Thirsty koala approaches cyclists and chugs their water
#2
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That last scene had me wincing. Poor things.
Global climate change FTW!
Global climate change FTW!
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#3
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Poor thing.
I remember the time I was hiking out of the Grand Canyon and some people, well dressed, the woman was wearing heels!! They were about ~1 mile down the Bright Angel trail. No hats, no water, no actual hiking preparation. I'm not sure how far they thought they were going, but I stopped them and gave their dog as much water as he could drink, and recommended they turn around (I didn't offer them any, I wanted them to turn back). They stood there for a minute, but eventually started back up the trail.
The dog didn't know any better, the people did. Glad these people could help that poor koala!
I remember the time I was hiking out of the Grand Canyon and some people, well dressed, the woman was wearing heels!! They were about ~1 mile down the Bright Angel trail. No hats, no water, no actual hiking preparation. I'm not sure how far they thought they were going, but I stopped them and gave their dog as much water as he could drink, and recommended they turn around (I didn't offer them any, I wanted them to turn back). They stood there for a minute, but eventually started back up the trail.
The dog didn't know any better, the people did. Glad these people could help that poor koala!
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#4
Senior Member
Koalas are in bad shape. Oz is in midst of catastrophic bushfires, these summer fires are more ferocious than ever seen before & they're even burning again areas that got burnt in spring few mths ago. Gumtrees are gone, koalas are starving and when the emancipated animals get desperate enough to climb off the trees seeking water they get attacked by hoards of ticks which suck them dry.
Sydney & canberra are shrouded in bushfire smoke and even in Melbourne we've got fires in Gippsland (a few hours out) to Bundoora (30mins from CBD!!).
Melbourne heatwave too. Luckily after one Monday of 43degC it's cooling down to 20+ tomorrow with some patchy rain currently. But Sydney won't be as lucky, sounds like it's 40+ all week.
Sydney & canberra are shrouded in bushfire smoke and even in Melbourne we've got fires in Gippsland (a few hours out) to Bundoora (30mins from CBD!!).
Melbourne heatwave too. Luckily after one Monday of 43degC it's cooling down to 20+ tomorrow with some patchy rain currently. But Sydney won't be as lucky, sounds like it's 40+ all week.
#7
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Indeed, heartbreaking. Heartbreaking everywhere.
//
[ https://news.yahoo.com/australia-fir...l?guccounter=1 ]
//
Up to 500 million mammals, birds and reptiles – including 8,000 koalas – have been killed, say ecologists from Sydney University, prompting fears entire species of animals and plant life may be lost for ever.
More than 300 baby flying foxes have been abandoned by their mothers trying to survive, experts said.
Jenny Packwood, a wildlife rescuer, told the Herald: “Mothers are abandoning babies at two weeks after birth because there is no food for them. Last week we had 300 come in, and we’ve been flat out feeding since then.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before – we’re calling it a starvation event.”
//More than 300 baby flying foxes have been abandoned by their mothers trying to survive, experts said.
Jenny Packwood, a wildlife rescuer, told the Herald: “Mothers are abandoning babies at two weeks after birth because there is no food for them. Last week we had 300 come in, and we’ve been flat out feeding since then.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before – we’re calling it a starvation event.”
[ https://news.yahoo.com/australia-fir...l?guccounter=1 ]
Last edited by Bikewolf; 01-01-20 at 01:48 PM. Reason: incoming relevant info
#8
Senior Member
All very, very sad. Happy to see that firefighters from the US and other countries are down there trying to help.
I wonder if anyone is working on some new way to fight these fires that seem to be getting much more common? I have no idea what that would be, but some chemical, a new way to disburse water and chemicals, using a bomb to suck up all the oxygen? Hey I'm not a scientist...but problems eventually spawn solutions. I hope.
I wonder if anyone is working on some new way to fight these fires that seem to be getting much more common? I have no idea what that would be, but some chemical, a new way to disburse water and chemicals, using a bomb to suck up all the oxygen? Hey I'm not a scientist...but problems eventually spawn solutions. I hope.
Last edited by smoore; 01-03-20 at 01:42 PM.
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#9
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December 2019 was the 4th driest December on record at the PDX airport. After this keeps happening again and again and again, there are bound to be consequences. I am no climate expert by any means, but at least where I live, there is zero question that the climate is changing. That said, I haven't been down under in years, but I used to spend maybe a month there each year working, more often than not, in the(ir) summer. There were always bad fires.
#10
Senior Member
Bushfire has burnt 15,000,000 acres so far
its a big fight against Mother Nature
CFA already doing aerial bombing with aircraft ranging from little single engine cropdusters to a pair of 737s!! They pickup water from ponds & dams and add fire ******ant.
trouble is, we haven't had any decent rain for months (some areas drought for years) and everything is dry as tinder. Humidity is down to 10%!!
Native flora is also naturally waxy, eg gumtrees eucalyptus. In the heatwave they will gas off a volatile vapour... and this is what burns fast & runs ahead even faster... 30km/hr. Giant fireballs 500m across.
In recent years councils have supposedly stopped backburning under some new greenie initiative. So there's huge buildup of fuel on the ground just ready to catch fire.
It's the Perfect Storm.
I wonder if anyone is working on some way to fight these fires that seem to be getting much more common? I have no idea what that would be, but some chemical, a new way to disburse water and chemicals, using a bomb to suck up all the oxygen? Hey I'm not a scientist...but problems eventually spawn solutions. I hope.
CFA already doing aerial bombing with aircraft ranging from little single engine cropdusters to a pair of 737s!! They pickup water from ponds & dams and add fire ******ant.
trouble is, we haven't had any decent rain for months (some areas drought for years) and everything is dry as tinder. Humidity is down to 10%!!
Native flora is also naturally waxy, eg gumtrees eucalyptus. In the heatwave they will gas off a volatile vapour... and this is what burns fast & runs ahead even faster... 30km/hr. Giant fireballs 500m across.
In recent years councils have supposedly stopped backburning under some new greenie initiative. So there's huge buildup of fuel on the ground just ready to catch fire.
It's the Perfect Storm.
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