Queenslanders who leave their dog in the car — even just for a minute — could face jail time and a fine under proposed new laws.

The state government wants people to be charged with animal cruelty in cases where they are breaching their duty of care, even in cases where no heat stress was suffered. An amendment to the existing duty of care will mention how handling an animal includes confining or transporting it in a car.

Breaching that duty of care would carry a maximum fine of $40,035 and a year behind bars.

Queensland bushwalker Neil Parker says he had to ‘carry his leg’ as he crawled for two days to safety when it ‘clean snapped in half’ after falling down a six-metre waterfall in Cabbage Tree Creek on Mount Nebo. 

Mr Parker, an experienced guide with Brisbane Bushwalkers, used his hiking sticks as splints for his leg and spent two days crawling 3km to a spot where he could be rescued by a helicopter. 

“My left foot just below my ankle clean snapped in half,” Mr Parker said. 

A wildlife photographer discovered a rare zebra foal with polka dots, rather than the animals distinctive stripes. 

Wildlife photographer Frank Liu saw the rare zebra during an expedition at the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. 

“I hope the experts will look into this case and share some interesting discoveries soon” he said. 

The foal, who is believed to be about one week old, is the first sighting of its kind in the Maasai Mara area in Kenya. 

Two major studies reveal bird populations in Asia and the US are ‘in crisis.’

The two studies are published in the journals; Science and Biological Conservation. 

Lead researcher Dr Ken Rosenberg from the Cornell lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy says habitat loss driven by human activity is a major factor.

Thousands of Australian school students will again leave their classrooms and millions of workers will also leave their desks for the Global Climate Strike, three days before the UN Emergency Climate Summit. 

More than 100 protests are planned across the nation for today. 

The School Strike 4 Climate event description explains that leaving school or work will show our politicians that people everywhere want climate justice. 

Tension has erupted after the Queensland Government lost an appeal in the Federal Court for the right to use drum lines to catch and kill sharks on the reef to protect swimmers. 

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said she was deeply concerned for the safety of swimmers. 

“I’m calling on the Prime Minister to intervene,” she said.

“I’m sure the Prime Minister does not want to have blood on his hands through this decision in relation to the federal act.”

Water slides, an Indigenous history museum, and a massive car park are the latest community ideas for the Victoria Park golf complex in Brisbane’s heart. 

Brisbane City Council plans to permanently close the golf course and turn it into a 45-hectare park. 

This Sunday, the council will close the complex to host a free Victoria Park party to encourage residents to share their ideas. 

About 163 properties in Highgate Hill were without power from 6pm last night after contact between a truck and overhead infrastructure brought down power lines and pole, starting a fire. 

Downed power lines are still blocking an inner Brisbane road and delaying traffic. 

A spokesperson for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said firefighters worked rapidly to control the situation.