The threatened Quoll and other native animals are likely to be killed off by government use of 1080 against foxes and dogs, especially when aerially broadcast from the air.

Threatened species given lifeline by new bait developed to kill feral cats

West Australian researchers spent 10 years developing bait of poison mixed with kangaroo mince and chicken fat to appeal to notoriously fussy feline palates New baits targeting feral cats could aid the recovery of 53 threatened species covered under Western Australia’s largest conservation project, according to the state’s environment minister, Albert Jacob. The West Australian …

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Approval of deadly 1080 poison dumped from the air

Deadly 1080 poison was broadcast across forested land in Gippsland and NE Victoria during May in an attempt to placate certain sheep farmers. How’s this for contradictory spin. “The sites were chosen for their inaccessibility and remoteness, proximity to private land … and the absence of spot tailed quolls”. Close to farms but inaccessible? Absence …

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Questioning wild-dog control

Regardless of the threat aerial baiting poses to the endangered Spot-tailed Quoll, poisoning wild dogs is still a very questionable solution to sheep losses. Set out below are arguments against the aerial baiting of dogs, and why it may be that current control programs cause dog numbers to increase. There is still no scientific evidence …

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Good news on baits

A new bait is being developed that, unlike 1080, is humane, is not expected to affect marsupials and would have an antidote if farm dogs were accidentally poisoned. The chemical works on the haemoglobin, making the animal sleepy before it dies, within 40-80 minutes. With 1080, it takes many hours and causes severe thrashing and …

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Ongoing war against our wildlife

After an Omeo farmer was nabbed in February 2008 for trapping kangaroos with a wire snare and leaving them to die, another farmer spoke to the media in defence of killing kangaroos. Evan Newcommen of Ensay said there needs to be a cull of Eastern Grey Kangaroos because they cause land problems. He said hundreds …

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Wild dog group urges end to aerial baiting trials

The North-East Wild Dog Management Group says recent trials of aerial baiting show no evidence that it is effective and recommend that it be stopped. The Minister has agreed. This is great news. They also recommended more research on the effectiveness of 1080. It’s a shame that an unknown number of non-target species and endangered …

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Parachuting poisons placates farmers

The push by farmers to have poison baits dropped from planes to kill wild dogs and dingoes has been successful. A three-stage government trial is currently going on and so far it has only shown that planes can drop baits accurately. But ‘can’ does not mean ‘will’. A senior scientist at the Arthur Rylah Research …

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1080 poison the GOOD news

Last issue we reported that the Victorian Government had changed the rules to allow deadly 1080 poison to be sold from farmers’ stores around the state. The purchaser just had to show they’d done a half-day handler’s course and they could then buy a truck load. There’s to be very little monitoring of where and …

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Deadly poison now available from your corner store

Your neighbourhood farm store can now sell a super deadly poison (tasteless, odourless and without an antidote) to farmers virtually without any foolproof checks. In mid-June, the Bracks Government announced that it would allow the sale of 1080 poison baits from your local shop. Up until now they were only available from the Department of …

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Poison bait trials

The government has agreed to trial the sheep farmers’ ‘solution’ to wild dog attacks, which is to drop poison baits across the forested landscape from the air like hundreds and thousands. However, Environment Minister John Thwaites, is showing sensible caution and trialling dummy baits first to test the uptake by other species. Since banning cows …

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