BEARS IN QUEENSLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 14

BEARS IN QUEENSLAND.

OPEN SEASON DECLARED. MINISTER'S " CALLOUS DECISION." [from our own correspondent. ] SYDNEY. Am;. 5. Queensland forgot the privations and losses caused by its prolonged drought and the gloom east over the State by the closing of the Mount Morgan mine to protest mightily against a callous decision of the Government, That decision was to declare an open season for one month from August 5 for the koala, or native bear, as it is popularly called, a quaint, lovable, harmless little creature that inhabits the gumtops of Eastern Australia. No one has come forward with evidence that the koala' lias done harm to crops, and evidence is equally lacking that, despite the previous ban on its slaughter, its numbers were increasing. The approval of the short, open season is said to have been given by the Government at the behest of some of its influential supporters. The threat is now made that at next election time, the political aspect will be remembered and the cry of "Who killed the native bears?" will be used to defeat the Government Party. The beautiful soft skins of the bears are in great demand among furriers, and m spite of the general close season on them, ways and means are contrived to transform them into treasured possessions to adorn the fair sex. It is estimated that in -the month of slaughter allowed by the Government over a million of the poor, shy creatures will be ki*ied. The Government, m detence, declares that it is acting on the advice of its expert forest rangers in permitting the killing of the bears, and the Minister responsible for the issue of the proclamation said that there could be no question of tiie extinction ot the koalas through the declaration of open season. But none of those protesting have said that it would. What has stirred < the population to anger is the fact that the gentle little denizens of the bush should be permitted to fall victims to callous guns at all. In the Brisbane papers, columns of angry correspondence reveal the depths to which the people have been stirred. Naturelovers are now petitioning the Federal Government to stop the export of skins—the only way the Commonwealth authorities can nullify the evil work of his State contemporary.