THE MAJESTY OF THE WETLANDS

Narration Transcription
Copyright E Marshall 2005
polydigm.net


NARRATOR:  Back at the nest, the young brollies are doing well.  In all, the mother has successfully	hatched half a dozen, but as few as two will make it to adulthood.
Ironically man made hazards such as roads and pollution which threaten the very survival of other species, help keep brolly populations at manageable levels.  
The substantial wetland populations of brollies compete for food resources with other, rarer species.  Numbers are regularly monitored however and culling is performed when required.


NARRATOR (CONT'D):  Excessive numbers is not a problem that afflicts shopping cart populations.
In pre-historic times, these noble wagons roamed freely across vast regions of the eastern continent.  
But with the increased incursion on their natural habitats by environmentalists, they are now only found in large numbers in captivity.  
Cart breeding programs are being initiated in several places and it is hoped that by releasing a few healthy individuals back into the wild each year, a viable population can be restored. 


NARRATOR (CONT'D):  One species which was perilously close to extinction only a matter of decades ago, is the so called ‘common’ white bag.
In the nineteen sixties, white bags were almost completely absent from the indigenous ecosystem.  They were identified as an endangered species, and urgent steps were taken to prevent their disappearance.  
A bold translocation program was undertaken, with hundreds of individuals being released; and their offspring can now be seen in almost all parts of the country.
Thanks to human incursion into environments, mortality rates in wild populations are still high, but steady growth has been observed in monitored colonies.


NARRATOR (CONT'D):  The variety and abundance of the wetlands is astonishing, but no survey of this region’s indigenous species would be complete, without a visit to it’s best known, and most dangerous residents - the fresh water Dunlops.
These mighty wetlands dwellers are deceptively inactive.  They are at the top of the local food chain, so they can afford to be slow moving most of the time.  
But when the time comes to pursue their prey, these lumbering sunbathers become ferocious and efficient hunters.


NARRATOR (CONT'D):  The wild majesty of the wetlands conceals their frailty.  
Without human intervention, these vibrant ecologies, with their myriad exotic species could disappear forever. 
Only by the tireless efforts of ordinary people, dedicated to their task, have wetlands dwellers like the Shopping Cart, the Fresh Water Dunlop, and the White Bag been allowed to flourish this long.  It is the duty of humanity as a whole to preserve their unique diversity, so that future generations, as well as our own can enjoy their splendour.