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2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year revealed

The finalists of the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed, with the talented photographers capturing the magic of the animal kingdom. The competition, run by the Natural History Museum, saw its largest number of entries yet, with 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories. Shane Gross, a Canadian photojournalist, was the overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his captivating image capturing the "magical underwater world of western toad tadpoles." Kathy Moran, Chair of the Jury and Editor said: "The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and tadpoles. We were equally excited by the addition of a new species to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year archive." A few other winners included a photo of a "curious" leopard seal looking into the camera, a sleeping baby monkey, and a "wrestle" between an anaconda and caiman. Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum said: "Wildlife Photographer of the Year's longevity is a testament to the vital importance and growing appreciation of our natural world." "We are delighted to feature such inspiring images in this year's portfolio - these are photographs that not only encourage further wildlife conservation efforts, but that spark the creation of real advocates for our planet on a global scale." <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Take a look at some of this year's best entries below. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Images: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

International Travel

Highly-decorated conservationist dies aged 72

British conservationist and presenter of Wildlife SOS Simon Cowell has died aged 72, following a battle with cancer. His charity, the Wildlife Aid Foundation, confirmed the sad news in a statement posted on their official website, saying that he died on June 9. "It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Simon Cowell MBE, conservationist, founder and CEO of the Wildlife Aid Foundation, and presenter of Wildlife SOS," the statement began. "Simon passed away on 9th June after a brave battle with cancer. "Simon was one of the UK's most respected conservationists and a passionate advocate for wildlife protection and environmental causes. "He dedicated his life to British wildlife and worked tirelessly to ensure countless injured and orphaned animals were given a second chance in the wild through rescue, clinical treatment, and rehabilitation," the statement continued. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8CeCrzIEv2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8CeCrzIEv2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Wildlife Aid Foundation (@wildlifeaid)</a> </div> </blockquote> They also said that "Simon believed that every animal matters," before ending their statement with: "His loss will be greatly felt by his loved ones, 2-legged and 4-legged, alike." Cowell started his foundation back in 1987. In 2005 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to wildlife. The Wildlife SOS star shared his terminal lung cancer diagnosis back in July 2022, and the cancer soon spread to his other organs. Cowell passed away peacefully surrounded by his partner Stana, his daughters Louisa and Gemma, and two pet dogs. Images: Instagram

Caring

Our dogs can terrify (and even kill) wildlife. Here’s how to be a responsible owner this summer

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-starling-461103">Melissa Starling</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> In Australia, dog ownership often goes hand-in-hand with a love for the great outdoors. Whether it’s walking on the beach, going camping, or having a barbecue in the park, we tend to keep our canine companions close as we soak up the sun. But many of us forget a key fact about our dogs: they are predators. Even the fluffy little 5kg ball that spends most of its time in your lap derives from an apex predator – and its predatory instincts can kick in at any time. And while many of our dogs don’t have the same hunting skills as their distant ancestors (who had to hunt for a living), wildlife doesn’t know that. The impacts of domestic dogs on wildlife aren’t well studied, and likely vary depending on the environment. Nonetheless, there’s good evidence domestic dogs, when left unobserved, can have detrimental effects in the places they visit. With that in mind, here are some things to consider next time you take your pup out for a bushwalk. <h2>How dogs impact ecosystems</h2> There are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320717305967">five main ways</a> domestic dogs can negatively impact the natural environments they visit. These are: <ol> <li>direct physical harm through predatory behaviour</li> <li>disturbance through chasing and harassment</li> <li>increased exposure to diseases</li> <li>interbreeding, which can alter the gene pool of wild canid populations</li> <li>increased competition for resources.</li> </ol> The good news is the last three points aren’t particularly relevant in Australia. For one thing, there’s little overlap between diseases common in domestic dogs and Australian wildlife. There’s also little resource overlap, except perhaps in some areas where feral or semi-feral dogs live alongside dingoes. And regarding potential interbreeding, while it was once thought this could threaten the dingo gene pool, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.16998">recent research</a> suggests it’s not nearly as common as we thought. As such, the main harms Aussie dog owners should focus on are physical harms through predatory behaviour and disturbance to ecosystems. <h2>Dogs can kill</h2> We know dogs are capable of injuring and killing wildlife, but it’s difficult to determine how common this is, because many events go unreported. While smaller animals such as lizards, gliders and possums are at higher risk, larger species such as koalas can also fall prey to dogs. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206958">One study</a> that looked at wildlife coming into care at Queensland rehabilitation centres reported dog attacks as the cause in about 9% of cases. These cases often resulted in severe injury or death. Dog owners should be especially wary of small, localised populations of vulnerable species. A <a href="https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/bitstream/handle/11336/202640/CONICET_Digital_Nro.29048152-7a5c-4ea2-8068-e73d42cba01d_B.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y">study</a> in Argentina’s Patagonia region details several cases of dogs decimating local penguin populations after gaining access to protected island areas during low tide. Not to mention, dog attacks on wildlife can bring risk to dogs as well. Kangaroos can defend themselves with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-16/mildura-man-fights-kangaroo-to-protect-dog/102983926">their powerful limbs</a>, monitor lizards are equipped with sharp claws and teeth, and many snake species <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/dogs-twice-as-likely-to-die-from-snake-bite-as-cats-research-finds-20200519-p54ufd.html">are highly venomous</a>. <h2>The impact of harassment</h2> You might think it’s harmless for your dog to chase wildlife if it never manages to catch the animals it chases, but that isn’t true. Wild animals optimise their behaviours to meet their needs for foraging, breeding and resting, and being chased by a dog can disrupt this. For example, certain threatened bird species will nest on the beach and find foraging opportunities based on the tides. One dog forcing one bird to abandon this important activity may have a small impact. But if it happens repeatedly throughout the day, it can become a <a href="https://wilderness-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Dogs-as-agents-of-disturbance-Michael-A.-Weston-and-Theodore-Stankowich.pdf">much bigger problem</a>. It may even drive animals out of the area. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2391219/">Research</a> conducted in Sydney has shown the mere presence of a leashed dog is enough to temporarily, yet dramatically, reduce the number of bird species detected. <h2>Keep an eye on your furry pal</h2> Responsible dog ownership involves making sure our dogs have a minimal impact on others, including wildlife. How can we achieve this when our dogs are simply engaging in behaviours that come naturally to them, and may even be rewarding for them? Training your dog to have general obedience – especially to come when called – is worth sinking considerable time and effort into. This can save both your dog and any wildlife they may be after. For instance, calling a dog away from a snake is one of the most effective ways of managing snake bite risk. One <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333344634_Applying_Social_Marketing_to_Koala_Conservation_The_Leave_It_Pilot_Program">pilot study</a> in Victoria found positive outcomes from a program that helped owners train their dogs to be more obedient around wildlife. That said, recall training is an art form, and recalling a dog that likes to run off and chase animals can be a huge challenge. Another solution is to rely on leashes when passing sensitive areas, or where there’s a risk of wildlife harassment. In Australia, many beaches that allow dogs have signs with information about vulnerable birds in the area and how to protect them from your dog. This could mean keeping your dog off rock platforms, leashing them when you see birds foraging on the beach, or keeping them out of fenced areas. Some areas are simply too vulnerable for dogs to run amok, so always look for signs and read them carefully. If you’re hiking, use a long line (a leash that’s more than five metres long) and look for signs of your dog detecting something of interest. Often their ears will come up high and forward, and they will freeze and stare intently. At this point, it doesn’t matter what they’re excited about: take the opportunity to leash them or shorten their leash, and get their attention before they can take off. Investing in a long leash will allow your dog more freedom without putting wildlife at risk. If your dog does injure an animal, you should quickly contact a wildlife rescue organisation or take the animal to a veterinary practice or sanctuary. For small animals, even minor injuries from a dog will usually require veterinary attention. It’s our responsibility to be respectful visitors when we’re out in nature, and to make sure our dogs are too. <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/214722/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-starling-461103">Melissa Starling</a>, Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-dogs-can-terrify-and-even-kill-wildlife-heres-how-to-be-a-responsible-owner-this-summer-214722">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

“Irwin genes are strong”: Bindi shares adorable candid snap

Bindi Irwin has delighted fans after sharing a sweet snap of her two-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior cuddling a giant tortoise. The wildlife warrior took to Instagram to share the sweet snap with a comparison photo of herself hugging a giant tortoise when she was around Grace’s age. “Holding my newborn daughter wondering if she’ll love wildlife like I did” she captioned one of the photos in the Reel. The next two photos showed comparison photos of the mother-daughter duo which showed that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “Our Grace Warrior, the Wildlife Warrior," she captioned the post. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs4wPGzBjZZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs4wPGzBjZZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> </div> </blockquote> The adorable photo has been praised by fans who commented how proud Steve Irwin would be of his daughter and granddaughter. "It’s in the Irwin blood! You guys have the most beautiful connection with wildlife and each other! Steve Irwin genes are strong!” wrote one fan. "Your dad is probably so so proud looking down,” commented a second person. "This gives me happy goosebumps babe,” wrote a third. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

Bindi Irwin breaks down on camera about health condition

Bindi Irwin has shown her vulnerable side in an emotional new video shared with fans about a personal ordeal. The 24-year-old spoke candidly to the camera for 15 minutes with guest appearances from husband Chandler Powell and their daughter Grace Warrior. In the video, Irwin recalled the “insurmountable” pain she experienced due to endometriosis before finally <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/how-did-you-live-with-this-much-pain-bindi-irwin-hospitalised" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergoing surgery</a>. The wildlife warrior announced her diagnosis in March 2023, but the new video explains her symptoms - which started when she was just 14 - that left her with “extreme fatigue, nausea and pain”. “I had pain every single day of my life. No matter where we went, where we were going, I would be falling asleep. I felt like I constantly had the flu,” she said. The conservationist confessed she tried everything to solve the issue, undergoing CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. “I was always in pain. We tried for a year, and finally a doctor told me it was just part of being a woman.” Irwin said it was that comment from a doctor that led her to suffer in silence. However, after giving birth to her daughter in 2021, the pain “magnified” to a point where it was “out of this world”. “I remember countless times of Grace needing me, and me crawling to her cot at night,” she revealed, becoming emotional. “I can remember being with Grace and lying on the floor in agony. I had a stabbing pain in my side, I couldn’t get up or I would throw up, and I was scared I would pass out. “I was so scared because I was worried if I was alone with Grace, something would happen to me, and she would be on her own.” Irwin dubbed the pain “insurmountable” and something that “would knock me over”. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr31hQDANTp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr31hQDANTp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> </div> </blockquote> She said that after returning to new doctors, she was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue. It was not until she spoke to a friend, Leslie Mosier, who recently had endometriosis surgery that she realised they shared similar symptoms. “Leslie said the only way to diagnose for sure is through exploratory surgery.” Irwin said she decided to undergo surgery in the US as her daughter would have Powell’s parents, who live in Florida, nearby for support while she recovered. At this point in her video, Grace woke up and joined her mum on camera. “Mama went for surgery and they found 37 lesions and a chocolate cyst on my ovary,” she said in a child-like tone for the sake of her daughter. “Ovary!” Grace chirped. “After surgery mama feels a lot better hey? I had to recover for quite a while, and mama feels so much better, and she can run around with you!” Irwin went on to share what she has learned being a part of the endometriosis community. She revealed that excision surgery is considered the “gold standard” for the disease, where lesions and cysts are removed. “Everyone says we need to educate the public, but there also needs to be a shift in health care. Doctors need more information because endometriosis has myriad symptoms. Doctors need the right tools to diagnose.” She explained that her own endometriosis has been classified as severe, which means she may have to undergo more surgeries in the future to keep symptoms at bay. “I feel like. I got a second chance at life... I feel like a new woman.” In a final message of encouragement, Irwin said, “If you’re in pain, it’s so hard to get up every day and forge ahead. “Keep searching for those answers and never give up on you.” Image credit: Instagram

Body

Six of the best wildlife cruise destinations

Cruises allow nature lovers to get close to wildlife with small ships, unique itineraries and practical shore excursions. Here are six of the best places to see wildlife from the water. Sea of Cortez, Mexico Legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez, off the coast of Baja California, the aquarium of the world. Where the sea meets the Pacific Ocean tidal currents create an ideal environment for sea life and you’ll see everything from tiny fish right up to sperm whales. Watch huge Pacific manta rays leap out of the water or grab a snorkel and dive with playful sea lions. California gray whales are one of the biggest drawcards, coming to the region to calve during the winter, and you’ll have the opportunity to get up close in a Zodiac. Galapagos Islands There’s nowhere in the world like the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago around 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Look out for giant tortoises, iguanas, penguins, seals, sea lions and a spectacular array of birds, including the dancing blue-footed booby, albatross, pelican, heron and egret. Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 and developed much of his evolutionary theory based on the adaptations of Galapagos bird species, especially finches. Alaska America’s 50th state is a true wilderness with wildlife to be seen in the ocean, on the land and in the air. Humpback and killer whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters and leaping salmon can be found in the water, seen either from the main cruise ship or on Zodiac excursions. Grizzly bears wander the shore alongside caribou, moose, beavers and even wolverines. The American national bird, the bald eagle, is a regular in the sky with a population of more than 30,000 – in fishing towns like Ketchikan you’ll even see them swooping around the docks for fish. Antarctica Penguins, penguins, penguins. From the cute little rockhopper penguins in the sub-Antarctic islands to the huge, 1.15 metre tall emperor penguins in continental Antarctica, not a day will go by on a cruise here that you don’t see a penguin. If you get penguined out, there are also killer and sperm whales, elephant seals, leopard seals and a huge number of sea birds like albatross, petrels and skuas. For a close encounter, jump in a kayak and paddle amongst the wildlife in the freezing waters. Southern Africa This is a safari with a difference. Small river ships cruise along the Chobe River through Botswana and Namibia carrying just a handful of passengers. The river runs through the Chobe National Park, which has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Elephants and buffalo can be seen right from the decks, splashing along the edges of the river just metres from the ship. Cruises here include early morning game drives that take passengers further into the national park to see lions, giraffe, leopards, antelope and plenty of birds. Peruvian Amazon Think dolphins only come in gray? Think again. A very rare breed of pink freshwater dolphin swims in the waters of the Amazon River, one of only a couple of places in the world that they can be seen. Small, specially designed river ships sail along the Peruvian section of the river where squirrel monkeys swing through the trees, sloths laze about in the branches and brightly coloured macaws squawk from the canopy. Passengers even have a chance to catch and eat the flesh-eating piranha. Images: Getty

Cruising

Only in Florida! Woman's shocking find lurking in backyard pool

Florida woman Lynn Tosi was not the only one who wanted to stay cool during the summer. Tosi came home to an unwanted guest: a 3.5 m alligator that had busted through her screened-in porch and was vibing in her pool. “I just kind of circled around, not knowing what I was going to do next. I sure wasn’t going outside,” Tossi said. The crook-a-dile waddled through a nearby forest to try and find water, and struck gold when he found Tossi’s pool. Without a care in the world, the insti-gator left a large hole in Tosi’s screened-in porch. “He busted right through there, kind of like the Kool-Aid man, you know,” Tosi shared. As the weather gets warmer, Alligators are becoming increasingly active, and Tosi, who has learned from this wild encounter, encouraged all homeowners to double-check their pools and lakes before diving in. “The professional coming to take him out was actually pacing and got on the phone and was really surprised by what they were up against,” Tosi recalled. In another image, the Alligator can be seen restrained, and they were lucky it didn’t snap. This encounter is one of three reported in Valusia County over the last five days. Trappers have reminded residents that the alligators are most active at dusk and dawn. Image: Lynn Tosi, NBC, CNN

Real Estate

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

A Bolivian man has survived 31 days in the Amazon jungle. Jhonattan Acosta, 30, was hunting in northern Bolivia when he was separated from his four friends. He told United TV he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal. Acosta was finally found by a search party made up of locals and friends a month after he went missing. “I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long,” he said in tears. “I ate worms, I ate insects, you wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive all this time.” He also ate wild fruits similar to papayas, known locally as gargateas. “I thank God profusely, because he has given me a new life,” he said. His family said they will still have to string all the details together regarding how Acosta got lost and how he managed to stay alive but will ask him gradually as he is still psychologically damaged after the experience. There has also been significant physical changes. Acosta lost 17kg, dislocated his ankle and was severely dehydrated when he was found, but according to those who found him, he was still able to walk with a limp. “My brother told us that when he dislocated his ankle on the fourth day, he started fearing for his life,” Horacio Acosta told Bolivia’s Página Siete newspaper. “He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn’t walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore.” As for his encounters with wild animals in the jungle, including a jaguar, his younger brother said that his brother used his last cartridge to scare off a squadron of peccaries. After 31 days, Acosta spotted the search party about 300m away and limped through thorny bushes, shouting to draw attention to him. Acosta’s brother, Haracio, said that he was found by four local people. “A man came running to tell us they’d found my brother,” he said. “It’s a miracle.” Acosta has since decided to give up hunting for good. “He is going to play music to praise God,” Haracio said. “He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise.” Image credit: BBC News

Travel Trouble

Take a walk on the wild side with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards

The People’s Choice Award winners of the 2022 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards have been revealed, featuring stunning images of some of the world’s most majestic creatures. Competition for the coveted People’s Choice Award was fierce, with over 39,000 images submitted for consideration. 25 pictures were shortlisted from there, and a staggering 60,466 votes were received to crown the winner: German photographer Sascha Fonseca. Sascha’s image, titled “World of the snow leopard”, presents a snow leopard at sunset in Ladakh in northern India, with a breathtaking snow-covered mountain range backdrop. “Thick snow blankets the ground, but the big cat’s dense coat and furry footpads keep it warm,” the image was captioned. “Sascha captured this image during a three-year bait-free camera-trap project high up in the Indian Himalayas. He has always been fascinated by snow leopards, not only because of their incredible stealth but also because of their remote environment, making them one of the most difficult large cats to photograph in the wild.” The winning images, selected for their “artistic composition, technical innovation, and truthful interpretation of the natural world”, boast not only a winner, but four other highly commended finalists as well. "This year’s record number of votes illustrates how wildlife photography can engage and inspire audiences with the wonder of nature,” said Director of the Natural History Museum Douglas Gurr. The other finalist feature a leopard with some unexpected cargo titled “Holding on” by Igor Altuna, a moment of “Fox affection” in the snow by Brittany Crossman, a polar bear basking in the sun “Among the flowers” by Martin Gregus, and a magnificent “Portrait of Olobor” the lion by Maasai Mara. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, produced by the Natural History Museum, provides amateur and professional photographers from around the world with a global platform for their work. 2022 marked the 58th year of competition, and the 59th is currently being judged, with the 2023 winners to be announced in October. All image credits: Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards

International Travel

Hilarious winners of the worldwide 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

The winners of the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced, with some hilarious photos capturing astounding moments of the most adorable animals. An image of a three-month-old lion cub falling out of a tree has been named the overall winner of this year's competition, with Jennifer Hadley in the Serengeti, Tanzania, capturing the moment late one afternoon. "It didn't even occur to me that he would make a go of getting down by himself in the most un-cat like fashion. I mean, how often do cats fall out of trees?" Hadley said in a press release. "No one expected this to happen and of course we were concerned for his safety but happily as cats do, he righted himself just in time and landed on all fours and ran off with his siblings. A happy ending for a hapless kitty who didn't quite know how to get down from a tree." Hadley also won the People's Choice Award for her photo of a dismissive penguin seemingly snubbing his friend, which was titled Talk to the Fin. All image credits: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022

International Travel

Australia Zoo insider claims Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow her father's footsteps

An insider at Australia Zoo has claimed that Bindi Irwin never wanted to follow in the footsteps of her late father. Justin Lyons, a cameraman who was there the day Steve Irwin died from a stingray attack in 2006, said in a recent interview that Australia Zoo is almost "cult-like" with Steve's imagery looming everywhere, reminding him of the day the original wildlife warrior died. Among his stunning revelations, he claims the now 24-year-old Bindi initially "didn't really want" to follow in her famous dad's footsteps. "Bindi and I spent a lot of time together," Justin told <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/bindi-irwin-carries-on-steve-legacy-75512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman's Day</a>. "We'd go up to Far North Queensland and while they were doing whatever, Bindi and I would go off. She'd say to me, 'I don't really like bugs', but she was expected to do all this crazy stuff." The allegations are a far cry from Bindi's own words, given that in 2018 she told Insider, "Ever since I can remember, I've always said, 'When I grow up, I want to be just like Dad.'" However, some sources close to the Irwin family say there "may be a layer of truth" to Justin's comments. "She couldn't have predicted it back when she was a little kid wandering around the bush with Justin, but the reality is Bindi is in a tough position," says an insider. "She was a big star for a time in America and for a while it looked like she was set to break the big time in Hollywood, but now she's back at the zoo learning the ropes to take over when her mother retires, and as it is currently, its glory days are long over." The insider claimed Bindi feels torn between two worlds, as she strives to make her parents proud with her ongoing work at Australia Zoo, but also the pull back to the US, where she has the potential to make a name for herself in her husband Chandler Powell's home country. "Bindi and Chandler have often toyed with the idea of moving to the States, especially now they have baby Grace, and they've barely seen Chandler's parents in recent years," says a source. "But Bindi feels tied to the zoo, whether she wants to be or not." Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Three men handed jail sentences after careless, drunken act in a national park

Three tourists who were filmed getting too close to feeding brown bears in the wild have been handed prison sentences and the additional punishment of thousands of dollars worth of fines. David Engelman, 56, from Sandia Park, New Mexico, and Ronald J. Engelman, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30, both from King Salmon, Alaska, pleaded guilty to leaving the trail in Alaska’s Katmai Park to get closer to the animals. The men were identified after they were captured on a park webcam as they waded out into a salmon run to take selfies as the bears were feeding. All three men were fined $US3000 each ($A4260) and given a year probation. David and Ronald Engelman were sentenced to one week in prison, while Steven Thomas received a 10-day sentence. In addition, each man is prohibited from entering any national park for one year. Judge Matthew Scoble called their behaviour “drunken capering, and a slap in the face to those who were there”. The proceeds from the fines would go towards the Katmai Conservancy, a non-profit that looks after the running of the park. The incident happened in Autumn of 2018, causing outage. The men were eventually identified by the National Park Service Investigative Services, with help of the livestream footage. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8qkHl18xf0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> “The conduct of these three individuals not only endangered other visitors and wildlife officers at Brooks Falls, they also potentially endangered the life of the bears,” lawyer S. Lane Tucker said. Had the incident resulted in death or injury, Mr Tucker argued it would have had a huge impact on tourism to the area and the animals would have had to be killed. The National Park Service were alerted to the incident by viewers of their ‘bear cam’ which was being broadcast live to YouTube. Images: YouTube

Legal

Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

Around the world, populations of many beloved species are declining at increasing rates. According to one <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/world-plant-species-risk-extinction-fungi-earth">grim projection</a>, as many as 40% of the world’s species may be extinct by 2050. Alarmingly, many of these declines are caused by threats for which few solutions exist. Numerous species now depend on conservation breeding programs for their survival. But these programs typically do not encourage species to adapt and survive in the wild alongside intractable threats such as climate change and disease. This means some species can no longer exist in the wild, which causes major downstream effects on the ecosystem. Consider, for example, how a coral reef would struggle to function without corals. What if there was another way? My colleagues and I have developed an intervention method that aims to give endangered species the genetic features they need to survive in the wild. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411140/original/file-20210714-13-1bf7ccv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="bleached coral with fish" /> Genetically altering coral may help them survive in a warmer world. Rick Stuart-Smith <h2>Bringing theory into practice</h2> Over generations, natural selection enables species to adapt to threats. But in many instances today, the speed at which threats are developing is outpacing species’ ability to adapt. This problem is especially apparent in wildlife threatened by newly emerging infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and in climate-affected species such as corals. The toolkit my colleagues and I developed is called “targeted genetic intervention” or TGI. It works by increasing the occurrence or frequency of genetic features that impact an organism’s fitness in the presence of the threat. We outline the method in a recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721003384">research paper</a>. The toolkit involves <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artificial-selection">artificial selection</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00175/full">synthetic biology</a>. These tools are well established in agriculture and medicine but relatively untested as conservation tools. We explain them in more detail below. Many tools in our TGI toolkit have been discussed in theory in conservation literature in recent decades. But rapid developments in genome sequencing and synthetic biology mean some are now possible in practice. The developments have made it easier to understand the genetic basis of features which enable a species to adapt, and to manipulate them. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442166/original/file-20220124-19-xc82dx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="frog on wet rock" /> Some animal species cannot adapt in time to survive threats such as disease. Shutterstock <h2>What is artificial selection?</h2> Humans have long used artificial (or phenotypic) selection to promote desirable characteristics in animals and plants raised for companionship or food. This genetic alteration has led to organisms, such as domestic dogs and maize, that are dramatically different from their wild progenitors. Traditional artificial selection can lead to outcomes, such as high inbreeding rates, that affect the health and resilience of the organism and are undesirable for conservation. If you’ve ever owned a purebred dog, you might be aware of some of these genetic disorders. And when it comes to conservation, determining which individuals from a species are resistant to, say, a deadly pathogen would involve exposing the animal to the threat – clearly not in the interests of species preservation. Scientists in the livestock industry have developed a new approach to circumvent these problems. Called genomic selection, it combines data from laboratory work (such as a disease trial) with the genetic information of the animals to predict which individuals bear genetic features conducive to adaptation. These individuals are then chosen for breeding. Over subsequent generations, a population’s ability to survive alongside pervasive threats increases. Genomic selection has led to disease-resistant salmon and livestock that produce more milk and better tolerate heat. But it is yet to be tested in conservation. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442161/original/file-20220124-27-11vyq0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="cows in green field" /> Artificial selection has been used to develop traits that humans desire in livestock. Shutterstock <h2>What is synthetic biology?</h2> <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Synthetic-Biology">Synthetic biology</a> is a toolkit for promoting change in organisms. It includes methods such as transgenesis and gene editing, which can be used to introduce lost or novel genes or tweak specific genetic features. Recent synthetic biology tools such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/">CRISPR-Cas9</a> have created a buzz in the medical world, and are also starting to gain the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/48408">attention</a> of conservation biologists. Such tools can accurately tweak targeted genetic features in an individual organism – making it more able to adapt – while leaving the rest of the genome untouched. The genetic modifications are then passed on to subsequent generations. The method reduces the likelihood of unintended genetic changes that can occur with artificial selection. Synthetic biology methods are currently being trialled for conservation in multiple species around the world. These include the <a href="https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/resistance.htm">chestnut tree</a> and black-footed <a href="https://neo.life/2021/05/cloning-wildlife-and-editing-their-genes-to-protect-them-and-us/">ferrets</a> in the United States, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/gene-editing-is-revealing-how-corals-respond-to-warming-waters-it-could-transform-how-we-manage-our-reefs-143444">corals</a> in Australia. I am working with researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop TGI approaches in Australian frogs. We are trialling these approaches in the iconic southern corroboree frog, and plan to extend them to other species if they prove effective. Worldwide, the disease chytridiomycosis is devastating frog populations. Caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, it has led to the extinction of about <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus">90 frog species</a> and declines in as many as 500 others. Many frog species now rely on conservation breeding for their continued survival. No effective solution for restoring chytrid-susceptible frogs to the wild exists, because the fungus cannot be eradicated. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442155/original/file-20220124-23-cebr8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="gloved hand removed portion of DNA strand" /> CRISPR technology could potentially be used to edit the genes of endangered species. Shutterstock <h2>Looking ahead</h2> As with many conservation approaches, targeted genetic intervention is likely to involve trade-offs. For example, genetic features that make a species resistant to one disease may make it more susceptible to another. But the rapid rate of species declines means we should trial such potential solutions before it’s too late. The longer species are absent from an ecosystem, the greater the chance of irreversible environmental changes. Any genetic intervention of this type should involve all stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and local communities. And caution should be taken to ensure species are fit for release and pose no risk to the environment. By bringing the concept of TGI to the attention of the public, government, and other scientists, we hope we will spur discussion and encourage research on its risks and benefits.<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/175226/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tiffany-kosch-1304685">Tiffany Kosch</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-endangered-species-can-no-longer-survive-in-the-wild-so-should-we-alter-their-genes-175226">original article</a>. Image: Melbourne Zoo

Travel Trouble

Experience the spectacular sounds of a Murrumbidgee wetland erupting with life as water returns

In the southwestern corner of New South Wales, along the Murrumbidgee river, frogs are calling in a wetland called Nap Nap. This is <a href="https://www.narinari.org/our-journey">Nari Nari</a> country – nap nap means “very swampy” in traditional language. Nap Nap is one of many inland wetlands across Australia to receive so-called “environmental water”: water allocated and managed to improve the health of rivers, wetlands and floodplains. <a href="https://flow-mer.org.au/">Long-term monitoring</a> shows how these environmental flows sustain big old trees and cycle nutrients through the ecosystem. They drive breeding for frogs, waterbirds, reptiles and fish, and protect endangered species. This is a good news story for our inland waterways – but it’s mostly told through scientific reports. We wanted to use ecological data to convey not just facts but feelings, and create a vivid digital portrait of life in Nap Nap. So we recently produced <a href="https://flow-mer.org.au/napnap/">The Sound of Water</a>, using audio, images and water data to reveal the patterns and rhythms of the swamp. In part, this is about finding an engaging way to tell an important story. But there’s a bigger agenda here too: how might we use environmental data to amplify humanity’s attachment to the living world? <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439776/original/file-20220107-13-1wm9dil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439776/original/file-20220107-13-1wm9dil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="A view of a forest wetland, with water surrounded by tall gum trees" /></a> Nap Nap wetland, the name of which means ‘very swampy’ in traditional language. Gayleen Bourke <h2>Addressing an imbalance</h2> Healthy wetlands rely on varying river flows. When a river is flooding or at high flow, water is delivered to wetlands, enabling seeds to sprout and animals to move and breed. When the river is at low flow, wetlands enter a natural drying phase. But across Australia, thousands of wetlands have lost their natural connection to rivers. Lower river flows – the result of water regulation and diversions required to meet human needs – means many wetlands no longer experience these natural cycles. Environmental flows seek to address this imbalance. Managed by water authorities, the flows involve strategically delivering water to replenish rivers, wetlands and floodplains. Our project – a design-science collaboration – was funded by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s <a href="https://flow-mer.org.au">Flow-MER program</a>, which undertakes long-term monitoring of the ecological impact of environmental water allocations. <h2>The Sound of Water</h2> Across nine days in spring of 2020, an environmental flow of about 16,000 million litres rolled into Nap Nap swamp in the Lowbidgee floodplain after a brief dry spell. The Lowbidgee floodplain is near the confluence of the Kalari (Lachlan) and Murrumbidgee rivers in New South Wales. The frogs began calling as the water returned. But don’t take our word for it - <a href="https://theconversation.com/experience-the-spectacular-sounds-of-a-murrumbidgee-wetland-erupting-with-life-as-water-returns-174423">listen for yourself.</a> In this clip, you can hear the squelchy, “cree-cree” call of tiny, hardy Murray Valley froglets. You can also hear inland banjo frogs, whose “dok” call sounds a bit like a plucked string; spotted marsh frogs with a machine-gun like “duk-duk-duk”; and the shrill, rattling call of Peron’s tree frog. This recording comes from an audio logger used in Flow-MER’s environmental monitoring. These automatic devices record for five minutes every hour, day and night – that’s two hours of sound captured every day. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440161/original/file-20220111-17-5maxbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="A small light grey frog on a tree branch calling, with its throat puffed out" /> The Peron’s tree frog has a shrill, rattling call. Damian Michael <h2>Seeing wetland sounds</h2> To reveal the content of all this audio, we used a visual representation of sound known as a spectrogram. We adapted a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2014.05.063">technique</a> developed by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology which enables ecologists to visualise and analyse thousands of hours of recordings. We visualised almost a year’s worth of audio from Nap Nap – more than 700 hours. The below image contains spectrograms of audio from June 2020, which was a dry period in the swamp. The colourful central band corresponds to the noisy daylight hours, when woodland birds dominate. The vivid blue areas are wind and rain noise. The pink and orange are mostly bird calls, and continuous sounds like cricket calls show up as strong horizontal bands (top right). The mostly dark outer bands correspond to the nights, which in dry periods are fairly quiet. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439614/original/file-20220106-19-77zfci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439614/original/file-20220106-19-77zfci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Spectrograms of audio showing the patterns and variation of activity across 10 days" /></a> Spectrograms of Nap Nap audio from June 2020. Each row shows a single day, made up of 24 hourly segments. Authors provided But as the environmental water flow reached Nap Nap, the night lit up with frog calls. Our story focuses on this moment. We found a way to link the visuals to the source audio, creating interactive timelines in which we can see, hear and explore the wetland soundscape. The stars of our story are Nap Nap’s frogs, and our most important find was a southern bell frog. Once widespread across southeastern Australia, these frogs are now found in only a few isolated populations. Their distinctive call indicates the ecological health of Nap Nap, and the value of these environmental flows. Here you can listen to its deep, growling call, which appears as a sequence of pink and purple blobs along the bottom of the spectrogram. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/663205855" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Spectrogram of a southern bell frog calling at Nap Nap (3 September 2020, 8pm). Image: Gayleen Bourke. <h2>A data portrait of a living place</h2> Our design uses a scroll-based interaction technique sometimes termed “<a href="https://medium.com/nightingale/from-storytelling-to-scrollytelling-a-short-introduction-and-beyond-fbda32066964">scrollytelling</a>”. It works because it’s familiar (everyone can scroll) and translates well to all kinds of devices. It lets us lead the audience step by step into the place, the data and the spectrograms, while still encouraging exploration. <a href="https://flow-mer.org.au/napnap/">The Sound of Water</a> builds on established techniques to create something new. It shows how design and science can unite to tell environmental stories in a richer way – with both facts and feelings. This matters because Nap Nap, and thousands of places like it, need people to care about their protection. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mitchell-whitelaw-1167325">Mitchell Whitelaw</a>, Professor of Design, School of Art and Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/skye-wassens-451800">Skye Wassens</a>, Associate Professor in Ecology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/experience-the-spectacular-sounds-of-a-murrumbidgee-wetland-erupting-with-life-as-water-returns-174423">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Hitting the beach this summer? Here are some of our top animal picks to look out for

Australia has one of the longest coastlines in the world. And it’s packed with life of all shapes and sizes – from lively dolphins leaping offshore, to tiny crabs scurrying into their holes. Here is just some of the diverse coastal life you might expect to see this summer, if you <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320720307722">spend some</a> time at the water’s edge. <h2>Dolphins and turtles</h2> We’re fortunate to have 15 species of dolphin (and one porpoise!) living in Australian waters. The large <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin/">bottlenose dolphins</a> (Tursiops spp.) are relatively common and can be spotted all the way around our coast. You might see them playing in the waves, jumping out of the water, or even surfing among humans. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436606/original/file-20211209-133881-1px5omu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436606/original/file-20211209-133881-1px5omu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Bottlenose dolphin mother and cals" /></a> Bottlenose dolphins are generally grey with a lighter underside and have a pronounced, curved dorsal (upper) fin. Shutterstock Turtles are less obvious, but can be spotted as they bob their heads out of the water to breathe. Australia’s coasts are home to six of the world’s seven sea turtles (all <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna">listed as either vulnerable or endangered</a>). The more common green turtle (Chelonia mydas) can be found everywhere except in the coldest southern waters. In summer, the turtles travel north to the tropical waters of QLD, NT and WA to reproduce – laying their eggs in the warm sand. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436586/original/file-20211209-19-1u2t59m.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436586/original/file-20211209-19-1u2t59m.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Green turtles often get tangled in discarded fishing gear and nets and can die from ingesting plastics, so don’t litter! John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided Another reptile you might encounter in the eastern coastal areas is the water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii). You’ll find them hovering around beach-side picnic areas, looking for tasty treats such as flies, ants, bugs, native fruits and flowers. As with all native animals, it’s important not to feed them. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436590/original/file-20211209-25-1e71enk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436590/original/file-20211209-25-1e71enk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Water dragons are good swimmers and stay near the water. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided <h2>Heads in the clouds</h2> If you cast your eyes up, you’ll see many coastal bird species soaring above. Two of our favourites are the protected white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and the sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus). Both rely on marine animals for food, and nest in coastal areas right around Australia. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436592/original/file-20211209-140109-1c0pnm4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436592/original/file-20211209-140109-1c0pnm4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> With a wingspan of up to 2m, you can find white-bellied sea eagles soaring above headlands. WikiCommons The sea eagle mostly feeds on fish, turtles and sea snakes. It was recently <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=943">listed as either threatened, endangered, or vulnerable in four states</a>, largely as a result of coastal developments. Meanwhile the sooty oystercatcher is, well, all black. It has distinctive bright-orange eyes and a long beak. Sooties can be found strutting among the seaweed and sea squirts on rocky shores. As the name suggests, these birds enjoy eating molluscs and other invertebrates. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436593/original/file-20211209-21-1h1czbf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436593/original/file-20211209-21-1h1czbf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The sooty gives a loud whistling call before taking flight. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided <h2>Crawling coastal critters</h2> Many a critter will run for cover as sooties (and humans) approach, including the swift-footed crab (Leptograpsus variegatus). This crab’s mostly purple body is sprinkled with flecks of olive, and sometimes orange. The species lives among the rocky shores around southern Australia, from WA to QLD, and even Tasmania. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436594/original/file-20211209-137612-4uld1f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436594/original/file-20211209-137612-4uld1f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The swift-footed crab can grow to about 5cm in shell width. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided You’re much less likely to see another common crab, the sand bubbler. But you might see the results of its industrious activity on flat, wet and sandy areas. Sand bubblers live in underground burrows, emerging during the low tide to filter sand through their mouthparts looking for food. In this process, they end up making little pea-sized sand balls. When the tide starts to rise again, they return to their burrows and wait in a bubble of air, which they use to breathe, until the tide recedes. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436596/original/file-20211209-27-ft1len.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436596/original/file-20211209-27-ft1len.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Sand bubblers, from the family Dotillidae, are tiny and will quickly hide if they sense danger. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided <h2>Magnificent molluscs</h2> Molluscs are another diverse group of marine animals on our shores, and one of the best known molluscs is the octopus. Along with squid and cuttlefish, this trio of cephalopods is considered to be among the most intelligent invertebrates on Earth. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436598/original/file-20211209-142574-atsquu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436598/original/file-20211209-142574-atsquu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Octopus in a glass jar" /></a> Near urban areas, octopuses have been known to make homes of bottles, jars and even discarded coffee cups. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/19733728835/" class="source">John Turnbull</a>, Author provided In the case of the octopus, this may be due to having nine “brains”, including a donut-shaped brain in the head and a mini brain in each tentacle, which allow the tentacles to operate somewhat independently. Australia has several octopus species, from the gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) on the east coast, to the Maori octopus (O. maorum) in the south. The potentially deadly blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena sp.) is found right around Australia. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436599/original/file-20211209-137612-1dryfc0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436599/original/file-20211209-137612-1dryfc0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Octopus reaches for camera" /></a> This gloomy octopus made a move for my camera as I took its photo. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/27746924942/" class="source">John Turnbull/Flickr</a>, Author provided Octopus forage at night, in shallow waters and to depths exceeding 500 metres. During the day they’ll return to their lair, which may be a hole, a ledge or a crack in a rock. They’ll often decorate their home with the discarded shells of their prey. <h2>(Sometimes) stingers</h2> You’ve probably seen jellyfish at the beach before, too. Species such as the moon jelly (Aurelia aurita) are harmless. But others can deliver a painful sting; bluebottles (Physalia utriculus) might come to mind here, also called the Pacific man-of-war. Bluebottles and their relatives, blue buttons (P. porpita) and by-the-wind sailors (V. velella) don’t swim. They float at the ocean’s surface and go where the winds blow, which is how they sometimes get washed onto the beach. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436600/original/file-20211209-17-rr2j1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436600/original/file-20211209-17-rr2j1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Jellyfish on sand" /></a> By-the-wind sailors have an angled ‘sail’ which takes advantage of the wind, moving them large distances to catch prey. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided Rather than being one animal, they are made of many polyps or “zooids” living together in a floating colony. Each polyp has a specialised role such as flotation, stinging, catching prey, digestion or reproduction. Anemones are also related to jellyfish, and come in many shapes and colours – from the bright red waratah anemone (Actinia tenebrosa) found in all states, to the multi-coloured shellgrit anemone (Oulactis muscosa) found from SA to QLD. They use their tentacles to sting and catch prey, but have no impact on humans. Many anemones live among the rocks and rock pools in the intertidal area, although some species, such as the swimming anemone (Phlyctenactis tuberculosa), live as deep as 40m underwater. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436602/original/file-20211209-23-1h831bi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436602/original/file-20211209-23-1h831bi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Grid of four anemone photos." /></a> Top left: shellgrit anemone, top right: swimming anemone, bottom left: red waratah anemone, bottom right: green snakelock anemone (Aulactinia veratra) John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided <h2>Fancy fishes</h2> Of course there are many fish to be seen along our shores – more than we could possibly mention here! In the shallows, we particularly like to find big-eyed <a href="https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/family/259">gobies</a>. Some of the most colourful fish in this zone are young damselfish. These are most diverse in tropical Australia, but still found in temperate waters. Their juvenile forms can be striped and spotted, with colours ranging from bright yellow to iridescent blue. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436605/original/file-20211209-140109-vifrk0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436605/original/file-20211209-140109-vifrk0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Juvenile immaculate damselfish." /></a> Immaculate damsels are endemic to Australian waters. John Turnbull/Flickr, Author provided It’s best to photograph any fish you want to identify. Resources such as <a href="https://reeflifesurvey.com/species/search/">Reef Life Survey</a> and <a href="https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/">Fishes of Australia</a> can help with this. If you upload your photos to the <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/">iNaturalist</a> website, other users can help you ID them too. Uploading is also a big help to scientists, who then have a record of each sighting. Finally, the diversity of marine life on our coast isn’t something we can afford to take for granted. So if you hit the beach this summer, make sure you:<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/171744/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <ul> <li>do not bring any single-use plastics</li> <li>never leave anything behind (and preferably pick up any litter you see)</li> <li>and keep pets and cars away from sensitive habitats, such as dunes and bird nesting areas.</li> </ul> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-turnbull-558403">John Turnbull</a>, Postdoctoral Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-johnston-94055">Emma Johnston</a>, Professor and Dean of Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hitting-the-beach-this-summer-here-are-some-of-our-top-animal-picks-to-look-out-for-171744">original article</a>. Image: John Turnbull

Domestic Travel

The real reason to worry about sharks in Australian waters this summer: 1 in 8 are endangered

If you’re heading to the beach this summer, the thought of sharks might cross your mind. I don’t mean wondering whether a shark will take you for dinner (that’s very, very unlikely) but rather, how these remarkable creatures are faring in the marine ecosystem. I recently led the first complete assessment of all species of sharks, rays and ghost sharks in Australian waters. My team and I found while most species are secure, about 12%, or 39 species, are threatened with extinction. No country has a higher diversity of sharks than Australia. That means we have a special responsibility to protect them from threats such as fishing and damage to their marine habitat. To prevent shark extinctions on our watch, Australia must invest far more heavily to close vast knowledge gaps and ensure threatened species are protected and recovered. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425737/original/file-20211011-25-16shqs7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="a stingray" /> The research examined all species of sharks, rays and ghost sharks found in Australian waters, including the bluespotted fantail ray, pictured. Simon Pierce <h2>Ancient ocean dwellers</h2> Sharks are an ancient lineage of fishes that have roamed the oceans for around <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/shark-evolution-a-450-million-year-timeline.html">450 million years</a>. They occupy tropical, temperate and polar marine waters, while a small number have adapted to live in freshwater. Sharks and their relatives, rays and ghost sharks, are known as cartilaginous fishes. Some 328 of the world’s cartilaginous fishes – comprising one-quarter of the world’s total – occur in Australian waters, including the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters. Of these, 138 are found nowhere else on Earth. Globally, sharks face a dire conservation crisis. About <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">32% of species</a> are threatened with extinction and less than half are assessed as “Least Concern” (not at risk of extinction). The main threats around the world are overfishing combined with <a href="https://www.cms.int/en/publication/sharks-ahead-realizing-potential-convention-migratory-species-conserve-elasmobranchs-0">inadequate management</a> such as a lack of fishing regulations, weak protections for threatened species and poor implementation of international agreements. Australia’s relatively better position is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsx113">result</a> of a long history of ocean policy and fisheries management. Australia also has extensive areas with only <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/research-topics/fisheries/fishery-status-reports#full-report">limited or no fishing pressure</a> as well as a representative network of <a href="https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/">marine parks</a>. But some regions, particularly waters off Australia’s southeast, have experienced <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/research-topics/fisheries/fishery-status-reports#full-report">high</a> levels of fishing pressure which threaten some species. <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/system/files/Shark_Action_Plan_FINAL_Sept7_2021_WEB_RGB.pdf">Other threats</a> to sharks in Australian waters include shark control measures in some states, habitat degradation, aquaculture and climate change. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425734/original/file-20211011-23-1cp10rw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Sharks rays and ghost sharks are known as cartilaginous fishes. Pictured: the threatened Melbourne Skate. Ian Shaw <h2>What the research found</h2> The <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/news/threatened-shark-species-%E2%80%98out-sight-out-mind%E2%80%99-first-complete-national-assessment-australia%E2%80%99s#overlay-context=theme/theme-threatened-and-migratory-species">research</a> I led examined the national status of Australian sharks. The news is a lot brighter than the global situation. Of all sharks occurring in Australian waters, 70% were assessed as “Least Concern”. But we identified 39 Australian shark species threatened with extinction. And worryingly, most lack the protection or conservation plans needed for their populations to recover. For example, only nine of the species are listed as threatened under Australia’s federal environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. We identified five species where the data is robust enough to pass the threatened species nomination process, and recommend federal authorities consider these species for immediate listing. They consist of: <ul> <li>greeneye spurdog</li> <li>eastern angelshark</li> <li>whitefin swellshark</li> <li>narrow sawfish</li> <li>Australian longnose skate.</li> </ul> However, this still leaves a group of under-studied threatened species at risk of slipping through the cracks, because not enough data exists to support official listing nominations. We identified 12 species facing this predicament. For example, we assessed three species of small rays from southeast Australia, known as <a href="https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/family/334">stingarees</a>, as vulnerable to extinction due to commercial fishing. The species’ decline has been recorded since the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF99174">late 1990s</a>. However, nominations to be listed as threatened under federal law will require more data, particularly contemporary catch levels and trends. As with many other species we identified, there is currently no mechanism – or dedicated funding – in place to ensure such data is collected. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436576/original/file-20211209-27-1bianty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="A small shark" /> Colclough’s Shark, a rare threatened shark at risk of falling through the cracks. Nigel Marsh <h2>How to save Australian sharks</h2> Major investment is needed to recover Australia’s threatened sharks. Using the <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12682?af=R">mean estimated cost</a> of recovering a threatened fish species and accounting for <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/">inflation</a>, I calculate the cost at about A$114 million each year. The figure represents about 0.3% of the national defence budget – a benchmark against which the costs of environmental action are often <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-could-green-its-degraded-landscapes-for-just-6-of-what-we-spend-on-defence-168807">compared</a>. More broadly, financial investment in threatened species in Australia has been shown to be <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12682?af=R">inadequate</a>. Recent federal funding announcements include <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/australia-announces-100-million-initiative-protect-our-oceans">A$100 million</a> to protect oceans and $57 million linked to the national <a href="https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/national-strategy-protect-threatened-species">threatened species strategy</a>. This comes nowhere near the level of investment required. Australia urgently needs a dedicated, adequately resourced fund with the aim of recovering and delisting threatened species. Such a fund should support the recovery planning process – in contrast to current federal government moves to scrap recovery plans for nearly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/coalition-plans-to-scrap-recovery-plans-for-200-endangered-species-and-habitats">200 threatened species</a>. Our research is a call to action to secure all Australia’s sharks. It provides a benchmark from which changes can be measured, and hopefully will help guide management to prevent extinctions.<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/161352/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-kyne-118871">Peter Kyne</a>, Senior Research Fellow in conservation biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-reason-to-worry-about-sharks-in-australian-waters-this-summer-1-in-8-are-endangered-161352">original article</a>. Image: Andrew Fox

Domestic Travel

1 millipede, 1,306 legs: we just discovered the world’s leggiest animal hiding in Western Australia

Millipedes were the first land animals, and today we know of more than 13,000 species. There are likely thousands more species of the many-legged invertebrates awaiting discovery and formal scientific description. The name “millipede” comes from the Latin for “thousand feet”, but until now no known species had more than 750 legs. However, my colleagues and I recently found <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02447-0">a new champion</a>. The eyeless, subterranean Eumillipes persephone, discovered 60 metres underground near the south coast of Western Australia, has up to 1,306 legs, making it the first “true millipede” and the leggiest animal on Earth. <h2>Finding life underground</h2> In Australia, most species in some groups of invertebrates are still undescribed. Many could even become extinct before we know about them. Part of the reason is that life is everywhere, even where we least expect it. You could be excused for thinking remote areas of Western Australia such as the Pilbara and the Goldfields, where the land is arid and harsh, are not home to too many species. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437949/original/file-20211216-15-11fkzif.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> The arid landscapes of Western Australia harbour a surprising diversity of life. Shutterstock But the reality is very different. An enormously diverse array of poorly known animals live underground, inhabiting cavities and fractures in the rock several metres below the surface. One way to find out about these creatures is to place “troglofauna traps” far below the surface. E. persephone was found in one of these traps, which had spent two months 60m underground in a mining exploration bore in the Goldfields. <h2>A lucky discovery</h2> At the time I was working for a company called Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, which had been hired by the mining company to survey the animals in the area. I was lucky enough to be in the laboratory on the day the leggiest animal on Earth was first seen. Our senior taxonomist, Jane McRae, showed me these incredibly elongated millipedes, less than a millimetre wide and almost 10 centimetres long. She pointed out how their triangular faces placed them in the family Siphonotidae, comprised of sucking millipedes from the order Polyzoniida. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437938/original/file-20211216-21-3yvudt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437938/original/file-20211216-21-3yvudt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A female Eumillipes persephone with 330 segments and 1,306 legs. Paul E. Marek, Bruno A. Buzatto, William A. Shear, Jackson C. Means, Dennis G. Black, Mark S. Harvey, Juanita Rodriguez, Scientific Reports, Author provided Their long, thin and pale bodies, with hundreds of legs, reminded me of a paper I had read years earlier, which redescribed the leggiest millipede in the world, the Californian Illacme plenipes, bearing 750 legs. Back in 2007, while teaching zoology at Campinas State University in Brazil, I used that paper to explain to students how no millipede species in the world really had 1,000 legs. Often, popular names are scientifically inaccurate, but in front of me I had an animal that stood a chance of finally making the name millipede biologically correct. <h2>A true millipede at last</h2> I suggested to Jane that our new specimens might be more consistent with I. plenipes, which belongs to another order of millipedes, the Siphonophorida. We consulted Mark Harvey from the WA Museum, and together were surprised to realise Siphonophorida are very rare in Australia: there are only three known species, all found on the east coast. Next, I contacted Paul Marek at Virginia Tech in the United States, a millipede expert and lead author of that paper about the 750-legged I. plenipes. He was excited to receive the specimens a few weeks later. This new species turned out to have up to 1,306 legs, making it the first true millipede. Paul named it Eumillipes persephone, in reference to its “true 1,000 legs” nature, and to Persephone, the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology who was taken from the surface by Hades. <h2>Why so many legs?</h2> E. persephone was most likely driven to its underground life as the landscape above became hotter and drier over millions of years. We eventually discovered Jane was right about the nature of E. persephone: it is in fact a member of the Siphonotidae family, only distantly related to I. plenipes, and is therefore the only species in the whole order Polyzoniida with no eyes. We classify any millipede with more than 180 body segments as “super-elongated”. E. persephone has 330. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437943/original/file-20211216-15-zklige.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437943/original/file-20211216-15-zklige.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Just a few of the legs of a male Eumillipes persephone. Paul E. Marek, Bruno A. Buzatto, William A. Shear, Jackson C. Means, Dennis G. Black, Mark S. Harvey, Juanita Rodriguez, Scientific Reports, Author provided With a genetic analysis, we found that super-elongation has evolved repeatedly in millipedes, and it might be an adaptation to living underground. The large number of legs likely provides enhanced traction and power to push their bodies through small gaps and fractures in the soil. But this is just a hypothesis at this stage, and we have no direct evidence that having more legs is an adaptation to subterranean life. <h2>Finding the unknown</h2> Finding this incredible species, which represents a unique branch of the millipede tree of life, is a small first step towards the conservation of subterranean biodiversity in arid landscapes. This starts with documenting new species, assessing their vulnerability, and ultimately devising conservation priorities and management plans. A large proportion of the species of arid Australia are undescribed. For subterranean fauna, this may be more than 90%. Not knowing these animals exist makes it impossible to assess their conservation status. Biodiversity surveys, and especially the taxonomy that supports them, are incredibly important. Taxonomists such as Jane, Paul and Mark are the unsung heroes of conservation.<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/173753/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruno-alves-buzatto-185830">Bruno Alves Buzatto</a>, Principal Biologist at Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-millipede-1-306-legs-we-just-discovered-the-worlds-leggiest-animal-hiding-in-western-australia-173753">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Shark bites are rare. Here are 8 things to avoid to make them even rarer

Shark bite incidents are <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/odds/how-where-when/">rare</a> but traumatic. They’re usually followed by calls for <a href="https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/sharks-a-history-of-fear-in-australia/">mitigation</a> <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v631/p165-179/">strategies</a>, some of which are dangerous or lethal to sharks – despite the fact most sharks are timid and actively <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266853603_Monitoring_the_effects_of_tourism_on_whale_shark_Rhincodon_typus_behaviour_in_Mozambique">avoid people</a>. The “<a href="https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/sharksmart">SharkSmart</a>” approach, adopted by the Queensland government, aims to educate and urge people to take responsibility for reducing the risk of shark bites by changing their own behaviour. But can humans change? To find out, we teamed up with three companies in the sailing charter industry in the Whitsundays area to better understand how people were using the environment, their knowledge of shark smart behaviours and to see if promoting SharkSmart behaviours led to change. We <a href="https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/queensland-shark-control-program/resource/27af7dc2-73c5-4752-81c0-d6c8374c92e1">found</a> people can and do change behaviour as a result of education – but for some, unfortunately, a “she’ll be right” attitude still prevails. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381253/original/file-20210129-17-1tc89vl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3159%2C2090&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381253/original/file-20210129-17-1tc89vl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3159%2C2090&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Sharks swim in clear waters." /></a> People must take responsibility for reducing the risk of shark bites by changing their own behaviour. Shutterstock <h2>Doing your part to be SharkSmart</h2> Previous surveys had shown many water-users were already aware of many ways to reduce shark risk but there was <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2018/10/experts-weigh-in-on-the-whitsundays-shark-encounters">room for improvement</a>. Many SharkSmart behaviours are well known, such as not swimming at dusk or dawn when sharks may be more prevalent. But we wanted to find out what else people were doing in the water and see if some key SharkSmart interventions made a difference. The interventions included: <ul> <li>showing people a short <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d17id9NOR6s&feature=youtu.be">video</a> before they went out on the water</li> <li>putting stickers on boats to remind people how to reduce shark risk</li> <li>making SharkSmart brochures available to guests on boats</li> <li>dedicated waste disposal bags were given to two of the charter boat operators, with the third acting as a control group.</li> </ul> <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d17id9NOR6s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> We did surveys before and after these SharkSmart tools were introduced to see what changed. We particularly wanted to know whether people were less likely to do eight things linked to higher shark risk in the Whitsundays area: 1. splashing in the water 2. swimming alone 3. swimming near fishers 4. swimming at spots where shark bites have occurred in the past (in this case, in <a href="https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/shark-control-program/whitsundays-plan">Cid Harbour</a>) 5. throwing fish scraps in the water 6. throwing burley (a type of bait, sometimes known as chum) in the water 7. fishing near swimmers 8. throwing food in the water. <a href="https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/queensland-shark-control-program/resource/27af7dc2-73c5-4752-81c0-d6c8374c92e1">Research</a> suggests that by not doing these eight things, we can make shark bites even rarer than they already are. As well as the before-and-after surveys, we captured a sample of rubbish coming back on shore. This was so we could get an idea of whether fish and meat were being stored or thrown overboard. We also wanted to see where and when risk might be higher. For example, snorkelling in a busy anchorage or where people are fishing may increase unnecessary dangers. The warmer months of September to December were mapped as potential higher risk for shark bites. <h2>Our findings</h2> We surveyed 228 tourists (92 pre- and 136 post-intervention) and found: <ul> <li>a 8.9% reduction in splashing or making noise when swimming or snorkelling</li> <li>a 4.1% reduction in throwing fish scraps overboard and</li> <li>a 3.8% reduction in people fishing near people swimming.</li> </ul> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381250/original/file-20210129-23-462790.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381250/original/file-20210129-23-462790.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="A poster shows SharkSmart behaviours." /></a> A poster shows SharkSmart behaviours. Queensland Government, Author provided We found most people were aware of these six behaviours: <ul> <li>following local signage</li> <li>having a buddy when swimming, diving or snorkelling</li> <li>avoiding swimming at dawn or dusk</li> <li>swimming in clear water</li> <li>keeping fish waste and food scraps out of the water where people swim</li> <li>avoiding swimming with schools of bait fish or diving birds.</li> </ul> The lowest awareness was for the last one, but after our intervention we saw a 4.7% increase in knowledge of this behaviour. Although 100% of people were aware of the need to keep fish waste and food scraps out of the water, our pre-surveys between August and October last year found about one-third of tourists still disposed of fish scraps into the water. After the intervention, the share of people doing this dropped to 4-8%. <h2>Shifting the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude</h2> The good news is there is very high awareness of SharkSmart behaviours and most times, people didn’t throw burley in the water, fish near swimmers or swim in Cid Harbour. Unfortunately, some people continued to splash, swim alone and throw fish waste and food scraps in the water. Changing these norms among swimmers and boaties will take time. An attitude of “she’ll be right” still exists among some water users and this group may be the toughest to influence; it’s hard to shift attitudes about dangers among people with such a relaxed attitude to risk. In the Whitsundays and wider Australia, we are lucky to have some of the most incredible beaches, islands and reefs in the world. Most of us are willing to take a small calculated risk to swim in the ocean. Shark bite incidents are <a href="https://taronga.org.au/conservation-and-science/australian-shark-attack-file">extremely rare in Australia</a> but by making small changes, we can drive down the danger even further. Katie Frisch and Gemma Molinaro from Reef Ecologic contributed to this article.<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/173746/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-smith-515741">Adam Smith</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shark-bites-are-rare-here-are-8-things-to-avoid-to-make-them-even-rarer-173746">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Nature is hiding in every nook of Australia’s cities – just look a little closer and you’ll find it

Thanks to technological advances, citizen science has experienced unprecedented global growth over the past decade. It’s enabled millions of people to get involved in science, whether by gathering data, sharing health information or helping to map galaxies. And just because you live in a city, it doesn’t mean you can’t observe, learn about and contribute to scientific understanding of the natural world. Sometimes, it just means looking a little closer. However, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11252-021-01187-3">our recent study</a> revealed in Australia, the number and diversity of urban ecology citizen science projects is relatively low. This is despite cities being important places of conservation and discovery. There’s enormous value in citizen science projects that encourage urbanites to learn about what is often, quite literally, on their doorsteps. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436266/original/file-20211208-25-4348qs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Two woman tag butterfly" /> Urban citizen scientists are a valuable, untapped resource in Australia. Shutterstock <h2>Cities are important for conservation</h2> Recent COVID-19 restrictions mean many of us became more intimately connected to the environment around us. But there is still an overriding <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.13193">perception</a> of urban areas as wastelands devoid of rich and diverse species. It’s true that for many centuries, vegetation in urban areas has been removed to make way for buildings, roads and other human structures. In many cases, this had led to a more homogeneous composition of species and, in Australia’s case, a seeming predominance of introduced plant and animal species. However, recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2032">literature</a> has shown cities remain vital habitats for many native species. This includes threatened species such as the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12404">fringed spider orchid</a>, found only in Greater Melbourne. Recent research <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2032">found</a> 39 nationally threatened species live only in Australian cities and towns, including the western swamp tortoise in Perth and the angle-stemmed myrtle in Brisbane. It’s important to preserve native vegetation remnants in towns and cities, as well as traditional urban green spaces like parks, cemeteries and backyards. But it’s just as important to understand which species call these areas home and why. That’s where citizen science can play a big role. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436280/original/file-20211208-188518-bgx9vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="white flower and leaves" /> The angle-stemmed myrtle is found only in Brisbane. Logan City Council <h2>What we found</h2> We set out to examine the extent to which urban ecology projects in Australia harnessed the resources of citizen scientists. We did this by analysing the projects <a href="https://biocollect.ala.org.au/acsa#isCitizenScience%3Dtrue%26isWorldWide%3Dfalse%26max%3D20%26sort%3DnameSort">listed</a> in the Citizen Science Project Finder, hosted by the Atlas of Living Australia. Of 458 active citizen science projects, only 19 (or 5.3%) were focused on urban environments. Given the number of urban residents in Australia, this constitutes a significant under-representation of projects tailored for these people. Most of the 19 projects focused on four major cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide – while other major cities were notably omitted. Eight projects focused on broad census approaches – essentially ad hoc observations focused on birds or all flora and fauna in a region. Documenting the presence of various species in urban areas is important. But there’s potential for citizen scientists to help answer more targeted research questions. For example, grey-headed flying foxes have been <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2005.00005.x">documented</a> re-colonising habitat in Melbourne they were once absent from. As cities continue to grow, knowing which species can persist and which have been pushed out is incredibly valuable – and citizen scientists can help in this task. Also, many of the 19 projects did not provide an easy way to participate, such as easy links to platforms to record and upload data. We were also unable to find scientific papers where results from any of the 19 projects had been published. Publications would further strengthen the validity of a citizen science approach in urban environments and add another way to measure success. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436277/original/file-20211208-141979-1rfi2bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="flying foxes hand upside down on branch" /> Grey-headed flying foxes have recolonised parts of Melbourne. Shutterstock <h2>Citizens are good for science</h2> More than 70% of Australians live in a major city. This offers a large pool of potential participants in citizen science projects. And cities are home to people from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, ages and mobilities. There is increasing <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/220/Supplement_2/S33/5552350">acknowledgement</a> that science is enhanced by increasing the diversity of people involved. So a greater number of urban citizen science projects would be good for science. What’s more, urban projects can provide data from places not typically accessible to professional scientists such as backyards and school grounds. They also allow for the collection of observation-rich and continuous data, which is rare even in professional settings. And of course, citizen science projects benefit the participants themselves – encouraging people to get outdoors, get active and connect more deeply with nature. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436278/original/file-20211208-19-1ll5ixn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="woman shows frog to school students" /> Citizen science can provide data from places professional researchers can’t always access, such as schools. Australian Museum <h2>A tool for measuring change</h2> Increasing citizen science in cities could help to shift an overriding narrative that cities are not important places for biodiversity. This may in turn afford greater concentrated effort towards conserving remaining urban green spaces. Citizen science could help answer key ecological questions about urban environments. For example, <a href="https://theconversation.com/birdwatching-increased-tenfold-last-lockdown-dont-stop-its-a-huge-help-for-bushfire-recovery-141970">research</a> last year showed how citizen scientists helped document species seeking refuge in urban areas following Australia’s horrific 2019-20 bushfires. Expanding such an approach could lead to a better understanding of how cities function as biodiversity refuges. And a greater focus on citizen science in cities would also enable residents to engage in their surroundings, share their knowledge and help inform the management of the environment around them.<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/168256/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erin-roger-1140886">Erin Roger</a>, Citizen Science Program Lead, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/csiro-1035">CSIRO</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alice-motion-291397">Alice Motion</a>, Associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/nature-is-hiding-in-every-nook-of-australias-cities-just-look-a-little-closer-and-youll-find-it-168256">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Ever wondered who would win in a fight between a dingo and a wolf? An expert explains

Imagine two of the world’s most iconic canids – a dingo and a wolf – head to head in a fight. Who would win? Before we examine the combatants in more detail, we need to answer an important question first, which wolf and which dingo? Taxonomy – the way we describe, name and classify Earth’s biodiversity – <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aav3437">remains contentious</a> for both animals. <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-dingo-is-a-true-blue-native-australian-species-111538">Dingoes are recognised as a species</a> in their own right by some, but not <a href="https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4317.2.1">others</a>. And, <a href="https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2021.004">dingoes are quite different</a> in their size and appearance, depending on whether they live in Australia’s alpine and forested areas, deserts, or tropical regions. As for wolves, there are North American (“Grey”), Mexican, Eurasian, Himalayan, Asiatic, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.16127">Indian and Tibetan</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mec.16048">Red</a>, African <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.041">golden</a>, Ethiopian and even “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/37/9/2616/5834723">ghost wolves</a>” – yes, <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.463851v3">ghost wolves</a>! Ghost wolves are species we can recognise from the past using genetic information, but they no longer survive and no fossils are known to exist. And then there are “wolves” that aren’t wolves at all: the fox-like <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/maned-wolf">maned wolf</a> in South America, and the gargantuan, now-extinct <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03082-x?proof=t">dire wolf</a>. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435232/original/file-20211202-17-a8k7d2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435232/original/file-20211202-17-a8k7d2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The maned wolf is a canine from South America, but is neither a wolf nor a fox. Shutterstock For the purposes of this battle, let’s assume it’s between a grey wolf and an alpine dingo. <h2>Why do dogs, dingoes and wolves fight?</h2> <img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1891/dingo.gif?1639005086" alt="" width="33%" align="left" /> For wild canids, fights occur for many reasons, within and between species when they overlap. Wolves and dingoes fight for mates, to attain dominance within packs, and to establish and maintain their territories. So, let’s get to know each opponent a little better. Dingoes and wolves are both social and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347210001478">intelligent species</a>, capable of <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7138/">complex behaviours and problem solving</a>. <img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1892/wolf.gif?1639005618" alt="" width="33%" align="right" /> Grey wolves are what we call hyper-carnivores, feeding <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mam.12067">predominantly on other animals</a>, in many cases large prey such as deer, elk, moose and bison. Dingoes are omnivores with a <a href="https://theconversation.com/dingo-dinners-whats-on-the-menu-for-australias-top-predator-103846">broad, varied diet</a>. They eat everything from fruits, to invertebrates, to small and large vertebrates – think lizards, birds, wombats, wallabies, possums, kangaroos, and feral animals like goats and deer. Dingoes will also <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article/41/3/433/464059/Dingoes-dining-with-death">scavenge food and carcasses</a>. Prior to European invasion, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2011.00203.x">dingoes likely occupied</a> all of mainland Australia. Aside from humans, it’s thought the grey wolf was once <a href="https://www.canids.org/species/view/PREKLD895731">the world’s most widespread mammal</a>, where it, and its subspecies, occurred across much of Europe, Asia, and North and Central America. But, like with dingoes, humans have caused substantial population and range decline of wolves. <h2>The battle: terrain is crucial</h2> The terrain of the arena for our combatants would be crucial. Dingoes and wolves are capable of moving at great speeds, sustained for long periods of time, especially in open country. Both can reach top speeds in the range of 50-60 kilometres per hour! <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435233/original/file-20211202-27-1p0mlxs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435233/original/file-20211202-27-1p0mlxs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Aside from humans, the grey wolf may once have been the world’s most widespread mammal. Milo Weiler/Unsplash, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" class="license">CC BY</a> However, dingoes arguably have the advantage in tight spots, in terms of their much smaller size, greater agility and flexibility, and climbing abilities. Dingoes typically weigh between <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2011.00203.x">15 and 20 kilograms</a>, while grey wolves are usually in <a href="https://www.livescience.com/27909-wolves.html">the range of 30-65kg</a>, and up to around 80kg for some males. Dingoes have been recorded vertically jumping 2 metres and <a href="https://dingofoundation.org/dingoes-are-not-domestic-dogs/">climbing fences</a>, making them quite cat-like in many respects. So, if the battle occurs among many obstacles and on steep terrain, this will give dingoes an edge. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435230/original/file-20211202-23-d897tr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435230/original/file-20211202-23-d897tr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Dingoes are perfectly adapted to Australia’s conditions. Shutterstock But if the fight is in the open, the much heavier, taller, and longer wolves will be too much for dingoes. They also pack a heavier <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2004.2986">bite quotient</a> (bite force relative to body mass) of 136 as compared to the dingo’s 108. Having said that, wolves are much taller than dingoes, around 65-80 centimetres and 45-60cm at their shoulders, respectively. So it’s possible a wily dingo could dash under the legs of a tall wolf and launch an attack on the vulnerable underbelly. <h2>What about pack vs pack?</h2> The final factor to consider is whether the fight is simply one dingo vs one wolf. Both can occur as individuals or in packs. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435228/original/file-20211202-21-1sxtsus.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435228/original/file-20211202-21-1sxtsus.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Grey wolves can be in packs with 20 or more individuals. Eva Blue/Unsplash, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" class="license">CC BY</a> Dingoes are typically found alone, in pairs or in small packs of a few individuals, but occasionally can be found in much larger, less socially cohesive groups of ten or more when <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00056.x">food resources are plentiful</a>. Wolves, on the other hand, are often found in groups of between five and ten, but much larger packs of 20 or more can also occur. I spoke to Lyn Watson, who runs the <a href="https://dingofoundation.org/">Dingo Discovery and Research Centre</a>. She says dingoes are “flight, rather than fight, canids”. This is wise behaviour, as dingoes are small in number and size and can’t rely on a large pack, like wolves sometimes can, to substitute them should they become injured in a fight. She goes on to say that from her 30 years of observations, female dingoes are particularly deadly. <blockquote> While dingoes are small, bonded pairs will fight in a coordinated way. Males fight in traditional neck and throat grabs, or “elbow”, but their bonded other has a completely different mode - and it’s deadly. The female will stay at the periphery then dart into the soft parts of the combatant that is threatening her mate. She aims to maim - and does so, targeting the most “sensitive” of areas, enough said! </blockquote> So if it’s pack vs pack, wolves will be far too strong. But if a single wolf was unlucky enough to come across a pack of dingoes, the tide could turn strongly in favour of dingoes. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434086/original/file-20211126-25-1pu702n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434086/original/file-20211126-25-1pu702n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Female dingoes aim to maim when they fight. Angus Emmott <h2>Learning to live together</h2> Even though wolves and dingoes fight in the wild, despite common perceptions, they generally pose a very small risk to people, especially if we adhere to advice such as not feeding them. Domestic and feral dogs pose a far greater risk to us. It’s estimated that around the world, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/animal-bites">dogs bite and injure tens of millions of people</a> annually. In the US alone, it’s thought around 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Of course, in reality wolves and dingoes will never fight each other in the wild. The greatest threat they both face is the ongoing destruction of their habitats and widespread <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.304">direct persecution from humans</a> (trapping, poisoning, shooting, and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42977-021-00106-z">exclusion from areas</a>), often aimed at protecting livestock. Like other apex predators, dingoes and wolves have critical roles in our ecosystems and, in many cases, have deep cultural significance for <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303709X434149">Indigenous people</a>. We must find more ethical and sustainable ways to <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article-abstract/41/3/491/447838/Co-existing-with-dingoes-Challenges-and-solutions">share our world</a>. <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/158312/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/euan-ritchie-735">Euan Ritchie</a>, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ever-wondered-who-would-win-in-a-fight-between-a-dingo-and-a-wolf-an-expert-explains-158312">original article</a>. Image: Wes Mountain/The Conversation

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