OUT OF AUSTRALIA A FILM BY RON ORDERS AND ARPAD BONDY 16 mm - 52 minutes - Color 1987 THE STORY Australia has a unique range of flora and fauna. There are many remarkable species of birds and reptiles which occur only on that continent. As a result these animals are much in demand by collectors in the rest of the world. The fact that Australia has had a total ban on the export of all its native wildlife for many years only adds to their rarity overseas, and to the profits to be made in the illegal trade. OUT OF AUSTRALIA introduces some of the characters involved in this trade, and also shows some of the contradictions in Australia's conservation policy. Some of those species of cockatoos which fetch thousands of dollars on the European or American markets are so common in Australia that they are shot and poisoned as pests. But trade in them is still prohibited. Many birds and reptiles are so common that they can be bought in Australia for a few dollars. The problem then is to get them out of the country. Birds may present some problems, but a valuable snake, worth perhaps $6,000 on the U.S market can be packet in a jiffy bag and dropped into the local post office.