd be doing every evening anyway. And inviting people along helps with the education side of things. "The idea's not to be the rescuer, but the teacher," says Chris. "The next town south is 700 kilometres away and I can't keep going out as a volunteer driving hundreds of kilometres." "Out of every ten dead kangaroos I stop to look at by the roadside, one has an orphan in the pouch. It's about getting people to look for that, and know how to rescue and look after the baby. "Put them in a pillowcase. Or make a bag out of a car seat cover or T-shirt. Hold them – they want to be held rather than put in a cardboard box. It helps settle them down. They're quite happy to sit in your arms – it's the way they're designed." At the end of the wander round the property, Chris scoops up Hope and Patrick, pops them in their bags and hands them out to be held. These two will probably never go back to the wild, but many of their less sociable cohorts back at Chris' house have a fighting chance. As long as Roger doesn't see to them first… Aren’t kangaroos just fascinating? What’s your favourite type of Australia animal? Let us know in the comments. Image credit: Instagram / thekangaroosanctuary Written by David Whitely. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/07/clever-invention-lets-carer-feed-multiple-joeys-at-once/">Clever invention lets carer feed multiple joeys at once</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/07/kangaroo-bounces-into-melbourne-cafe-for-breakfast/">Kangaroo bounces into Melbourne cafe for breakfast</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/06/perth-zoo-celebrates-birth-of-endangered-kangaroo/">Perth Zoo celebrates birth of endangered kangaroo</a>

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Tales of wombat "heroes" are unfortunately not true

Why some animals are able to pause their own pregnancies

Hopping wet: Stubborn kangaroo jumps back into river after police rescue

Kangaroo brawl captured on infrared police camera

This adorable kangaroo joey just wants a cuddle

Older kangaroo helps young joey scratch his back

Kangaroo spotted bouncing through Melbourne streets

Qantas unveils new flying kangaroo logo

Canberra cat spotted chasing kangaroo

Meet Roger, the world’s buffest kangaroo