Shearwater season is underway!

Shearwater season is well & truly underway at the Sanctuary with our 30th Short-tailed Shearwater coming into care overnight.

All of these birds have come in for some R&R over the past fortnight, most of them usually only needing to spend 3-4 days in our care.

There has also been another 43 birds that have been rehabilitated by dedicated wildlife carers based in the north and south. So all up that is over 70 birds that have come in for assistance so far - quite a feat for all involved!

For those who aren't aware of Shearwater season, at this time of the year these migratory seabirds are leaving Tasmania to fly an astonishing 15,000km journey to the Arctic region.

They will stay in the Arctic for around 6 months feeding up & then in September they will fly that mere 15,000km journey again to return back to Australia to breed.

The Shearwaters we are seeing at the moment are mainly chicks that are taking off for the first time (and quite often crash land) or they are just underweight & dehydrated.

Even though it is a very busy time at Bonorong looking after so many birds at one time, it is very rewarding to know we are helping them start their incredible journey.

Photos thanks to Geoff Swan.

Help save the swift parrot

Swift Parrot photo by Elaine McDonald

We believe that all of Tasmania’s wonderful native wildlife is amazing, and should be prioritised by the government of the day.

With this in mind, we wholly support the Bob Brown Foundation’s “Save Bruny Island” campaign.

Find out more and pledge your support at http://www.savebrunyisland.org/

Can count? Love birds? Read on!

Pacific Gull photo copyright Eric Woehler

The annual BirdLife Tasmania Winter Gull Count will be conducted on Sunday 12 June 2016 - the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend - and they’d love your help!

The count will start at 9:00am and most should finish by 12 noon, and no later than 1:00pm.

The count covers coastal areas between the southern d'Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island northward to New Norfolk and eastward to Marion Bay and the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas.

These counts were initiated by the late Dr Bill Wakefield in 1980, and, with a brief hiatus in the early 1990s, have continued to the present, which makes this the longest data set for gulls in Australia.

The 2016 Winter Gull Count will be the 33rd count for south-east Tasmania and the survey effort extends over approximately 400 kilometres of coastline.

The counts provide a valuable long-term signal on the state of the silver, kelp and Pacific gull populations in southeast Tasmania.

A detailed analysis of the data was published in an international journal, with colleagues from CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology contributing - the paper is available on the BirdLife Tasmania website here.

No prior experience with gulls is required - the count package distributed to all participants comprises an instruction sheet, an identification guide and the data sheet.

All results are circulated to all participants, Councils and other land managers such as PWS. BirdLife Tasmania is committed to sharing the results of all surveys and monitoring efforts.

Please contact Eric Woehler for more details.

Contact

Eric Woehler eric.woehler@gmail.com

Quolls, quolls, everywhere!

As part of the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program, we work with organisations in Tasmania and on the mainland to ensure a genetically diverse captive breeding population and eventual release into the wild for these beautiful animals. Just in time for breeding season, we recently had a shuffle of our Eastern Quolls - sending two of our male quolls from last year’s breeding season up to Mt. Rothwell Conservation and Research centre, and another two up to Devil’s Ark.

While Devil’s Ark is a new addition to the program, we’ve been working with Mt. Rothwell for quite a few years now & they have a number of quolls in their breeding program originally from Bonorong. They are no doubt enjoying their new life amongst 420 hectares!

We also received two lovely male quolls (Aster & Tarra) from Trowunna Wildlife Park (which is in the north of the state). These two lucky boys will be paired with our female quolls for this breeding season.

Aster, our new male Eastern Quoll from Trowunna, peeking out while we cleaned his temporary enclosure.

And while they’re not a part of the breeding program, we were also the recipient of two young male spotted-tail quolls for our display.

Named Romulus and Remus (yes, we like a bit of ancient roman mythology here), these guys are taking over the job of educating our guests about our spotted-tail quolls in the wild.

So next time you drop by, be sure to say hello to all our new additions… and fingers crossed, many more new additions coming soon if breeding season goes to plan!

A day with “Chief Wombat Cuddler” Linda Tabone

We’re standing in kitchen of Linda Tabone: Bonorong’s very own “Chief Wombat Cuddler”, as she prepares afternoon meals for two wombats in her care.

After seeing all the fuss about Derek the Wombat from Flinders Island and the resulting competition to become a “Chief Wombat Cuddler”, we wanted to see what being a wombat carer is really all about.

“I always wanted to be a wildlife carer,” Linda says. “For years I wanted to do it. But it wasn’t until we moved here [near Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary] that it was possible.”

She took the advice of the Sanctuary Director, Greg Irons, and registered with DPIPWE before undertaking carers training.

“I’m glad I did that training before I took in any animals” Linda says, “I had no idea how much time and money -- not to mention resources -- go into getting it right.”

Her first few years were filled with pademelons and Bennetts wallabies, animals often considered “training wheels” for new carers, with the time commitment ranging from 3 to 12 months, and the outdoor enclosures (relatively) easy to create.

Wombats, her first animal love, only started coming into her care three years ago, when she felt she was ready and had enough support.

One of Linda's three outdoor wombat enclosures.

“With macropod joeys [animals in the kangaroo family] you must allow them to ‘go wild’ when they stop bottle feeding. By the time they are ready for release, you basically have nothing to do with them whatsoever,” says Linda.

“A wombat joey is totally the opposite: you have to be Mum to them and tend to their needs right up until they’re 2 years old - and they’ll tell you when they’re ready, which is what they do with their wombat Mum in the wild.

“You actually don’t back off from them at all - they’ll back off from you, and that’s a really good thing.”

But the time commitment is not all: you’ll also have an energetic, burrowing bundle of joy in your care. “The enclosures have to be dug down 700mm - otherwise they’ll burrow out and go exploring. I swear they have a sixth sense for gaps in the fences. And don’t get me started on their love of cables...”

Back in the kitchen we’re facing the reality of being a wombat carer, with Linda reflecting on the passing of a furless (“pinky”) joey wombat last year, which came into Linda’s care after her mother was hit by a car. Weighing only 130 grams when she was rescued, her chances of survival were low.

At such a small size, she needed to be fed every two to three hours and kept at a regulated temperature at all times. Linda was lucky to obtain a humidicrib, which provides the temperature stability and ensures she can take on such young joeys.

“For a new wombat joey, one feed can take up to an hour… so by the time you finish the feed, check in with the other little ones, put on a load of washing… you’re back feeding again.”

Emy helping Linda with afternoon feeds.

With wombat mothers feeding their young until they are 15 months of age in the wild, Linda works to a strict schedule to ensure no one misses out. In her care at home are two young wombats: Maria and Tara, and four of her older wombats live in an enclosure at Bonorong: Jasmine, Maggie, Fisher and Tina.

“I come up and visit Jasmine, Tina, Maggie and Fisher twice a day, Jasmine is still on bottles but Tina, Maggie and Fisher have weaned themselves,” she says. “Then Maria is on four feeds a day, and Tara is on three feeds a day. It doesn’t stop!”

“If I didn’t have [my husband] Emy, I don’t know what I’d do. You have to have backup to work as a carer. Emy helps me feed, helps keep the house clean, builds and cleans enclosures… if I didn’t have his support, I wouldn’t be able to take on as many animals as I do. Not to mention the support and expertise of other carers. It’s vital to have that.”

Maria tucks into some carrots as she begins to learn about solid food.

So, is it a career worth pursuing?

Linda laughs, “Well, it’s not paid you know. Everything… we cover it ourselves. The enclosures, the food, the formula, the vet bills, a humidicrib if you’re going to take on pinkies… no one pays you to do this. It’s thousands of dollars a year… you really have to be passionate about it!”

“If you can dedicate your time to the animal and you don’t have, say, a full time job, or kids, are planning to go on holidays or other commitments… and you go through the training and register with the [appropriate government] department, sure.”

“People really need to understand - you can’t just pass animals around from carer to carer if something crops up. They’ve already lost their Mum once - to think of them losing their ‘second mum’ as well is just heartbreaking. You have to be prepared to take the animal in your care from the moment it arrives until you release it.”

But to release them back into the wild and know they’ll be okay…. That’s pretty amazing.”

And what about those cuddles?

“You have to remember native animals are not pets - so you don’t get cuddles like you would a cat or a dog. The end goal is for the animal to be released back to the wild where it belongs. So cuddles? Not so much. Beautiful moments? Absolutely.”

No cuddles? Us? Surely not!

Citizen Science: Help create Australia's first feather map

Love birds and wetlands? You can help The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the University of NSW (UNSW) with their citizen science project: the Feather Map of Australia.

The aim of the initiative is to understand and improve the health of wetlands and wetland birds across Australia by collecting feathers that have been dropped by birds. (Yes - you do need to leave any feathers ON birds attached to their owner!)

Feathers and other animal artefacts are often protected, however you can see all the details of the project, including where to send your collected feathers, on the Feather Map of Australia website.

Bonorong at events

Ranger Bob sure gets around -- not only does he spread the wildlife message at schools, you’ll also see him out at events! As the summer market season came to an end, we were happy to attend the Hobart Twilight Markets, the Ellendale Markets and the 100 Years of Parks Parliament Lawns event.

Winter doesn’t mean torpor for Ranger Bob, so keep an eye out for his friendly face at events near you!

Why do wombats do cube-shaped poo?

One of our favourite facts about wombats (okay, maybe it’s only a favourite for a few of us!) is that their poo is cube shaped. Yes - really!

For the record, baby wombats don’t drop tiny cubes, they all look pretty standard until the wombat reaches maturity at around 18 months.

Recently we came across an article on The Conversation about why and how wombats are so special in this area - I mean, if you’re going to be stacking your waste, you want to have a good reason for it, right?

Find out more at The Conversation.

Community fundraising - thank you!

As you know, we are 100% funded by ticket sales and donations which is why we are always so appreciative when a business or community group decides to help us out. A big shout out to both The Vegan Box and Little Possums for passing on a percentage of their profits to assist our running costs.

We’re so grateful to have such an amazing community around us!

Student science: Seabird Debris

Are you a beach goer?

We have been contacted by a dedicated PhD Student from UTAS, who is studying the impacts of marine debris ingestion on our seabirds, and she would love your help!

She has set up a facebook page for the community to report any deceased seabirds they may came across. It's as simple as snapping a photo and uploading it to the facebook page with the date and location you found it.

Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/seabirdsdebris

With seabird fledgling season just around the corner, you may see more seabirds on our beaches then usual. Seabirds require very specialised care, so if you see a live bird that you think requires help, please call Bonorong's 24 hour wildlife rescue number for assistance - 0447 264 625 (save it in your phone!)

The picture above is of a beautiful Rockhopper penguin (check out those eyebrows!!), photo thanks to Eric Woehler.

Wrap-up: Australasian Bat Society Workshop

Post by Lisa Cawthen

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary hosted a microbat rescue and rehabilitation as part of the 17th Australasian Bat Society Conference.

This was the first workshop of its kind in Tasmania, with the aim to educate Tasmanian carers, and bat society members, about the best techniques for rescuing and rehabilitating microbats.

Tasmania has eight species of micro-bat, many of which come into care. Microbats are one of Tasmania’s least understood mammals when in care.

With few bat carers in Tasmania, it is the Australasian Bat Society’s hope that this workshop would train future bat carers.

60 passionate people attended from throughout Tasmania, mainland Australia and overseas. The workshop was delivered by two dedicated bat carers that work in a dedicated bat hospital: Trish Wimberly and Rachel Lyons.

The workshop covered everything from personal protection to bat husbandry, and how a bat species physiology and ecology influences how it should be cared for.

Both Trish and Rachel spoke in depth about the techniques they had learnt over decades to decrease bat mortality in care. In particular, the importance of rehydration through subcutaneous injections and appropriate heating regimes for bats.

Participants were encouraged to join the Australian Microbat Rehabilitation Forum on Facebook, a closed group where carers can advise on bat care and rehabilitation, as well as the latest manual in microbat care and rehabilitation.

Update: Tasmania’s first wildlife hospital

As many of you will know, we’ve been fundraising to create Tasmania’s first wildlife hopsital. And thanks to your support, the building is underway! After reaching out to our contacts both in Tasmania and on the mainland, we found the best way forward was to contract a Melbourne business to build the clinic locally, then have it shipped down to us where it will be finished on site.

While building is going on, we’ve been sourcing the much-needed equipment to fit it out. The end is in sight with the main piece of equipment we’re missing being a digital X-ray system. This will allow us to easily X-ray any animals that we suspect have broken bones and see the results without dealing with old film technology (which has high running costs).

Thanks to Keith Crook for his donation a film X-ray we can use in the meantime, we'll be able to take our time and get the right one for our needs. We'll also be able to donate the film X-ray machine to another worthwhile cause when the time comes.

We’re told the outlay for a digital system is upwards of $45,000 - so it’s no small expense (another reason why we're thrilled to not need this urgently).

All going to plan, we hope to have the building on our property in the next few months - then we can start fitting it out.

If you’re interested in donating funds toward our wildlife hospital (or any of the other work we do), you can make a tax-deductible donation online through our Wildcare fund, or give us a call for other options.

We can’t wait to show you the building when it arrives... but here's a few sneak peeks... we're getting pretty excited!

How do you take blood from a Tasmanian devil?

At Bonorong we house an insurance population of healthy Tasmanian devils, along with conducting a successful captive breeding program. It is hoped that these programs, in tandem with similar programs around Australia, will ensure that we have enough genetically-diverse devils to allow a reintroduction program once the  Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is under control. (You may have also seen our ‘retirement village’ of healthy devils who are past breeding age. They get to relax and run around just like the would in the wild!)

The Menzies’ Tassie Devil Immunology Research Group vets visit our insurance population on a regular basis to assist with their ongoing research into finding a vaccine for Devil Facial Tumour Disease. They take vials of healthy devil blood for testing

So - how do you take blood from a devil?

The first step is to catch a devil! We try keep this process as stress free as possible, but it usually takes two keepers to make it happen. Once we have them, we’ll place them in a hessian sack for their (and our) safety. Hessian sacks provide a dark and safe area for the devil to relax in. Some of our devils recognise that special treats can come after a trip in the sack, so aren’t too bothered going in.

We then take them up to our preparation area where the Menzies' vets get to work. As these guys healthy devils who have never been exposed toDFTD, the vets don't have to work wearing gloves like they would with any wild devil. They do follow strict hygiene standards, of course!

The devil’s wellbeing always comes first for us and the vets - so to keep them stress-free the vets put them under a general anaesthesia while they are still in the sack.

Once they are sedated, the vets can then remove the devil from the sack and continue with their work.

They can also use this opportunity to do a thorough health check on our devils to make sure all is well and any wounds (from their love of scrapping) are healing well. I’m not sure if you’ve tried to inspect a graze on a devil’s face while they’re awake, but let’s just say they’re not fond of the attention!

Checking out the ears.

Say ‘Aaaaahhhh’!

Then it’s down to business - the blood sample.

Feeling for the jugular vein - it should be noted that the scar tissue on the face is from fighting (very normal behaviour) and not related to DFTD -- as mentioned above, our devils have never been exposed to this disease.

The vets will aim to get blood from the jugular vein, which they are feeling for in the above photo. If they can’t use the jugular vein, there is also a vein under the tail which can produce the blood needed.

Don’t worry - we won’t show you photos of blood, but the vets only take one vial.

This may seem tiny compared to the amount of blood that you or I could give up for a few tests (or to donate) but, of course, devils are much smaller and somewhat more delicate animals (despite their name and sometimes attitude!)

The devil is then placed back in their sack and given time to recover from the aesthetic before being returned to their enclosure.

All up, the procedure takes around 10 minutes - so it's a pretty short trip for the devils, and they're often none the wiser.

Once the pack up is completed, the amazing vets can then take their samples back to the lab and keep the research going.

Our thanks to the Menzies’ Tassie Devil Immunology Research Group for letting us share this with you, and for their amazing work.

Wedge-tailed Eagle Release

This morning something pretty special happened out on the hills behind Bonorong. We had the pleasure of watching a Wedge-tailed Eagle being released back to the wild!

This eagle was a beautiful big female that had been rescued in the area after what was suspected to be a collision with power lines.

Unfortunately this is very common problem for eagles, but luckily for this girl, she has recovered fully from her injuries.

A huge shout out to Craig Webb (from Raptor and Wildlife Refuge of Tasmania - go check them out!) for the incredible job he has done rehabilitating this bird.

Did you know The female Wedge-tailed Eagle can weigh up to 5.7kg and have an average wingspan of 2 meters? They are pretty incredible.

The amazing photo of the release was captured by Indianna Massey. You can also watch a video of the release over on our Instagram account, captured by Liz Pulo.

Species Spotlight: Tasmanian Tree Frogs

Did you know that we have frogs at Bonorong?!

Well Fronk, Freddo, Kermit, Gronk and Charlie are five very special frogs that call Bonorong home!

These little guys are 'Tasmanian Tree Frogs', but unfortunately they are in quite a bit of trouble, just like many other frog species around the world. Amphibian populations in Tasmania are at risk from the spread of a fungal infection called chytridiomycosis (or chytrid for short), which is responsible for the extinction and population declines of hundreds of species all around the planet.

The beautiful Tasmanian Tree Frog lives predominantly in the South West Wilderness World Heritage Area and while this is one of the most secluded places in the world, chytrid has already been found in the region. With very low population numbers reported for the Tasmanian Tree Frog in general, it is feared that the species could be heavily and quickly impacted if infected by chytrid. Worryingly, trials have shown that this species is more susceptible to chytrid infection than many other frogs around the world.

This situation means that maintaining a captive insurance population and attempting to breed the species has taken on a new urgency. In partnership with the Tasmanian Government, and with support from NRM South through funding from the Australian Governments National Landcare Programme, Bonorong has already begun this pioneering work for the first time in captivity.

We have set up a quarantine facility on site at Bonorong to try and establish a breeding program and help save the species. So little is known about Tasmanian Tree Frogs that the research being undertaken is essential if management and conservation measures are to be effective. Check out the below flyer for some easy steps to help reduce your impact on frogs & the environment.

Bonorong in Winter - Let there be snow

Tasmania has had a number of record low snow falls over the month of August, which has certainly proved to send most of the locals into a snow frenzy!

Social media literally had a 'white-out' and the snow has also caused many road and school closures over the past few weeks, particularly in southern Tas (which also meant staff not being able to get to work!).

Hobart actually had its largest dumping of snow in almost 30 years! The snow on one occasion reached sea level, so our capital was deemed 'Snowbart' for the day. This very rare occurrence of the snow being at such a low level meant that Bonorong became a winter wonderland, which really was an incredible sight to see!

For all the current permanent residents that call the Sanctuary home this was the first time they had ever experienced snow and it was amazing to watch how the animals reacted!

We had a mob of very grumpy & cold kangaroos that were EXTRA keen for their breakfast! We had a wombat that started running around biting the snow and then doing crazy flips in excitement because she couldn't figure out what was going on!

The devils were very unsure and lifted their paws to try and figure out what the weird substance was that we had put in their enclosures! The emus were busily pecking at the snow and then decided to eat the snowman that the keepers built....yes only emus would do this! And there was no sign of our clever echidna 'Randall' who stayed hidden away underground.

But the main animals that seemed to react in the strangest fashion were the humans...yep the keepers went a bit silly! ...There were snowball fights, Christmas carols, dancing and even some attempt at tobogganing on the hill side!

Needless to say it has just reassured us what an amazing place Tasmania is to call home and for all our guests that had the privilege of seeing the Sanctuary in this magical setting we hope that there will be more snow next year!

Do you want to be a wildlife keeper?

Well, did you know that here at Bonorong we run an internship program where you can learn to do just this?!

That's right! We run a 12 week course that is jam-packed full of everything you need to know to kick start your career in the animal industry!!

It is a nationally-recognised training program & run in conjunction with Tas TAFE. Successful participants will acquire their Certificate II in Animal Studies upon completion of the course.

So can you imagine our beautiful Sanctuary as your classroom?! (It's a pretty cool thought, we know!)

If this is something that sounds interesting to you then please send us an email - info@bonorong.com.au - and we can send you our info pack with more information. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

In the rescue spirit!

It’s been a very busy few months of wildlife rescues and we want to say a big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for pulling out all stops to get those critters in need to help. We are constantly amazed by how patient, committed and generous you bunch are and we’re truly thankful to you all for making the rescue program possible.

As a lovely reward for all the work staff and volunteers put into making the Rescue Program work, Bonorong has been nominated for a UNAA World Environment Day Award. Winners are announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on June 5th so watch this space for more news!

To illustrate the work that makes the Rescue Program so special, we would like to share a video and below write up sent to us from one of our rescuers. We hope you enjoy it as much as we all did!

"Last Friday afternoon, after work, I travelled to Blackmans Bay to see if I could capture a kelp gull, tangled in fishing tackle, that had been eluding capture for quite some time. Seeing that she was still too mobile for straightforward capture, and not having a net, I used some bread from a local cafe to attempt to lure the bird. She had a squid jig snagged under one wing, and the fishing line wrapped tightly around both legs. I crawled, crept and walked after her as she was able to hop up and flap a couple of times to stay out of reach, over and over again. Hands and knees, knees and elbows, commando crawl for over 45 minutes. That's three quarters of an hour. It felt like 10 minutes. The gull eventually tired enough that I was able to quickly lunge, gently pin her down and pick her up, and walk to the car, bird under arm, honking angrily, amidst strange looks and concerned questions from numerous passers by. I drove to AHVEC with the gull scrabbling and rattling in the plastic crate which left me in little doubt that she was still spirited enough! The amazing staff at AHVEC used a bit of gas to subdue the bird, remove the fishing line and squid jig, and pronounced the bird fit for release that evening.

Releasing the gull back at Blackmans Bay was one of the most uplifting experiences I have ever had. Watch the video and you can imagine her thinking "Ooh! Wings! Wings! I can move my wings! Yep, full movement!" To make sure she was OK, I approached her, and she took flight. And kept flying, much further than necessary. I hope she's still OK, and that the swelling in her legs has subsided, and that the remnants of the wound under her wing has healed fully.

Many thanks for Greg and staff for providing the opportunities to interact with our wildlife like this. This was a happy ending, but certainly no more important than the many calls requiring injured marsupials, for example, to be transported for euthanasia.

I also learned that patience is a virtue, and to not give up on a rescue to soon.

I will remember this experience for the rest of my life, and am more keen now to continue to take on the challenges that arrive daily on my phone".  

Click here to watch the video link of the release.

Photo credit to Dr Eric Woehler

Farewell Miss Simpson

The day had finally come for one of our long term rehab patients to be released!

This was a rather special patient, a Snares Crested Penguin as a matter or fact, who was found on a beach in southern Tasmania badly injured a number of months ago. Her wounds were deep and were suspected to have been caused by a dog attack. She was very lucky to have been found in time and taken to a specialist vet for surgery. Once the surgery was done she was transferred to a wildlife carer whose expertise is in seabird rehabilitation. This wonderful carer looked after the penguin for the first 8 weeks (often the hardest, particularly with a bird so susceptible to infection).

Thanks to this carer the penguin was able to be transferred to Bonorong when it was deemed necessary for the bird to have access to a lager salt water swimming pool and stayed with us for the remainder of her time in rehabilitation.

Because of the nature of the penguin's wounds her feathers and skin were very traumatised and we had to wait for her to 'moult' before she could be released. Moult is the process that penguins will go through once a year to grow a new set of feathers that keep them waterproof. Penguins will usually go through their moult between the months of February to April and the process can take up to three weeks. Penguins are very vulnerable while they are moulting as the are not waterproof and must remain on land. Before going into the moult penguins will literally double their body weight, this is to survive the time they have to stay on land not being able to feed.

The penguin luckily went through a perfect moult and was given the all okay to be released! This was incredibly exciting news for all of the staff and everyone that had been involved in her long rehabilitation process.

On the day of the release, thirteen of the staff had extremely early starts to get to the release site by dawn, and with perfect weather conditions & a stunning sunrise everything came together just as we had hoped!

This photo below captures a magical moment of a perfect release and we wish 'Miss Simpson' (as she was affectionately known) a wonderful, long & happy life

Thank you to everyone that was involved in helping this penguin make a wonderful recovery, it is the amazing success stories like this that keep us all inspired to do so much more!

There is also this link to a short clip that we put together of the release, enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogv2WnhoCuM&feature=share

Are you killing the ducks with kindness?

Everyone loves ducks, well most people do anyway! And what do people like more then ducks? They love feeding ducks!! And how couldn't you when they are as cute as this little fellow?! But could you actually be killing them with kindness? Have a read of this great article put together by our Head Keeper Jason to re-think the duck feeding scene. "The feeding of ducks, in particular human foods like bread, can cause serious health and behavioural issues in individual birds. Bread does not provide ducks with the correct vitamins and nutrients that they require, but instead overloads them full of carbohydrates, proteins and salts. As a result ducks tend not to forage for their natural food, and often die at a younger age. The over-loading of carbs and proteins in younger ducks can lead to a condition known as "angel wing," where the wrist joints become distorted, resulting in permanent wing damage, loss of flight capabilities and therefore an early death, due to predators or not being able to feed correctly or migrate when food runs out in an area.

In addition to these impacts, old, stale, mouldy bread can harbour fungal spores. Ducks are susceptible to a condition called aspergillosis, which is caused by the build-up of fungal spores due to a suppressed immune system, which is most commonly caused by poor nutrition in wild ducks. Aspergillosis is fatal and can be spread to other birds, especially if it enters waterways. The feeding of ducks leads individual ducks to be de-sensitised to potential threats by taming, and this increases their chance of being hit by cars and attacked by dogs.

Many, and in some cases, all of the ducks that are getting fed around Tasmania are introduced species such as the Northern Mallard, Muscovy ducks and hybrid black-mallards. Mallards and Muscovy ducks have become established in several areas and are a feral species. These species out-compete native Tasmanian species such the Pacific Black Duck and Australian Wood Duck. Feeding non-native ducks allows them to grow faster, leading to both higher reproduction rates and greater duck survival rates. These increasing populations then move into native duck territories and begin to out-compete them for natural food sources and roosting sites. Areas where ducks are fed regularly soon become overcrowded, and other non-native species such as rats, mice, starlings and sparrows become attracted to the area also. This leads to increased disease transmission.

Possibly the least known issue is probably the greatest. The feral Northern mallard mentioned above is closely related to our native Pacific black duck. The two species can therefore cross breed to produce mallard-black duck hybrids. Purebred Pacific black ducks are rapidly becoming less common because of this interbreeding.

The next time you are visiting an area that is home to ducks, instead of feeding them, take a seat and watch them go about their daily business. Ducks can get up to all kinds of mischief, and we guarantee that watching them and trying to identify the different species of Tasmanian native ducks can be just as enjoyable for the family!"