The Ladbrokes.com 2005 Big Bird Race has ended in tragedy. Unprecedented mortality has occurred amongst this year's juvenile Tasmanian Shy Albatrosses. The performance characteristics of the satellite transmitters have been re-checked, the satellite pass predictions researched and our attachment procedures reviewed, leaving only one plausible explanation for the widespread and early loss of signals experienced this year. The birds are dying in unprecedented numbers. Why is this happening? At this stage, we still do not know. What we do know is that Little Penguins are having a very poor breeding season in both Tasmania and Victoria, and Gannets in Tasmania have fledged smaller than usual numbers of chicks this year. As there has been no previously published study of juvenile Albatrosses prior to ours, we have no idea whether this level of mortality has occurred before. We shall therefore be sending a special team to Albatross Island in July to see how many young birds failed to make it off the island this year. In the meantime, the only cause that immediately suggests itself is very poor fishing. The RSPB's 'Avocet' made it the furthest west, getting to the start of the long journey across the Indian Ocean, by reaching the western coast of Australia before succumbing, like all the other birds. In 2005, Mother Nature has been the harshest of judges - underlining, if ever one needed to, the absolute urgency in curtailing the catastrophic additional effects of longlining.


Follow all the race action right here from the comfort of your chair. The website will be updated daily at 10.00 GMT with the birds' progress mapped out and daily results posted. Betting will be suspended from 20.00 hrs to 00.59 GMT every day while the birds are being monitored by the scientists.

The fully functional race cards allow you to check a runner's vital statistics, their race history and what price they are at for the rest of the race. If a runner's position has not moved during the course of a day or if the signal can no longer be detected, the runner's race

card will be flagged and after a week, if no change, the runner will be deemed to have died. It will not be possible to bet on a flagged runner.

Adults will be able to support the project by placing bets on different elements of the race such as the TSA to win overall, winning stable and stable with the most finishers. Weekly and monthly 'Distance Travelled West' (DTW) bets will also be offered to ensure interest is maintained throughout the race.

There is an option for customers to see any winnings they make go to the revenue fund for distribution to future seabird conservation projects. Schools and U18s can follow the project, betting-free, at www.bigbirdrace.com.

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Disclaimer:
Ladbrokes.com, The Conservation Foundation and the Tasmanian State Government have made every attempt to ensure that the information and other published data on this website is accurate and up to date. However due to the inherent nature of this data none of the above mentioned organisations or their employees or servants can be held liable for any mistakes inadvertently or otherwise contained herein. Use of this website and participation in the Ladbrokes.com Big Bird Race is therefore entirely at the risk of the user.