In 2018, over nine billion chickens were slaughtered in the United States. As the demand for chickens increases, so too have concerns regarding the welfare of the chickens in these systems and the damage such practices cause to the surrounding ecosystems. To address welfare concerns, there is large-scale interest in […]
Varroa mite situation worsens
Registered beekeepers affected by the NSW Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) outbreak will be compensated by an $18 million compensation package developed by governments and industry. The National Management Group (NMG) for Emergency Plant Pests has endorsed a national response plan to eradicate Varroa Destructor from the state, the NSW Department […]
Tasmanian devils’ genetic diversity found to be robust
Research published recently in the journal iScience has found genetic diversity in insurance populations of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) is just as robust as it is in wild populations and confirms the effectiveness of captive breeding and management strategies. The study, led by researchers from the University of Sydney’s Australasian Wildlife Genomics […]
Abstracts: Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in pig-hunting dogs from north Queensland, Australia
The causative agent of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, is endemic to Queensland and is one of the most important notifiable zoonotic diseases in Australia. The reservoir species for C. burnetii are classically ruminants, including sheep, cattle and goats. There is increasing evidence of C. burnetii exposure in dogs across eastern […]
Guilty plea for pony charges
Former Australian polo captain Andrew Williams has pleaded guilty to putting polo ponies at risk of suffocation and asphyxiation when he loaded them on the Spirit of Tasmania in 2018. Williams was driving 18 horses to NSW following a voyage to the mainland on the ferry, and 16 of the animals died […]