Hi Birders,
I was interested in the note from Carol Proberts about the need to
protect the remnents of the Cumberland Plains Woodland at the St. Marys
ADI (=Australian Defence Industries) site. The protection of the
woodland is very important because of the fact that the remaining
woodland is a "Threatened Ecological Community" under the provisions of
the State Threatened Species Conservation Act and it is important that
this forest remnant be preserve for thosebirds (among other things) of
the Cumberland Plains ie Bush Stone-curlews, Diamond Firetails, Hooded
Robins etc. However the Emus and Kangaroos are another matter. I am sure
that I have heard that both species were released on site in recent
times and that they are not part of any original population endemic to
the area. Furthermore all (most?) of the kangaroos have the disease
"lumpy jaw". I doubt if the animals are any more wild than those emus
and kangaroos at Tidbinbilla Reserve in Canberra ACT! If they are
present in large numbers as I suspect they are, they are probably having
a deleterious effect on the endemic flora of that woodland!! From a
biodiversity viewpoint, the kangaroos & emus should probably be removed
elsewhere.
Alan Morris
NSWFOC Records Officer
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