Tiwest Night Stalk

1 September - 16 October 2008
Australia’s unique biodiversity is under threat and needs your help.
Now in its tenth year, Tiwest Night Stalk is on again from 1 September to 16 October with the aim of getting members of the community out into nature to do some spotlighting for wildlife.
In previous years, this community action program has focused on marsupials and introduced species but now its scope has been broadened to include all animal species, native and introduced. Each year will focus on a particular group of animals. As 2008 is Year of Frog we're focusing on frogs this year.
Tiwest Night Stalk is easy, fun and something everyone can do. All you need is a torch and the Spotter’s Log. Choose a night or number of nights between 1 September and 16 October and spotlight in your local bushland. Record all the mammals, birds, bats, reptiles and frogs that you find and then send your Spotter’s Log to Perth Zoo.
The information will be collated and sent to conservation agencies to help determine the number of animals still living in the wild, especially near urban areas, to better direct conservation efforts. This regular monitoring can provide a valuable record of changes to the distribution of animals over time.
Tiwest Night Stalk is a great way to become involved in community conservation action and to learn about our native animals, their habitat and their threats.
Zoo Animal Paw Print & Pet Paw Prints

Fodder Collection

Please help feed the animals
Making sure your loved ones receive their daily nutritional requirements can be a difficult task – particularly when the ones you care for consume trailer loads of their favourite foods!
Perth Zoo grows its own fodder and browse crops for its plant-eating residents but – with some huge appetites to satisfy – it also needs assistance from the public to supplement its supply of certain plant species.
The Zoo always requires:
Ficus (Moreton Bay Fig, Port Jackson Fig),
any species of Bamboo except giant bamboo,
Coprosma (Mirror Plant), and
Acalypha (Fijian Fire Plant).
We have to be certain of the plant’s identity (some plants are poisonous to animals), they must be pesticide-free and we usually need them in large quantities.
Donating appropriate branches is a terrific way for people to thin out their garden and help the Zoo at the same time.
So who eats what?
The Ficus is used as fodder for a variety of animals including elephants and primates, while the Mirror Plant and Fijian Fire Plant are fed to the Radiated Tortoises and various primates including the orang-utans, gibbons and lemurs.
The Zoo’s colony of 12 orang-utans consumes around four 53 litre-sized bins of Mirror Plant and Fijian Fire Plant cuttings each day, while the Asian Elephants consume around 16kg of browse every day.
The bamboo is for the Nepalese Red Pandas which feed almost exclusively on this plant. The Zoo’s pandas consume up to two 53 litre-sized bins of bamboo each day.
Can someone come and collect the branches?
Fresh branches from gardens or properties within a 30-minute radius of the Zoo can be collected by Zoo staff before midday from Monday to Friday.
Who do I contact?
If you think you can help, please contact Perth Zoo on 9474 0444 or email@perthzoo.wa.gov.au before pruning, to check whether your plant material can be used.

Zoo animal paw prints & pet paw prints- Perth zoo

Benefits Of Grooming A Pet

Regular grooming of all pets can foster longer, healthier lives. The benefits of having your pet groomed regularly can include making your pet more comfortable and clean, as well as having attention paid to often overlooked parts of your dog or cat. . . .

There are many direct health benefits of having your dog or cat groomed. Regular brushing of all pets, despite coat length or type, helps to keep the coat and skin healthy. Most dogs do not require frequent bathing (once a month or less!), but brushing in between bath times helps to keep them clean, removing dead hair, dirt and other debris from the coat. Many cats may only need to be bathed a few times in their lifetime. Brushing is a vital part of pet care, as it works to distribute the natural oils of the skin throughout the coat, promoting a healthier coat, and cleaner skin. In addition the direct benefits your pets coat, brushing may help to point out any abnormalities in your pets body, such as sores, growths or bald spots. While you may not notice any lumps or bumps that have appeared on your pet, regular grooming can help to detect a problem, and insure that if a lump does appear, you are aware of it sooner rather than later. A veterinarian should check any growth or lump you or your groomer notices on your pet, to rule out cancer and other potentially dangerous conditions. Early detection can be crucial in a positive outcome to an otherwise deadly health scare. During the course of the grooming process, the groomer will pay special attention to your pets’ ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, pads and perianal region- areas you probably don’t notice much in daily life. Longhair dogs and even some cats tend to grow hair deep in the ear canal, and this hair can trap bacteria, causing irritation and ear infections. Your groomer will “pluck” this hair, and often do a cursory clean of the ears checking for anything abnormal. If ear discharge or redness is noticed, this can be relayed to you, so that you know that veterinary attention may be necessary to treat your pets’ ear problem. Many long hair pets tend to grow excessive amounts of hair between their feet and paw pads, as well as around the perianal (anus) area. Excessive hair in these places can lead to hygiene problems, tangling of hair, accumulation of dirt and stickers in the hair, and even cause problems defecating and urinating. Your groomer may trim around these areas, helping to prevent problems before they can develop. Breeds of dogs such as Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Shih Tzu’s will grow long hair on the face, mouth and eyes, and left untrimmed this hair can become matted with food particles and saliva. In addition, studies have shown that dogs with hair that is frequently in their eyes have a greater chance of developing eye infections, glaucoma and cataracts. Strategic trimming of the hair around the eyes is aesthetically pleasing, and helps to prevent health problems down the road. Most dogs and cats don’t naturally wear down their nails fast enough to keep up with nail growth, and as a result most pets need regular nail trimming in order to keep their nails at the optimum length. Long nails are the most common cause of chiropractic problems in cats and dogs, and can contribute to joint pain and stiffness. Your pets body has been designed to walk with his pads on the floor, not the nails. If your dogs’ nails are touching the ground, his nails are too long. If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor, they are too long. Regular clipping will help to prevent problems associated with long nails. Your groomer will clip your pets’ nails, and their skill and experience can often get them shorter than you can at home. A dremel tool may also be used, to help further shorten the nails, and blunt the edges to eliminate those sharp, newly cut nail scratches! In addition to health benefits, a professional grooming can greatly improve the cleanliness and hygiene of your pet. While you may bathe your pet at home regularly, most groomers utilize a bathing system. These systems are specially made to allow water and shampoo to penetrate even the thickest coats of hair, evenly spreading shampoo throughout the coat. Special hoses and water nozzles “massage” the soap throughout the coat, getting the coat cleaner than any hand wash could. In addition, the bathing systems are much faster than traditional bathing, shortening the time your pet may spend stressed out in the tub. If your dog has long hair, or is prone to tangles or a dry coat, a coat conditioner may be used as a second step to the bathing process. Conditioners can help to manage the hair and make it softer, allowing for mats and tangles to be more easily removed, along with re-moisturizing the coat. While in the bath, some groomers may take the opportunity to express your pets’ anal glands. The anal glands are two small sacks just inside your pets’ anus, and are filled with a foul smelling “scent fingerprint” that animals use to identify each other in the wild. Routine emptying of these sacs can help to prevent unwanted smells, as well as potential side effects from impacted or ruptured anal glands that go unemptied. Finally, bathing your pet provides an opportunity for an impartial set of eyes to point out any issues or problems you many not have noticed with your pet. We live with our pets, and often don’t notice right away if they begin to gain or loose weight, or gradually take up new behaviors. Your groomer has the advantage of only seeing your pet occasionally, and as such may notice if Fido has packed on a few pounds, or if Kitty has fleas that need to be treated. There are many benefits to having your dog or cat groomed. While frequency will depend on your pets breed, coat type or lifestyle, regular grooming sessions will help your pet to remain a healthy, clean companion to you.
About The Author David Beart is owner of the http://www.professorshouse.com , a site dedicated to family, relationships, dog grooming, and household issues.
Pets & animals

Don't Buy Animals From Pet Shops!

Don't Buy Animals From Pet Shops!
Resist the temptation to buy that gorgeous kitten or puppy in the window. Because this lucrative pet shop market exists in Australia, backyard breeders and "puppy farms" who supply to pet shops continue to churn out more and more poor puppies and kittens, much to the detriment of the animals.
Approximately 130,000 dogs and 60,000 cats are killed at pounds every year. Unbelievable, eh?
The practice of selling animals from pet shops promotes impulse buying and irresponsible breeding for profit. Please help us to stop it. We already have far too many dogs and cats without homes.
Our Mission At Say No Is To:
Educate all potential pet owners why they shouldn't buy their companion animals from pet shops
Lobby Federal and State Government to ban the sale of animals in pet shops
Cute, small breeds are always put in pet shop windows to attract children and impulsive buyers. Pet shop owners are interested in making money, after all, they are running a business. They are not primarily concerned with educating their buyers in properly caring for their new pets or in taking responsibility for their well-being.
And so, new owners go home and soon realise that owning a pet is not all fun or as easy as they thought. Many abandon their pets when the novelty wears off, and these gorgeous little puppies and kittens are now homeless in a pound awaiting a death sentence. Of course not all pound dogs and cats were originally bought from pet shops and discarded, but based on discussions with pounds and rescue centres, observing the breeds that predominate in shelters and statistical logic, it is obvious that many were.
Because this pet shop market exists in Australia, backyard breeders and "puppy farms" continue to churn out more and more poor puppies and kittens, whilst thousands are being killed at the pounds every year.
Stop and think...
Imagine the conditions under which this puppy's mother lives. She is breeding non-stop to make unscrupulous breeders rich! This is the daily suffering pet shop owners either do not understand or do not want you to see. How to solve this problem? The answer is quite simple - you can make a difference and help in several ways.

Say no to animals in pet shops

Thousands turn out for Ekka People's Day

Organisers are expecting up to 90,000 visitors to pack the RNA showgrounds today.
Thousands of people are making the most of the public holiday at the Brisbane Ekka.
Organisers are expecting up to 90,000 visitors to pack the RNA showgrounds at Bowen Hills today.
The cute and cuddly have come from the country for this year's show.
Nine-year-old Annabelle and seven-year-old Thomas say they are learning how to feed the lambs and the piglets on Animal Boulevard.
"It feels funny because they lick your hand and it gets all slobbery," Annabelle said.
"They're exactly like crazy, hairy things," Thomas said.
Tucked away at the back of the grounds are the newest additions to this year's show - two tiny brown bore goats.
Owner Colleen Usher from New South Wales says they were born last night.
"They're a little bit early ... we just unloaded and they were born," she said.
All of the show's prize-winning animals will pack the main arena for the lunchtime grand parade.
ABC