Aussie Minister Ditches Economy for Wombats

Experts baffled by white rhino die-off

(NEWSER) - Rhino experts from around the world have been stumped by an illness killing off white rhinos at an Australian zoo. Four white rhinos have died at the New South Wales zoo over the last few weeks. All of them died suddenly after displaying neurological problems like stumbling, the Age reports. The zoo, which runs a breeding program, has placed its remaining three white rhinos in quarantine. More»

Once-reviled creature in trouble

(NEWSER) - The Tasmanian devil is nobody’s idea of lovable. The combative screeching marsupial was once the most reviled animal in Australia. But now that the creature is on the brink of extinction , Australians have found a well of sympathy for the little devil, the LA Times reports. The devil’s snarling face now graces bars, coffee shops and packaging all around the country, and schoolchildren routinely visit devil sanctuaries to learn about the beast. More»

Scientists find the origins of fast-spreading disease

(AP) - Hope for Tasmanian devils: Scientists think they've found the origin of a contagious cancer threatening to wipe them out. An international research team picked apart the cancer's genes and discovered that it apparently first arose in cells that protect the animals' nerves. The surprise finding, reported in today's edition of Science, may eventually lead to a vaccine or at least treatments. More»

Changing world strips diet-staple eucalyptus of nutrients

(NEWSER) - Australia's koalas face extinction as their population has been decimated by climate change and the loss of trees due to development and wildfires. Six years ago, they were thought to number more than 100,000; today, their count is as low as 43,000. Threats to their diet of eucalyptus leaves are part of the problem—“It's really no tree, no me,” an environmentalist says. Curiously, the BBC also reports that chlamydia has been responsible for many koala deaths. More»

How one country ducked the economic downturn

(NEWSER) - Australia has weathered the financial crisis better than any other developed country. Last week its central bank raised interest rates, indicating its primary concern is now inflation, not growth. What were the keys? Phil Dobbie of BNET explains:

• Befriending China: Australia used to export much of what it made to the US and UK, but over the last decade much of that trade has shifted to China. In fact, some economists argue that Australia didn’t need a stimulus package—Beijing’s stimulus was enough.