Ancient Australian tree takes life-saving drive

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This handout photo from Prospero Productions, taken on July 14, 2008 and received July 20, 2008 shows a boab tree being transported on the back of a truck, somewhere between Kununurra and Broome, from its home in the remote northern Kimberley district of Western Australia state. Australian Aboriginals replanted the ancient boab tree on July 20, 2008 in Perth after it was driven thousands of kilometres with a police escort to save it from destruction. Photo courtesy AFP.

by Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) July 20, 2008
Australian Aboriginals replanted an ancient boab tree on Sunday after it was driven thousands of kilometres with a police escort to save it from destruction.

A road widening scheme meant the tree, estimated to be 750 years old, had to be uprooted from its home in Western Australia and moved 3,200 kilometres (1,900 miles) by truck to a park in state capital Perth.

"Everyone is hoping that the tree will live for another 750 years," said horticulturalist and project coordinator Patrick Courtney.

"We are giving it the best chance it would ever have got."

The bottle-shaped tree can can live for up to 2,000 years and is a native of the remote northern Kimberley district of Western Australia state.

It weighs 36 tonnes, stands 14 metres (46 feet) high and is 2.5 metres (eight feet) in diameter.

The tree played a significant role in the traditions of the local Gija people, who have given it to the Nyoongar people, the traditional owners of Perth's King's Park area.

The Gija held a ceremony to see the tree off on its marathon six-day journey to its new home, and on Sunday, a traditional ceremony to welcome the tree and replant it was held in Perth.

The move would have cost around 120,000 Australian dollars (117,000 US), but once the tree's plight was known, contractors offered their services for free, Courtney told AFP.

As the tree was in its dormant stage in the tropical dry season, few special measures needed to be taken to keep it alive during the journey.

It will be in the company of another 14 young boab trees, which seem quite happy in the more temperate climate of the Perth region, Courtney said.

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Scientists to discuss climate risk posed by wetlands destruction

Sao Paulo (AFP) July 20, 2008
Moves around the world to drain marshes and other wetlands to make space for farming could be hastening climate change, scientists gathering in Brazil from Monday will be hearing.

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