BISHOP'S LIGHT ON THE HILL THREATENS NUPTIAL HI-JINKS

 Spike , randy  Castle Hill echidna

There is growing alarm over the election promise by  Julie Bishop  to provide $650,000 to install lighting up the  road  to  Castle  Hill, which  has panoramic  views of  Townsville  city and the  sea .

Animal lovers  have  claimed bright lights  could lead to the extinction  of the rare  spiny anteaters  which  romp about on  the  rock at night. Also known as  echidnas , these vulnerable  creatures  are covered in many sharp spines , like darts, and have a  slender  snout .

 

 Somehow ,  they   mate   on   dark  nights ,  without  the  aid  of  a  torch.  Castle  Hill  is their  Lovers’ Lane .  Coming together in a  fond embrace  without impaling  each other  with their quills  is  as  delicate an operation as a shuttle  docking with  an orbiting space station.    According   to   Townsville's  best  known   frequent   echidna   hugger,    Nancy  Ouch ,  the  lovable , myopic monotremes   will  be  blinded   by  Bishop’s  floodlights    and will  do   each   other   an  injury  while  attempting  to  mate .    Many  of   the  critters,  Ouch  predicted ,  would also  fall  off   the  cliffs  and  roll  down   the   road  and   the  goat  track , the  latter  used  by   early   morning   fitness   tragics,  like   tumbling   tumbleweed .

Wearing  dark glasses  to  protect himself from the bright sun,  another  macho  echidna  , above , crawled out  from  his  dark  daytime  lair  to  inform a  Little  Darwin   roving  reporter, in no uncertain  terms , his   opposition  to  the  Bishop  plan .  He  urged  Ms  Bishop  to come up and see him  one  dark  night to experience  the  unique  echidna  way of   life which  she  is threatening . (Photos by Lady Jane )