jmm@bonnie.UUCP (Joe Mcghee) (07/17/84)
Recently I've seen reports in the news from Australia about swarms of rabbits and now swarms of mice eating up farm crops. Sounds like the folks down under are suffering from a lack of natural predators. People there should seriously think about importing some lynx, bobcat or hawks. These would take care of the swarms and not bother domestic cattle (sheep, etc.). Any comments from Australians? bonnie!jmm
alex@vax135.UUCP (Alex Dickinson) (07/18/84)
A comment from a temporarily displaced Australian: Ahhhh. Want a wonderful idea! Lynx, bobcats and hawks...... No, they wouldn't bother the domestic cattle, but we do have wallabies, young kangas, goannas, numerous species of small lizards, wombats, lyre birds, numerous very small marsupial mice/rats, emus and other strange beasties, many of whom could be placed under threat by the importation of other predators. In fact both the rabbits and the plague mice are imported varieties with no natural enemies (besides Australians, and the bulk of them were imports too..) Actually there is a delightful cure for rabbits, an introduced disease called myxamatosis (sp?) that kills them off in millions, puss streaming from their blinded eyes. Isn't mankind clever? Alex.
tierney@fortune.UUCP (07/19/84)
#R:bonnie:-16400:fortune:14500029:000:58 fortune!tierney Jul 19 11:31:00 1984 WOMBATS??!! Oh My God! Not again?! sufferin' charlie