Episode #73
Episode 73: #072 Tom Whitehouse
Tom Whitehouse, a wildlife conservationist, has spent more than 20 years working with dangerous reptiles, mammals and birds in the zoo and wildlife industry. Today he runs Coastal Wildlife Management. In a single day he might relocate a red bellied black snake out of a family's laundry, carve a habitat hollow into a living tree, and manage feral cats through a thermal scope at two in the morning. We explore the impact feral cats, foxes, pigs, deer and wild dogs have on Australian wildlife, agriculture and the environment, and how thermal imaging, night vision and trapping help conservationists track and manage them. Tom also clears up some common misunderstandings about snake behaviour. A large part of his focus is rebuilding habitat. He explains why mature trees and natural hollows are critical for so many Australian species, and how new tools can carve artificial hollows into living trees to house birds, possums, gliders and other native species. We also get into professional conservation work versus recreational hunting, humane control methods, and whether Australia is doing enough before the damage becomes irreversible. Want to become a Keep Rolling Patron and help support the channel? Hit the Patreon link below and Roll with the Squad! https://www.patreon.com/street_rolling_cheetah Add, Follow or Contact Tom Whitehouse Website: https://www.coastalwildlifemanagement.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastalwildlifemanagement/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastalwildlifemanagement/ Add, Follow or Contact me Email: streetrollingcheetah@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_rolling_cheetah/ X-Twitter: https://twitter.com/st_rollcheetah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StreetRollingCheetah/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-briggs-77b867100/ Timestamps (00:00:00) Intro and sponsors (00:04:52) Growing up a bush Coasty (00:09:13) Snakes, WIRES and Wildlife ARC (00:14:33) Irwin, egos and the old school zoo (00:19:38) Black cockatoos and the macaw aviary (00:25:32) A working day, and the value of drone tech (00:31:16) The cap, logo, the motto and buying up land (00:36:33) Nature corridors, and what DPI demands (00:42:33) The illegal pet trade (00:49:41) What zoos are actually for (00:55:04) The one eyed brown snake (01:01:36) Know how snakes attack (01:11:41) Auz vs North America, Joe Exotic and worthless tigers (01:18:16) One shot, 1080, and calling foxes (01:29:38) Cats (01:35:43) Pigs, deer, peacocks and guinea fowl (01:43:28) Where you can shoot, and the gun laws (01:53:56) Backyard habitat, cats and dogs (02:04:06) Hollows take a hundred years (02:11:02) The Hollow Hog tool, and an egg in three days (02:14:45) Trail cams, potoroos and one elusive quoll (02:25:12) Wildlife in the suburbs (02:30:01) Where to find Tom
