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.
wildlife
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.
Rambo, the fox who outfoxed the hunters, bites the dust
Wildlife officers are celebrating the demise of a fox named Rambo, who outfoxed veteran trackers tasked with hunting him down at a NSW wildlife refuge.
Go ahead for Vic inquiry into divisive duck shooting
Victoria's upper house has passed a motion to set up a parliamentary inquiry into the hotly contested future of duck shooting in the state.
Duck shooting battle shifts to Victorian parliament
A parliamentary inquiry will be set up to examine duck shooting in Victoria after another season was green-lit despite growing dissension within the government.
Intrepid biologist makes stunning lizard find on island
A new species of gecko believed to have evolved in isolation over millions of years has been discovered on a remote, rocky island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientists hatch weevil plan to conquer invasive plant
The CSIRO is hoping a biological control agent will wage a campaign of death and destruction against an invasive plant released in Australia in the 1960s.
Landlocked moulting penguins just need a little space
Penguins are about to strip off at beaches across southern Australia, ramping up the pint-sized seabird's exposure to predators, including domestic dogs.
Queensland study shows snakes can be good listeners
Australian researchers have shown a lack of external ears is no barrier when it comes to the hearing abilities of snakes.
Lusty quoll’s sleepless habits could see species rooted
Researchers say the mating drive of northern quolls overrides even the need for sleep, putting the endangered species at further risk.
Australians big on hunting trophies
Australians who like to kill exotic animals including bears and giraffes have made the country the 10th largest importer of hunting trophies, a new report says.
Echidnas blow snot bubbles to say cool
It's long been thought echidnas are poor at dealing with the Australian heat but researchers say they have some secret weapons including snot bubbles.
Freezing toads works but beware ‘zombies’
Australians have long hunted cane toads in inventive and not always kind ways. But there's a way to kill humanely and ward off the so-called zombie syndrome.
Fire-hit gliders dig cool new tree homes
Greater gliders that lost their forest homes to bushfires have moved into new hi-tech digs that are not too hot, not too cold but just right.
Beach walkers help unravel turtle mystery
Regular beach goers are being recruited to help unravel the mysterious nesting habits of sea turtles on busy Gold Coast beaches.