Driving to work the other day the radio was on a commercial channel and the hosts were interviewing two winners from Survivor TV show who had joined the "Save The Koala" campaign. An organisation it seems for the protection of the cute and furry.

The photo to the right is of a Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus), one of the oceans most proficient killers. It is also critically endangered. Sadly for the Grey Nurse Shark it is neither cute nor furry. It cannot rely on half brained minor celebrities from the US for assistance. Nor for that matter can the Western Swamp Tortoise or Mitchell's Rainforest Snail or Golden Sun Moth or even the Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat, and it is furry.

All these animals are critically endangered as compared to the Koala that, whilst still at some risk, is in plague numbers on Kangaroo Island and Philip Island to name but two of its habitats.

Is it too cynical to suspect that these minor American celebrities are junketing to Australia at the expense of kind hearted but misinformed Americans who think that this is the most important environmental issue Australia has to face.

How about trying to have at least a small amount of compassion for those animals that are not fortunate enough to be cute and furry.

If you are actually interested in Australia's endangered list, click here. The list is depressingly long and it does not contain the Koala.