Pericles, I figure your analysis stands up against the less-than-truthful propaganda of the “friends-of-kangas”, who I suspect draw their analysis from the same tainted well as the AGW-believers, where lying to obtain a sentimental advantage is seen as fair-play.

Yabby “Only nobody thinks that, apart from perhaps Dickie, as its more like 30 million cattle.”

Its like they say

There are

Lies,

Damn lies and

Dickie.

Who, incidentally has never come up with any evidence of his claim that I had expressed support for cartels… I am still waiting dickie.

Dear Belly

Here's that poem for Nicky. From memory, I personalised your copy for your little dog Skeeta:

http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/dogangel.htm

"Doesn't really meet the "obliterating fauna" test, does it?"

Yes indeed it does, Pericles but only to those are conversant with the official literature on the current state of the SOE and feels a responsibilty towards protecting what's left of this arid land.

And I note the author's error on the cattle numbers and I wonder why she only referred to one species of livestock?

I presume the article was written around 2001 and the ABS statistics for sheep around that time was approximately 111 million. Cattle was 28 million. By June '02, sheep figures were the lowest since 1948.

Total: 139 million.

Add to the above figure, any other cloven-hoofed animal that has four legs (3 will do,) manages to stand upright and guarantees a profit and you will exceed those figures.

ABS: "Official statistics produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are an important source of information but do not cover a range of agricultural commodities produced in Australia."

ANRS: "Stock included in the final database are beef bulls, beef heifers, beef calves, dairy cattle, rams, ewes, wethers, lambs and horses. The reliability of these data has been questioned (e.g. Mortiss 1995) with suggestions that the figures are likely to be underestimates."

Belly. I've been witness to kangaroos and emus caught in fenced mining leases, unsure how to return to the exit point. These animals die from starvation.

Even Pukapunyal's kangaroo slaughter was avoidable. Defence conceded the animals were grossly mismanaged by incarcerating them behind an electric fence with uncontrolled breeding where the "final solution" was slaughter.

Did Canberra learn from that experience? Do they care?

"Roos exist in numbers so much larger than before white man came."

Precisely the opposite, I'm afraid Belly - and they had to go!

We have indeed been poor stewards of our biodiversity when we remain indifferent to the legalised plundering and desecration of Australia's flora and fauna where we've already selfishly compromised the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Thanks Cuphandle thats the bloke I have come to respect.
Your passion is ok by me but in my view miss placed dickie thanks sometimes see her in my two new best mates
Killing these roos gee just down the track from here wild horses once stampeded across the highway every week killed a young bride on her way home from her wedding tragic but true.
Had they been culled? well locals dropped breeders in the bush then harvested the young ones good one got ridden bad ? dog meat.
What value that girls life? doggers fought against the culling.
We let sporting shooters , trained not just anyone kill in state forests thousands of feral animals.
Mostly cats and wild dogs and say it is what it is a conservation measure why is this not the same?

*Cattle was 28 million*

Ah ok, so it wasn't 180 million cattle, but 28 million, plus some
other species. Hey Dickie, remember there is a difference.

For your benefit, so that you can tell the difference, one lot
go mooooo, the other lot go baaaaa. We try and keep it simple
for you, given you clearly have trouble telling them apart.

Memo to Dickie:

You can actually enhance your argument when you admit when you're wrong. People might actually believe you next time.

Hi all

Dickie (and Belly) thanks for that delightful poem. I found a website years ago, which I think was called "Diamond Paws" which had a lot of beautiful material (if a bit Americanised) like that. But it brought back to my mind my 17 year old Border Collie Kelpie whom I lost in 2000.

This is a diverse, interesting and so far relatively polite thread. Maybe that's because PALE hasn't made it yet, but give it time!

Cheers
Nicky