Latest news with #LeadbeatersPossum
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Alasdair McDonald
Forest ecologist Professor David Lindenmayer says the shock discovery of critically endangered Leadbeater's possum is likely a new subspecies. 2h ago 2 hours ago Sun 1 Jun 2025 at 7:57am The Australian Workers Union says it is looking at legal action over claims Snowy 2.0 workers were locked down during this week's strike action. Fri 23 May Fri 23 May Fri 23 May 2025 at 5:43am The family of Canberra man Harri Jokinen, who was killed during a high-speed police pursuit on the Monaro Highway in 2021, hopes an inquest into his death will lead to a change in policy. Fri 16 May Fri 16 May Fri 16 May 2025 at 5:24am Snowy Mountains councillor Andrew Thaler has been ordered to apologise for alleged misconduct. He says he has been denied the presumption of innocence. Tue 6 May Tue 6 May Tue 6 May 2025 at 9:42am NSW government reviews Snowy Mountain councillor Andrew Thaler's behaviour after his colleagues accuse him of poor conduct. Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar Thu 20 Mar 2025 at 12:47am The 34-year-old's body was found south of Eden after a three-day search by emergency services. Mon 10 Mar Mon 10 Mar Mon 10 Mar 2025 at 6:10am Senior Constable Brett David Lindsay will face two separate court hearings for six assault charges relating to alleged incidents while he was on duty on the NSW Far South Coast. Mon 17 Feb Mon 17 Feb Mon 17 Feb 2025 at 9:49pm Missing hiker Hadi Nazari left a trail of clues, but trying to find him in some of the most rugged terrain in NSW was still hard work. Thu 9 Jan Thu 9 Jan Thu 9 Jan 2025 at 7:20am The family of Hadi Nazari, missing in the NSW Snowy Mountains for over a week, is calling for resources from Victoria to be called in to help find the 23-year-old. Fri 3 Jan Fri 3 Jan Fri 3 Jan 2025 at 9:45pm As the search for Hadi Nazari continues in Kosciuszko National Park, the man's friends say they have been given hope by the discovery of some of his possessions in the rugged NSW Snowy Mountains. Thu 2 Jan Thu 2 Jan Thu 2 Jan 2025 at 6:30am Sailor Luke Watkins spent 45 minutes in the water after he was thrown overboard during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race early on Friday morning. He says his safety training and quick thinking from his crew saved his life. Fri 27 Dec Fri 27 Dec Fri 27 Dec 2024 at 5:22pm Hundreds of cases of flesh-eating Buruli ulcer have been reported in Victoria this year, a new study has named a NSW tourist town as the next potential hotspot and has warned of possible spread along NSW coastline Fri 20 Dec Fri 20 Dec Fri 20 Dec 2024 at 9:20pm A high school on the NSW far south coast has closed today after two cleaners found a staff room alight early this morning. The cleaners suffered smoke inhalation, and an investigation into the fire is underway. Wed 4 Dec Wed 4 Dec Wed 4 Dec 2024 at 6:15am Senior Constable Brett David Lindsay pleads not guilty to six assault charges relating to alleged incidents while he was on duty on the NSW far south coast. Mon 25 Nov Mon 25 Nov Mon 25 Nov 2024 at 3:01am A police officer is suspended with pay over the charges, which stem from an incident at a Batemans Bay shopping centre. Fri 8 Nov Fri 8 Nov Fri 8 Nov 2024 at 1:25am Iain Dawson has pleaded guilty to transferring $34,000 of art gallery funds into his own bank account. Wed 16 Oct Wed 16 Oct Wed 16 Oct 2024 at 7:15am Senior Constable Kristian White will face a jury trial in November after he pleaded not guilty over the death of the great-grandmother who was tasered in a Snowy Mountains nursing home in 2023. Wed 16 Oct Wed 16 Oct Wed 16 Oct 2024 at 6:18am Robert Karl Huber has pleaded not guilty to murdering his partner Lindy Lucena, 64, in a Ballina laneway in January 2023. He will face trial later this year. Fri 11 Oct Fri 11 Oct Fri 11 Oct 2024 at 5:01am The Walbunja people of the NSW far south coast have been handed back an important piece of their culture, once owned by the late environmental activist, academic and philosopher Val Plumwood. Mon 23 Sep Mon 23 Sep Mon 23 Sep 2024 at 8:33pm Kristian White is set face trial in NSW Supreme Court on one count of manslaughter after the death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland. Wed 11 Sep Wed 11 Sep Wed 11 Sep 2024 at 3:30am These First Nations students are the traditional people of the New South Wales Snowy Mountains, yet some of them had never set foot on snow before. Sun 8 Sep Sun 8 Sep Sun 8 Sep 2024 at 6:40am A hydrologist says the Snowy 2.0 pumped-hydro scheme will be more resilient to climate change than its predecessor but predicted extreme droughts will cause issues. Thu 5 Sep Thu 5 Sep Thu 5 Sep 2024 at 4:45am The snow season at Charlotte Pass could be under threat after a devastating fire, as its owners meet with the State Government to help plan their recovery. Thu 23 May Thu 23 May Thu 23 May 2024 at 4:21am After 55 years growing oysters, Bernie Connell and his oyster "Jill" look set to break world records after this weekend's Narooma Oyster Festival on the NSW far south coast. Sun 5 May Sun 5 May Sun 5 May 2024 at 7:57am Yuliya Pashkovska, who died at an unpatrolled beach on the New South Wales' South Coast on Tuesday is being remembered as a "much-loved" health care provider. Thu 21 Mar Thu 21 Mar Thu 21 Mar 2024 at 6:25am
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Endangered Leadbeater's possum found in Kosciuszko National Park
A forest expert says after decades of speculation, scientists may have stumbled upon a new subspecies of the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum inside Kosciuszko National Park. Forest ecologist David Lindenmayer said while the possum was thought to be extinct in New South Wales, a research team from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water had likely stumbled across a new subspecies of the animal. After reviewing almost 1 million images from ground-based wildlife cameras set up to survey the also critically endangered smoky mouse, the possum was spotted in seven photos taken over a period of just 10 seconds in October. The images weren't discovered until last week. "It looks like a sugar glider, except it's not a glider," Professor Lindenmayer said. "It's a jumping possum that moves like greased lightning in the forest understorey, and this really illustrates the importance of large, protected areas like Kosciuszko National Park." All that was previously known about the mammal's NSW population was from fossil records from around the Yarrangobilly Caves and the Wombeyan Caves, outside Goulburn. "I think this is a relic population that has always been there, just in very small numbers that are very hard to detect," Professor Lindenmayer said. "This new discovery is very significant because other subspecies of the possum in Victoria are now getting perilously close to being lost. "There is a lowland population in southern Victoria, which is now down to about 40 individuals. "This new discovery shows there are some other safety populations outside that one." Two Leadbeater's possums were recently released into Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve in Victoria, in a decade-long effort to help rehabilitate the species. Professor Lindenmayer said after a climate model dating back to 1989 had predicted the possible presence of the marsupial in Kosciuszko National Park, he had been unable to sight the animal. "I spent several months wandering around the park doing night-time surveys and daytime vegetation assessments, and I never saw one in the park," he said. "I had a feeling it might be there, so this new discovery is wonderful news." NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the department would now conduct further surveys on the population. "It's an amazing discovery that we weren't expecting," she said. "We are really hopeful that this means this possum that we thought was previously extinct in NSW, is actually making a recovery." Ms Sharpe said the department would work with Victorian authorities on better understanding the species. "We know there are many threatened species, so to find one in New South Wales that we thought was extinct gives great hope to all our environmental programs that animals can return if we look after their habitat," she said. Professor Lindenmayer said while improvements in survey technology, such as cameras, had helped lead to the discovery, more would not be known until the population's genes were sequenced. "I think the population has been quite isolated from the populations in central Victoria, and they are not necessarily an easy animal to catch, but they are [able to be trapped] with the right techniques," he said. "It will be possible to take small tissue or hair samples to work out what its genetics are to see whether it's closely or distantly related to the animals in Victoria."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trail camera captures extinct animal in iconic Aussie national park: 'Extraordinary'
A tiny possum believed to be extinct in NSW has been discovered in trail camera images inside the iconic Kosciuszko National Park. The incredible images of the Leadbeater's possum were inadvertently captured during research for another endangered species, and have left experts thrilled. The critically endangered species, weighing only 125g, has only ever been recorded alive in Victoria. The only trace of the possum in NSW previously were bones – believed to be up to 200 years old – that were found in caves near the the recent detection site in Yarrangobilly. Fred Ford and Martin Shultz, researchers from the NSW Government ecosystems and threatened species team, caught the images during camera trap surveys for the endangered smoky mouse. The find was then confirmed by the Australian National University [ANU] and Healesville Sanctuary. Biodiversity Council member Prof David Lindenmayer from ANU has long suspected Leadbeater's possums could be living in Kosciuszko National Park, but at the time of his survey around Yarrangobilly 35 years ago, camera traps were hard to come across. 'How exciting it is to live in a country where new discoveries are being made!' he said. 'This discovery shows that just because a species has not been positively detected at a location, you cannot be confident that it is not there. Many of our most imperilled species are hard to detect. 'With so little high-quality habitat left in Australia, we should do our utmost to protect remaining areas; hopefully, there will be many more wonderful discoveries ahead, especially as detection techniques improve.' NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe labelled the discovery as 'extraordinary'. 'For ecologists to spot a needle in a haystack of millions of images speaks to their commitment to the conservation cause and demonstrates that NSW Government threatened species officers are doing some of the most incredible work. I congratulate them on this discovery,' she said. She added that it only highlights the importance of removing invasive species from the park. The biggest threat to native flora and fauna in Kosciuszko are brumbies, which have been the target of recent culling. Images from previous surveys in the region are now being reexamined for any further evidence of the possums. More camera are also being deployed across the park to learn more about the species. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Critically endangered Leadbeater's Possums released for new breeding program
Two Leadbeater's Possums have been released into a sanctuary at the Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve. Scientists from the Healesville Sanctuary hope the possums will establish a new colony and breed in the wild, boosting numbers and improving genetic diversity for the species. Supplied: Healesville Sanctuary
ABC News
4 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Breeding program launched in Victoria for critically endangered Leadbeater's possums
Protected by a predator-proof fence, two tiny Leadbeater's possums have settled into their new life at the Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve with a big task ahead. Named Mercury (male) and Narvi (female), the possums have been raised and released by scientists from the Healesville Sanctuary in a decade-long effort to help rehabilitate the species. Healesville Sanctuary's threatened species keeper Amie Hindson said the pair had settled in well to their new habitat and were showing signs of forming a positive bond. "They were getting together straight away from night one, so that was a really good sign that they were getting along pretty well," she said. Scientists will continue to monitor the possums in the hope they will successfully establish a new colony in the wild. The Leadbeater's possum is unique to Victoria and was named the state's animal emblem in 1971. They are only found in the mountain ash forests of the Victorian central highlands, from Healesville and Marysville to Mt Baw Baw. Adult possums are about 40 centimetres in length and have distinctive markings on their face. There are two distinct groups of Leadbeater's possums: highland and lowland. Highland possums live in the central highlands of Victoria, and lowland possums only live at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area. Once presumed extinct, the Leadbeater's possum was rediscovered in 1961, with the lowland population thought lost until 1986. Ms Hindson said the species was now listed as critically endangered due to habitat loss. "There are a lot of issues due to habitat loss and poor quality habitat, which are really affecting possum numbers in the wild." Both populations are critically endangered, with fewer than 40 lowland possums remaining in the wild. Scientists at Healesville have been working to establish a captive breeding program with the highland Leadbeater. Female possum Narvi was a successful result of that program. Her match with Mercury, a lowland Leadbeater, marks a first for the sanctuary as it tries to successfully match a mixed pairing. Healesville field officer Arabella Eyre worked to bring Mercury into the breeding program. She said breeding across the populations would hopefully ensure greater genetic diversity among wild populations. "The lowland population is so small, there are fewer than 40 individuals left in the wild," she said. "That's nine breeding pairs, and that can only hold on for so long. The team is radio tracking the possums and providing supplementary food as the possums adjust to wild conditions. As Mercury and Narvi settle into their new forest home, scientists will continue to monitor their progress with hopes that a new joey may soon join the pair. "That would mean so much to us," Ms Eyre said.
