Jumat, 10 Januari 2020

On kangaroo killing field, from horror to hope for Australian animals devastated by wildfires - CNN

The Mallacoota golf course was a sanctuary for animals fleeing Australia's catastrophic bushfires, but it has become a killing field.
A mob of kangaroos had gathered on the fairway, the last patch of green grass left after fire ripped through the eastern Victoria town on New Year's Eve, destroying close to 100 homes and thousands of hectares of native habitat. Over 4,000 locals and tourists had to be evacuated by sea after the fires cut the one road in and out of Mallacoota.
Vet Chris Barton stands over a kangaroo he has just euthanized on the Mallacoota golf course, in southeastern Australia.
The pristine national park that rings the town is home to native wildlife in an abundance unmatched throughout Australia. The fires burned fast, killing animals in their thousands -- and even those that made it to the comparative safety of the golf course were often horrifically injured.
The four kangaroos Barton had to euthanize Thursday morning had third degree burns on their paws and faces that were already becoming septic. It was not going to be possible to treat their terrible injuries, forcing vets to put them down.
"I have nightmares," Barton says, standing on the golf course. Behind him is a healthy couple -- a baby kangaroo feeding from its mother. Moments earlier he had used his rifle to euthanize another joey which was too badly burned to hop. The young male was tranquilized first and then put down swiftly and, the vet said, painlessly.
"I've been a vet for 40 years, and I still don't get used to it. Wholesale slaughter is awful. It still brings tears to my eyes."
The Mallacoota golf course was a sanctuary for animals fleeing Australia's bushfires, but it has become a killing field.
The tears flow as Barton's wife and clinical partner at Vets for Compassion, Elaine Ong, interjects.
"The animals suffer just as humans do," she says. "The community has been telling us that they've gone through so much trauma and they are further traumatized by seeing the animals suffer. So they are pleased we can come and help the animals."
It's somber and difficult work, but leaving distressed animals to suffer through a slower and more painful death is even worse for the pair, who arrived from Melbourne on a trip sponsored by the NGO Animals Australia. Barton and Ong want to draw a line under the horror of the fires that burned almost all the land around Mallacoota, allowing others to begin the task of repopulating wildlife and healing the land.

Resilience and recovery

Southeastern Australia is in the grip of a three-year drought, with significant rain not forecast until April.
The conditions have exacerbated the fires burning across Australia for months, razing homes and wiping out entire towns. Across the country, more than 7.3 million hectares (17.9 million acres) of land has been burned -- much of it bushland, forests and national parks, home to the country's beloved and unique wildlife.
Cutie Pie, an orphan koala, is being cared for by Mallcoota resident Sue Johns. His mother died in the fires.
In New South Wales, the state neighboring Victoria, ecologists estimate that as many as half a billion animals may have been affected by the fires, with millions potentially killed. That figure includes birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats. It also excludes insects and frogs -- meaning the true number is likely much higher.
There are fears that some species may not recover, entering a terminal decline, such is the degree to which the fires have ravaged their populations.
But amid all the bleak news, there is still room for hope that Australia's unique landscape and wildlife could bounce back.
When the rains finally do come, much bushland could quickly recover -- particularly eucalypt forests where koalas live and feed. Beds of ash left by the fire provide nutrients for the seeds of Australian gum trees, which evolved to survive and even thrive from fires.
Much of the vegetation that has burned this summer will naturally rejuvenate -- and the koala carers in Mallacoota are already preparing.
Jack Bruce holds Wilbur, a koala rescued from the fires, who he and his partner Alyex Burges are helping rehome.
A short drive from the golf course, volunteers Jack Bruce and Alyex Burges believe they may have found a new home for Wilbur, an adult koala that fled the blazes five days ago. After spending that time in a cage, clinging to a stump and shrouded in a buffet of eucalyptus leaf varieties, he's going back to the bush.
A fertile gully at the back of Bruce's family farm has been identified as being relatively unscathed after last week's flames. But when the pair conduct a cursory check that Wilbur is not going to be put up an already occupied tree, they are shocked to find they have company.
This area was meant to be wiped of life -- but up in the canopy is a healthy mother koala with a baby on her back. Birds sing as she takes in some of the 20 hours of sleep the species enjoys a day.
Wilbur gets a tree a few steps down the road. After 10 minutes of wondering whether he'll give up his blanket and free meals, he crawls out of his cage and up a tree.
Nothing is certain when it comes to wildfire, but the gully Wilbur now shares with his neighbor will hopefully be spared again from fires feared this weekend -- it's surrounded by already burned-out bushland and close to homes. Bruce hopes the two koalas there will be part of the rejuvenation of this previously untouched environment.
"It is sad to go out there and see them suffering. But you have to confront that to give them any chance of survival," he says. (The survivors will) return back to Mallacoota when it begins to rejuvenate. I think there is hope. It is inspiring and it is encouraging."
This story has been updated to accurately reflect the number of animals affected by the fires in New South Wales.

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2020-01-10 08:02:00Z
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Rabu, 08 Januari 2020

Police in Australia are accusing 24 people of deliberately setting bushfires - CNN

Police have charged at least 24 people for intentionally starting bushfires in the state of New South Wales, according to a statement the New South Wales Police released Monday.
NSW Police have taken legal action against 183 people, 40 of whom are juveniles, for fire-related offenses since November 8, the statement said. The legal actions range from cautions to criminal charges.
Australia's deadly wildfires are showing no signs of stopping. Here's what you need to know
Out of those 183 people, 53 have received cautions or criminal charges for failing to comply with a total fire ban and 47 are accused of discarding a lit cigarette or match on land, according to the police statement.
At least 24 people have died nationwide during this fire season. While the fires have touched every state in Australia, New South Wales has been the hardest hit.
The blazes have been burning across Australia for months, scorching homes and destroying entire towns. Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned -- most of it bushland, forests and national parks, which are home to the country's native wildlife.
Nearly half a billion animals have been affected by the fires in NSW alone and millions of them are potentially dead, according to ecologists at the University of Sydney. Birds, reptiles and mammals, except bats, are among those affected. Insects and frogs aren't included in that number.
Here's how to help Australia bushfire victims
Police are cracking down on the burn ban across the state. On Sunday, a man was charged after power tools he was using allegedly sparked a fire in Mount Druitt, according to NSW Police.
Three people were charged with breaching the fire ban over the weekend. Fire services put out fires in two different towns started for cooking purposes, NSW Police said. Another man was charged after authorities found several fires lit on his property in another town.
In November, the NSW Rural Fire Service arrested a 19-year-old volunteer member on suspicion of arson, charging him with seven counts of deliberately setting fires over a six-week period.

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2020-01-08 10:03:00Z
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Police in Australia are accusing 24 people of deliberately setting bushfires - CNN

Police have charged at least 24 people for intentionally starting bushfires in the state of New South Wales, according to a statement the New South Wales Police released Monday.
NSW Police have taken legal action against 183 people, 40 of whom are juveniles, for fire-related offenses since November 8, the statement said. The legal actions range from cautions to criminal charges.
Australia's deadly wildfires are showing no signs of stopping. Here's what you need to know
Out of those 183 people, 53 have received cautions or criminal charges for failing to comply with a total fire ban and 47 are accused of discarding a lit cigarette or match on land, according to the police statement.
At least 24 people have died nationwide during this fire season. While the fires have touched every state in Australia, New South Wales has been the hardest hit.
The blazes have been burning across Australia for months, scorching homes and destroying entire towns. Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned -- most of it bushland, forests and national parks, which are home to the country's native wildlife.
Nearly half a billion animals have been affected by the fires in NSW alone and millions of them are potentially dead, according to ecologists at the University of Sydney. Birds, reptiles and mammals, except bats, are among those affected. Insects and frogs aren't included in that number.
Here's how to help Australia bushfire victims
Police are cracking down on the burn ban across the state. On Sunday, a man was charged after power tools he was using allegedly sparked a fire in Mount Druitt, according to NSW Police.
Three people were charged with breaching the fire ban over the weekend. Fire services put out fires in two different towns started for cooking purposes, NSW Police said. Another man was charged after authorities found several fires lit on his property in another town.
In November, the NSW Rural Fire Service arrested a 19-year-old volunteer member on suspicion of arson, charging him with seven counts of deliberately setting fires over a six-week period.

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2020-01-08 07:16:00Z
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Selasa, 07 Januari 2020

Australians scoop up koalas, kangaroos to save them from bushfires - New York Post

Australians are doing their best to save local animals from overwhelming brushfires by any means possible — including packing them into their cars.

A viral video documents two teen cousins’ efforts to save area wildlife by packing six koalas into their vehicle. “Rescuing Koalas affected by fires on Kangaroo Island with my cousin,” reads the video’s caption. “Little fellas looking a little exhausted.”

The clip pans to the back of the car, where a mom and her child are cuddling. “She’s a mother with a baby,” says one of the two young heroes, who are identified by LADbible as Micah, 19, and Caleb, 18.

“Shoved the mother in the boot because she was a bit aggressive,” he adds.

Farmer Sam McGlone also recently helped save a life from the devastating bushfires. While battling a fire at his own home in Braidwood, New South Wales, on Jan. 2, the 24-year-old came upon an ash-covered baby kangaroo, or joey, Caters reports. The hero scooped up the defenseless creature and saved him from the encroaching flames.

Military vehicles have also been dispatched by the South Australian government to help the wildlife, with 100 Army Reservists equipped with supplies working on Kangaroo Island to save the animals.

The bushfires, which are visible from space, have killed 25 people and nearly a half-billion animals, wiping out an entire species of marsupials and sparking a global animal pouch-knitting frenzy. Numerous celebrities —including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Selena Gomez, Pink, Kylie Minogue and Rebel Wilson — have pledged money to help or encouraged others to donate to the cause. Meanwhile, the Australian family of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin has helped to save about 90,000 animals during the tragedy.

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2020-01-07 15:26:00Z
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An 'Orange is the New Black' star is giving up her US green card to fight a 'climate war' in Australia - CNN

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  1. An 'Orange is the New Black' star is giving up her US green card to fight a 'climate war' in Australia  CNN
  2. 'Orange Is the New Black' Actress Yael Stone Giving Up Green Card to Stay in Australia, Fight Climate Change  Newser
  3. 'This is war': actor Yael Stone gives up US green card and will now live in Australia to fight climate change  The Guardian
  4. Actor Yael Stone vows to give up US green card in 'climate war' sacrifice  SBS News
  5. Orange is the New Black star Yael Stone to revoke green card, life in the US over environmental concerns  PerthNow
  6. View full coverage on Google News

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2020-01-07 14:56:00Z
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Australian officials charged nearly 200 with fire offenses as deadly wildfires rage - Fox News

As exhausted firefighters in Australia toil in cooler weather to shore up defenses against deadly wildfires, officials announced Monday that nearly 200 people have been charged with fire-related offenses since the catastrophic wildfire season began.

The fires, fueled by drought and the country’s hottest and driest year on record, have been raging since September, months earlier than is typical for Australia’s annual wildfire season. So far, the blazes have killed 25 people, destroyed 2,000 homes and scorched an area twice the size of the state of Maryland.

In the New South Wales state, 130 fires were still burning on Tuesday, around 50 of which were uncontrolled.

AUSTRALIA WILDFIRES MAY MERGE INTO 'MEGA BLAZE' AS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS, GOVERNMENT VOWS 'WHATEVER IT TAKES'

The NSW Police Force announced Monday that since Nov. 8, authorities have taken legal action against 183 people for fire-related offenses, including 24 individuals who have been charged for allegedly deliberately lighting bushfires – a crime punishable by up to 21 years in prison.

The deadly wildfires, which have been raging in Australia since September, have already burned about 12.35 million acres of land and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

The deadly wildfires, which have been raging in Australia since September, have already burned about 12.35 million acres of land and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott told reporters at a news conference that three additional people were charged with alleged looting in areas affected by the fires.

Elliott, who described the state as a "tinder box situation," said anyone caught putting the community at risk will be put "before the court," according to news.com.au.

“In my mind, anybody that lights a fire either necessarily or unnecessarily against the total fire ban is putting the community at risk and that needs to be pulled up, called out and in many cases, to be put before the court,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Officials said investigators from the Financial Crimes Squad’s Arson Unit have been working with local police to investigate the cause, origin, and impact of fires since the latest State of Emergency was declared last Thursday. Of those arrested, 40 are juveniles.

An initiative in New South Wales – dubbed Strike Force Tronto – has also led to legal action against 53 people for allegedly failing to comply with a total fire ban and 47 people for allegedly “discarding a lighted cigarette or match on land.”

IRWIN FAMILY TREATING HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS AMID AUSTRALIA WILDFIRES: 'EVERYTHING' IS BEING INJURED

Other states in Australia have also reported arrests in the past months for fire-related offenses. In Queensland, where the fires were the worst in November, 101 people have been arrested for setting blazes in the bush, including 32 adults and 69 juveniles, according to data reviewed by The Australian.

Firefighters manage a controlled burn to help contain a larger fire near Falls Creek, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020.

Firefighters manage a controlled burn to help contain a larger fire near Falls Creek, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

In Tasmania, five were caught setting fire to vegetation while 43 were charged in the Victoria state in 2019, according to the newspaper.

Firefighters battle a fire near Bendalong, Australia, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.

Firefighters battle a fire near Bendalong, Australia, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

According to James Ogloff, the director of the Forensic Behavioural Science at Swinburne University, approximately 50 percent of Australia's bushfires are started by arsonists.

"They're interested in seeing fire, interested in setting fire and quite often the information around how fires burn and accelerate excites them," he told The Australian.

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Thousands of army, navy and air force reservists were being dispatched to battle the fires. On Tuesday, rescue crews were still trying to reach some affected communities.

A navy ship was sent to rescue stranded residents of Mallacoota, a coastal town in Victoria cut off for days by fires that forced around 4,000 people to shelter on beaches over the weekend. Heavy smoke squandered the navy’s efforts to airlift people out on Monday.

The first hints of the financial toll from the disaster began to emerge on Tuesday. The Insurance Council of Australia said the estimated damage bill had doubled in two days, with insurance claims reaching 700 million Australian dollars ($485 million).

The estimate was released one day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was committing an extra 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.4 billion) toward the recovery effort in addition to the tens of millions of dollars that have already been promised.

Morrison’s funding announcement came amid fierce criticism from many Australians who say he has been too slow to respond to the crisis. He has also faced backlash for downplaying the need for his government to address climate change, which experts say helps supercharge the blazes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2020-01-07 13:31:03Z
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An 'Orange is the New Black' star is giving up her US green card to fight a 'climate war' in Australia - CNN

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

  1. An 'Orange is the New Black' star is giving up her US green card to fight a 'climate war' in Australia  CNN
  2. 'Orange Is the New Black' Actress Yael Stone Giving Up Green Card to Stay in Australia, Fight Climate Change  Newser
  3. 'This is war': actor Yael Stone gives up US green card and will now live in Australia to fight climate change  The Guardian
  4. Actor Yael Stone vows to give up US green card in 'climate war' sacrifice  SBS News
  5. Orange is the New Black star Yael Stone to revoke green card, life in the US over environmental concerns  PerthNow
  6. View full coverage on Google News

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2020-01-07 14:42:00Z
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