Australia's largest ever release of threatened brush-tailed rock-wallabies
15 Apr 2009
Tuesday April 7, 2009: A group of 24 brush-tailed rock-wallabies was airlifted by helicopter and released on a mountain summit in Warrumbungle National Park, as part of the biggest translocation of this species ever undertaken in Australia.
The large scale release unites the WWF-Australia, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary in a common goal - to pull this species, which is listed as endangered in NSW, back from the brink of extinction.
Over recent years this once strong Warrumbungles colony has declined in number to less than eight, prompting radical action to save it from extinction.
"Several populations of brush-tailed rock-wallabies in NSW are currently so low that even with continuous action to tackle the threats they face, colonies are failing to produce enough young to compensate for losses to feral and native predators," said Dr Todd Soderquist, DECC Senior Threatened Species Officer.
"As a result, we're seeing an extinction vortex, where colony sites are gradually blinking out across the landscape," he said.
The brush-tailed rock-wallaby was once common and widespread in rocky habitat throughout south-eastern Australia from southern Queensland to Victoria. However, in the last 200 years their numbers have plummeted, with declines most dramatic in Victoria and in southern and western NSW.
"The ultimate goal is to stabilise or increase populations at priority sites in NSW and prevent any further loss," said Samantha Vine, WWF's Threatened Species Regional Manger.
"All released rock-wallabies will be fitted with radio collars so their movements can be monitored and infra-red cameras will record images of the residents in their new home," she said.
For Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary, today's translocation marks a milestone in a six-year journey that started in 2003 with the commencement of the NSW captive breeding program for this species.
"Since its establishment, Waterfall Springs has played a vital role in the breeding program and continues to invest significant private financial and volunteer resources into constructing purpose-built enclosures to replicate natural brush-tailed rock-wallaby habitat" said Karen O'Mara, Waterfall Springs Communication Manager.
WWF-Australia in partnership with DECC received $273,619 through the Australian Government's Caring for our Country open grants scheme to research colonies, undertake targeted threat abatement and carry out translocations under the project title Pulling Rock-wallabies from an Extinction Vortex.
For more information
Helen Pitman - Communication Manager, WWF-Australia,0439 605 107, hpitman@wwf.org.au
Susie Summers - Senior Public Affairs Officer, DECC,
02 9995 6496 susie.summers@environment.nsw.gov.au
Karen O'Mara - Communication Manager, Waterfall Springs,
0415 326 762, karen@waterfallsprings.com.au
Photos and vision available.
