Just a matter of time, pets becoming pests.

[RoryBreaker]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-08-30/pets-pests-australia/9980986?pfmredir=ms

In the florida example, the author conveniently left out mentioning where the bulk of the burmese pythons came from (that python breeding facility blown off the map by hurricane andrew in the mid 90s), and lets one assume they were all dumped pets.

 

[pythoninfinite]

I would say that many of the proposals/statements in this article are fairly arguable. While I don't disagree with the overall comment about threats of invasive species, some of the examples deserve a second look.

Jamie

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

While there are plenty of flaws in the journalistic ramblings the facts are there for everyone to see.
And the funny thing is that the animals are not to blame, its people and stupid legislation/decisions at the highest level.

We have a massive feral cat problem in Australia but have we stopped allowing them to be imported yet? We haven't even yet got a law in place that stops people from letting them roam free killing wildlife non stop.
Ah the speed of the slow turning wheel we call the decision makers in this country. Lets just dance around the problems until its too late to do anything that could potentially be classed as constructive.

 

[longirostris]

While there are plenty of flaws in the journalistic ramblings the facts are there for everyone to see.
And the funny thing is that the animals are not to blame, its people and stupid legislation/decisions at the highest level.

We have a massive feral cat problem in Australia but have we stopped allowing them to be imported yet? We haven't even yet got a law in place that stops people from letting them roam free killing wildlife non stop.
Ah the speed of the slow turning wheel we call the decision makers in this country. Lets just dance around the problems until its too late to do anything that could potentially be classed as constructive.

Here Here, well said @Pauls_Pythons, could not have said this any better myself

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Here Here, well said @Pauls_Pythons, could not have said this any better myself

Thanks mate but I do think many of us feel the same and many of those, yourself included would be able to verbalise our feelings better than I.

 

[RoryBreaker]

We have a massive feral cat problem in Australia but have we stopped allowing them to be imported yet? We haven't even yet got a law in place that stops people from letting them roam free killing wildlife non stop.
Ah the speed of the slow turning wheel we call the decision makers in this country.

Well, funny you should say that. The kiwis are trying to ban cats in one town for a start.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...new-zealand-council-proposes-banning-all-cats

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

See, even the Kiwi's are a step in-front of us!

 

[Fall guys]

That won’t change anything, ppl will still dump them when they are unwanted/ can’t be cared for

 

[Stompsy]

See, even the Kiwi's are a step in-front of us!

The Kiwi’s are ahead of Australia in a multitude of ways, however I’ve recently discovered how inhumane that has become.

Take the war on possums for example. It’s legal to shoot and poison possums in NZ, with local schools even holding annual possum hunts... until they were found to be encouraging the children to drown the joeys found in pouches of the culled possums. It’s barbaric and I highly doubt in any way good for the kids state of mind.

Here’s a link: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...owning-of-babies-at-school-fair-sparks-outcry

I’m a cat lover but do agree that the best way forward in controlling the feral cat issue in this country would be to ban them altogether. I know several families who haven’t spayed their cats and keep allowing them to have litter after litter... all the while letting them live outside permanently. And these same people just don’t see how much damage they are doing, no matter how much you harp on to them about it.

It really is the only way.

 

[Mick666]

I don't know if you guys saw the latest response i received from the government in regards to the proposed changes to the laws up here. But i brought up the subject of feral cats and what are they doing to protect wildlife from them. The response basically said "we don't care, that's a local council problem." pathetic. I work for a regional council, and we do sweet FA about feral cats.

 

[Yellowtail]

While there are plenty of flaws in the journalistic ramblings the facts are there for everyone to see.
And the funny thing is that the animals are not to blame, its people and stupid legislation/decisions at the highest level.

We have a massive feral cat problem in Australia but have we stopped allowing them to be imported yet? We haven't even yet got a law in place that stops people from letting them roam free killing wildlife non stop.
Ah the speed of the slow turning wheel we call the decision makers in this country. Lets just dance around the problems until its too late to do anything that could potentially be classed as constructive.

I have just moved to an idyllic location in the Gold Coast hinterland, 5 acre properties that are mostly rainforest and adjoining a wild life refuge and a national park, there are lots of koalas wallabies etc and an incredible variety of birds and reptiles and I encourage them on my property with watering stations and the right trees and plants. To my horror I started picking up cats on my security cameras, often at 2 - 3 am. I followed one of these cats to a neighbouring property and they have 2 cats that run free plus a hunting dog that patrols the area including the national park, barks at birds, chases wallabies and I hate to think what it would do to a koala. Now I don't want to get offside with my new neighbours but why would someone choose to live in a wild life paradise and keep animals that attack the wildlife?

 

[RoryBreaker]

Just trap the cats and store them in the freezer.

When it warms up and your resident large carpets make an appearance, thaw them out..win-win.

 

[cris]

The Kiwi’s are ahead of Australia in a multitude of ways, however I’ve recently discovered how inhumane that has become.

Take the war on possums for example. It’s legal to shoot and poison possums in NZ, with local schools even holding annual possum hunts... until they were found to be encouraging the children to drown the joeys found in pouches of the culled possums. It’s barbaric and I highly doubt in any way good for the kids state of mind.

Here’s a link: https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...owning-of-babies-at-school-fair-sparks-outcry

Drowning animals is rarely (if ever) the most humane option, it is probably illegal too. As far as kids hunting and killing animals, it is perfectly natural (especially for males) and should be promoted IMO. The real danger comes from the vegan/animal rights people who want to raise people in a brainwashed state where they see themselves as being disconnected from nature, rather than a significant, potentially highly beneficial part of the ecosystem.

I also think NZ would be better off just introducing heaps of life forms. They need some predators to control the possums and they don't even have any snakes... it is disgraceful.

 

[longirostris]

I don't know if you guys saw the latest response i received from the government in regards to the proposed changes to the laws up here. But i brought up the subject of feral cats and what are they doing to protect wildlife from them. The response basically said "we don't care, that's a local council problem." pathetic. I work for a regional council, and we do sweet FA about feral cats.

I got exactly the same reply from the same Senior Policy advisor that you got your reply from, his comment when fobbing me off was "outside the scope of the review" and with those 6 words just completely walked away from one of the biggest existential disasters faced by our wildlife (and reptiles in particular) in this country ever. Feral Cats. Mind you not too far behind are the issues of cane toads, land clearing, foxes, road kill, hazard reduction burning and so on.

So, I wrote back to the minister and cc'd the senior policy advisor as well as the other nominated DES staff in the original response letter. I suggested to Ms Enoch (minister responsible for DES etc,) that she should have a good look at what her policy advisors are saying to her because they are not addressing the real issues with the terms of the review currently underway in QLD right now. I restated my strongly held position that poaching and take from the wild activities whilst not ideal are so far down the list of causes of wildlife decimation in QLD that making a major issue of it with the statements made in the opening pages of the review document is ridiculous. How DES and the ministers policy advisors can in all good conscious, pursue reviewing a regulation process that has a stated aim of reducing an activity, that at best impacts maybe a few thousand reptiles every year when literally hundreds of millions are being killed by the causes listed above, with a 6 word fob off is just brain snapingly ridiculous. The sooner some politician (read Ms Enoch) actually sees and understands that DES are wasting taxpayers money on a review that for its stated aim is flawed and unlikely to succeed in its intended outcome and actually makes a concerted effort to do something about focusing resources on the real and major existential threats to our wildlife, the better off our wildlife and in particular our reptiles will be.

I await her response eagerly, lets hope this time it comes from someone who can demonstrate that they actually got the message and that they WILL do something or at least start the process of doing something about the problems raised before it is too late.

Mark Hawker

 

[Mick666]

I predict another response full of BS and p*** poor excuses. They only answer the questions that they want to, and just totally avoid anything they can't get around. It's like talking to a brick wall behind a another larger, stupider brick wall. But I'll keep trying anyway.

 

[Stompsy]

Drowning animals is rarely (if ever) the most humane option, it is probably illegal too. As far as kids hunting and killing animals, it is perfectly natural (especially for males) and should be promoted IMO. The real danger comes from the vegan/animal rights people who want to raise people in a brainwashed state where they see themselves as being disconnected from nature, rather than a significant, potentially highly beneficial part of the ecosystem.

I also think NZ would be better off just introducing heaps of life forms. They need some predators to control the possums and they don't even have any snakes... it is disgraceful.

You’re taking the piss right?

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

To my horror I started picking up cats on my security cameras, often at 2 - 3 am. I followed one of these cats to a neighbouring property and they have 2 cats that run free plus a hunting dog that patrols the area including the national park, barks at birds, chases wallabies and I hate to think what it would do to a koala. Now I don't want to get offside with my new neighbours but why would someone choose to live in a wild life paradise and keep animals that attack the wildlife?

Unfortunately YT I think the only option is to 'resolve' the issue yourself.
Confronting cat owners who think its fine to let their little kitty's run free is unlikely to have any positive outcome

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

I have just moved to an idyllic location in the Gold Coast hinterland, 5 acre properties that are mostly rainforest and adjoining a wild life refuge and a national park, there are lots of koalas wallabies etc and an incredible variety of birds and reptiles and I encourage them on my property with watering stations and the right trees and plants. To my horror I started picking up cats on my security cameras, often at 2 - 3 am. I followed one of these cats to a neighbouring property and they have 2 cats that run free plus a hunting dog that patrols the area including the national park, barks at birds, chases wallabies and I hate to think what it would do to a koala. Now I don't want to get offside with my new neighbours but why would someone choose to live in a wild life paradise and keep animals that attack the wildlife?

Unfortunately Ken there's too many people in society today that simply don't give a damn about wildlife and their own impact on the environment. When I first moved into my new house, the last thing I wanted to do was get my neighbours offside but that's exactly what happened... they HAD 3 cats... The bloke I bought the house off said he'd lived here for 16 years and these neighbours moved in 4 years ago and since then he was forever hunting their cats out of his yard (he didn't have a dog) so the neighbour's cats treated his yard like their toilet and bird killing ground. I told him "well I won't be putting up with that" Things changed the day I took the keys. Within the first fortnight all 3 of their cats were trapped and removed (I won't go into further details) and their POS dog was confiscated by council as it kept escaping their yard and getting into mine (another complaint by the previous owner who used to just take it back to them every time...) and my dogs were beating it up. But being a half bred mongrel staffy, it was too dumb to know any better. I actually phoned the council concerned that I was going to be personally responsible for injuries to the neighbour's dog, they assured me that under no circumstances would/could I be held responsible, even if it was killed in my yard. The third time it got into my yard, the Rangers took it from them despite their pleadings. A few months later they got 2 new cats which were both trapped by me for hunting roosting birds in my front yard around 1am nightly. I confronted my neighbours (a man and his wife, both probably 10 years older than me) with proof... time and date stamped photographs of their cats in my front yard and actual surveillance footage of them stalking and grabbing birds from a 6m grevillea in my front yard and said "I'm tired of getting home from work and finding bird feathers all over my lawn from your cats hunting. Toowoomba council rules state that your cats aren't allowed to free-roam and they must be kept indoors! Theyre getting up on my rainwater tank and sitting there causing my dogs to bark relentlessly and walking over my cars in the carport and crapping in my gardens" Their reply... "seriously, who are they hurting? So they catch a few birds, what's the big deal?" Then some heated to and fro ensued and less than 2 months later they packed up and moved out.

At the end of the day, You can't be neighbourly with people that expect you to just accept and put up with their garbage.

 

[Yellowtail]

Unfortunately Ken there's too many people in society today that simply don't give a damn about wildlife and their own impact on the environment. When I first moved into my new house, the last thing I wanted to do was get my neighbours offside but that's exactly what happened... they HAD 3 cats... The bloke I bought the house off said he'd lived here for 16 years and these neighbours moved in 4 years ago and since then he was forever hunting their cats out of his yard (he didn't have a dog) so the neighbour's cats treated his yard like their toilet and bird killing ground. I told him "well I won't be putting up with that" Things changed the day I took the keys. Within the first fortnight all 3 of their cats were trapped and removed (I won't go into further details) and their POS dog was confiscated by council as it kept escaping their yard and getting into mine (another complaint by the previous owner who used to just take it back to them every time...) and my dogs were beating it up. But being a half bred mongrel staffy, it was too dumb to know any better. I actually phoned the council concerned that I was going to be personally responsible for injuries to the neighbour's dog, they assured me that under no circumstances would/could I be held responsible, even if it was killed in my yard. The third time it got into my yard, the Rangers took it from them despite their pleadings. A few months later they got 2 new cats which were both trapped by me for hunting roosting birds in my front yard around 1am nightly. I confronted my neighbours (a man and his wife, both probably 10 years older than me) with proof... time and date stamped photographs of their cats in my front yard and actual surveillance footage of them stalking and grabbing birds from a 6m grevillea in my front yard and said "I'm tired of getting home from work and finding bird feathers all over my lawn from your cats hunting. Toowoomba council rules state that your cats aren't allowed to free-roam and they must be kept indoors! Theyre getting up on my rainwater tank and sitting there causing my dogs to bark relentlessly and walking over my cars in the carport and crapping in my gardens" Their reply... "seriously, who are they hurting? So they catch a few birds, what's the big deal?" Then some heated to and fro ensued and less than 2 months later they packed up and moved out.

At the end of the day, You can't be neighbourly with people that expect you to just accept and put up with their garbage.

My neighbours are the original residents in the area, have been there for over 20 years and their dogs (they used to have several) and cats have been roaming the street and the national park all that time. The previous owner of my property erected fences to keep the dogs out of her garden and used to hose the cats but that did not stop them from roaming the rest of the property. It is a serious offence to allow your animals in a national park but the council don't care (they do remove roadkill so it does not upset the tourists) and the wildlife authority are more interested in enforcing reptile movement advices.

 

[cris]

You’re taking the piss right?

No, but the last bit was intended to be a joke. I don't know if there are any snakes that would be able to control possums in NZ.