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AUSTRALIA’S UNIQUE PLATYPUS population is shrinking under pressure from agriculture and pollution, putting the egg-laying mammals’ future in doubt, researchers said in a report published today.
A three-year survey of the duck-billed animal suggested its numbers had fallen by 30%, to around 200,000, since Europeans settled the continent two centuries ago.
“We have great concerns about the future survival of this unique species,” said Richard Kingsford, director of the University of New South Wales Centre for Ecosystem Science.
Threats endangering the platypus in its eastern Australian habitats include increased land-clearing for agriculture, pollution, dam building and fishing nets, Kingsford said in a statement.
Kingsford and his team called on authorities to elevate the protected status of the platypus from near-threatened to vulnerable.
They said that while population numbers varied in different regions of eastern Australia, platypuses had already disappeared from some areas.
“We cannot afford as a world, let alone Australia, to let his animal go extinct and we know that it’s gone extinct in some areas already,” Kingsford told the national broadcaster ABC.
The semi-aquatic platypus, which along with four species of echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs, is one of the world’s strangest animals, with the bill of a duck, tail of a beaver, otter-like feet and a venomous spur on its hind leg.
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We are heading for mass extinction of Wildlife and destruction of this planet of ours. future generations will live like Mad Max
@John Doyle: ahhh we’re all gonna die !!!
@John Doyle: Jesus. I feel like giving up after reading that
@JayDoge: yes we are, eventually. But with the state of the planet after the past few decades of debauchery we and especially the next few generations are going to die a lot faster.
At the rate we are wiping out other species, soon the only way to go on a Safari / nature watching will be with a virtual reality headset as you are driven across a bumpy field for effect.
Cracking looking animal though.
“the bill of a duck, tail of a beaver, otter-like feet ”
Momma was Messin` around…
@Pixie McMullen: As Robin Williams once joked: “D’ya think God was stoned when he made the Duck-billed Platypus? Taking a puff of His joint, saying, “ok, here’s an otter, and here’s a duck……” (exhales, then giggles).
What about the Irish native Population who are under Threat. By Do-Gooding White Knight SJWs and Our Glorious Leader Varakar and Our EU Masters
@Ianmoone: neither the Republic of Ireland or the island of Ireland have a native (or indigenous, to use the correct term) population, but I’d be interested in hearing what threats you think are facing these non-entities.
@Karen Wellington: native foxes and badgers almost totally gone. V. few hares (and rabbits) too….
@Ianmoone: Idiot test: Check for inappropriate capitalisation and poor punctuation. You pass with flying colours.
@Aire Dezamba: none of those animals are ‘almost totally gone’, they’re not even in danger of becoming endangered, they are in fact abundant. That’s just an outlandish claim/lie.
@Karen Wellington: So The Aboriginal Australians, the Japanese,The Nivk,or The Inuit. I presume you think they are not native to they homes. The earliest Humans in in The Americas is 11,000 Too 25,000.The Earliest Humans in Ireland Are 12,500,years ago The Nivk 4,950-4570 Years ago Maori/New Zealand 1280CE,The Japanese 30,000,Years ago. Give the Fact that The Maori are Classed as indigenous having only being There 738 years and Native Irish 12,500 Years Why would you not Call The people who have Lived in Ireland For 12,500 Years Native. And As for the Threats .The Purge of the Native People and The Plantation Of A New People By Our Glorious Leader Varakar and EU/UN Masters
@Ianmoone: Are you mistakenly referring to the celts as living ethic group within modern Ireland? You do know there have been several invasions and plantations in the last 12,500 years, right?
There is no indigenous people in or on the island of Ireland, i.e. inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists, because we’ve had so so many colonists (British, Vikings, Normans, etc.) who didn’t really care enough to preserve the established ethnic presence.
@Karen Wellington: Mistaken, or selective information? In any case, humanity as a whole is the same species- there is more genetic diversity across a troop of chimpanzees than across the whole human race…
@Ianmoone: The Japanese aren’t native. The Ainu seem to be- all 200 of them. The Maori are classified as indigenous because they are descended from the original settling population. Likewise for Aboriginal Australians. Your other examples are dubious. In any case, the Irish as they are now are a mix of pre- celts, Celts, Vikings, Normans and with a lot of Anglo- Saxon mixing- I challenge you to find an Irish family that doesnt have at least one British great-great-grandparent , if not a lot closer. I have Scotland, Cornwall, Cork, Wicklow, Galway and Mayo within 3 generations, one Polish from 5 generations back, and East Anglia 7 back- and that’s not an unusual level of mix.
@Karen Wellington: I Know about The British and The Vikings And The Normans. Although You Can Class the Normans and British and the Vikings as one Because the Normans are From The Viking Rollo Created the Duchy of Normandy and Was the Ancestor William The Conquer. Who invaded England And Wales Then Ireland. But Your Saying The Gaeltacht The only place in Ireland were Irish is Use Daily is not Irish.
@Ianmoone: I’m saying those people are not indigenous to this Island, because they’re not; no one is. Also, Gaeltacht areas have more protection than most, you need to pass a damn oral to live there.
If you mean Irish citizens, just say that. If you mean white Irish citizens who can trace their lineage to the foundation of the State or earlier then say that.
@Ianmoone: what threats were you referring to?
@Ianmoone: any chance you’d share whatever your smoking? Seems interesting!
An animal so unique that when first reported academics thought it was a hoax. We do seem to be intent on making shite of the entire biosphere don’t we?
I still think we should find out what each animal tastes like before it goes extinct.
I volunteer for the panda burger (with cheese).
@Kem Trayle: saddle of badger anyone? Probably need a good strong cider.
Sounds like a job for Agent P
Rip, people don’t care, will go extinct sadly..well least we will have videos i suppose.
Wouldn’t be surprised if half the human population over there go off ‘platypussing’ every night for the lolz!
He’s a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action.
have your say