Newsletter No. 77 August 2026

WELCOME!

In the hills where Animal Ark are based, the creeks are running – we hear the frogs and watch the ducks, bandicoots, roos and the occasional heron amble around. Soon, however, as the days warm up and sun beats down the creeks slow to a trickle waiting many months dry as a bone, until the rains come again. As the creeks begin to slow our snake avoidance season kicks off – one good warm weekend is all it takes for our admin team Emily, Jules and Georgia to be flooded with online bookings and phone calls. Why not beat the rush and book now – new dates and locations are added frequently.
To book please head here.

SUNSHINE AND DEW

We’re starting to see a lot of wildflowers popping up around the Animal Ark base now. In flower are Yellow Buttercups, Hovea species, Plumed Featherflowers, Prickly Moses wattle and White Myrtle.

Also flowering is the Swamp Rainbow (Drosera heterophylla), a species of erect tuberous sundew endemic to Western Australia. These carnivorous plants lure, trap and digest insects using the thick, gluey secretions on their leaf surfaces, which resemble dewdrops.

The dew produced by the Swamp Rainbow is particularly refractive, earning its common name. It is absolutely mesmerising when a patch catches the light of the low winter sun.

Australia’s soils are famously ancient and infertile, particularly in WA, but this interesting adaptation gives sundews the means to collect nutrients they need to survive in environments where others would struggle. In fact, WA is a world hotspot for sundews, containing the world’s highest number of Drosera species of anywhere else.

BOTSWANA

During a recent visit for a safari in Botswana (how lucky am I) we were keen to get to see some hands-on conservation with local wildlife rescue centres.

Elephant Havens

We got to meet and feed a host of young African elephants (Loxodonta africana) – the barriers in photo 1 are to protect us from these immensely strong and boisterous little cuties. The rest of the time they have a 150 acre reserve to wander about in. The meet and feed sessions only happen when they get guests. This is a relatively new charitable venture, the only orphanage in the country. Their aim is to establish a new herd from a group of young, orphaned elephants.

As a back story, wildlife-human conflict is a major global issue, as human populations explode, we are encroaching relentlessly into habitats that are occupied by wildlife. In Australia we compete with everything from Kangaroos to Bandicoots and wildlife suffers from contact with our homes, pets, fences and farms. In India the problem is often Leopards, Tigers and Lions. In Botswana there is considerable conflict with Elephant, Hippos, Lions and well just about anything you can get in this part of Southern Africa. Elephants seek the crops people grow, the water they store and often traditional routes they travel along. Nowhere in the world has more elephants than Botswana with about 130,000. So, cars, guns, fences can leave little baby elephants destitute and often injured and terrified.

Elephant Havens is obviously well funded and has considerable areas now fenced to protect the young elephants on their road to recovery, assimilation, and hopeful soon a first rewilding of the elephants back into the wild, away from the townships where conflict occurs. This place gets few tourists; Maun is a small town really and the drive to the sanctuary is a good 45mins 4×4 off the main road which is 30 minutes out of Maun. So, a bit of an adventure to reach but we did get there and were the only visitors of the day.

So, it is charitable funding NOT tourism that keeps this place afloat, I think a very noble and genuine cause. As yet untried – in that no newly formed herd of Elephants has been released yet, as far as I know, but they have a good program of ideas to initiate their plans. I wish them and the little ones every success.

Visit ElephantHavens.org

CARACAL Wildlife Rescue

This small rescue centre releases most of its patients as soon as possible, but some stay permanently if unable to return as fully functioning creatures. By far my favourite was the tiny Galago Bush Baby (Galago moholi), but they also had a huge python and various other birds including a Crowned Crane and various mammals, also several venomous snakes including cobras. CARACAL staff can act as snake removalists for the local area.

Visit CARACAL.info

Just Launched!

Our NEW “Venomous Snakes of the Kimberley” poster is now available to download for free on our shop!
Head over to the online shop here to get your copy, and to check out our other free downloadable posters and resources!

What region, or resource, do you want to see next?

Snake & Fauna Handling / Spotting Training Courses

Don’t forget that our courses are ideal for individuals seeking experience in Fauna Spotting!
Courses are held regularly at our facility in the Perth Hills. Additionally, we offer training onsite FIFO or DIDO throughout WA – to enquire please email info@animalark.com.au or call (08) 9243 3044

To view course dates please head here.

BAIT AVERSION TRAINING

Upcoming Dates & Locations

- Sun 23rd August – Parkerville
- Monday 24th August – Mahogany Creek
- Sunday 18th October – Mardella
- Sunday 01st November – North Beach

For more details and to book, please visit the Bait Aversion website

Animal Ark Snake Avoidance Training for Dogs

Upcoming Dates & Locations

Regular training sessions held across Perth (Two Rocks/Yanchep to Mandurah), along with dates scheduled through Southwest WA in areas like Bunbury, Margaret River, Busselton, Harvey, Donnybrook, Albany, Mt. Barker, Denmark, and more!