An emergency operation has successfully seen 12 Brush-tailed Warrumbungle Rock-wallabies translocated to a newly established feral cat and fox free area within Warrumbungle National Park.

 

The translocation effort saw the wallabies relocated by helicopter to the 303-hectare Mount Uringery feral cat and fox free area by an experienced team of scientists, veterinarians, park managers, and species experts.

Whilst the relocated population consists of just 12 rock wallabies, ‘The Warrumbungle Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby population possesses unique genetics that are important for the species’ survival in the face of climate change’, says Atticus Fleming, Deputy Secretary NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The feral cat and fox free area within the park was purpose-built in the westernmost extent of the Warrumbungles as it’s believed the species is uniquely adapted to the hotter, drier climates found in this region of the park. Whilst avoiding predation by feral species, the Brush-tailed Warrumbungle Rock-wallabies also compete with feral goats for similar habitat and food.

Read more: Warrumbungle National Park: Best Hikes, Walks, & Campsites

 

The Broader Conservation Strategy

Under the feral predator-free areas project, ten feral cat and fox-free zones have been established across NSW as part of a broader conservation strategy by NPWS. The project’s overarching aim is to prevent and reverse the decline of threatened species.

In NSW alone, 26 native mammal species have become extinct since European settlement, and of the surviving species 50-60% are threatened with extinction.

Read more: A Record-Breaking Number of Species Added to the Threatened Species List in 2023

The main cause of these extinctions is feral cat and fox predation with 1.5 billion native animals estimated to be killed annually by feral cats alone.

With the translocation efforts to Mount Uringery deemed successful, John Whittall, the Acting Director of Northern Inland NPWS said, ‘It’s a fantastic feeling to know that we’ve been able to put these animals in a place that we know is safe for them, free from feral predators, while NPWS manages those threats’.

Can we save the Warrambungle Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies? We certainly hope so.

Read more: The Cost of Restoring Australia’s Biodiversity

Images supplied by NPWS

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