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05/09/2008 07:42 AM
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 In 2005 four Royal Australian Air Force personnel on a training mission photographed a most bizarre creature through their night-vision scopes. The animal appeared twice on separate nights but none of the men - including a dog handler - had any idea what this creature might be. A footprint was also found. |
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05/09/2008 05:49 AM
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 This strange fossil washed ashore in Sydney, Australia. What is it? Is it organic? Or purely mineral?
Be sure to click on the very last image to see my tracing of the main features. |
Hobbit lecture in Sydney
05/08/2008 06:27 PM
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 Last night, Professor Mike Morwood - spokesman for the large team of researchers that discovered Homo floresiensis on the island of Flores in Indonesia, presented a spellbinding public lecture on the background to the research, the species itself and the future direction of the project.
I was fortunate enough also to spend some time with him prior to the lecture to record a radio interview which will feature soon on Diffusion. |
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World's rarest big cat caught by cameras
05/08/2008 08:55 AM
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 Eight Amur leopards have been photographed using camera traps. There are only an estimated 40 Amur leopards left in the wild. |
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05/02/2008 07:23 AM
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 Could this in fact be one of the last known mainland Eastern quolls?
Read through some fascinating stories of the final few quolls that graced Sydney before their disappearance sometime in the 1960s ... or maybe 1970s! |
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05/02/2008 03:57 AM
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 My first three radio segment podcasts are available. Episode 1 looked at the Singleton thylacoleo sighting; Episode 2 looked at mainland Tasmanian tiger sightings (with a diversion into a thylacine reportedly trapped in Tasmania in the 1950s, and a focus on Doyle's footage); Episode 3 looked at marsupials which have survived the brink of extinction: the bridled nail-tail wallaby (36 years); brush-tailed rock wallaby; parma wallaby (56+ years); Gilbert's potooroo (115 years); and mainland Eastern quolls (speculating!) |
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04/17/2008 04:11 AM
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 With the recent camera deployment in search of Eastern quolls near Sydney, I have updated the site's information on mainland Eastern quoll sightings. Have a read through some of the more notable sightings - some never before published - and enjoy the beautiful photos of what is arguably one of the most under-rated, and gorgeous, marsupials in Australia. |
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04/16/2008 10:58 AM
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 Kevin Cameron took a series of photographs of what is widely accepted as a thylacine on the mainland in Western Australia in 1985. One photograph is reproduced here with this short introduction to the sighting; more detailed analysis to follow. |
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04/15/2008 09:07 AM
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 Every camera needs a name. Meet Charlie - the first trail camera in what should be a series of deployments this year. Charlie's job this time around is to photograph Eastern quolls. |
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04/07/2008 08:39 AM
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 WLMD has acquired its first trail camera. While Debbie has a collection of self-design units being deployed in the Victorian bush as part of our collaborative search for the Tasmanian devil on mainland Australia, I have just bought and tested a commercial unit which I will be deploying in search of the Eastern quoll in New South Wales. Read on for my review of the Moultrie GameSpy I-40 motion-activated infra-red flash trail camera. Includes high and low resolution photo and video samples. |
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04/06/2008 10:40 PM
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 It is with great pleasure I'd like to announce that WLMD is launching a new radio segment on the international science radio show "Diffusion". |
Mainland devil camera in
03/26/2008 10:18 AM
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 The fourth camera deployment has been retrieved after spending 2 months in the bush. Catch up on the latest news from mainlanddevils.com - a joint project between Where Light Meets Dark and Thylacoleo.com in the search for Tasmanian devils in the wild on Australia's mainland. |
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03/21/2008 09:27 AM
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 Less than a week after TC Girl's report on a large black marsupial predator sighted near Singleton in July 2007 an offer of reward has been made to the tune of A$1000. Was this a big cat, giant quoll, thylacine or thylacoleo? You be the judge, although most critics agree thylacoleo is the nearest match. |
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03/20/2008 02:44 AM
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 This artwork first caught my attention many years ago as a child. Are these two thylacines laying in the foreground of Margaret Preston's work "Drought - Mirage Country 1946"? |
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03/18/2008 10:29 PM
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 A very detailed, accurate and interesting description of a very large black predator has emerged on my colleague's website. In July 2007, two people saw what appears to be thylacoleo near Singleton, New South Wales. |
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03/10/2008 05:48 AM
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 Well what do you know? The story of the last Tasmanian tiger is a colourful one. Photographed and filmed by David Fleay, the last captive thylacine proceeded to bite its photographer on the buttock. Thirty years later a Mr Darby claimed to have worked at that zoo with "Benjamin". Analysis of the photographs don't show any male genitalia, but male thylacines in fact had scrotal pouches into which the scrotal sac was pulled when the animal was stressed. It has long been held that Benjamin was female, but could it be that Benjamin was in fact a boy? |
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03/06/2008 09:20 AM
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 Few people know it, but dozens of Tasmanian tigers, or thylacines, were kept as pets for over a hundred years. What was it about the species that had the old-timers so enamoured? What is it that keeps us rapt today?
Find out about thylacines being kept as pets - a long overdue article which will shed some intimate light on Tasmanian tigers. |
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03/02/2008 06:06 AM
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 Heading back through my archives of local wildlife photography turned up this grey-headed flying fox - a rather threatened species. |
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03/02/2008 05:42 AM
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 Actually, this sighting was reported at the time (in Oct 07), but I never published a full photo of the echidna. Check out the Oatley Park wildlife page for an edit explaining why, and finally showing (one of?) the Oatley Park echidna(s) in action. |
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03/02/2008 04:16 AM
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 Not quite snails, not quite slugs... semi-slugs! |
Thylacine filmed in Victoria
01/29/2008 06:49 AM
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 According to a news report last month, Robyn Nagorcka of Portland, Victoria, has captured 30 seconds of film footage of an animal that appears to resemble a Tasmanian tiger.
Opinions are divided on whether it might be the presumed extinct marsupial, or a more-likely mangy fox.
Click through to read about Robyn's story. If I am able to conduct an analysis of the footage, that will also be announced here. |
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Northern quoll saved from extinction
01/26/2008 09:53 AM
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 With cane toads wiping out any predator that attempts to eat them (due to poisonous secretions on its skin), the Northern quoll seems to have been saved from extinction. Researchers moved 65 quolls onto offshore islands five years ago. The offshore population now numbers about 2000 individuals. |
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WLMD: Spitting Spider
01/07/2008 06:38 AM
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 This is one truly bizarre creature. It spits. It has silk glands on its head as well as its abdomen. Its cephalothorax is larger, and deeper, than its abdomen. It's spotted like a leopard.
Thankfully, it's not dangerous to people! |
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Albino squirrel
01/07/2008 05:40 AM
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 Given yesterday's near-to albino penguin, I thought today I'd share this photo of an albino squirrel.
It comes from an RSPCA report in the UK summarising some of the weird and wonderful calls the department received in 2007.
"Can you come and get a fly off a web?", "My fish has lost its balance. It's depressed." and of course, the "radioactive squirrel" pictured. |
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"Albino" penguin sighted
01/06/2008 06:20 PM
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 An "albino" - or more correctly, "leucistic" Adelie Penguin has been photographed in Antartica.
Researchers say the non-pigmented form is very rare as these individuals rarely breed and often attract predators.
The bird is 1 in a 4000 strong population. Although the scientists do tag Adelie Penguins, they haven't tagged the leucistic form and are unsure if it is the same individual they see returning each year. |
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Raik-Allen Otways Big Cat
01/01/2008 04:32 PM
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 A big black cat has been sighted near Erskine Falls in the Otways, Victoria by Simon Raik-Allen.
Where Light Meets Dark interviews the witness and comes up with another big cat story - this time a capture. |
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WLMD: Greater Bar Sided Skink
12/28/2007 05:39 PM
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 Yesterday I came across a baby greater bar sided skink. This species is the one that kicked off the whole "photograph every skink species in Sydney" project a little over a year ago. Then it was Nelson Bay, this time suburban Sydney.
Check out the photos of this little critter and the original adult also. |
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WLMD News: site changes
12/26/2007 07:34 AM
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As announced recently, WLMD is changing... instead of presenting articles in blog-like fashion, the structure is being reworked and presented as a reference.
What does this mean? Previously, articles were annouced as they were written and that was that. Now you will be able to look up information on specific topics such as "what's the latest with the Emmerichs thylacine?" |
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Whale shark numbers increasing
12/26/2007 05:00 AM
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 A 12 year study indicates that numbers of whale sharks off Australia's west coast at Ningaloo Reef are slowly increasing, contradicting previous research. The authors attribute the improvement to good ecological management in the area. |
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Siberian tiger mauls zoo visitor to death
12/26/2007 04:25 AM
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 A female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) at San Francisco Zoo named Tatiana has recently mauled one zoo visitor to death and left two others critically injured. The attack occurred just after the 5pm closing time.
Authorities are investigating how the tiger escaped its enclosure. The zoo has four tigers but the other tigers did not leave their enclosure.
Police attending the zoo first found the deceased man, aged 23 before locating a second victim. Tatiana was sitting nearby and then attacked the man again. As police approached, guns drawn, the tiger turned towards them. Several officers fired and the tiger was killed.
Almost exactly one year ago Tatiana attacked a zoo keeper during feeding time and in front of horrified visitors. In that incident the keeper's arm was torn open. |
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Giant rat and pygmy possum - new species discovered
12/17/2007 05:23 AM
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 A 1.4 kilogram giant rat which has no fear of humans, and a tiny pygmy possum are two new mammal species amongst a wealth of discoveries made recently in Indonesia's Foja Mountains.
The mating displays of several rare bird species were recorded for the first time in a June expedition this year. Indonesia considering is seeking carbon credits in return for protecting wilderness described as "Eden on Earth". |
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Northern Quoll relocation program success
12/17/2007 02:54 AM
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 Populations of the northern quoll - a member of the family Dasyurdiae along with Tasmanian tigers and devils - are facing decimation due to Australia's introduced cane toad.
Five years ago researchers moved 65 northern quolls to a group of islands 150 kilometers (95 miles) offshore northwest of Nhulunbuy.
In their latest survey 315 northern quolls were captured, indicating successful breeding on the islands. Scientists have begun researching the genetic diversity in the populations.
[As a side note, Maria Island in Tasmania was set aside to be a Tasmanian tiger sanctuary should any live thylacines be found but has found a use in being a Tasmanian devil sanctuary instead as that species faces the threat of extinction due to devil facial tumour disease.] |
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Frog species rediscovered after drought
12/16/2007 07:25 PM
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 Australia's giant water-holding frog has been rediscovered at Narran Lake Nature Reserve in New South Wales after severe drought. The species typically resides underground for a year, resurfacing when weather conditions are favourable for breeding. However, the recent drought has meant that the species had not been seen for several years.
Parks officers are pleased to see the species survive the difficult conditions although the specimen which was found occurred further south than ever before. |
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Orangutan sighted in Florida USA
11/18/2007 08:08 PM
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 A wild orangutan has been sighted in Florida, USA. Some speculate it may be an escapee, surviving the storms of 2004 just as a large patas monkey which was captured one year ago.
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New species of pit viper - the Barta
11/18/2007 03:58 PM
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 Locals say it is a bad omen to sight the barta, which means "deadliest of all snakes".
Comparisons are being made with another species of pit viper sighted in Upper Myanmar (Burma) in 1940 by Ronald Kaulback but experts believe this is a new species. |
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Blue ghost filmed in USA
11/16/2007 02:21 AM
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 What locals and security experts are describing as the apparition of a blue ghost - or possibly angel - has been filmed at a gas station in Parma, USA.
The blue cloud quickly darts around the gas station, then sits still for half an hour, then flies off camera at lightning speed.
Speculation includes it being a ghost, demon, angel, or spirit of the native American traditional landholders. |
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Asiatic black bear mauls illegal poacher
11/14/2007 10:28 PM
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 Makhan Khan of Kashmir, India, has survived a serious attack by an Asiatic black bear.
Mr Khan was rescued by friends who first fleed. The illegal poacher suffered serious wounds according to the article. |
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Captive-bred seahorses released into Sydney Harbour
11/12/2007 11:43 PM
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 In a nation-first, Sydney Aquarium has released 30 captive bred White's seahorses into Sydney Harbour in the hope they will survive in the wild and boost population numbers.
The species, endemic to New South Wales is known to have a colony of only 300 individuals at Manly Cove and researchers are concerned about poachers - which have targeted the area previously - affecting numbers. |
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Pink dolphin photographed
11/12/2007 09:47 PM
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 An albino baby dolphin, bright pink in colour, has been photographed by Erik Rue of the Calcasieu Charter Service. |
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World first - five white lion cubs bred in single litter, Australia
11/06/2007 07:06 PM
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 Mogo Zoo near Bateman's Bay on New South Wales' south coast, Australia, has announced the successful rearing of five male white lion cubs, born from a single litter - a world first.
According to the article, zoo staff have nicknamed the pride "the gangsters". |
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Cockroaches bred in space
10/23/2007 08:41 PM
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 A Russian cockroach named "Nadezhda" (which translates "Hope") is the first known organism to conceive in space.
It's offspring hatched here on Earth and are eating and drinking well. However, scientists have noted that their exoskeletons have darkened more rapidly than expected for juveniles conceived on Earth.
It is still too early to draw conclusions as they are waiting for a second cockroach to give birth. |
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See-through frog produced by selective breeding
09/27/2007 09:20 AM
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 Japanese researchers have managed to cross breed the rare white forms of the Japanese brown frog using artificial insemination. This species is known to have a pale colouration due to two different recessive genes.
The first generation offspring were all brown due to more dominant genes being present, but cross breeding a second time produced one frog which had transparent skin right from its tadpole stage.
The researchers note that scientists can observe the development of internal organs and eggs during all life stages of the frog without the need for disection. |
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White-lipped keelback snake amongst new Vietnamese species
09/26/2007 07:40 PM
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 This white-lipped keelback snake is one of the new species recently described from Vietnam's "Green Corridor".
Although this news was announced yesterday at WLMD, this National Geographic article contains a small gallery of some of the new species including the almost-black Aspidistra nicolai flower (no common name), a butterfly and orchids. |
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Steve Irwin's croc migration satellite study results
09/26/2007 07:31 PM
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 Some saltwater crocodiles can travel up to 400 km. The finding has implications for crocodile management as relocating "problem" crocodiles may no longer be seen as a viable option.
The results and some conclusions on the satellite tracking researched commenced by a team of researchers including the late Steve Irwin are presented in this article from the ABC. |
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Albino ratfish found
09/26/2007 06:29 AM
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 The world's first documented albino ratfish has turned up in the United States. Ratfish are named for their rat-like teeth, used for crushing clams, crabs and worms scooped up from the ocean floor.
Although the University of Washington has 7.2 million ratfish in its collection, this is the only albino. |
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Rare white koala rescued and released
09/26/2007 06:25 AM
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 A rare white - not albino - koala has been rescued near Port Macquarie in Australia's state of New South Wales. The marsupial was found blind but with treatment has made a full recovery and been recently released at an undisclosed location.
Whilst being kept in care, the koala, nicknamed Mick, was segregated from other koalas - not only for health reasons but to keep its existence a closely guarded secret to prevent it being stolen for novelty collectors. |
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Green Corridor reveals 21 new species in Vietnam
09/25/2007 11:40 PM
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 Up to 21 new species have been discovered in Vietname including a frog-eating snake, two butterflies (one in a new genus), orchids that grow like fungi and an aspidistra with a flower that is almost black.
The same article makes mention of a south American frog being rediscovered 20 years after it was believed to have gone extinct. |
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Human-animal embryos
09/05/2007 05:57 PM
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 Regulators have agreed to permit human-animal embryos to be created, subject to individual applications. |
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Saltwater crocodile eats 8 year old girl on anniversary of Steve Irwin's death
09/03/2007 07:48 PM
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 An eight year old girl in Samoa village, Kikori district, Papua New Guinea was beside a river with her mother when the 3 meter (9 to 10 foot) crocodile struck.
This report comes on the 1st anniversary of Steve Irwin's death. Irwin, a commercially successful conservationist was well-known for his love for, and groundbreaking research with, saltwater crocodiles.
Read more about today's crocodile attack, or explore the Steve Irwin interactive. |
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Two headed cow born
08/24/2007 01:13 AM
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 A double-headed calf named "Blinky" had to be euthenased after one lung collapsed. The owner sought advice from 3 veterinarians before making the decision.
She received her name because all four eyes blinked simultaneously. |
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Sightings tour
