Tasmanian devils in top form ahead of Barrington release

BY ALEXANDRA REES

Conservation organisation Aussie Ark has recently conducted health checks of their Tasmanian Devils born and bred at the Barrington Tops.

Carried out by expert staff, the checks ensure the animals are in the best health ahead of their release into the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Aussie Ark curator Kelly Davis says the process is essential.

"We want to give all the devils a really good look over," she said. "We weigh them to make sure they are within a healthy weight range.

"Going out into our sanctuary we wouldn't want them to be underweight or in any way at a disadvantage, we also check for any little injuries and things like that."

Ms Davis says the prime focus is to guarantee a successful breeding season and this year's release into the sanctuary will help boost the devil population from last year. 

"We have done a release of Tasmanian devils into our 400 hectare sanctuary before last year and they've  bred successfully," she said.

"The upcoming breeding season that'll start early next year, the individuals that we're releasing are going to boost the genetic diversity of that population and some of the ones we have confirmed to be born in the sanctuary last year will be old enough to breed."

Image credit: Aussie Ark.

Thermal drones detect thriving koala population in the Barringtons

BY ALEXANDRA REES      

Aussie Ark has conducted a broad-scale koala population survey in their Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary using thermal drones to count the animals.

Operations Manager Dean Reid says they spent five nights in the field, in freezing conditions.

"Aussie Ark, along with our partners WIRES and the veterinary teams from the University of Sydney, went into our Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a 400 hectare predator proof sanctuary looking for koalas," he said.

"We've seen a couple on camera traps so we knew there was a population in there, but we didn't know how big it was, so we wanted to get the data and obviously see how the koalas are doing up in the Barringtons." 

The survey helps determine the abundance of koalas in the area, as well as testing to check for the presence of diseases such as chlamydia and retrovirus.

Mr Reid says these kinds of surveys are essential to sustain the koala population. 

"It's really important these surveys happen, because the koalas are in huge decline," he said.

"We didn't know there was such a population up in the Barrington Tops and it's really good to see there is a thriving population there."

"It gets a picture and a window of maybe new genetics, disease-free if they are, which is really important for the koala population and Aussie Ark." 

Endangered Wallaby 'Paused' Pregnancy Shocks Wildlife Rangers

BY DARCY MCGAVIN

Hunter wildlife conservationists have been shocked by the surprise birth of a Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, whose development had been 'paused' since last October.

The process is known as Embryonic Diapause, which temporarily freezes the development of the embryo. 

It helps to ensure survival of fetuses less than 4 weeks old, which are incredibly vulnerable if not given an ideal environment to be raised in. 

The pregnancy is believed to have been held due to the mother already carrying another joey.  

Aussie Ark, a conservation not-for-profit project, has been working to protect the wallabies since 2018, which are currently endangered, and have been put at additional risk after the 2019-20 bushfires that threatened habitats and food sources.

The mother will be monitored remotely at the Barrington Tops site while it is carrying the joey, and will have little staff interference until the joey is able to move independently, where it will be given a health checkup. 

When the joey has stopped feeding from its mother and has become independent, it will be moved to a new breeding yard.  

Potoroos to be Released in the Barrington Tops

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Thirty long-nosed Potoroos are set to be released into a Barrington wildlife sanctuary this week. 

One of the lesser-known Australian marsupial species, the Potoroo is one of the smallest and oldest relatives of the kangaroo, and has remained relatively unchanged for around 10 million years. 

Since opening their Hunter sanctuary in 2020, Aussie Ark have worked to enclose 400 hectares of native habitat, removing feral predators to provide a safe refuge for the animals. 

Aussie Ark Curator Kelly Davis, said the organisation is committed to reviving the species in the Hunter. 

"Since European settlement, foxes and cats have been a massive issue for them, causing a real decline in their numbers. So, when we made the transition to Aussie Ark, they were one of the species we wanted to bring onboard," Ms Davis said. 

"They were found in the Barrington Tops historically and you still get the odd one or two that's hanging on, but they've had a really big population decline and they're a really important species."

 
"Having an insurance population of Potoroos that we've built up over the last five years, the idea behind that is that we are returning those animals to where they have been lost," she said. 

Referred to by the team as "ecosystem engineers", it's hoped the Potoroo will also have a positive impact on Barrington's environment. 

"They're really vital. They're actually fungivores, so they're eating mushrooms and other fungus and basically in doing that, they're turning over the soil and spreading those fungal spores, which in turn, helps to break down the leaf litter and reduces the fuel in the bush," Ms Davis said. 

"We're talking about an animal that really only gets to about a kilo, and in the numbers that they should have and have historically had, they do play a role in reducing the severity of bushfires." 

The critters are expected to be released in the coming days, following final health checks. 

Ms Davis said "It's crazy to think something so small has such a big impact."

Image: Aussie Ark

New hopes to bring Barrington broad-toothed rat back from the brink

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A critically-endangered animal in the Hunter has been given new hope, after rangers found a small family in the wild.

Rangers with the organisation located a group of six rats in a remote part of the Barrington Tops.

The Barrington broad-toothed rat is on the brink of extinction, but Aussie Ark is optimistic the discovery is a chance to turn those odds around.

Aussie Ark's Deputy Managing Director Liz Gabriel says we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Although it's a rat, it's absolutely beautiful," Ms Gabriel said.

"It's a habitat specialist, so it's only found in a unique part of the alpine swamps of the Barrington region.

"Saving it is critical to the environment that it lives in, and until recently, they've been extremely elusive."

The species is under pressure from feral pests like foxes and cats, as well as bushfires and the impact of climate change.

It's understood, the population has been in decline for years, and only hundreds remain in the wild.

Ms Gabriel says the organisation is looking forward to saving the rat.

"The team are just overwhelmed and so excited to be able to make a difference for another species," Ms Gabriel said.

"These founding animals will form the beginning of a insurance population that will grow and in partnership with the NSW Government, will then return back into the wild environment from which they come from.

"This is a critical step in saving this species from extinction."

Image credit: Aussie Ark.

First Baby Quolls Born in the Barrington Tops in 60 Years

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The birth of 13 Eastern quoll joeys in the Barrington Tops - the first born in the region in 60 years - has given wildlife restoration efforts new hope in bringing the endangered species back from the brink.

A population of 28 quolls was initially reintroduced to the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary by Aussie Ark in 2020.

The nocturnal marsupials went extinct in the wild across Australia in 1963 because of invasive predators such as foxes and feral cats.

More than 100 joeys have been born as part of Aussie Ark's breeding program across the country.

Aussie Ark Ranger Max Jackson says the quolls are thriving in the wild and have even been spotting sunbaking.

“The birth of these lucky 13 joeys, proves that the Eastern quolls are healthy enough to raise young in the wild, without any intervention from us, which is our ultimate goal," Mr Jackson said.

"Hopefully, this is the beginning of a robust and thriving population of Eastern quolls in the Barrington Tops.”

Eastern Quolls Return to Barrington Tops For First Time in 60 Years

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Twenty-eight eastern quolls have been released into the Barrington Tops Wildlife Sanctuary, marking their first return to the area in over 60 years, as part of conservation efforts by organisation Aussie Ark. 

Through a breeding program Aussie Ark has successfully bred the vulnerable species to almost 90 individuals, a number that grows with every season.

“Our ultimate goal is to bolster the Eastern quoll species’ population and rewild the Barrington Tops. The release of these 28 individuals is a massive step in the right direction, ”Aussie Ark’s President Tim Faulkner says. 

Eastern quolls have been largely extinct on mainland Australia and from the Barrington Tops, since the 1960s due to habitat fragmentation and predation from feral foxes, cats and domestic dogs, and for many years were only widespread in Tasmania. 

Over the years they have been re-introduced into fenced wild sanctuaries, like Aussie Ark’s, which provides refuge and a healthy habitat, removed of feral predators.

These ideal conditions allow the species to thrive and therefore breed effectively. 

Last year, the organisation’s breeding record was broken with the birth of 51 quoll joeys. 

First Tassie Devil Joeys Born in Breeding Program This Year, As Snow Falls On Barrington Tops

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Pouch checks have revealed 26 new Tasmanian Devil joeys have been born so far this year, as part of Aussie Ark's breeding program at the Barrington Tops, just in time for the first snow fall of the year.

The devil joeys are reportedly strong and healthy despite the cold weather in the region, with Aussie Ark hoping to to beat last year's number of 69 joeys.

Aussie Ark President Tim Faulkner says the process of checking pouches for devil joeys is one of the most exciting parts of the year.

“Each year, pouch checking is such a special and thrilling process and this year being paired with the first snowfall for the season made it extra special," said Mr Faulkner.

"We are extremely lucky to be able to witness first-hand the circle of life of the Tasmanian devils and the growth of these joeys – now crucial members of their species' insurance population.”

Pouch checking doesn't just help the organisation estimate how many joeys they can expect in the 2020 breeding season - keepers can also assess the health of both mother devils and their young.

Mr Faulkner says staff cannot wait to watch the next generation of Tasmanian devils grow up.

"Our team is working tirelessly every day to make sure Tasmanian devils do not go extinct – extinction is not an option!" said Mr Faulkner.

"It is encouraging to see that every breeding season is bigger than the last and it’s looking positive to be another stellar year!”

Conversation organisation Aussie Ark currently have the most successful captive breeding program for the endangered animals on the Australian mainland.

All Images Credited to Aussie Ark

Keeper Kelly and Max

Tasmanian Devil Joeys

Image credit: Aussie Ark

 Tasmanian Devil Joeys

Tasmanian Devil Joey

Barrington Tops