Tableland Snake Catchers

18/08/2025

An update on the Permanent Cassowary Crossing signs for Mt Hypipamee section. Hopefully they are less than 6 weeks away. We'll just hold off the celebration until they are in place. Just about daily we receive reports of near misses from this section. Please, please be Cass-o-wary when travelling through this section and slow down.

18/08/2025

Hopefully this little one makes it to Adulthood. Great work to all involved, we need the whole community to be onboard to look after our amazing wildlife.

11/08/2025

We were out early this morning to put up these Cassowary Crossing signs on Sluice Creek road. Over the last couple of weeks there have been an Adult pair of Cassowaries slighted several times. This morning as we were putting up these signs we were graced with a visit and inspection by these birds, of course the phone was in the car, but it's truly special to see these birds in their natural habitat. Please keep reporting sightings to the Department of Environment and Science on 1300 130 372.

04/08/2025

Whooo, whoo doesn’t love owls!!! 🦉It’s international Owl Awareness Day! Australia has 11 species of owls that are divided into 2 owl genera, Tyto and Ninox. Tyto owls have a distinct heart-shaped facial disc that funnel sound waves to the ears, these include Barn owls, Grass Owls, Masked owls and Sooty owls. While Ninox owls, also known as hawk owls, have a less distinct facial disc, and rounded heads, which includes our smallest owl, the Southern boobook, Barking owl and large Rufous owl. Sadly, all of our owls are declining in numbers with several species listed as threatened. The Primary causes in owl losses are:
- Reduced nesting hollows and habitat
- Rodenticides through secondary poisoning
- Increased urbanisation leading to more owls being hit by cars, and attacked by domestic pets.
We can help by keeping old and hollow bearing trees, controlling rodents without using second generation rodenticide poisons (https://www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison/safe-home-for-birds), keeping cats and dogs inside at night, and being careful when driving after dark. Please call us on 0473169779 or Tablelands Wildlife Rescue Australia, so we can put you in touch with an appropriate cater, or your nearest wildlife care organisation. If you see a owl sick or injured owl, or a young owl on the ground - in particular over the next few months as chicks are fledging. Several areas around Atherton, Tolga and Kairi are well know for Barn Owls, Masked Owls and Grass Owls. Eucalypt areas are favoured by Barking Owls and Boobook Owls. Rainforest areas are favoured by Lesser Sooty Owls, Boobook Owls and Rufous Owls. Happy owling!

31/07/2025

As usual in Winter we are starting to receive lots of calls for basking snakes, both pythons and elapids ( venomous snakes). This time of year has cooler nights and as the nicer, sunnier days start to become more constant, we will see a lot of snakes coming out and enjoying the sun. We also start to see a bit more breeding activity happening. If you encounter a basking snake the best scenario is to leave them be. Enjoy the beauty of their colours and patterns where possible and if you’re comfortable doing so. They will move themselves if left alone, once the warmer weather becomes more consistent. In the meantime they will just continue to bask on the warm days and if disturbed, return to their winter shelter sources, which they still require to see out the cold nights. It not uncommon to see pairs basking together.

In situations where you’re not comfortable, you have kids or there’s pets trying to interact with the snake. The best thing to do is keep kids and pets contained and watch the snake from a distance that won’t disturb it. Basking snakes are much easier to catch than ones that have been disturb and are hiding in their shelter source. Like under the concrete slab or tucked up in the roof.
Snakes will typical bask about the same time each day, they can be very predictable in that respect which can help establish patterns and makes having them caught easier.

Contrary to popular belief, all snakes will do their absolute best to avoid interacting with us and our pets. They just want to enjoy the warm weather and keep their bellies full, much like us.

The picture below are a pair of Eastern Brown Snakes from last year and a Carpet Python making it's way to a safe retreat in the roof.

31/07/2025

Hopefully this trial will be successful and applied to locations where the birds are spotted. It's critical to report sightings to the Department of Environment and Science on 1300 130 372 so the data base can reflect where, when and which birds are active.

Far North Queensland drivers were warned with flashing signs triggered by approaching cassowaries in a bid to save them from being hit.

28/07/2025

Adult Cassowary foraging on the edge of the Kennedy Highway about 500 meters on the Atherton side of the Longlands Gap road intersection. Please slow down and be aware of these birds and other wildlife through this section. Please report any sightings on 1300 130 372.

27/07/2025

On the 28th July 2025 it will be 75 years since Kevin Budden died in Cairns Base Hospital from a taipan bite. Kevin Budden was only 20 when he caught a Coastal Taipan near Cairns, the first taipan destined for antivenom production. Sadly, Kevin paid with his life for something that saved many lives later on.

The full story is wonderfully written by Brendan James Murray in his book “Venom”. This book is must have reading and which I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested in the history of our early days herpetologists who came in contact (often with tragic consequences), the Coastal Taipan prior to the development of specific antivenom.
Here is the ABC podcast for those who want to listen to this amazing piece of Australian history.
A heart felt thankyou to all those dedicated to the development of snake antivenom.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/175mHvLseQ/

24/07/2025

It would seem it's the same story across the Eastern Coast. Brush tailed possums are masters of adaptation, taking advantage of the changes and challenges that urban living brings.

16/07/2025

It's world snake day! Of course for us, every day is a snake day! The Atherton Tablelands is made up of a variety of habitat types, that include dense tropical rainforests, highland bogs, eucalypt forest with dense understorey, savannah woodlands, swamps, rivers and now days farmland and suburban areas. Snakes have evolved to match these habitats with some amazing adaptations, from highly toxic venoms to being active at cool temperatures. These are just a few of the stunning species that we have the opportunity to see and work with in North Queensland. The Common Tree Snake, Eastern Brown Snake, Amethystine Python, Yellow faced Whip Snake, Carpet Python,

15/07/2025

Hi Tablelanders, we are looking for your help and combined voices. As may people know there is a family group of Cassowaries that live in the upland forest at Mt Hypipamee, the Crater. Back in March, the "Crater Crew", tragically lost one of their 3 chicks to a vehicle strike.
I have contacted the Department of Transport and Main Roads on several occasions and sent multiple e- mails requesting Cassowary Crossing signs be erected and the speed limit in this area reduced from 80 km/ hr to 60km/ hr. We spoke with Charlie McKillop on ABC breakfast at the time to highlight this issue.
The response from the DTMR has been limited to say the least, insisting basically, that there "aren't enough birds reported in that location, and permanent signage won't make a difference."
Obviously, it won't make a difference if motorists aren't aware the birds are there. The Department of Environment and Science has placed temporary crossing signs either side of the location and officers are making similar requests for signage.
What we need from our awesome community is proof, clear hard photographic evidence or videos of the Cassowaries from the Crater. Especially useful are photos that we can use to identify the individual birds and videos/ photos of them on or near the road.
There has been some suggestions that visitors and tour operators are intentionally feeding them to keep the birds interested in the car park area, and maintain the birds and tourists attraction. Please don't do this, is a sure fire plan for a disaster. The Mt Hypipamee area is a Cassowary hot spot, so if you see one of these birds please, please report it to the Department of Environment and Science on 1300 130 372. Then follow prompts. We need to build a solid data set to provide information to Transport and Main Roads to get permanent signage and reduced speed limits in this section.
Thankyou to those community members that have already sent us videos and photos to build the evidence base to put forward the case for these birds. Thankyou again Bob Sinclair for the use of your photos.
Tableland Community, your assistance as always is greatly appreciated.
Regards Tableland Snake Catchers

10/07/2025

The Hypocrisy of the Department of Transport and Main Roads is unbelievable, claiming to have done so much whilst doing so little!
A number of local wildlife experts, wildlife carers and researchers were very vocal and pushed hard to get these measures in place when the road was upgraded over twenty years ago. Since then TMR has been less than accommodating to those of us who have to deal with wildlife strikes on this and other adjacent areas. I have lodged requests repeated over the last 10 years to have Transport and Main roads erect and or replace Cassowary and Tree Kangaroo Crossing signs. Two adults Cassowaries were killed in vehicle strikes on the Sluice creek road in the last 5 years. Sluice creek has now become a " short cut " between the East Evelyn road and the Kennedy Highway. Whilst I understand Sluice creek is not supposed to be a main road concern, it is!
In March a juvenile Cassowary was hit and killed at the Mt Hypipamee section of the Kennedy. I have asked for signage at that location for over twenty years, without Success. The response this year from TMR was that " permanent signage, ( Cassowary crossing) makes no difference to driver behaviour. Well, no signage gets them killed, or injured and we wildlife carers have to deal with the consequences of the departments inaction. Exactly what would reducing the speed limit and installing a couple of signs cost the Department of Transport and Main roads, I have been advised the physical signs is less than $200. How much is one Cassowary worth?
Additional to this there is no central, record data base for Tree Kangaroo strikes or wildlife strikes for the Atherton Tablelands, or many other locations. In the last 5 years, I have personally attended over 18 Lumholtz Tree Kangaroos strikes from this section between the Millaa Millaa turn off and Sluice Creek, and over 30 from the Kennedy Highway between Dawson's Gully and Windy Hill towards Ravenshoe. The section at Greenway road is particularly bad for Tree Kangaroo deaths as this is still a straight 100km/ hr zone.
Closer to Dawson's Gully the speed limit is now 80km/ hr, this has decreased the number of vehicle strikes recorded, but not by much.
On Threatened species day this year TMR finally replaced the stolen Cassowary Crossing sign from Dawson's Gully after waiting for over twelve months from our original request, and two months from our most recent communication. This area is host to a number of critically endangered species that are found only in the upland rainforest and wet eucalypt forest, nowhere else.
Please TMR, back up your boasting posts with physical action and consulting of local wildlife experts, instead of brushing us off. One over head linkage and three underpasses are not enough, especially when other revegetation works will extend the road/forest interface.
The Herberton range section is another example on the Kennedy Highway where this critical rainforest habitat is traversed. There have been road repair works at Mt Hypipamee over the last two months, but still no permanent Cassowary Crossing signs. In that same period there have also been 5 vehicle crashes in that section, but still there is a misinformed belief from TMR that the speed limit doesn't need to reduced from 80km/ hr to 60 km/hr. TMR needs to actually work with local groups ensure continued effective strategies are implemented in a timely manner. Tree roo conservation centre , Tablelands Wildlife Rescue Australia Tableland Snake Catchers , Tolga Bat Hospital , Terrain NRM, Rainforest Rescue