Queensland’s northern hairy-nosed wombat – one of the world’s most endangered species – has seen its population increase by 20 per cent in two years thanks to some remarkable State Government recovery efforts.
Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones today told Parliament the wombats were more endangered than the Sumatran tiger and the giant panda, but they had grown from 115 to 138 individuals in two years within their only habitat outside Emerald.
She said in another new initiative funded by Xstrata, wombats are being trapped and an area in south west Queensland is being treated to create a second colony which will further increase the wombat population.
“This is a dramatic turnaround for an extremely vulnerable species in Queensland,” Ms Jones said.
“It’s the largest population increase in more than 25 years of studying and helping the northern hairy-nosed wombat.
“It’s a testament to the wonderful efforts of our National Parks and Wildlife officers and the Bligh Government’s commitment to protect our endangered species.”
Ms Jones said the Department of Environment and Resource Management had used proven threatened species management techniques to help wombat numbers rise.
She said actions taken to promote the growth at Epping Forest National Park included:
·building a 20 kilometre predator-proof fence;
·providing food and water in times of drought;
·conducting controlled burns to prevent wildfire and improve food quality;
·removing noxious weeds and pests; and
·slashing areas of land to stimulate new grass growth.
“We’ve created an environment where the wombat has thrived which is a major milestone in our efforts to save this species from extinction,” Ms Jones said.
“The Department has the skills, and now thanks to a $3 million partnership with mining company Xstrata, a second population should be up and running in a couple of months.
“Currently, the world’s entire population of northern hairy-nosed wombats are only found in one small area the size of Brisbane’s CBD at Epping Forest National Park, central Queensland.
“A second colony would halve the risk of one extreme event like disease, fire or flood, wiping out the entire species.”
The 130-hectare site near St George was carefully chosen after a two-year search by DERM staff to find a location with suitable soils and food, within the original geographic range of the species.
Work is well under way to create a suitable environment for the new colony which includes building a predator-proof fence with help from Conservation Volunteers Australia.
The four-and-a-half kilometre boundary fence features a unique ‘floppy top’ that restricts predators from climbing over, and a wire mesh skirt on both the inside and outside of the fence to stop predators and wombats digging under the fence.
Ms Jones said to record the population at Epping Forest National Park, DERM rangers obtained hair samples of the colony from sticky tape in wombat burrows.
“Monash University analysed these samples using DNA fingerprinting to arrive at the increased population figures of northern hairy-nosed wombats,” she said.
“Their analysis of the hair samples also indicated that the sex ratio of the population is about even – a sign of a healthy, growing colony.
This research was funded from a grant from the Wombat Foundation and FAME (Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Mammals).
Xstrata Coal Chief Executive Peter Freyberg said he was pleased the company was playing a role in saving an iconic and endangered species.
“Xstrata’s sponsorship allows the DERM project team to create conditions at the second site equivalent to those at Epping Forest National Park,” Mr Freyberg said.
“We are proud to be part of such an innovative project helping to prevent these animals from becoming yet another footnote in our natural history,” he said.
Ms Jones said the increasing population at Epping Forest, experienced team of DERM staff working on the project and financial support from Xstrata to set up a second colony meant the future of the northern hairy-nosed wombat was looking a lot brighter.
Regarded as an endangered species since they were first discovered at Epping Forest station in 1937, the northern hairy-nosed wombat is currently listed as Critically Endangered under the World Conservation Union’s Redlist of Threatened Species.
High resolution images and television footage available
20 May, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Joshua Cooney 3336 8004 or 0409 069 056
Other languages