The Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby.

[Yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Warren's Gorge, Flinders Ranges, 23.7.11]

On the weekend, SJ & I attended a social gathering with my work colleagues at Warren's Gorge in the Flinders Ranges, a short drive from where we live. It was a great day filled with perfect weather, food, drink, bushwalks and laughter.

Oh, and rock-wallaby sightings.

I have always kept a lookout but until Saturday had never seen a Yellow-footed rock-wallaby in the wild. The Flinders Ranges is one of the wallaby's few remaining natural habitats, and due to their small numbers are a protected species. They are not as large as a kangaroo, but have an amazingly long tail that features dark rings, and orange/yellow fur on their ears and limbs. They are such a pretty animal.

We watched this little fellow graze on the edge of the cliff face for what seemed like an age: He/she wasn't bothered by the attention in the slightest.

If you knew what your meat went through, would you still be able to eat it?

Perhaps you saw the 4-Corners expose on Australian live export to Indonesia on Monday night, perhaps you did not, and although I wouldn't normally make politically-orientated posts on my blog, when it comes to animal welfare I will make an exception. 

Animal welfare is a topic that I have felt very strongly about for a long time. In 2002 I made the decision to become vegetarian, and two years ago I wrote a post here on my blog about why I feel so strongly about vegetarianism. Having seen first-hand how some so-called "farmers" treat their livestock, I find the whole idea of animal trade cruel.

  

If you want to know more about Australia's live exports, and in turn the 4-Corners expose, you can do so here. There is also the option of sending your local Member of Parliament a letter demanding the immediate ban of all live exports. If you are outside Australia, perhaps it is time to consider your own country's policy on live exports? You could always send your local politican a letter requesting the same if you're not happy with the standards.

I believe the way that we, as humans, treat animals is a reflection of our true selves. It's about time that we took action against the manner in which animals are bred, modified, force-fed, cage-kept, poorly treated and killed in mass-slaughter in order to meet our excessive, consumerist demands. No more excuses: It's just plain wrong and it makes us all bad people.

"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do. It's staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty." - Sir Paul McCartney

Wombat, Wombat, Wombat.

Ving the wombat takes a nap! Picture from here.

I love animals. It is one of the many reasons why I am vegetarian. I am especially fond of Australia's native animals, and every day I am blessed to see kangaroos, wallabies, and emus in the wild. When we lived in the city we were not far from a nature reserve where there were koalas in the wild, and sometimes in summer during heatwaves they would wander into the suburbs looking for water.

But this isnt a common occurence right across the country: Not everyone in Australia is as privileged as I have been.

Today I discovered that it is possible to sponsor a wombat - one just like Ving (pictured above)!

Wombats are intelligent marsupials native to Australia. They are hunted for food and sport, are killed by farmers who consider them a pest, and suffer diseases such as mange, passed onto them by foxes. A female wombat may only produce young once every two to three years, so it probably comes as no surprise that they are also endangered. However, they receive poor protection from government.

I think the wombat is often Australia's forgotten marsupial, perhaps because it is so rarely seen. We have wombats in South Australia. Where I grew up on the Eyre Peninsula the Southern Hairy Nose Wombat is native. I have seen wombats in captivity, and come across burrows, but I have never come across a wombat in the wild.

Pehaps this is not simply because they are nocturnal and shy - Perhaps it really is because there are so few of them left?

If you'd like to learn more about the plight of these adorable creatures, please visit the Wombat Awareness website, and to sponsor one simply go here.