Koalas killed in secret
From The Australian this week comes a report that nearly 700 koalas have been secretly killed in Victoria between 2013 and 2014. The koalas were said to be starving due to overpopulation in forest land at Cape Otway, and were killed in a covert operation so as not to draw backlash from “green groups”. What the article doesn’t reveal is why the situation was let progress to the point where the animals were starving in the first place. My guess is that actively managing the population of these cute little storybook creatures would draw similar backlash from the very animal libbers that claim to have animal welfare at heart. Nope, far better to let them starve first.
Tassie shopping list for gun thieves
Next we have a very concerning piece from The Advocate that reveals that a drug user has surrendered to Tasmania Police a list of gunowners from that state and elsewhere, who were apparently to be targeted for gun theft. It is suspected the list was sourced from shooting club websites and not from Police records. Police are so concerned about the existence of the list they have offered to store the firearms of some people targeted. Scary stuff indeed.
New Tassie gun laws
In an unrelated article from the same state, The Mercury reports that the Tasmanian Government has tabled new gun laws aimed at reducing firearm theft. Amendments to the Firearms Act include tougher firearm storage requirements and a mandatory three-month sentence for anyone found in possession of a stolen firearm. Huh? What about addressing the issue that some Government and non-Government organisations like to gather, publicise and insecurely store lists of the details of law-abiding firearms owners?
More Wood worries
Liberal MP Jason Wood has reared his ugly head again, teaming up with his anti-hunting chum, Federal Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt, to push for a ban on importing into Australia legally hunted lions and other hunting trophies from Africa and elsewhere (as reported in this very biased article from the Herald Sun). This spectacularly ignorant man continues to refer to all African hunting as “canned hunting” either just to belittle it or because he has no idea about real African hunting. Further, he clearly fails to realise that, far from “saving animals”, destroying the trophy hunting industry would be a massive step backwards for conservation and condemn many species to population decline or extinction. I urge all keen hunters to contact their local MP and object to these proposed new laws before it’s too late. Then for a dose of commonsense and entertainment, you could read Garry Mallard’s excellent blog on a similar subject.
Hunters worse than feral pigs?
Lastly we have another anti-hunting piece of trash journalism in The West Australian, written by the RSPCA’s Lynne Bradshaw, the headline of which insinuates that recreational hunters are the worst kind of feral pest. Disappointingly but not surprisingly, the article is full of unsubstantiated claims of cruelty by hunters to both pigs and dogs and “he said, she said” stories of hunters damaging property and relocating pigs. There’s also the implication that hunters would stoop to burning down a farmer’s house. It’s just another example of why this organisation doesn’t deserve any of your folding stuff next time they knock on your door wth their grubby hands out.
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