Something we don't have to worry about at Australian Dark Sky Sites

[DavidTrap]

A quote from CloudyNights:

"I have just received positive information that two very large full grown mountain lions were spotted at 2am last evening three miles down the road from the peak."

Cheers
DT

[renormalised]

Nope...we get, "two fully grown yowies, two marsupial lions and 16 dropbears" :):P

I'll takes me chances with the mountain lions:):P

[seeker372011]

ah but how many funnel webs do they have in the rocky mountains?

[renormalised]

Exactly...and that's only the start!!! :)

[DavidTrap]

Forgot all about "drop bears".

And to quote Billy Connolly - "The funnel web spider can kill you in eight second, just by looking at you!".

DT

[multiweb]

The two mountain lions got caught into a cross fire between local police and illegal immigrants on the state border. The area is safe again. :P

[astronut]

From mountain lions or illegal immigrants?.........:lol::lol::lol:

[GrahamL]

Aside coming across a brown snake happily slithering along once and a dingo howling off in the night down camping near coffs while out with the binos , I'm not to upset bout yogi and snagglepuss not being able to wander up behind us in the night while out with the scope :)

[casstony]

It's quite comforting that there aren't any large carnivores in the Australian bush. I've been on a few camping trips in North America and it can be hard to get to sleep sometimes; there were many times when I'd stop breathing so as to better hear what it was that broke that twig. It's safest to go camping/hiking with someone you don't like and that you can outrun.

[M54]

Mosquitos are the worst threat down here in cloud city.
What is a drop bear?

[DavidU]

A drop bear (you can't see the big teeth)

[PCH]

Reminds me of the joke about the two guys that go camping, - and one has brought along his brand new adidas running shoes.....
"In case we get chased by a lion" he says.
"Why?" - says his mate .. "they won't make you able to run faster than a lion !!".
"No!" he says, ".. but I'll be able to run faster than you !!" :lol:

[gary]

Texan friend Van Robinson (aka starsend here on IceInSpace) lives just outside
of Fort Davis in south-west Texas and has spotted mountain lion in the driveway
of his house.

(I ribbed Van about this here a little while ago -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=577011&postcount=10)

Van's location is within the shadow of the McDonald Observatory, home of the 9.2m
Hobby-Eberly telescope. The mountain lions also prowl between the properties
of Van's neighbours, many of whom are also amateur astronomers, including
Jimi Lowrey who owns a beautiful 48" Dob.

They all live only a few short miles from the Prude Ranch, where the TSP is
held and the surroundings are hilly with grassy vegetation and semi-desert.
Though we did not see mountain lion ourselves, John Bambury and I routinely
saw javelina which at first we mistook for wild bore. In fact they are part of the
peccary family. Apparently you want to keep a healthy distance from them
as they can get a little agitated and have sharp canines. However, as traveling
companion John Bambury will attest, the mountain lion and javelina are the least
of your worries. Whilst at the 3RF Observatory, John narrowly missed being bitten
on the face by a rattlesnake that struck out at him.

Undoubtedly some of our fellow observing colleagues based in South Africa
can pass on anecdotes of even more interesting wildlife encounters, which will make
the above encounters sound like a petting zoo by comparison. :lol:

Best regards

Gary

[M54]

:lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl:

[DavidTrap]

Yeah, but isn't the literal translation of Aotearoa, "Land of the Long White Cloud"????

DT

[bloodhound31]

The drop bears around these parts are starting to get desperate after the bush fires burnt down all the eucalypt. They are now turning to road kill, the sickly and the weak. :lol:

Baz.;)

[Ric]

Hmm :question:

Mountain Lion v Snakes v Spiders v Dropbears

Anyway you look at it I think Humans are going to come of second best.

[ballaratdragons]

Ian up in NT (gaa ian) has mentioned that he has been near Crocs when observing.

Plenty of snakes and spiders around at night no matter where you are in Oz. You just don't normally think about them so you aren't aware of them.

[luigi]

You can always visit/move to Argentina :) We have no bears, no lions, no spiders, no snakes, nothing. Our king of the pampas is the armadillo :)

[jjjnettie]

One thing I've never gotten used to is the possums.
They've got a wicked sense of humour, sneaking up behind you, then letting out that blood curdling scream. I swear, they do it on purpose. You can hear them up the tree afterwards having a giggle with their mates about how high they made me jump.

[mswhin63]

One of ASWA SDSO sites has foxes. May not be dangerous but you can starve to death as they take you BBQ meat from the table.

[Terry B]

No snakes or any bugs much at the moment. They don't like the cold eather and wait til it is warmer. No mozzies is the only positive thing about observing when it is about 0 degC.

[renormalised]

Be even worse up Guyra way...geez if it's 0 in Armidale it'd be cold enough to freeze steel brittle up the hill!!!:):)

[ArcaneMagik]

How about the Lithgow Panther?

I still remember my first really dark night out in the Blue Mountains by myself, and all I ended up thinking about was every single noise in the bush around me was a cat trying to kill me.

[Jen]

:eyepop::eyepop: yikes

[mental4astro]

Nothing to be scared about, here, in Oz! Are you kidding!

My most terrifying experience came some 20 years ago in the Wollemi National Park, the same one that hid the 'dinosour' pine.

I don't talk much about it as doing so aggrivates shingles I get so anxious about it.

I was camping alone in the park, way back then. The site took me two day's hike to reach on foot. Marvellous site too- creek side, green due to recent rain, and very, very isolated.

While setting up the tent, a big, old grey boomer came hopping close by along the creek's shoreline, thump, thump, thump.

Suddenly, no sooner did it go under a huge gum tree, BAM! A drop bear fell down onto the unsuspecting boomer's back, the roo more concerned with my presence than the danger up in the tree. The vile creature yanked the boomer's head back, and its enourmous fangs sank into the roo's soft throat! The roo hit the deck, drop bear was flung of its back, only to race back to the writhing boomer to finish it off!

The screams of the drop bear as it fed aged me 20 years! I was so scared I dropped the gear in my hand and ran for my life! I made it back to my car in only a couple of hours.

I've never returned to the Wollemi since.

:scared2: :scared2: :scared2:

I've been told that the Pilliga State Forest is the only other lone bastion of the drop bear. You never, ever stop overnight at the Pilliga SF! Heaven's above, if the Pilliga SF is not too far from Coonabarabran too! You never hear about the lone astronomers who have gone outside of their observatories for a slash during the night, and have never returned! There's not a 5m high electrified fence around the obs for no reason!

[Jen]

:lol::lol: LMAO Alex :rofl::rofl:

[cybereye]

Hi all!!

We have a big Lilli-pilli tree in our backyard and every so often I get a visit from the ferocious wildlife....:)

Cheers,
Mario

[GrahamL]

Yep there killers if you don't respect them Mario :)

[DavidU]

Here is a European version of the Drop Bear (similar ferocious behaviour):D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvs5pqf-DMA

[ngcles]

Hi All,



Yep he (more likely they) does concern me a little to be honest. There are simply too many photos of them for them to be dismissed as an urban myth. There have been several sightings in the districts that surround where I observe in the southern highlands and on cold, frosty nights when I walk off down the track into the bush to siphon the python (at my most vulnerable) you do worry about the sounds you hear -- but roos are pretty common down there too and nearly all sounds you hear are simply roos.

Mind you, I think a 6ft tall 100kg man is probably a little on the big side for a panther to happily have a go at as intended prey, particularly when there are lots of other smaller, easier (though admittedly somewhat faster) meals about. But they still concern me a little.

Brown snakes are a bit of a worry up at Mudgee in springtime when they are likely to be hungry, frisky and somewhat territorial. Tread loudly, talk loudly, throw sticks and rocks on your intended path 15m in front is my tactic.

In New Zealand of course there's nothing to worry you -- except the danger of freezing solid in winter if you stand still too long ...


Best,

Les D

[jjjnettie]

Here kitty kitty kitty.

[renormalised]

This is maybe what the Lithgow Panther is....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd_fMzhUgq4

If it is, you would be no problems as far as being a meal is concerned:eyepop:

Much larger than a panther and much, much stronger.

[AstralTraveller]

Les,

Any panther within about half a km of your scope is either as deaf as a post or has good taste in music! :P:P:P I haven't seen roos there, though they are obviously about, but I have had a possum sniffing around after my left-over fish and chips. I've also heard them in the trees quite often. "Pleasant" sounding little critters.

[MuntiNZ]

Jeez I wouldny fancy meeting that in the dark!!
One thing I have to say is that NZ may be cold and broke but the only thing over there you gotta worry about is some of the people!!
Isn't it pretty weird that we have lots of every thing and NZ has almost nothing?
If it wasnt always freezing blardy cold and every one wasnt poor there are bits of NZ I would def think about moving to like at Lake Tekapo.

[AstralTraveller]

I'll take the panther!!!!! :P

Seriously, after watching The Lord of the Rings I don't know why people aren't beating a path to NZ. :thumbsup:

[GeoffW1]

A few glasses of best port and you will see anything, double stars and Lithgow panthers.

How do I know.............?

Cheers

[ngcles]

Hi Munti,



I know I'm taking your quote a little out of context but couldn't resist.

No, they've got three things, two of which we want:

(1) The Bledisloe Cup

(2) Alpine scenery

(3) Seriously bad vowel articulation issues.

Oh and Dave, Possums don't go thump, thump, thump, thump through the bush. Can't believe you haven't heard them down there!


Best,

Les D

[AstralTraveller]

Thinking back, maybe I have heard one or two roos, but they didn't really register. Yasmin can't remember any. Odd, because obviously they're about.

On the other matter, even if the 'panther' is real and about, why worry? Sightings of it/them have been about for ages and no one's been eaten. Even if it's there it doesn't fancy people for dinner. On the other hand, being alert may be the difference between a sighting or a missed opportunity.