Media statements - Parks and Wildlife Service

Media statements (421)

Hamelin Bay whale stranding update – 12pm

Details: Published: Friday, 23 March 2018 12:14

Only 15 of the 150 short-finned pilot whales that stranded en masse at Hamelin Bay, 10km north of Augusta early this morning, are still alive. Parks and Wildlife Service staff with veterinary assistance and support of Sea Search and Rescue, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and trained volunteers are working to ensure the welfare of the surviving whales. Incident Controller Jeremy Chick said the 15 live whales were currently in shallow waters and the plan was to herd them out to deeper waters by late afternoon, weather dependent. “Unfortunately, most of the whales beached themselves on dry land overnight and have not survived,” he said. “There are only 15 surviving in shallow waters and we hope to move them out to sea…

Hamelin Bay whale stranding update – 9.30am

Details: Published: Friday, 23 March 2018 09:42

More than 150 short-finned pilot whales have stranded en masse at Hamelin Bay, 10km north of Augusta early this morning. Around 75 whales have died after beaching themselves. Parks and Wildlife Service staff are onsite and veterinary assistance has been organised to assess the health and wellbeing of the remaining live whales - 50 of which are on the beach and 25 which are in the shallows. Support and equipment is being rushed to the scene to assist the rescue attempt to return the surviving whales to deeper water. Incident controller Jeremy Chick said the main priorities were to ensure the welfare of the remaining live whales and the safety of everyone involved in the operation before any rescue attempt was made to herd the…

Keep dogs away from baited areas

Details: Published: Thursday, 22 March 2018 15:00

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is urging people to keep their pet dogs away from Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park due to fox baiting being undertaken in the area. DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service nature conservation coordinator Ben Lullfitz said 1080 poison baits were regularly laid in the national park to protect native species from the threat of foxes, as part of the department’s Western Shield wildlife recovery program. “Pet owners should be aware that large areas of State forest, national parks and nature reserves are baited with 1080 baits throughout the year, including some in the Margaret River area,” he said. “The poison used in these baits is naturally occurring in the WA environment, so native species have a higher tolerance to it. …

State's most popular cadets program celebrates 20th anniversary

Details: Published: Thursday, 22 March 2018 13:53

Youth-based conservation and education program, Bush Rangers WA, celebrates milestone. Bush Rangers has the highest participation of Aboriginal students, female students and students with disability of any Cadets WA program. Western Australia's biggest cadets program, Bush Rangers WA, has celebrated its 20th year. Attending the annual Bush Rangers conference today in Perth, Environment Minister Stephen Dawson commended the program that encourages secondary school students to develop practical nature conservation skills and contribute to their local community. Since its inception in 1998, the program has seen more than 18,500 young people take part, contributing 1.9 million volunteer hours to conservation and community projects. There are currently 67 cadet units around the State from Kununurra to Esperance, comprising of more than 3200 secondary school students. Students take…

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Plan ahead this Easter long weekend

Details: Published: Wednesday, 21 March 2018 09:26

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is advising that all its 24 bookable campgrounds are fully booked for the Easter long weekend and there will be limited vacancies available at other campgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis. People planning to camp at non-bookable campgrounds over the Easter long weekend are advised to arrive as early as possible and have a back-up plan in case their preferred campground is full. Parks and Visitor Services Assistant Director Rod Annear said the Easter long weekend was always one of the busiest times of year for camping in Western Australia’s national parks and reserves. “In WA we have the ideal environment and climate for camping, and it is wonderful to see people valuing and appreciating our national parks,”…