Published Monday, 16 June, 2008 at 06:13 PM
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation
The Honourable Andrew McNamara
Proserpine rock-wallabies hop off to new island home
Two endangered Proserpine rock-wallabies bred at David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast will be relocated to North Queensland tomorrow (17 June 2008), in preparation for their release back into their natural environment.
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the captive breeding program is part of the State Government’s effort to ensure the survival of the endangered species in Queensland.
“The 9-month-old male and female joeys are being transported from the Gold Coast to Airlie Beach where they will soon join a colony of 65 other Proserpine rock-wallabies on Hayman Island,” Mr McNamara said.
“These captive-bred joeys will be acclimatised in an enclosure at Airlie Beach until the end of July to help them adjust to the change in environment before they join the island’s population.
“David Fleay Wildlife Park has a long tradition of successfully breeding and displaying native animals for scientific and educational purposes.
“I am advised that this is one of the first captive breeding programs of a threatened species that’s succeeded in establishing a self-sustaining introduced population on a predator free island.”
Mr McNamara said Proserpine rock-wallabies were introduced to Hayman Island because of its habitat and the ability to manage introduced species of predators on the island.
“The Proserpine rock-wallaby is unique to the Whitsundays region where there are estimated to be only between 375 and 750 animals left in the wild,” he said.
“The major threats to its survival are habitat clearing and fragmentation, predators and the introduction of diseases by dogs and cats making Hayman Island – with the only naturally occurring predators on the island being eagles – an ideal location for repopulation of the species.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the captive breeding program is part of the State Government’s effort to ensure the survival of the endangered species in Queensland.
“The 9-month-old male and female joeys are being transported from the Gold Coast to Airlie Beach where they will soon join a colony of 65 other Proserpine rock-wallabies on Hayman Island,” Mr McNamara said.
“These captive-bred joeys will be acclimatised in an enclosure at Airlie Beach until the end of July to help them adjust to the change in environment before they join the island’s population.
“David Fleay Wildlife Park has a long tradition of successfully breeding and displaying native animals for scientific and educational purposes.
“I am advised that this is one of the first captive breeding programs of a threatened species that’s succeeded in establishing a self-sustaining introduced population on a predator free island.”
Mr McNamara said Proserpine rock-wallabies were introduced to Hayman Island because of its habitat and the ability to manage introduced species of predators on the island.
“The Proserpine rock-wallaby is unique to the Whitsundays region where there are estimated to be only between 375 and 750 animals left in the wild,” he said.
“The major threats to its survival are habitat clearing and fragmentation, predators and the introduction of diseases by dogs and cats making Hayman Island – with the only naturally occurring predators on the island being eagles – an ideal location for repopulation of the species.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004