LizT Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I know it's not about dogs but I had to share. It's not April 1st already is it? http://abcasiapacificnews.com/stories/201202/3421736.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 They can't be serious! Imagine running into one of those on our roads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 This has to be an early April Fools joke!!! They being the powers to be wont allow cattle in the high plains because of the damage their hooves do!! And they wont allow people in to get the dead trees and branches off the forest floor because of "habitat". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 They can't be serious! Imagine running into one of those on our roads! Don't they run amuk in villages in Indonesia? I can see the car sticker now "Grassland Elephantmen care for the low country". ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinabean Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Slow news day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 They'll scare the bejezes out of the feral donkeys, horses, goats, camels, waterbuffalo. Don't we have enough introduced herbivores eating/not eating the grasses already, causing damage etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freundhund Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 From what I understand the spokesperson needed people to realise how bad for the environment this grass was! So to get media attention the remark about importing elephants was made very tongue in cheek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) David Bowman is a brilliant, creative, and slightly crazy ecologist/botanist who has been working in the NT for decades, specialising in wildfire ecology. I spent a few weeks up there doing bushfire research. Invasive grass species, including elephant grass, are a huge problem and no one has come up with a good solution that I'm aware. The introduced grasses grow so tall and produce so much biomass that they burn hot and kill almost everything . . . including young trees . . . and do a lot of harm to native plants and wildlife. It would be interesting to see the fuller version of the proposal. May not be as crazy as it seems. And, a few elephants would give that loony NT News something to report on other than crocodiles. I don't think elephants will poison anything . . . their big feet may be easier on the ground than the more concentrated pressure of cattle . . . . they sure won't be hanging out on the back porch and eating catfood . . . and would be pretty easy to kill off or contain if they cause problems. They don't cross large expanses of drylands . . . so introducing them would have a geographically limited effect and would be relatively easy to revers. In sum: don't laugh! Edited February 4, 2012 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarope Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 :rofl: :rofl: What next,lions to control feral dogs. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 It's an interesting read, it makes people actually LOOK at writing on the issue of fire risk/feral animals , and it sparks discussion . A good piece of writing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 It's an interesting read, it makes people actually LOOK at writing on the issue of fire risk/feral animals , and it sparks discussion . A good piece of writing :) Actually, it seems to provoke knee jerk derision from most DOL members. Here's the same story, as presented by Wildfire Today . . . personally, I think skepticism and caution are in order . . . .but the idea deserves serious consideration. Elephants and rhinoceroses for fire prevention? Posted on February 3, 2012 by Bill Gabbert A scientist in Australia has proposed that elephants and rhinoceroses be used in the Northern Territory of the country to reduce the intensity of wildfires. According to David Bowman, an environmental scientist at the University of Tasmania, this introduced exotic species would help control another introduced exotic species, gamba grass. Gamba grass was brought into the country from Africa in the 1930s for cattle ranchers who said it produced more feed for livestock than native grasses. Since then the grass has spread across a large portion of Australia’s Northern Territory and burns very intensely. When gamba grass matures, it becomes tall and woody and is undesirable by cattle or native species like kangaroos. But back in Africa, elephants and rhinoceroses love the grass. Mr. Bowman thinks elephants and rhinos would reduces the grass enough to slow the spread and intensity of wildfires. Australia is already spending millions of dollars to control the spread of other introduced species like camels and water buffaloes. Mr. Bowman said rhinos and elephants could be sterilized so they could not reproduce, and they could be restricted by fences and tracked with radio collars. What could possibly go wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 :) I think the writer achieved his purpose .People who may not be interested in reading yet another environmental article certainly noticed this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I think it's a fantastic idea - imagine Rhino steaks & Elephant burgers on the menu on those outback tourist adventure tours :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Imagine the wanna-be 'Bwanas' going on shooting sprees . A property owner I know recently had 2 pet camels shot from the road .. they were in their paddock , very obvious fences .. 2 of a small group used for rides etc . Poor things . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now