Coral reefs, like the coral triangle seeing a large impact as the result of climate change. More than 50% of Earth’s coral reefs have disappeared over the last several years. Watch this WWF video to learn more.

Darryl Walter climate change Australia, climate change

Dear ABS Members and others concerned

As mentioned, the situation is now absolutely desperate for the Christmas Island Pipistrelle. Thank you to everyone who has already written letters and correspondence to the various authorities – it has made a difference and things are progressing. Unfortunately the progress is agonisingly slow and we fear that by the time action does occur it will almost certainly be too late.

We again ask all of you to please give some of your time by writing another letter demanding immediate action. We have provided a template letter below that you may either copy directly, or edit to write your own letter. Insert YOUR details as well as the RECIPIENTS details. Email or post it to both:

The Honourable Peter Garrett
Minister for the Environment
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Peter.Garrett.MP@aph.gov.au

Mr Peter Cochrane
Director of National Parks
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
peter.cochrane@environment.gov.au

Forward this email to all of your colleagues and friends urging them to do the same. For anyone who receives this email who is unfamiliar with the desperate plight of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle, please click here http://batcall.csu.edu.au/abs/ChristmasIsland/PipistrellusmurrayiJan_09.htm

Damian

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[RECIPIENTS NAME]
[RECIPIENTS ADDRESS}

Dear [RECIPIENTS NAME]

The Christmas Island Pipistrelle is almost extinct. I am alarmed that a captive breeding colony has not yet been established on Christmas Island. The Australian Government was informed back in January of three things: 1. that there may be less than 20 individuals remaining; 2. that without intervention the Christmas Island Pipistrelle would become extinct within months, possibly weeks; and 3. that to prevent extinction, an immediate rescue mission to capture the remaining individuals and set up a temporary captive colony on Christmas Island must be initiated. WHY HASN’T THIS BEEN DONE?

The advice provided by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee regarding keeping and breeding microbats was WRONG. Keeping microbats in captivity is routine. There are skilled handlers and rehabilitators in zoos, wildlife hospitals and institutions both in Australia and throughout the world that care for and breed microbats in captivity. Therefore the trial program on the closely related Pipistrellus westralis is completely unnecessary and, worse still, a waste of critical time.

Please provide funding to send a rescue team to Christmas Island IMMEDIATELY. Every day that this is delayed reduces the chance of catching enough of the remaining Pipistrelles to establish a viable breeding population on Christmas Island. Dedicated and highly experienced microbat specialists and carers are ready to go to Christmas Island at a moments notice. Please give them the opportunity to save the Christmas Island Pipistrelle.

Do not allow the preventable extinction of an Australian native mammal species to become a legacy of my generation.
Yours sincerely

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

shannon Policy, endangered species Australia, bats, Christmas Island Pipistrelle