Simon Mustoe's Blog: Wildlife in the Balance, page 16

November update, Platypus Guardians, Ankylosaurs and Attenborough Echidna

Hi everyone : )

I can’t believe it’s nearly November! Whether it’s the algorithms, my attention or just history, this month has been dominated by great discussions on biodiversity. It’s encouraging to hear so many positive stories. There’s a lot of arguing as well but that’s to be expected. We’re going through a period of intense change and this creates tension. But the stories that are emerging are fascinating and I’m re-energised by these each day.

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Humans are not responsible for prehistoric extinctions

Another day, another scientific paper implying that we should feel guilty about hunting prehistoric animals. Well apart from unnecessarily triggering people’s eco-anxiety, let’s be clear: humans are not responsible for prehistoric extinctions.

Science journals have become increasingly awash with titles that appeal to the masses. It’s about optimising readership through search engines. But it’s also feeding a general malaise which is profoundly and philosophically inaccurate.

Scholars like Pa...

The mystery of whale sharks: an unremarked-upon but amazing animal

It’s the mystery of whale sharks that makes them remarkable. How can an animal so big be among the least-known on Earth? The fact is, we have no idea how important they really are and we probably never will. For the Samu-Bajau, sea people of far southeast Asia, they have always known. For the rest of humanity, we need to learn quickly, or else we jeopardise our own survival. But this means thinking differently.

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Why we should listen to Indigenous voices

Culture is the thread that binds a population to its country through survival. For Australian First Nations people, their aboriginality is a 65,000 year contract with nature. But nature is unforgiving. Culture has to be hard-wearing. So their perspectives remain fresh and relevant today. This is why we should listen to indigenous voices and why denying them a voice is bad for us all. The stories they tell are relevant to all our futures.

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Wild Tomorrow, Why Wildlife Matters

Wild Tomorrow, Why Wildlife Matters. Wild Tomorrow Ambassador Jeffrey Phillips caught up with Australian scientist and conservationist Simon Mustoe, author of the recently published book Wildlife in the Balance: Why Animals are Humanity’s Best Hope . Jeff asked Simon to share his insights about wildlife conservation by responding to three intriguing questions which will be released in a series over the coming weeks. Today, we will find out why Simon believes we should care about the fate of wildl...

Leica Noctivid & the Great Ocean Road with brand new binoculars

Using Leica Noctivid binoculars was better than I could have imagined. They are a revolution and an absolute joy to use. The very first day I was able to experience both Leica Noctivid & the Great Ocean Road, one of my favourite places on Earth. Where else can you see Shy Albatross, Echidna, Emu, Koalas, Peacock Spiders, Kangaroos, Wallabies and Copperhead Snakes in a day? We even finished with an incredible head-height encounter with a mother and joey koala.

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Five reasons why sea urchins are important and extraordinary

It’s a plastic plant, I exclaim! An article by Sullivan published in The Guardian titled ‘A sea urchin: they are method actors performing The Waste Land‘ claims that ‘sea urchins are as sinister as they appear’ and ‘that they have a darkness.’ Often when I see plastic plant I remark that it’s a sure sign of the impending heat-death of the universe. Oh, the irony. We try to make our world more habitable by replacing plants with a fossil-fuel derivative that contributes to more rapid ecosystem-ene...

Animal autonomy, whale personhood and eating rats

Here are some of the various subjects I’ve been reading about lately. Three articles on animal autonomy, whale personhood and eating rats. All are very enlightening ideas that relate to animal impact and give us pause for thought about ourselves in the mix.

The Whale Sanctuary Project

The Whale Sanctuary Project recently posted:

When we speak of creating sanctuaries for whales, one of the foundational tenets is to provide an environment that “maximizes well-being and autonomy”.

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The Sparrows of Kabul: Carriers of Souls

In September 2022 I was sat in a cafe surrounded by a family of sparrows. A lady nearby was reading her book while tucking into egg and avocado on toast. She was mildly irritated by the birds’ advances. I imagined this scene played out for thousands of years, in taverns and al fresco eating areas throughout the world. A year earlier Australian diplomat, author and songwriter Fred Smith was standing on the embassy roof watching the sparrows of Kabul.

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Podcast with Simon Mustoe: Tommy’s Outdoors, Wildlife In The Balance

It was a great pleasure to talk to the enthusiastic, erudite and welcoming Tommy Serafinski recently on Tommy’s Outdoors Podcast. Listen to the podcast with Simon Mustoe.

It’s vitally important that we keep an open-mind when it comes to our future and behaviour. There are countless actions we can take to improve our lives and rebuild ecosystems alongside wildlife. Everyone has a role to play and all ideas should be welcomed. This is vital as society transitions to a renewed relationship with na...