There are similarities in both koala industries, and these industries have connections to our own behaviour. It makes sense, our industry can be a reflection of ourselves. In the community, we are a small industry. Article 35, "koala rankings" reflects this.and for those who having been following my blogs, the two industry are 1. the koala captivate industry and the second is the koala conservation industry.
Both koala industries are struggling. And now there are even factions of both industries that use scare campaigns, saying that koalas will be extinct by 2050! This is all based on a scare tactic by WWF Australia. https://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/save-koalas/save-koalas#gs.hqqq73
This is discussed in the media, which is then picked up across the general conservation koala industry. So, where did this talk come from? And why is the WWF "Pick the Year of 2050"??
In their blog, "the most 10-interesting-facts-about-koalas", they say 1 in 4 koalas have died in the last 20 years (date on the 13th of September 2018): https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/10-interesting-facts-about-koalas#gs.oWGZF6Fs.
While it's a good shock tactic from the WWF, it is very similar to the AKF (Australian Koala Foundation) campaigns of the past, as AKF are a shell of their pass and are not penetrating like they once us too in the larger part of the community. Australian society is much smarter. For them to hand out their hard-earned cash, they want better and smarter reasons and they want to know where their money is going and how exactly it will be spent. The public needs more than scare tactics and victim mentality.
Society has become conditioned to these type of-media tactics. Instead of repeating the past, why not provide a different view altogether? Why not change the language by explaining the platform required to fix the problem? It's not just about saving the koala; it is about breaking society's thinking. We need to use our land in different ways, to build with a long-term approach with a different perspective. The message and effort need to be serious but with a touch of Aussie humour that's also creative in order for people to consider the koala on a conscious level. Changing the story will save a number of threatened animals and plant species at the same time.
In their blog, WWF mentioned that koalas are fussy eaters, (NUMBER 5). Well that's false! Koalas are no different to humans. Are humans fussy, we generally eat something different every day, how offend do we say to ourselves what do I feel like today? or don't leftovers again? Notice in the pass 15 or more years the importance of the quality of our food, in our tv programs, notice the peek in the interest of cooking as food itself becomes a luxury item, all the cooking shows around the world, have peek the interest in the public, because of the relative facts on farming and weather concerns these all relate to the common person, on a daily Bases, so food itself is now highlighted, so now everyone are much more aware of their food, to the point on "how it was grown" including the health of the land, as that's has a direct result, in which cattle and other farm animals, are affected. The meat market and farming communities are positioning for the market share, and are now identifying their differences, by explain their value of product- by educating the broader community the difference between "GRAIN" feed to "Grass" feed for cattle or sheep? We want quality over quantity. To me, who has a firsthand experience, in the captivity sector are educate to their general keepers often give quantity over quality, because of the expenditure and culture to add speed and increase the past of work, rather then, slow down the work and concentrate on quality of workmanship and quality of food, and this mentally does have an affect on conservationists and volunteers who are all trying the their best, but not realize, they are contributing to the demise of the koala, by staying in a negative cycle of an captive industry relying too much on short terms investors, and too heavier on volunteers.
As a result more mistakes are common, taking the value of the work itself undervalued which results in LOW WAGES, MAINTAINING THIS NEGATIVE CYCLE TURNING AS THE SYSTEM STAY THE SAME! If we rely too heavier on Volunteers, we are just perpetuating this negative cycle we are in.THE CONSERVATION INDUSTRY ITSELF is comes off from a weak base, its only appearing now, but again from the wrong platform from scientist and academics who are reading old texts, and papers, cultural expectations, hearsay and staying within a certain culture box, trying to play the hero, they too are following the expectation from what the while community expect. BUT when some of us in our, in a train professionals, have evolve our own working practices, we are in the minority and as seen out of touch or trouble makers, as we and I are out of step, to the negative cycle the koala industry is in, but I like to think we have our day, as the incremental change is coming, if not already here with the increase and intensive forms of weather conditions and longer and larger bush fires, as well as intense rainfall and heatwave will expose – this cycle that everyone's is in as landscape changes.
Until that day comes, the meaning on quality over quantity will only magnify when it comes to managing our larger and increase sick and injured koalas, which will go from hundreds in koala hospitals to the thousand, as they too are underfunded and miss-manage to such an event to come. Unfortunately, people outside the industry and inside who don't work directly with koalas in large numbers, understand how to judge the platform itself, until they are hit all at once, with a number of weather issues and increase natural disasters combine with untrained staff, and a Governance is from a weak platform.
The words "koalas" and "fussy eater" has become part of their story and the cultural here in Australia, and I can't fight that! All I can say is that they aren't as fussy as we say they are. The word "fussy" is in fact related to our limited of understanding of koala itself. They can eat a hell a lot more tree species and non-eucalyptus tree species then we give credit for, and we could start research now in captivity, but the staff turnover is always been high, no one knows were to start, unlike myself, but I need funding and massive funding at that!
Our next Article: 43B Control of Behaviour
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