Critically endangered primates could soon be singing a romantic duet after being paired up to strengthen their species’ chances of survival.
Key points:
A breeding pair of white-cheeked gibbons have arrived on the Sunshine Coast from Perth
Carers hope Tao and Tian will mate and increase the gibbon population
Ahead of mating, the two will begin singing a loud and complicated love song
The two white-cheeked gibbons arrived on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast a little over a week ago from their former home at a West Australian zoo, and carers said they were settling in nicely.
Male gibbon Tao came over to his new home with female Tian as a breeding pair after two years of planning and preparation at Wildlife HQ zoo.
Animal collections officer Nikki Mikula said watching the gibbons run, play and laze about was an excellent way to spend time.
Female white-cheeked gibbon Tian has been moved from Perth to the Sunshine Coast.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)
“Tao is a very gentle soul — he’s very cute, and nothing like Tian,” she said.
“Tian seems very sassy and certainly gets the message across with what she wants and needs, and bosses him around.”
Tao has been described as a “gentle soul” after arriving at this new enclosure.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)
Ms Mikula said there were only a few hundred of the distinctive looking creatures left in the wild and the Sunshine Coast zoo was part of the Australasian gibbon breeding program.
Female gibbon Tian enjoys relaxing at her new home on the Sunshine Coast.(Supplied: Sue Tonga/ Wildlife HQ)
White-cheeked gibbons are thought to be extinct in their home forests in China and are now only found in parts of Vietnam and Laos.
Ms Mikula said she hoped the couple could make a difference.
“These two have been lined up to make a baby,” Ms Mikula said.
“So hopefully, once they’re settled in and showing all the right behaviours, we’ll see some action happening, and be able to report later in the year that maybe we’ll be expecting a baby.”
The breeding of gibbons is not a discreet process.
She said the first step was to ensure that both gibbons felt safe and healthy in their environment and were developing a strong bond with one another.
loading
But after that, the experts and carers will be listening out for their language of love—an increasingly complicated and noisy serenade that the pair sing as they prepare to mate.
“We’re still yet to hear them sing together — gibbons are pretty well known for their song that they sing once they are bonded,” Ms Miluka said.
“The female starts it off, and then the male continues and it’s a bit of a duet.
“So once they’re fully settled and bonded and know that this is their new home, I have no doubt that we’ll start hearing them across the zoo.”
An Australian Defense Force member accused of raping a teenage boy has been released on bail.
Perth-based Caleb Horner, 36, was granted the application in the County Court in Melbourne on Monday.
He is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to charges including rape, sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16 and grooming.
Police say Caleb Horner first contacted his alleged victim when the boy was 12-years-old. Credit: unknown/Facebook
Police allege Horner first contacted a 12-year-old boy on Instagram in 2018 before reconnecting with him online two years later.
The 36-year-old is accused of grooming the boy and sexually assaulting him between January and March 2020.
Horner was arrested in November last year and has been in custody for the past 270 days.
He allegedly admitted to police that he spoke to the boy, knew the teen’s age and shared photos with him.
In her reasons for granting bail, County Court Judge Fiona Todd noted Horner demonstrated compelling reasons as he had no prior convictions, no previous court orders and a stable address.
Caleb Horner was born and raised in Melbourne but had been living in Perth before he was extradited to face child sex charges Credit: unknown/Instagram
Horner was born and raised in Melbourne, Judge Todd said, with his only links to Western Australia being his ADF posting and his partner.
The 36-year-old, who is suspended from the ADF without pay, had all of his family in Victoria so he was less of a flight risk, the judge noted.
She said she was concerned about the risk of Horner approaching young boys, noting evidence that the alleged victim was worried about being contacted by the accused online.
But Judge Todd said she felt any risk could be mitigated through a number of bail conditions.
Caleb Horner has been granted bail provided he complies with a series of conditions, including not contacting his alleged victim. Credit: unknown/Facebook
Horner was granted bail on conditions including he only uses one electronic device, does not use social media sites and does not approach any child under the age of 16.
He is also expected to hand over his phone to police upon request and not leave the state of Victoria.
An initial search to find a helicopter that later crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains was called off after the pilot made contact with authorities, a preliminary report has been found.
Key points:
A preliminary report into a fatal helicopter crash in the NSW Snowy Mountains has been released
The helicopter, piloted by Sydney businessman Peter Woodland, had become separated from the main group
An initial search was called off, with police sighting the helicopter about an hour before it crashed
The Bell 206 Longranger L-4 was one of seven helicopters traveling on a flying tour from Canberra to Mangalore in Victoria on April 3, when it crashed killing the pilot and passenger.
The helicopter’s pilot was high-profile businessman and Barbeques Galore company director Peter Richard Woodland, 75, and the passenger was his 64-year-old partner.
The helicopter had earlier become separated from the group, with a preliminary report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealing an initial search had been called off.
“During their flights, the occupants of the other helicopters in the tour encountered deteriorating cloud and visibility conditions and landed on a property near Wee Jasper,” the report stated.
“When [the Longranger] did not arrive, authorities were notified and commenced a search for the helicopter.”
The helicopters departed from Majura, north of Canberra, on April 3.(Supplied: ATSB website)
Flight path changes
The organizer of the flying tour had initially recommended that the flights track north of the planned route due to the weather conditions and refuel at Wagga Wagga.
The report revealed that Mr Woodland had instead continued further south before landing safely near Long Plain Road in the Brindabella region about 11:30am.
“With the help of a passing motorist, the pilot of the Longranger was able to reach mobile reception and contact other members of the tour group,” ATSB Transport Safety director Stuart Macleod said.
“[Then] the search was called off.”
Recorded flight data showed the Longranger helicopter took off again nearly three-and-a half hours later at 2:53pm.
The helicopter’s flight path from Long Plain Rd to the accident site.(Supplied: ATSB website)
“Police officers dispatched to locate the helicopter as part of the earlier search arrived at the site just after it took off,” Mr Macleod said.
“[They] observed the helicopter depart to the south at a low level, in overcast conditions with low cloud and light rain.”
Less than an hour later, the helicopter had crashed, claiming the lives of Mr Woodland and his partner.
Flight data revealed
Recorded flight data showed the helicopter initially progressed south at an altitude of less than 500 feet to follow lower lying terrain.
At 3:04pm, the helicopter turned north-west and started on a direct path towards Tumut.
But two minutes later it encountered higher terrain and was forced to turn around and head south again.
At 3:17pm, the helicopter turned north and started to climb to 7,000ft above sea level.
“After reaching 7,400ft, the helicopter commenced a steep left-descending turn,” the report stated.
“During the turn, the ground speed increased to 134 knots and the descent rate exceeded 3,800ft per minute.
“At 3:26pm, the aircraft impacted terrain at an elevation of 4,501ft.”
This impact destroyed the helicopter and killed both occupants.
When the helicopter failed to arrive at Mangalore as expected on Monday morning, April 4, a second search commenced.
Emergency services did not find the wreckage from the crash in Kosciuszko National Park until 11:55pm that day.
The wreckage was found near Kiandra in the NSW Snowy Mountains.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)
The report showed that the engine was still running when the crash occurred.
“On-site examination indicated that the engine was providing power at impact,” the report said.
“There was no evidence of an in-flight break-up or a pre-existing defect with the drive train or flight controls.”
The helicopter collided with terrain between two rock formations in an area of tussock grass near Kiandra.
Pilot with 837 flying hours
Mr Woodland had “about 837 hours of aeronautical experience” at the time of the crash, according to the report.
He owned the Longranger helicopter involved in the incident, and also held a private pilot license.
“The pilot’s total flying experience on the Bell 206 was about 532 hours of which about 355 were in the L-4 variant,” the report stated.
“And the remainder [was] in the B-3 variant.”
Peter Woodland was a high-profile Sydney businessman.
Mr Woodland was from Terrey Hills in the northern suburbs of Sydney and was also the managing director at Interfab, a sheet-metal manufacturer.
The ATSB will continue the investigation into the incident and a final report will be released once it concludes.
“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” the report said.
The crash occurred on April 3.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)
One of the Northern Territory’s largest councils has been charged over a near-drowning incident, after a weed harvester capsized on a lake, trapping a worker underneath.
Key points:
A City of Palmerston worker was injured after an amphibious weed harvester they were operating tipped and capsized in 2020
NT WorkSafe has charged the City of Palmerston with nine breaches of workplace health and safety laws
The maximum penalty for the combined breaches is a more than $7 million fine
The City of Palmerston — east of Darwin — has been charged by NT WorkSafe with nine counts of breaching the Northern Territory’s workplace health and safety laws and regulations in relation to the February 2020 incident, including four counts of failing to comply with its duty of care .
If found guilty of all charges, the council could be fined up to $7 million.
In a statement, NT WorkSafe said the council worker and a colleague had been taking it in turns using the amphibious weed harvester to clear and remove weeds from a lake in Durack, when the craft had tipped over and capsized.
The worker was briefly trapped underneath the harvester before escaping, but sustained injuries.
“NT WorkSafe will allege that the City of Palmerston failed to follow all the manufacturer’s safety recommendations, which were provided during the purchase of the craft,” WorkSafe NT said.
“One of the recommendation not followed, was when the City of Palmerston modified the craft by installing a crocodile cage, without first consulting with the manufacturer on how this modification would affect the craft’s stability and safety during operation.”
The case is due to come before Darwin Local Court on Monday, August 29.
The family of a disabled man who died after spending more than four months in hospital waiting for accommodation have described the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care system in Australia as “broken”.
Key points:
The family of a disabled man who died waiting for accommodation are fighting for change
Advocates say there are more than 1,000 NDIS participants “stuck” in hospital.
The NDIS Minister says the government has taken “immediate action” to understand the situation
Mitchell Pearce, 52, died on Saturday in hospice care, little more than a day after NDIS Minister Bill Shorten ordered the agency to find him appropriate accommodation as a “matter of urgency.”
His sister Justine Richmond said her brother died peacefully surrounded by people who loved him.
Mr Pearce had been in Busselton Hospital since March 29.
His family said Mr Pearce, who was disabled since suffering brain tumors as a child, had lost the will to live in hospital, and refused to eat or drink.
Vow to keep fighting
While it was too late for her brother, Mrs Richmond urged people to keep speaking up for change.
Mr Pearce’s sister Mrs Richmond, left, and mother Judith Pearce want people to speak up and bring about structural change to the NDIS.(ABC South West: Georgia Loney)
She said since the family’s story came out on Friday she had been inundated with people wanting to share their experiences.
The family had been told there while there was no nearby supported disability accommodation for Mr Pearce, at 52, he was considered too young for an aged care facility.
“Now that he’s died, you might think well, there’s no point in fighting,” Mrs Richmond said.
“But I feel like there is, because there are still people [in hospital].”
Mrs Richmond said the family was told he would have had to be “released” from the NDIS to be considered for admission to a nearby nursing home.
“I just feel like these boxes are rigid around numbers,” she said.
“I understand that there are a lot of people with disabilities who have struggled not to have young people with disabilities put into nursing homes.
“But there are people who are 65 who can’t apply for the NDIS, while there are people like Mitchell, who at 52, probably would have benefited from being in aged care.”
Thousands in the same predicament
Research from the Summer Foundation found more than 1,000 NDIS participants were effectively stuck in hospital in Australia, with 20 per cent of those unable to be discharged because of a lack of suitable destinations.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) said last week they acknowledged the exceptionally difficult challenges faced by Mr Pearce, and finding suitable disability housing in regional Australia could be difficult.
Last week, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten described Mr Pearce’s situation as “heartbreaking”.
He said the former Liberal Government, had “through its neglect and mismanagement of the NDIS” overseen a backlog of thousands of NDIS participants languishing in hospital beds, without disability supports.
“The Albanese Government has taken immediate action to understand the cause of delays supporting eligible NDIS participants that prevent fast and safe discharge from hospital,” he said.
“People with disability should be able to leave hospital as quickly and safely as possible, into suitable accommodation.”
The South Australian Labor Partywill return a $125,000 donation from the construction union, a decision that was prompted by the alleged vandalism of vehicles belonging to staff from the Master Builders Association.
Key points:
The Victorian branch of the CFMEU donated $125,000 to the SA Labor Party before the March election
SA Labor has now confirmed it will return the money
Cars with Master Builders Association branding were allegedly vandalized with CFMEU stickers last week
The Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) made the donation in the lead-up to the March election in South Australia.
For several weeks, Premier Peter Malinauskas has been resisting calls for the donation to be returned or given to charity, despite going into the election with a promise to ban donations to political parties for future elections.
SA Labor state secretary Aemon Bourke confirmed on Monday the donation would be returned to the Victorian CFMEU.
Opposition spokeswoman for women Michelle Lensink last week called on Mr Malinauskas to donate the money to a domestic violence charity after Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka formally took control of the union’s South Australian branch.
Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka has now formally taken charge of the SA branch. (AAP: Penny Stephens)
Mr Setka’s ex-wife Emma Walters also called for the money to be passed on to a domestic violence charity and has previously voiced concerns over the donation to the Labor Party.
In 2019, Mr Setka was convicted of harassing Ms Walters via text messages while they were still together.
“What I’d actually rather see is that he [Mr Malinauskas] actually go to domestic violence shelters and actually put together care packages for women who have had the courage and courage to escape domestic violence situations,” Ms Walters told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Mr Malinauskas this morning said he was prompted to return the money after speaking with Master Builders Association chief executive Will Frogley at an event on Sunday.
“Will explained to me the events that had occurred, reportedly, on Friday afternoon in terms of CFMEU stickers being put on Master Builders Association cars and also the damage to a car as well,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“Just as I foreshadowed whenever I’ve been asked about this over the past couple of weeks, I said that if there was any evidence that would suggest that inappropriate behavior on behalf of the CFMEU was coming across the border from Victoria, if there’s examples of that or evidence of that occurring here in South Australia then I will act and that’s exactly what I did yesterday afternoon upon hearing that news.”
Mr Malinauskas said he had resisted calls by Ms Lensink to donate the money to a domestic violence charity based on Mr Setka’s previous conviction because the money came from the CFMEU and not Mr Setka personally.
Master Builders chief executive Will Frogley spoke with Mr Malinauskas about the alleged vandalism.
Mr Frogley confirmed to ABC Radio Adelaide that cars had been damaged on Friday evening but would not go into details regarding CFMEU stickers allegedly being placed on the vehicles.
He said as a result of Friday’s incident, he had increased security at the Master Builders Association and would be installing additional surveillance cameras.
“Everyone in my team should be able to come into work feeling completely unintimidated and safe,” he said.
Mr Frogley said the incident had been reported to police.
He also said he backed Mr Malinauskas’s position on banning political donations.
“Rightly or wrongly, there is always going to be this perception that you’re buying political muscle by doing that,” he said.
“Does Master Builders try to influence government policy? You bet we do, but we don’t donate to any political party. Instead, we focus on putting forward a compelling case on facts based on evidence, based on data on why government policy should be a certain way.”
A former soldier accused of murdering his wife on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula has been ordered to stand trial after losing a bid to have the case thrown out against him.
Key points:
Antony Ogar has been charged with murdering his wife, but has pleaded not guilty
I have unsuccessfully sought to have the case dismissed
Ms Ogar died from blunt-force head injuries.
Antony Ogar, 59, is charged with murdering his 37-year-old wife, Cherry Manager Ogar, at their Port Hughes house last year.
Ms Ogar died from blunt-force head injuries.
Mr Ogar asked the Adelaide Magistrates Court to throw out the charge against him, with his lawyer telling the court the prosecution case was “boxing at shadows”.
But Magistrate Michelle Sutcliffe found there were “substantive matters” and a case to answer, ordering him to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
Mr Ogar has now pleaded not guilty to Ms Ogar’s murder.
Magistrate Sutcliffe suppressed most of the arguments made during the no-case-to-answer hearing on the grounds it would prejudice Mr Ogar’s right to a fair trial.
But ABC News can reveal Mr Ogar’s lawyer Martin Anders told the court during that hearing it was not “possible pathologically to determine the exact originating event of injury”.
“This is not a case where a weapon has been used, where a gun has been discharged or a knife has been applied,” Mr Anders told the court.
“It is not pointing towards a deliberate infliction of injury, quite the reverse.
“It’s leaving wide open the possibility of accidental injury.”
Cherry Manager Ogar died from severe head trauma.(Facebook)
Mr Anders said the prosecution case was relying on “less qualified” medical witnesses, including nurses and ambulance officers, and asked the court to find their evidence “inadmissible”.
But prosecutor Darren Evans told the court there would still be a case to answer even if all the “medical evidence” was struck out.
Mr Evans told the court there were no injuries to the back of Ms Ogar’s head to suggest she had fallen backwards.
“Here we have two people and only two people in a house,” he said.
“One is perfectly fine and the other has a catastrophic brain injury.
“Those circumstances alone provide a case to answer.
“It would be open to infer that the defendant, the only other person in that house, caused that injury with the requisite intent and that injury led to death.”
Empty alcohol bottles found at scene, court told
Mr Evans also told the court there was no evidence Ms Ogar was intoxicated, but Mr Anders said it was not possible to rule out that she was drunk at the time of her death.
“If someone’s had five glasses of wine the night before, as per the applicant’s narrative as conveyed to the ambulance officers, what’s it mean that there was no alcohol evident in blood taken just before midday the following day,” Mr Anders told the court.
“There are many empty bottles of alcohol in that house.
“All the surrounding evidence suggests that the deceased enjoyed a drink.”
The matter returns to court on Friday, when Mr Ogar is expected to apply for a variation to his bail conditions.
Mr Ogar – who the court has previously heard was a “decorated member of the Australian Defense Force” – is allowed to attend a hardware store weekly to continue building a house as part of his bail agreement, as well as a church service on Sundays.
Under his bail conditions, Mr Ogar has also been banned from having any contact with Ms Ogar’s daughter.
Police have shut down a large drug operation in southern Queensland, seizing what they allege is almost $40 million worth of cannabis.
Key points:
Seven men have been charged with drug offenses
More than 15,000 cannabis plants were seized from the former cattle property
The drugs had an estimated street value of $40 million
Queensland Police arrested seven men, aged between 35 and 46 after raiding a rural property at Boondooma, about 330 kilometers north-west of Brisbane.
Police said when they arrived at the former cattle station around 6am on August 5, they found several large greenhouses, measuring about 130 meters by 60 meters.
Officers allegedly seized more than 15,000 cannabis plants and 50 kilograms of dried cannabis, as well as generators and hydroponic equipment.
Police said the cannabis seized had a street value of about $39.9 million.
The seven men have been charged with producing and possessing a dangerous drug.
$39.9 million worth of cannabis was found and destroyed by police.(Supplied: Queensland Police Service)
Ninh Van Nguyen, 43, Minh Van Troung, 41, Van Tuan Dang, 46, The Dung Le, 42, Van Tuan Ngo, 40, Tony Anh Cao, 36, and Hieu Huu Nguyen, 35, appeared in the Murgon Magistrates Court on Saturday.
They were remanded in custody with the case adjourned for mention in the same court on August 16.
The raid was the result of an arrest in July, when 200 kilograms of cannabis was allegedly seized from a car that was stopped on the Warrego Highway at Helidon.
It is alleged the cannabis had come from the property at Boondooma.
Police have destroyed the cannabis plants seized and dismantled the hydroponic equipment found at the site.
“The season’s already mapped out now,” he said. “It’s going to be really good right to the end.”
The major Victorian ski resorts now generate their own snow to bolster natural snowfalls. But Mount Buller communications manager Rhylla Morgan said a meter of natural snow had already fallen by the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June, allowing the resort to open many of their ski fields.
Bright residents Jarvis, Elsie and Ari Fenton enjoy the snow at Dinner Plains. Credit:Alpine Shire/Nathan Fenton
Typically, the ski season opens on the long weekend with celebrations but limited skiing as the industry prepares for more snow to fall.
By the end of July, Mount Buller had received 283,561 visitors, a significant increase on 192,613 for the same period in 2019.
On Sunday, Morgan confirmed that 17 of the resort’s 20 lifts were operating. She said the strong advanced bookings indicated skiers were confident there would not be a repeat of the restrictions imposed over the past two years.
“Before the snow season started, people were clearly making the decision they were going to do that snow holiday,” Morgan said.
Snowfall at Falls Creek in the lead-up to opening weekend.Credit:Falls Creek
The good conditions are set to continue. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Matthew Thomas said there may be some light snowfall on Monday, followed by more snow from Thursday, mostly at the higher resorts, including Mount Buller, Falls Creek and Mouth Hotham.
“It’s good news if you’re out wanting to ski,” he said.
Late July and early August are often the best periods for snow in Victoria, although the ski season can stretch well into September.
Falls Creek resort chief executive Stuart Smythe said the bounce back in visitor numbers was great news for the sector but labor shortages and increased transport costs remained problems for alpine businesses.
However, he said the early snow meant many resorts had been close to full capacity since the start of the season, helping them to recover from the previous two years.
“Most people are starting to breathe a sigh of relief now,” Smythe said.
In 2020, the lifts operated for just four days at Falls Creek before they were closed due to pandemic restrictions.
The ski resorts received substantially more visitors in 2021 than the previous year, but travel restrictions imposed on Melburnians meant they were far from reaching full capacity.
Smythe said alpine resorts now implement comprehensive COVID-19 safety practices to help safeguard against the current wave of infections in Victoria.
“We’ve had two years to get that right, so we should be able to deal with what has been record visitation.”
Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment. Our fortnightly Environment newsletter brings you the news, the issues and the solutions. Sign up here.
He feels these things deeply. One can only imagine his feelings from him last December when an Australian company, Infowars Limited, was incorporated.
ASIC filings show the largest shareholder, with 40 per cent, was Ekaterina Olshannikovathe 27-year-old Russian wife of Simeon Boykovwho calls himself the Aussie Cossack.
Infowars Australia has no apparent link to Jones’ US outfit. Perhaps they just liked the name.
Boikov, 32, has made a name for himself for his vehemently pro-Putin stance, his rallying of anti-vaxxers, a fondness for funny hats and dress ups when with fellow Cossacks, and playing the piano accordion.
Boykov produces a Russian-language publication, FrontierNewsand rails against mainstream media such as Nine’s A Current Affair (Nine also owns the Financial Review), which he repeatedly accused of being “complicent” in fake news in a profile of him in March.
Boikov’s journalistic endeavors have been on hiatus since May 16 while he serves a six-month prison sentence for broadcasting the suppressed name of a person facing child abuse claims. Olshannikova chronicles his jail experiences for the vlog.
It’s a lot of work running her husband’s channels on TikTok, Telegram, Facebook and YouTube. Perhaps that’s why Olshannikova resigned from the Infowars board on July 13.
She’s come a long way since Boikov’s Australia Day video when he introduced followers to “Mrs Cossack”. Her only comment from her: “Yeah we need to set up some merch.”
She means selling merchandise. It’s the money shot. Alex Jones would be proud.
