ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

What species are we then?


If we can’t save the animals of the world from extinction,
what hope have we of saving us? For there is no distinction.
We are the smarter species so we claim – technology
is at our fingertips these days for all of us to see.

We're still losing some species mostly consider unique.
The lion of Africa's future is now thought of as bleak.
Orang-utans are threatened we’ve destroyed their habitat
to plant palm oil plantations – just another source of fat.

Leadbeater’s possum might be saved, though Bilby feel the threat.
Our Sea Lion is vulnerable and Dugongs – don’t forget
the Dugongs – mermaids of the sea, who need sea grass for feed.
And pesticides are killing it off just as we do weed..

There’s Quokkas. Quoll . Corroborree frogs - headed for the chop.
Lumholdtz’s Tree- Kangaroo found only at Queenslands top
end – the sharp bit, the rainforest – I see you know it well.
So tell me why you do not heed the ringing of the bell.

The Thylacine is now extinct for him we sang no dirge.
A wily apex predator – a stock killer and scourge,
highest upon the food chain his only predator man.
He’s walked our land since Dreamtime from when the world began.

If we can’t save the animals of our world from extinction
what hope have we of saving us? For where is the distinction?
We need much more compassion for those on land and sea
for they indeed are animals – but so it’s said are we.

Maureen Clifford © 02/12

I agree with all that you say.

However, the rabbit seems to be bouncing back.

Haven't eaten a tasty bit of rabbit since, since - well, I don't know when.

Jim.

Are the rabbits bouncing back Jim????? Can't say we ever noticed any sign of that at at the old place - the place was covered in old rabbit warrens but their inhabitants seemed to be more of the slithery type. Of course we did have the rabbit fence there as well as the dingo fence and where it crossed the main road between Warwick and Inglewood at Karara.

Originally there were gates across the road and a gatekeeper who lived in a little cottage to open and close them, as traffic increased in the area the gates were replaced with a grid which was there when we first moved into that area and it was subsequently filled in and replaced with painted white lines on the bitumen and a sign that said 'Rabbits strictly prohibited past this point" which used to crack me up no end because I didn't know rabbits could read. The original fence was built around 1859 to keep the NSW rabbits out of Queensland.

The rabbit fence is still maintained - we knew the bloke who did it and he lived in the original gatekeepers cottage. He never could explain the logic behind doing this when the little bunnies could just if so inclined stroll across the bitumen from one side of the fence to the other. I had visions of Elmer Fudd and rascally rabbits firmly in my brain every time we drove through there.

Off course there a Fences
and there are
Defences.
Seems someone got it wrong !!!
Jim.

Marty, apparently the scientific fraternity wait until the problem is dire again before investigating a new strain.
TV tells me another four years or so until something is available.

Doesn't make sense, why not begin research as soon as the new problem BEGINS to appear ?
Jim.

More to the point how can we keep releasing new strains of poisons out there. Humans consistently try to fiddle with nature to no avail, and we always think we know best. Rabbits are probably breeding up again because we are being successful in destroying their natural predators and as a result we have caused the ecosystem to be out of whack. We are eliminating foxes and dingoes, Tassie Devil -he's already gone, eagles are under threat.

Let Nature do her own work. Contrary to stereotypes, the rabbit isn't a great competitor and is not ideally suited to Australian conditions. Unlike marsupials, it isn't a great conserver of energy, it can't control its breeding to adapt to drought conditions, it isn't able to eat the diversity of food as can competitors like the bilby, and it is not as mobile as are hopping marsupials. It's only real advantage is that it is a fast breeder so can quickly fill voids when the ecosystem is in a state of imbalance or predators are low in numbers. It is just a shame that by trying to help the native animals, or protect lambs on sheep farms, humans are actually helping rabbits. If humans wouldn't interfere, the rabbit would probably eventually go extinct in Australia just as it has gone extinct on Kangaroo Island and is in danger of extinction in many parts of the world

Maureen,
That's an area for research where money would be well spent.
Jim.