01-08-2025
New population of critically endangered southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies established in ACT
Six critically endangered wallabies have been bundled up in backpacks and flown from Victoria to the ACT in a novel mission to help save the species.
There are estimated to be fewer than 60 southern brush-tail rock-wallabies left in the wild.
Three males and three females from the Odonata Foundation's Mt Rothwell Sanctuary were meticulously selected and genetically screened, before being loaded onto a small plane.
Pilot Michael Smith, who delivered the precious cargo to Canberra, said the unusual approach was designed to minimise stress for the marsupials.
"The backpacks have been done so that they sit there on the seats and they're really calm.
"They're upside down, so they're in the foetal position, which reminds them of being in the pouch."
The wallabies will spend 30 days in quarantine before being released into a breeding program at the ACT's Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
Tidbinbilla's senior threatened species program manager, Dr Sarah May, said their arrival was the culmination of years of work.
"It's the best day ever," Dr May said.
The species has not been seen in the wild in the ACT since 1959.
"Foxes are the biggest threat, but then we've got fires, habitat loss, climate change," Dr May said.
There are now more than 300 wallabies at the Mt Rothwell sanctuary.
Matt Singleton from the Odonata Foundation said the goal was to build genetically robust populations in more locations as an insurance policy against extinction.
"While six individuals is not a massive amount of animals to be translocated, it's certainly critically important in sharing the genetic load around different sanctuary sites so we can build those populations up to where they should be," he said.
"They play a really important role in the ecosystem to keep it functioning healthily and they're very charismatic little animals.
"We hope they look after each other a little bit because I don't think they realise how critically endangered they are."
