Threatened species list grows as bushfire season looms
More than 20 plants and animals have been added to the government's threatened species list as politicians look ahead to another challenging bushfire season.
wildlife
Sanctuary rises from the ashes of Black Summer fires
A wildlife sanctuary is bringing native species back with man-made homes but its owner fears for animals in barren bushfire zones where nothing's being done.
Rare white platypus spotted, but it’s not an albino
A researcher has shared extraordinary images of a rare white platypus spotted in a NSW stream.
Marvellous mammals shine bright in the right light
Australian researchers have shown that for the air-breathing, milk-producing, live-birthing mammals of the world, glowing under ultraviolet light is common.
Wipeout for python owner and surfing snake
A man filmed surfing with his pet python at a Gold Coast beach has been hit with a fine of more than $2000.
Citizen scientists asked to help unpack platypus enigma
Ecologists want Australians to look for platypuses in their local rivers and creeks to help plug knowledge gaps about the declining species.
Threatened species list just got a whole lot longer
Dozens of plants and animals have been added to Australia's long list of threatened species, with 14 catapulting into the critically endangered category.
Plan to shield native species from threat posed by cats
The federal government has released a new plan that aims to stop feral and pet cats from driving more native species to extinction.
Salmon farmers at odds with destock call to save skate
Tasmania's salmon industry is resisting advice to destock pens in a harbour in order to save an ancient fish on the brink of extinction.
Off-the-scale marine heatwave forecast for south east
Another marine heatwave is about to hit the waters off south east Australia and there are some lessons about what might be in store from an earlier event.
WA plan to stop spread of cane toads falters
The West's bid to stop the spread of cane toads is faltering, with the toxic pest having a big impact on native wildlife of the Kimberley region's coastline.
Oyster lovers on epic mission to restock Queensland bay
Once plentiful oysters are now functionally extinct in Brisbane's Moreton Bay but scientists say a volunteer group is onto something that could change that.
NSW nets trap few sharks but lots of threatened species
Threatened species accounted for more than 70 per cent of everything caught in shark nets at NSW beaches in the last eight-month netting season.
Stranded WA whales euthanised in ‘difficult decision’
Wildlife experts have had to euthanise the remainder of a pod of whales that began beaching themselves on a remote West Australian beach earlier this week.
Surviving whales shown deeper water after 52 deaths
Fifty-two whales are dead after stranding themselves on a remote WA beach and rescuers are preparing to lead the rest of the pod back into deep waters.
Drones a threat to critically endangered Aussie bird
Australia's largest shorebird is being pushed further towards the brink of extinction by people using drones, a study suggests.
Murray crays and fish head home after flood rescues
More than 1500 crayfish and hundreds of native fish are back home after they were rescued from the Murray River flood and sent on unscheduled holidays.
Sick, skinny snakes loaded with forever chemicals
Wild tiger snakes in Perth appear to be suffering the effects of exposure to long-lived, toxic PFAS chemicals.
K’gari dingo attack points to trend in behaviour change
Queensland's K'gari has had more dingo attacks in the past two years than the previous decade, a mayor believes, after a pack of the animals injured a jogger.
Overfishing takes big bite out of reef sharks globally
Overfishing is driving the world's reef sharks towards extinction but Australia is doing relatively well at managing populations, a new study shows.
Wild results from chlamydia vaccine trial for koalas
A world-first study to vaccinate a wild koala population against the deadly chlamydia disease has exceeded all expectations, researchers say.
Priceless Aussie treasure a gift fit for a King
The King's looming coronation has given a leg-up to a critically endangered Australian parrot with killer camouflage skills.
Dead ducks dumped outside Victorian premier’s office
Anti-duck shooting activists have dumped dozens of dead native birds outside Victoria's government offices as an inquiry considers whether to ban the practice.
Black rhino birth a true labour of love
NSW zookeepers are celebrating the birth of a critically endangered black rhino calf after more than a little human assistance.
Cloud hangs over Vic duck shooting as season starts
Victoria's shorter duck shooting season has started while a cloud hangs over the contentious practice's future.
Sea level rise threatens island turtle hatchery
A study has delivered more bad news for a globally important green turtle nesting site off Queensland, with climate change predicted to flood all nests by 2050.
Bushfire-fighting chemicals stunt, kill frogs: study
A Queensland study has sounded alarm bells about new-generation bushfire-fighting chemicals, with two found to stunt and kill frogs.
Whales indulge in ‘day spa treatments’ off Gold Coast
Humpback whales enjoy spending time exfoliating their skin and appear to have a favourite spot in thea sea bed off the Gold Coast, a researcher has found.
Scientist in awe of Antarctica’s beautiful frailty
Queensland Scientist Olaf Meynecke says a recent trip to study chubby whales in Antarctica has left him with a odd mix of trepidation and determination.
Deep ocean in deep trouble as Antarctic ice melts
A life-sustaining circulatory system for the deep ocean will quickly slow and may collapse entirely without emissions cuts this decade, Australian experts say.
Study charts decade of loss on Australian reefs
More than half of the most common species on the reefs that ring Australia have suffered population declines over the past decade, a new study has revealed.