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Australian Animals

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The Australian Shepherd
Is NOT an Aussie

Jeni from Oregon, USA wrote to us and asked if "dinki di" is pronounced "dinkee-dee" or "dinkee-die". It's "dinkee-die".

It seems she wanted to name her Australian Shepherd Dinki Di, but didn't know how to say it.

She's got a bigger problem. An Australian Shepherd is NOT Australian. She's not alone in that completely understandable, but wrong, assumption.

Blue Merle considered Aussie?

No one knows exactly why this herding breed acquired the name Australian. It may be because so many dogs brought to the American West from Australia in the late 1800s had blue merle coats (mottled patchwork of grey and black).

As a result it's possible that the word Australian was associated with dogs of that coat colour.

Ghost-eye dog

What's most noticeable about blue merle dogs is the their eyes. They can have two different coloured eyes, most notably blue eyes. They can even have bicoloured eyes where an eye is half-brown and half-blue.

As you can see, their appearance would certainly stand out from the traditional herding sheepdogs. In fact, it is said that they were called the "ghost-eye dog".

How did they get to Australia?

It's believed that the blue merle sheepdog arrived in Australia in the early 1800s with the German immigrants who came to care for the imported Spanish Merino sheep.

The American breeders

The Australian Shepherd breed was developed in America from dogs brought in from Spain as well as Australia. It was thought that those climates best matched the American West and so the dogs would do well.

Australian Shepherds come in a variety of colours, (not just blue merle), with traditional colour eyes. But it's the blue merle we'll always favour even if it's not really Aussie.

The ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) did not officially recognize the breed until 1994.

The Battery Hen Adoption Project

There's a wonderful Aussie organisation that helps people adopt production hens before they're slaughtered.

Hens are deemed unproductive between 16 and 18 months old and become pet food or compost. By law they cannot be sold for human consumption.

The Battery Hen Adoption Project in Queensland gives ex-battery chickens a second chance at life.

They look pretty awful when you first see them. However, with a little care and kindness the feathers grow back and they learn how to act like a real chicken should. And yes, they will also lay lots of eggs for your family as well.

I'm told they are very social and intelligent and make wonderful companion animals.

In England, the Battery Hen Welfare Trust has rescued and re-homed over 90,000 hens. Jamie Oliver is a patron of the Trust. I hope the Battery Hen Adoption Project in Australia becomes just as successful.

Australian Free Range Eggs Are Not So Free

While the European Union has banned barren battery cages throughout its 27 member countries beginning in 2012, Australia continues to allow the inhumane treatment.

Ah, but you say you eat "free range" eggs. You might be surprised to know that almost one third of eggs labelled "free range" are breaking the industry's own regulations according to figures published by AECL (Australian Egg Corporation Ltd.).

There are even plans in Australia to increase the density hens live in and still be called "free range" eggs. The AECL wants to go from 1,500 hens per hectare to 20,000 hens per hectare.

When does a decent profit turn into old fashioned greed?

For more information

• Animal Welfare Labels website
  Excellent website helps reduce the confusion and guesswork when trying to read food labels. It's well worth a visit and your support.

Australian Bilby
Takes Over for the Rabbit

It may come as a surprise to some people, but rabbits are not native to Australia. Because of the damage they do, they're unpopular here and some states even ban owning a rabbit.

For over 10 years the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia has campaigned to replace the Easter Bunny with the endangered Easter Bilby (Greater Bilby - Macrotis Lagotis).

The Easter Bilby is an important reminder to Australians of the plight of our native wildlife. The Greater Bilby is on the endangered list living in the wild only in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and a small corner of south western Queensland.

We hope you'll visit the Easter Bilby website funded by Darrell Lea (makers of wonderful chocolates) and learn how you can support this endangered Australian animal.

Do your part to spread the word about this Aussie native and send our free Bilby Card.

From the Past - The Last Camel

1873 ... A group of explorers led by Peter Egerton Warburton were looking for a crossing from the Overland Telegraph Line in Alice Springs to Perth, WA. Included in his party were 17 camels.

During this trek, which began 15 April 1873, they were constantly forced to head north to search for water. Being low on provisions, they began eating their camels.

On Christmas Day 1873 the expedition ate its last camel. It was probably necessary, but it could not have been a Christmas they would fondly remember.

Update ...
Cathy M. thought some people might think Australia didn't have camels any more. While the Warburton explorers might have eaten their last camel, it certainly wasn't Australia's last.

In 1840 the first camels were brought into Australia from the Canary Islands. 26 years later Sir Thomas Elder at Beltana Station, SA setup the first stud operation providing quality breeders for the next 50 years. Imports from India and Palestine, however, continued until 1907 bringing in an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 camels.

The camels brought into Australia were almost exclusively the one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) because they are highly suited to the Australian climate. Only a few two-humped camels (Camelus bactrianus) were imported (Two-humped camels are best suited to cold deserts.)

Today camels can be found roaming wild in the interior of Australia. Camel racing occurs in different parts of Australia and there are camel treks for tourists to enjoy.

Camels Australia
Take an Australian tour on the back of a camel.

Overlanders
Steakhouse restaurant serving camel, crocodile, emu, and kangaroo meals.

Aussie Pet Organizations

To continue our animal theme, we'd like to share with you three interesting organizations . . .

Australian Support Dogs (ASDOG) is a registered charity that raises and trains dogs to assist people with physical disabilities.

Dogs Across Australia offers information and encourages the support of 'No Kill' Rescue Shelters across Australia and to rehome unwanted pets.

Lost Dogs Home  helps with pet adoptions and offers shelter to lost or abandoned pets. They also run the National Pet Register to help reunite lost pets with their owners.

NOTE ... means the link opens in a new window (or tab) When you're done with the other website, close that window. We'll be here waiting so you can continue your visit with us.