What price is your child's eye?

[Kody]

Every year around September/October, children are being blinded. Some lose their sight in one eye, others lose both eyes. This tragic loss can be easily prevented. The same cause of blindness is also the reason so many people have suffered terrible injuries while riding push bikes and also motor bikes. The cause is the vicious unrelenting attacks from a bird. It is the Australian Magpie. http://birdway.com.au/artamini/australi ... _13990.htm
They will center their attack on your eyes and are relentless in doing so.
check out the video. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Australian-Magpie-2
These birds are fully protected as are all Australian native birds and wildlife. However, there comes a time when they are so dangerous that they must be "removed" from society. There were some horrific photos on the TV news of both children and adults who had been attacked and their faces were cut, slashed and stabbed by the birds beak. Unfortunately, some of the children had also lost an eye.
It is because of the protection that these birds have that the government, local or State, shy away from "removing" these birds. So many people rise up in anger that the magpies might be destroyed. They claim that the danger season only lasts for about 3 or 4 weeks, so live with it and protect yourself! - Yeah, right!
Would you be willing to sacrifice an eye or both eyes of your child to appease the mob who want the magpie left alone? Well, not me! Catching and releasing the magpies elsewhere wont work as they are so highly territorial and they will instantly return or be killed by others defending their own home ground. We have many magpies here on our property and they do incite Kody (our Shepherd) who will stalk them when they are on the ground. Mostly, they have a mutual agreement to tease each other and no dangerous attacks. Kody will chase them and then do a special "dance" around the tree where the magpie sits only 10 feet from the ground.
I still keep a very close watch on them however as one day, a magpie swooped in a full on attack. It missed Kody's eyes but carried off a beak full of fur. That was more than close enough and the offending bird was promptly "removed". So far, I have not had to "remove" any more of them but I do watch them closely. They have since swooped on Kody but it was not a full on attack, it's more of a tease or a warning. Strangely, I have never found their nesting tree/s.
So the question remains, What price would you place on your child's eyes or even their life? Yes, magpies have killed children and caused people on motor bikes to be injured severely by their attacks. Would you accept the loss of your child's eye/s or would you want the magpie/s "removed"
We have some stupid and ignorant standards in our laws! sic!

Kody/Joe

[citylights]

Any danger to my children on my property would be "removed" without a second thought. Done and done.

[Mary C]

Joe, I am NOT an animal rights person If the coyotes get any closer to the house I will shoot, I keep a loaded gun at all times. The main reason is I hate opossums and armadillos and snakes. They don't do any good, the armadillos leave 3 inch holes all over my yard and the opossums get into everything. I would dispatch the magpies in large numbers if they were on my property. When an animal attacks a person then it is like a person attacking if it was another human to attack and peck eyes out then the person would go to jail for a long time I would say keep a shotgun nearby and dispatch those magpies.

Mary C.

[Kody]

Hi Mary,
I love animals but I fully believe they must be kept under control. I love cats in Egypt, I love seeing tigers in India and Sumatra. I love the jaguars in South America. I love the wolves and mountain lions of North America but these are all native to the stated countries. I hate and despise cats here in Aust. They are not native and they have exterminated so many species of our own precious wildlife, never to be seen again. As for magpies, I keep my 22 always ready to fire and within instant reach. To remove the dingoes, I have my 270W and again, it's within instant reach. By doing this with my firearms, I am breaking at least 5 or 6 firearm laws but I don't care. We live on a property in the country area and a firearm is essential. The Federal and State laws state that- "a firearm shall be kept in a locked safe at all times (fair enough!) but the bolt must be removed (if possible) and stored in a separate place. The ammo must not be kept with the firearm and shall be stored in a separate locked place to be out of the reach of children." It's just tough luck if a pack of dingoes comes roaming thru your property and you have to remember where the key for the safe is or what the combination is so you can get your rifle. Then you have to find the bolt and the ammo and by then, your dog has been killed, your prize stud has been mauled or killed and all your chooks are also dead. Too bad if your wife of kids are outside and the dingoes attack them as well. The families of some friends of mine lived in fear of feral dogs for months until the dogs were all destroyed by me and my mate.
The magpies on our property have never swooped on Cindy or myself, only on Kody. However, they all live on borrowed time, their first attack on us or our friends will be their last.

Kody

[DezPrado]

I'm hearing ya Kody! And am in full agreement within the parameters as you describe.
Over here we have increasing numbers of "your" magpies & the associated problems too. Thankfully they're not classed as natives so.....
a muffled 223 target rifle, 200+metres & bingo! Let the pillow fighting begin.

[Kody]

G'day Dez,
Good to see that you're dealing with the problem of "our magpies". It looks like some idiot introduced them to your place, I never knew they were taken there. Are you also shooting those gorgeous soft, fluffy beautiful possums you have over there? I saw that they are also an import from here and their population has exploded. You wouldn't hurt those poor little furry pets with the big gentle eyes, would you?
Importing the possums was the worst thing that has happened in NZ for many years. Can you keep their skins or must the entire possum be burnt to ashes? Yeah, I know what the possums do! Whoever brought them into NZ should be hung up by the thumbs over an ant heap!

Australian Possum, - A monster in a fur coat!

Kody

[Roo Dog]

Joe,
No I do not like feral cats, cats in general for that matter nor do I like feral dogs. Both introduced of course and the dogs are bad when they cross with the native dog.
For the rest of the critters in Oz you can work your way around them in most cases I have found. We have some magpies that wake us most mornings, hang about our back veranda, must be more relaxed about life than the Queensland version as they are very friendly. Never attacked us or anybody we know of over the years.
Your part of Oz sounds very unfriendly when it comes to the critters. Must be friendlier over our way though I thought the country around Rocky and Yeppoon was rather benign, must have got it wrong, missed the nasty bits it would seem. Sounds down right dangerous where you are.

Take it easy.

RD

[D.J.]

There seems to be some major differences between the North American and the Australian possum. .... D.J.

[Mary C]

both look like they are in need of eating lead!!!!

Mary C.

[rowerwet]

three S's, shoot, shovel, shut up. I happen to live in a state with dumb gun rules like Oz.
Is there any wild life in Oz that is safe for visitors?!
the magpie seems like a cheap pair of sunglasses or safety glasses should take care of mostly.

[Kody]

The Australian possums are absolutely beautiful creatures and make wonderful but illegal pets. The Australian eucalyptus trees were imported to NZ as the timber was so good to use in the building industry. Unfortunately, the trees grew faster and better than the native species and caused lots of trouble. Some idiot later imported (smuggled?) our native possums into NZ as well. Why this was done I'm not sure. The possum numbers grew out of all proportion and then a disaster happened. The possums were found to be carrying TB which they picked up from somewhere in NZ. The TB then spread to the cattle of NZ and all hell broke out as you could imagine. Possums are now hunted and destroyed without mercy. I don't know if the body has to be burnt because of the TB or what happens to them. Perhaps Dez P. could fill you in with more info about them.

A somewhat similar thing happened here in the State of Tasmania (the most southerly State of Aust, an island). Tassie has some of the most amazing wildlife on the planet. It is also a great place to produce sheep, timber and apples among other things. Someone who had an evil and warped mind, introduced foxes into the State some years ago, can't remember when. The foxes ran riot with the sheep and the lambs but even worse happened. The foxes have destroyed many of the natives animals even to extinction. It's thought that the deaths of the Tasmanian Devils may possibly be linked to the foxes but no-one really knows for certain. To say that the foxes and the person/persons who released them is the most hated person in Tassie is a gross understatement. To this day, no-one knows who did it or why but the rumors flourish.

I have never seen one of our possums so stirred up as in the photo. I surmise it may have been highly provoked. My daughter raises and cares for orphaned and wounded Australian native animals so I will ask her what may have happened to stir the possum up so much.

kody

[Roo Dog]

RW,
There is little in Oz that will hurt you.
I have spent a lot of my time in the bush and never felt I needed a firearm even though I have owned firearms over the years.
It is just a matter of being aware. Keep your eyes open in croc and cattle country as you would. Most of the smaller critters are timid and will get out of your way.
Common sense, not lead, is the message when wandering about the bush in Oz.
Take it easy.
RD

[Kody]

RW
What Roo Dog has said is correct, there is very little here that will attack you in the bush. The most dangerous places are the big cities just as in the US. Wearing sun glasses for protection against the magpies has only a very small safety factor. The magpies knock them off as they attack the eyes. The children that have been killed have been stabbed thru the skull by the birds beak. They are a bird to be reckoned with. The magpies that live here on our property have never attacked either my wife or myself or any of our visitors or their children.

The only wildlife that will attack you in the bush are the dingos and the crocodiles. The crocs live close or in the water up north so you stay away from these areas or venture out with people who know what its all about. A lone dingo is no problem but one must keep their dog away from them. A big buck kangaroo can become nasty if he is having a bad hair day and a few people have been scarred up by them at times. Again, keep away from the big bucks when you're in the bush. The vast majority of fauna here are timid and small and won't come near you as RD has described.

In the meantime, enjoy the video. Are you thinking of coming over here for a holiday?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy_TB6onHVE

Kody

[Kody]

Ok, just one more video. Check out the size of the paws and the claws. They can be a very gentle creature if treated properly. This one video that you will enjoy about our roos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6khUsbH8tc

Kody

[Roo Dog]

Gotta agree with you Kody, them cities are a bother at times. Something about city folks, can be none too friendly.
Take my chances in the bush any time, no dramas with the critters and country people.
Death by magpie is a rare event, I am not aware of any. Kids getting run over in their home driveway is very common. Many kids suffer abuse and even death at the hands of adults who are often their own kin. Maybe the birds, dingos, crocs etc are not too much of a problem as compared to people. Possibly a good look inside ourselves first would be the way to go, don't worry about the critters too much until we sort ourselves out. Most critters attack because they are hungry or protecting their plot. Us humans often do it for fun or some other obscure reason.
Take it easy.
RD