Environment
Conservation
As it happened: Whale rescue as young humpback freed from fishing gear in Sydney Harbour
National parks staff have rescued a young humpback whale tangled in fishing tackle in Sydney Harbour this morning.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Latest
Whale leads rescuers on harbour chase, before slice of freedom
The humpback moved erratically and often quickly, lunging across Sydney Harbour’s coves and bays and then hugging the coastline. It was untangled from the fishing line with a few deft cuts.
- by Nick O'Malley and Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Humpback whale entangled in fish trap in Sydney Harbour
Rescuers have been working to free the distressed juvenile whale. A GPS tracker has been attached to the animal to help find it at first light and resume the operation.
- by Riley Walter
Bandicoot bandits taking a bite out of a multimillion-dollar business
The unlikely gourmands are pilfering thousands of dollars of farmed black truffles a night, but a PhD student has been working to get them to change their ways.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
When crocodiles attack: Why people become prey
Crocodiles were almost wiped out but have rebounded since protections were introduced in the 1970s. How common are crocodile attacks and how many people are killed?
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Big-hearted project tracks cardiovascular disease in great apes
When you need to monitor the heart health of a 150-kilogram gorilla, who do you call? A children’s cardiologist.
- by Bianca Hall
The other national road toll: Cars kill 10 million native animals each year
Can cars that make barking noises, flashing lights and sirens and AI-assisted road signs help reduce roadkill?
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
‘Unusual’ winter swells erode Sydney beaches and sand dunes
Beaches recover relatively rapidly from coastal erosion, but sand dunes can take years to repair.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Exclusive
Animal attacks
‘Not doing what they should’: Shark nets a threat to critically endangered species
The state government has installed nets to deter sharks at Sydney beaches since 1937 and will do so again next month. But there is growing doubt about their effectiveness.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Exclusive
Royal National Park
Royal National Park a haven for native species, environmental stocktake shows
The biggest ecological survey to date for Australia’s oldest national park and adjoining areas found previously unseen mammal species.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Exclusive
Renewables
The simple fix that could reduce bird deaths from wind farms
Painting one blade black, or using stripes, on wind turbines is proven to dramatically reduce bird strikes. There are also high-tech solutions helping endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons