Help needed to eradicate birds | Northern Rivers Pets | Animal and ...

Indian myna birds.

Adam Hourigan

LOCAL wildlife conservationists Kevin and Laura Noble headed off to Gladstone this week to discuss ways of attracting volunteers to the ongoing Indian myna eradication program in the Clarence Valley.

The program implemented in 2007, requires much-needed volunteers to benefit from the $18,000 Federal Government grant acquired in December.

"Laura and myself invest about three full days a week into chasing up the progress on this trapping, which is just getting too much at our age," project manager, Mr Noble said.

"We will stick it out for another 12 months, but after that, we just don't know if we can keep it up."

Mr Noble, now in his 70s, said that Laura and he took the role on board to protect native Australian birds that have been threatened by the Indian myna.

"We really want locals to understand that sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, and protect our native species," Ms Noble said.

"Kevin and I are aware that euthanising the myna birds deters some people from volunteering, but we are against animal cruelty."

Currently volunteers are required to trap the birds in specific cages that do not kill the bird, and contain water, food and shelter.

The Indian myna birds are then euthanised using two preferred methods, CO2 gassing or vertical dislocation.

Chief inspector for the Animal Welfare League NSW Damien Thiele said that the methods had been recommended by the Department of Primary Industries, and were legally considered humane.

?

FLY PESTS?

Introduced birds considered pests include:?

The Indian myna

The Common Starling

The rock pigeon (common pigeon)

margarito margarito horton hears a who horton hears a who cotto margarito big daddy big ten championship game