TONY PEACOCK From Here
As Tasmanian devils disappear at an alarming rate and Governments spend money on a fox eradication program in the island State, a number of characters emerge: those saving devils, those trying to get rid of foxes and those that have their doubts. Feral Peril, showing at 8.30pm Thursday 16 July on ABC1 explores these characters.
The documentary tries hard to intertwine the devil and the fox stories, using a murder-mystery approach, including a smoking detective figure that appears mainly in the fox bits but adds little to the devil bits of the program. The show ends up a bit schizophrenic trying to have fun with the elusive fox but then struggling to make a gross-looking ecological disaster like the demise of the devil look either fun or mysterious. One gets the impression that there wasn’t quite enough material to make a full-on fox mystery story nor a full hour of nature documentary, so the film makers have tried to do both.
Despite that, both stories are fascinating and worth a look. It’s just that the smoking detective and murder mystery style seems incongruous to presenting the wildlife disease story. Nevertheless, there is a good array of characters: the fox searchers that range from hunters, office workers and scientists, featuring the well-spoken and well-traveled Nick Mooney as the lead naturalist; the doubters, featuring a questioning vet and cynical former professional hunter and the converted, in the form of husband and wife wool producers. Then there is a Professor that worries about extinction (Chris Johnson) and another one dubbed an “Environmental Philosopher” with a suitably foreign accent and odd-looking shirt. Tying the story together is the narration of William McInnes, well-suited to the task (Feral Peril won Best Narration and awards for editing and script at the 32nd International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana earlier this year).
Now I’m biased about the story, because I sit on the fox eradication branch steering committee, so no one has to convince me that there are a small number of foxes in Tasmania and it’s important to at least try and get rid of them. The fox program’s cynics don’t present anything that I haven’t heard many times – though I’d admit surprise that the loudest blogger was nothing like my mind’s picture. The croaky and grizzled bushman of my imagination turned out to be quite coiffed and high-pitched. To the uninitiated, Feral Peril introduces you to the world of the fox doubter, but doesn’t dwell on the deep well of conspiracy.
The conversion of the wool-producing couple, the Taylors, from fox skeptics as they report a fox sighting and subsequently have a fox scat confirmed on their property unfolds nicely in the narrative. The initial phone call leads to investigation with a scat detecting dog to lab analysis, confirmation and finally shearing shed gossip. Mr Taylor makes a lone appearance admitting to niggling feelings about his wife’s recollection or the Canberra lab’s analysis; an appearance I’m pretty sure he’ll regret when his wife sees even the whisper of a doubt.
Parallel to the fox story is the effort to provide a breeding “ark” for disease-free Tasmanian devils away from Tasmania. If the current top predator disappears, its spot might be occupied by the invasive fox – hence its inclusion as a major part of the program. The story warrants telling in its own right, and it tugs on the heartstrings of any animal lover, even if it gets a little lost in the mix. The devil team are the unheralded heroes, working in tough conditions on a project with relatively little light at the end of the tunnel.
The final word is left to the boffin environmental philosopher. He of the funny shirt; the usual suspect that self-flagellates, blaming man as the worst feral animal. Kind of predictable, and to my mind adds another level of schizophrenia to a documentary touted as an unfolding detective story. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do more than scratch the surface and is unlikely to convince the viewer one way or the other about the story. While not quite living up to expectations, Feral Peril does entertain and inform, and will leave you thinking; just not too hard.
Ian Rist
July 8, 2009 at 16:06
Very well balanced I thought,possibly not the outcome the purveyors of poison would have wished for.
Congratulations to Alex,Andrew,Ian and the rest of the team fron Feral Peril.
But…
Still no fox!
After all that money spent!
And all that poison scattered about for no foxes recovered in Tasmania!
Ian Rist
July 9, 2009 at 01:13
I am amazed Peacock won’t debate with me on his Feral Thoughts site…well he did for awhile but went to water when it became obvious to even him that he was losing the debate and removed our interactions from his little propaganda site.
The beautiful thing about Feral Peril screening on ABC National T.V next Thursday (16/07/2009) night at 8.30 pm is that the Federal Pollies will get an overview of what is really going on down here in Tasmania in the hunt for the very expensive,uncatchable Tasmanian fox.
J A Stevenson
July 9, 2009 at 01:40
In 2002 when the presence of foxes was made public I wrote a letter to The Advocate newspaper outlining the importance of listening for foxes. This was printed on April 18th as follows, under the heading.
Search for fox
The only hope of any fox control is to prevent the females breeding.
Dog foxes can be completely ignored unless captured and fitted with monitoring devices.
During breeding mates are found by calling.
Dog foxes usually giving three short barks followed by a pause while they listen for any response.
The vixens call is an eerie squall unlike any other animal.
These calls should be transmitted on television in order that the general public can readily recognise them and report them.
Any one with dogs should take notice if they are restless and noisy.
On a still night the cry of a vixen can easily be heard for 1 kilometre or more.
To send in the Taskforce to investigate a fox sighting would be the worst possible action.
If a litter of cubs is suspected in a certain place on no account should the den be approached till preparations have been made to deal with them?
Before giving birth the vixen will have drawn out at least two more earths.
As soon as anyone has been near she will have detected their presence and would move them immediately if the earth is located.
Until members of the public report vixen cries, the best employment for the Fox Task Force would be to distribute tape recorders deep in the bush transmitting dog fox calls and listening devices for answering vixens.
J A Stevenson ( Penguin) April 2002.
The government funded Fox Taskfarse have ignored this method of locating breeding foxes for 7 years. The reason must be that empires can not be built by encouraging people to listen at this time of the year. No large empire. No thick cream to skim off for the fat cats. From purveyors of poison right down the chain of sticky fingers. What other reason is there for ignoring this cheap, simple,basic approach?
No foxes whatever have been reported to the Fox Control Association this breeding season to date.
J A Stevenson [email protected]
Dr Kevin Bonham
July 17, 2009 at 06:39
I found the doco reasonably well balanced although also not particularly in-depth on a number of points that could have done with more substance. Not exactly any groundbreaking revelations here but I guess that’s not what they were after.
The devil disease aspect and fox aspect were extremely poorly tied together and it did all seem like two docos merged into one via a relatively slender connecting thread. Yes, devils may well have been relevant to keeping foxes down in the state and foxes may well be adversely relevant to devils in the future, but the bulk of detail about DFTD was not justified in a doco calling itself “Feral Peril” and ostensibly about foxes.
I agree with Tony about the “boffin environmental philosopher”. Where do they find these people, and more importantly, why? He was worse than awful and made everyone else in the doco seem quite sensible by comparison. To be flogging foxes as some kind of wake-up call for the spurious notion of a pristine Tasmania just shows a ridiculous level of hype and ignorance. Anyone who pays attention to the science knows that Tasmania is already awash with ferals of various kinds and even the deepest wilderness areas of the state are affected in some ways by the presence of people.
Ian Rist
July 17, 2009 at 17:02
My Goodness Kevin, congratulations… we do agree on some things.
A very balanced,fair and informed comment.
The state is awash with ferals!
I think the devil was included as an after thought in Feral Peril, possibly for some people to cash in on the incredible hype surrounding DFTD and certain agendas being pursued.
My opinion would be that it would be a very brave devil that would go into a fox den,devils are basically cowards,preying on the sick,the weak and the already deceased.
Devils display a lot of aggression to their own kind but as witnessed in many photos relevant to their capture programs they basically lay there in a display of weak submission.
Not at all like the bravado and courage the Spotted Tailed Quoll will display and nothing like the even more feisty Eastern Quoll (for its size).
Ian Rist
July 24, 2009 at 17:12
As the little,rotund (dr) won’t allow my friends and I to post on Feral Thoughts I suppose I can address here on TT the latest comments on that carefully monitored site by one “Tasmanian in exile”.
Obviously this person is very close to that site and has an agenda to discredit where ever possible.
However I would like to clear up the misleading comments made by “Tasmanian in exile”.
Firstly it would not be difficult, risky or even illegal to bring fox carcasses into Tasmania,it happens quite often for taxidermy,trophies,hoaxing etc.
A live fox is a different proposition,with a fifty thousand dollar fine attached.
Tasmanian in exile accuses the “skeptic” of deliberately accusing the Taylors of planting evidence. Not only is that defamatory “Tasmanian in exile” but it is downright untruthful and misleading.
Nowhere can it be or has it been alluded to that the Taylors were involved in anything to do with scats.
Clearly the makers of Feral Peril have explained after the fact that the scat collection event was staged.
This has been explained on local and National radio,in the press and on various blog sites by the author and writer of Feral Peril.
There has also been considerable correspondence between myself and the producers of Feral Peril confirming this was not a genuine fox scat and the event was staged.
This is despite the claims made by Feral Thoughts the day after Feral Peril was screened nationally.
One must ask why the author of Feral Thoughts continually acts as an apologist for the members of the Tasmanian Fox Eradication Program.
Could it be he has interests of his own to protect?
Ian Rist
July 24, 2009 at 22:08
One could asume “Tasmanian in exile” is none other than Peacock doing the old pseudonym thing on his own site!
Do you deny it Peacock?
Tom Gray
July 25, 2009 at 20:22
Hahahaha, Cassie is so you wristy!! And you accuse other people of posting under pseudonyms!! I saw you on feral peril – I have worked out where the foxes have been hiding up the NW, it’s on calder road – underneath that massive top lip of yours…..wow! And, you had the gall in one of my previous posts to call me fat.. Still getting the paper each day to check up on when all these arrests are being made from all your rock solid evidence that you have!!
Ian Rist
July 26, 2009 at 00:02
Who is this idiot Tom Gray?
Must be getting nervous with all those home based F.O.I’s… way to go yet before Federal fraud comes home to roost.
Ian Rist
July 26, 2009 at 00:04
Re # 8. Yeah well I’m not the one waiting for the knock on the door.
The big fish are always the better target.
KenisIan
July 27, 2009 at 00:44
LOL # 7 wristy
But you are Ken Johnston aren’t you? and now Cassie as well?
Stones in glasshouses, you (Anonymous Personal Abuse deleted)
tom gray
July 27, 2009 at 01:46
Re #9 & #10, I told you last time I do not work for the fox program – in fact a long long way removed, so am not waiting for any knocks on my door wristy.
You keep spouting the same old rhetoric – like,it is all about to end because of little old me Ian Rist (or is it Ken, Cassie or the mighty catologist)??. Now, for a person who has seen a fox in Tasmania I do know what is at stake – and your constant bleating is not helping the cause. I was talking to someone the other day about the program, and they happened to mention that one of your mates who was featured in Feril Peril (which consequently was filmed 18 months ago) talking about feral cats has since done an abrupt 180 degree turn on the issue after seeing a fox at large in Tasmania, what will it take for you to give up this defeating attitude. I know that you will accuse me of being defamotory (you even said last time I dared to comment, whether I knew the ramifications for interfering with a witness – I ask you, a witness to what???) and squealing that your point of view is the only point of view. But, frankly Mr Wristy Your constant howling is tiring – people only have to look back at the empty words you have written on here over the years; You do not listen to anybody else – not even when the obvious is put in front of you.
Ian Rist
July 27, 2009 at 12:33
When you have the spine to come out and use your own name you gutless piece of scat, I might even consider you a human… Not a piece of scat.
But you won’t because you have no spine, never have had. So really your comments are of no consequence,people know you are on the take anyway.
Cowards are always cowards,history has proven it.
Ian Rist
July 27, 2009 at 14:00
11 and 12 Same person,spends a lot of time on this site…very worried the empire is crumbling.
Foxsgate is coming. Business plan in tatters…no money = no poison purchases.
I am really in enjoying this.
Remember this (all those people that have their fingers in the till) a certain US President thought he was going to get away with what became Watergate…and you people are only amateurs.
My records are meticulous and go back a long way, my informants are very reliable.
Bring it on.
PS. And you don’t know what has been said in camera.
David Obendorf
July 27, 2009 at 15:34
Tom Gray of [email protected], could you name the person you say was “featured in Feril Peril talking about feral cats has since done an abrupt 180 degree turn on the issue after seeing a fox at large in Tasmania”? Thank you
Ian Rist
July 27, 2009 at 21:12
He won’t David because they are stretching the truth again-still.
I spoke to Adam the cat man this morning, it’s another crock of scat.
The reason they won’t put their names to their lies is they know if push comes to shove they are answerable to legal options.
Talk is cheap, especially when you have got your snout in the trough.
Still there are other ways to bring them to the altar.
Finally Tom,Tony,Bob,Dick and Harry I WILL KEEP PUTTING THE TRUTH OUT THERE and I don’t have problem putting my name to it.
Sleep well while you can, Risdon is cold in the winter…I,m not sure what the Canberra lock up is called.
Steve
July 28, 2009 at 00:00
Editor; 10 out of 16 posts on this thread are by the same person??!
tom gray
July 28, 2009 at 03:09
See you fob me off again wristy – I will tell you again, I do not have any involvement with the fox program. You have abolutely nothing…that is why you have to use threats just like post #16. I will not be going to Risdon…in fact nobody will. You state that you will keep putting the truth out there???? You have not done so yet, and I believe you never will! (Anonymous Personal Abuse deleted) You’re post(s) border (actually cross the line) with manic.
David, I believe that Wristy has provided you with an answer as he always does, before anyone else can get a sideways word in – doesn’t matter if it is anywhere near the truth.
Ian and David have you ever stopped to ask the question – maybe, the reason why foxes are at such a low density is because the good people at the FEP are actually doing there job properly and keeping fox numbers down to the point where they are just ticking over??? I believe that Nick M has blown all your arguments out of the water on more than one occasion Ian, and i’m sure will quite happily do it again, and again, and again – but you just keep bobbing back up again with the same inane statements and inuendo.
Unfortunately for this great state you will go down in history as one of the greatest hinderers Tasmania has ever known.
tom gray
July 28, 2009 at 03:20
Oh, and I am not the person from post #11 but kudos to them.
Ian Rist
July 28, 2009 at 13:31
Re # 18. The little apparatchik is at it again.
If I wasn’t putting the truth out there A…….
you wouldn’t be so worried.
Not going to Risdon, I,m not so sure. You might have transfered over to …. now – but there is still plenty out there.
Re the Thylacine man, at least I do know what the gestation period of a fox is! He has blown nothing of mine out of the water…
Doing their job, let go of it or you will go blind. Don’t be so stupid, if you had any results you wouldn’t have to continually keep putting all the propaganda and “evidence” out there!
Fortunately for this state myself and a couple of others I will go down in history as sone of the people that uncovered one of the biggest scams in its history.
David Obendorf
July 28, 2009 at 15:42
Tom-tom Gray-gray [[email protected]] if, as you say, your day-job isn’t hitched in any way to the Tassie fox train, then perhaps you might phone me – 6234 5561. Thank you.
Ian Rist
July 28, 2009 at 19:13
Re # 21 Don’t wait for the call David…you won’t get it!
Anyway you would recognise his voice,even if he pretended to be tom gray…you have spoken to him before.
Just having viewed Feral Peril again revealed even more errors. FEB members McConnell and Bester tell us in one breath ” today ( at Kenilworth) we are going to be baiting with hard dried kangaroo meat baits laced with 1080″.
A few seconds later they are seen to be burying a soft composite,commercially prepared Foxoff 1080 bait with the Foxoff container in full view.
I rest my case…even if there were foxes here they would be very safe.
We haven’t had any clarification on the Kenilworth scat # 5676 staging either, so guilty as charged.
Ian Rist
August 27, 2009 at 13:57
Well well tommo … There have been six anti fox farce letters in the papers public opinion sections this week alone…all very negative.
People calling on the minister to apologise for the waste of money, scat scams etc.
The public have had enough, and you claim there are only a few sceptics?
don davey
August 27, 2009 at 15:32
(18)
” maybe, the reason why foxes are at such a low density is because the good people at the FEP are actually doing there job properly and keeping fox numbers down to the point where they are just ticking over???”
SO WHERE ARE THE CARCASES !
Don Davey