Sarbi, our nation's most decorated canine war hero, has died aged 12 (image: Sydney Morning Herald).

Snap Shots: Our most decorated canine war hero dies


Australia’s most decorated canine war hero dies

We start with one that we missed from before Easter.  The Army website reports that Australia’s most decorated canine has died. Sarbi, a 12 year old Labrador-Newfoundland cross has died after a short battle with brain cancer. The bomb-sniffing hero served Australia in Afghanistan, where she once went missing for 14 months. For her bravery Sarbi was awarded the War Dog Operational Medal, the Canine Service Medal and the Purple Cross Award. It’s a wonderful story of man’s best friend (also reported in the Sydney Morning Herald).

Killing cats means more cats?

Next we have a study reported by the ABC in which a scientist has concluded that killing feral cats actually increases their numbers and that you may be “doing more damage than good”. I don’t even know where to start with this dangerously flawed report. For starters, couldn’t it be that the scientist was actually progressively catching the least wary cats, not the dominant ones, and that is why the catch rates dropped? Even if she was catching dominant cats and they were being replaced by sub-ordinates as she claims, doesn’t that mean a drop in cat numbers in whichever area the subordinates migrated from, with a corresponding drop in total cats and native wildlife eaten? Further, if the “dominant cat” theory holds, how can she make any conclusion about the effects of shooting feral cats (see first sentence) when this method of culling is not subject to the selection bias that she claims cage trapping is? Anyway, I could go on, but have a read for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Hunters well behaved at Victorian duck opening

This piece from The Age, reports that a very small number of hunters were issued infringement notices during the recent opening of the Victorian duck season, earning praise from the Game Management Authority. Eight protestors were also fined, which in percentage terms means far more protestors broke the law than hunters. See also this piece from the Bendigo Advertiser.

Deer rampages through Gold Coast

This article from News.com, which also made the evening news, tells of a falllow deer buck that escaped from Clive Palmer’s wedding resort on the Gold Coast and ran riot through a housing estate. The unfortunate animal ended up being shot with a tranquiliser dart gun and then euthanised.

Leopard charge

We finish with a link to a video of a leopard charge in which the big cat closes in to very close range.  Whether big game hunting is your thing or not, you’d have to admit this would get your heart jumping.  A change of undies may well be in order!

 

 

 

 


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