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Father Emu On a recent trip to Kalbarri, in Western Australia, Don noticed a male emu looking after a brood of chicks. Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) Emus are large, flightless birds. Although they can’t fly, they are very fast runners, reaching speeds of around...
Imperial Blue Butterfly John Dengate came across a caterpillar covered by a swarm of ants. At first glance it seemed as though the ants were killing the caterpillar, but as John explained, these two insects have a very special relationship. Imperial blue butterfly...
Kosci’s Comeback You may remember the wild brumby we met a few weeks ago on ‘Burke’s Backyard’. She was captured in the Kosciuszko National Park and broken in by master horseman, Pat Parelli, using the principles of ‘Natural...
The Australian budgerigar is the world’s most popular pet, and therefore the world’s most popular bird as well. Don highly recommends breeding budgies as a hobby, particularly for kids. As well as being very easy and great fun, it teaches them about basic...
Don and the Burke’s Backyard team travelled to the Snowy Mountains in south-eastern New South Wales. They met with some of the people who live in the high country and asked them what they think of Australia’s wild horses, the brumbies. Damage to national...
Dogs are often referred to as ‘man’s best friend’, but the relationship between man and dog may be much more important than we realise. Research just completed suggests that dogs and humans co-evolved – we’ve certainly changed them to...
Dr Paul McGreevy, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Sydney University, is a specialist in animal behaviour and welfare science. Recently, he and his research colleagues have been looking at the incidence, cause and effects of stereotypic behaviour, such as...
Three weeks ago Don showed a baby Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo that he’d bred. The tiny chick, which was living in a hollow log in the aviary, resembled a strange, dinosaur or lizard covered in yellow fluff. On this week’s program, Don checked to see how the...
There are over 3 million pet dogs in Australia, with around 38% of households keeping a dog. However, backyards are getting smaller, dogs are not allowed off the lead in public places, and off-lead exercise areas are few and far between. Lack of exercise and...
In our segment Don showed a baby Red-tailed Black Cockatoo that had been bred in captivity. It was a curious little creature, resembling a tiny, fluff-covered dinosaur or lizard. Of all the Australian birds, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos have the sweetest natures and...