NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia – Thought to be extinct until 1973, scientists relocated 20 wallabies to southwest New South Wales. The translocation was part of a species management plan to improve the genetic diversity of the reintroduced population at Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary in the Barkandji country of Australia.
Ecologists, park rangers, and veterinarians from Village Roadshow Theme Parks used cages to lure twelve males and eight females into cages for the transport to their new home. Each wallaby received a health check, clearing them for travel before they were carefully placed inside pet carriers for their three and a half-hour flight south. The bias towards male wallabies was intended to achieve the desired genetic supplementation at Scotia
“Native animals such as the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby undergo natural cycles of boom and bust in response to prevailing conditions,” Dr Ladd, ecologist with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy said. “The recent drop in Bridled Nailtail Wallaby numbers at Scotia presented an opportunity for us to enhance the genetic diversity of the population without requiring a large number of new animals,” she explained.
Climate change has played a part in the fluctuation of the wallaby population in recent years. Populations increased rapidly after high rainfall in 2010-2011 and remained stable for seven years. In 2018, when the lower Murray Darling region experienced its severest drought in over 120 years, the wallaby population severely dwindled causing the most recent move to save the wallabies.
People interested in helping can symbolically adopt a wallaby. Simply visit the World Wildlife website and sponsor a furry friend.
Reference material courtesy of USETMX, WWF, and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
