26 C
Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Echidna hitches from Lennox to Ballina

Latest News

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Other News

Editorial – Let’s do the development dance!

Some good questions were raised by residents at last week’s Council meeting – and were ‘taken on notice’ by Mayor, Michael Lyon.

Community grants on offer

Ingrained Foundation is running its fifth annual grants program, with a funding pool of $150,000.

Fresh air federal funds for Northern Rivers schools in need

Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week.

Save Wallum finalist in NSW 2024 environment awards

The Save Wallum campaign has been named as a finalist in the Nature Conservation Council of NSW Environment Awards 2024. The award ceremony will be held in Sydney tonight, and Save Wallum spokesperson and ecologist James Barrie will be attending with Tegan Kitt, another founding member of the group.

The Picture House is turning 8

It feels like we were only just ringing in the new year days ago and here we are approaching Easter weekend at The Brunswick Picture House. It’s already been a whirlwind start to 2024 with their biggest and busiest program so far, bringing an eclectic mix of some of the hottest stand-up comedy, music gigs, film screenings and cabaret – and that was just last week!

Adaptive Surf Pro winds up in Byron

A week of mixed weather had seen almost 100 adaptive surfers take on the beaches of Byron Bay in the Byron first international adaptive surfing event to be held in Australia – the 2024 Australian Pro.

This echidna is lucky to have survived a 10km car ride after mistakenly climbing up into the vehicle’s engine. Photo supplied.

It’s not every day that you have a monotreme in the order of egg-laying mammals sticking a quill out for a lift, but recently a local driver got a shock when an echidna hitched a ride.

The echidna survived a 10km car ride after mistakenly climbing up into the vehicle’s engine at Lennox Head.

Echidna rehabilitator Chrisy Clay said she is not sure what made the animal take shelter inside the car, but echidnas are good climbers and incredibly strong.

‘The driver had seen the echidna earlier but when they checked around the car a few hours later and couldn’t see it, they thought the echidna had moved on.’

It was only when the driver stopped that the echidna was seen emerging from underneath the vehicle with burnt spines.

‘The wonderful team at Keen St Vets in Lismore assessed the echidna and determined the only injuries he had were some burnt and melted spines which is just incredible’, said Chrisy.

The echidna is set to make a full recovery and will be returned to the wild.

Echidna’s are on the move

Echidnas are on the move and the Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers are asking people to be aware that they will be active over the coming months. The cooler weather heralds the start of the echidna breeding season when they will be at their busiest, searching for a mate and raising their young.

Echidnas are particularly at risk of being hit by cars when trying to cross busy roads.

The Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers encourage people to ring their 24-hour rescue hotline, 6628 1866, if they find an injured echidna.

People are asked to store the rescue hotline number in their mobile phone for easy reference.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

1 COMMENT

  1. What a lucky survivor! What a cute face! I can usually only see their backs.
    Last season there was one crossing my cul-de-sac, so I stopped & went to have a closer look…it’s cute face was encircled by engorged ticks, poor thing! I didn’t have anything to pick it up with & it went off into the bush. Glad they are surviving out there, despite the dangers of cars & dog attacks.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

Saddle Road group home DA decision this week

Plans to build Byron Shire’s first permanent group home for women and children in housing stress are moving ahead, with the development application for the project coming before Council this week.