ROCK-WALLABY RELEASE IN THE WARRUMBUNGLES 7/4/09

The Warrumbungle Mountains are home to around 20 remaining brush-tailed rock wallabies. Once a healthy population, fur harvest in the 1930's and the introduction of foxes have decimated this isolated group of macropods. Yesterday I was lucky enough to be at the release of 23 wallabies to add to this small group.

A few years ago the Landcare group I have been involved with began obtaining some funds to help with a fox baiting program to "keep the fox off our rocks". The aim was to have landholders around the areas where the remaining wallabies lived to bait more often but to not lay as many baits. This effectively creates a sink into which the foxes can't move beyond. A similar program had been done at Mutawintji National Park and resulted in an increase in the population of yellow-footed rock wallabies.

After three years of applying for money and being successful, our group started asking that if the powers that be thought this such a good idea why was there no recurrent money for this type of work? We began talking with National Parks and Rural Lands Protection Board. From these talks these bodies took the program on in a more concerted manner. The Threatened Species Network arm of the World Wildlife Fund also came on board.

These bodies, working together, resulted in the release I attended yesterday.

A healthy population of brush-tailed rock wallabies was found to be living in New Zealand. Originally from Blue Mountains stock, these animals were becoming a pest much the same as possums (there are no foxes in New Zealand). The NZ animals were removed and brought to Australia to be used in a captured breeding program.

Six of the wallabies released were original NZ animals with the others having been bred at Waterfall Springs Sanctuary. Of the 23 animals, five were males. Eight of the females have pouched young. The animals are small, only weighing between 3 - 6kgs. All are fitted with radio collars that will provide 3 - 4 months of monitoring before they will decompose and fall off the animals. The collars have a 5 kilometre range.

The site of the release is Square Top Mountain on the north side of the park chosen for its rocky cliffs. Twenty movement sensing cameras have been placed on the mountain to assist the monitoring.

Arriving a the base of the mountain about 11:30, our landcare members soon met the car from waterfall springs that had half of the animals travelling suspended in bags over the back seat. Cecilia from the sanctuary said the animals are quite 'psychotic' and if they were in cages would bash themselves to death trying to escape. The bags kept them calm and cool. At around midday we heard the choppers. One was a media contingent from the ABC, the other was a Parks chopper that held the rest of the animals. Both landed on the north of Square Top to unload their cargo. The chopper then came to the base station to load up the remaining animals.

A few neighbours had joined the small group to see the action. The feeling was decidedly warm and fuzzy with everyone interested in the details of the animals and the big journey they had been on. No one minded that we couldn't see the animals as to open the bags was a bit risky and could have stressed them even more. I felt like being a part of the release was a great reward for doing voluntary community based work.

Check out the photos and here are a few links to more info on these beautiful little Australian animals.

http://www.coona.net/rockwallaby/

http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/rockwallaby/

http://www.waterfallsprings.com.au

http://www.rockwallaby.org.au/

http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10605