Kurtis Lindsay wrote:
I think the woman and her plants should be culled, not the Bandicoots!
While on the topic I believe Long-nosed Bandicoots have came along way
over the past 200 years. The poor creatures have endured conflict with
humans on and off throughout this time.
It was common in the 1940's & 1950's for gardeners along the East
Coast (especially Sydney) to 'gas' or 'smoke-out' the poor bandicoots
from their homes, where they would be killed. This was only because
they were thought to cause damage to lawns and garden beds - the poor
animals were only doing what came natural! Bandicoots don't cause half
as much damage to lawns as European Rabbits do!
Not long after their persecution for destroying gardens, came their
persecution (and execution) for apparently harbouring "deadly" ticks
(any sort of tick bite was believed to have caused Lyme's disease at
this time). Sure bandicoots may have carried a few ticks but no more
than any other animals (namely foxes and cats).
"...some people associate bandicoots with ticks, this may be because
humans tend to pick up ticks most easily in long grass or thick scrub
– which also happens to be the type of habitat favoured by
bandicoots." - NSW NPWS
Other threats to these innocent Australian icons over time have been
the introduction of cats, dogs, pigs and rabbits. While the main two
impacts on bandicoots has been the introduction and proliferation of
foxes and the clearing of natural habitat.
Long-nosed Bandicoots now have a restricted range in city areas like
Sydney, however as a result of increased awareness of the bandicoots
plight, the baiting of foxes and maintenance of bushland, Bandicoots
are making a comeback, and I am all for them.
I'd love to have bandicoots in my garden and would learn to live with
whatever they did to my plants - mainly native so no doubt they'd love them.
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