Completing Our Wild Broad-Headed Snake Collection

This is a huge milestone for oue unique holistic conservation program in partnership with University of Technology Sydney and Traditional Owners

Conservation organisation Aussie Ark is thrilled to announced it has secured the final three endangered Broad-Headed Snakes to complete its world-first wild insurance population.

In partnership with Professor Jonathan Webb of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the organisation famously secured 17 snakes when it started the program last year. With a license for 20, Aussie Ark went back into the field this spring to collect one female and two males needed to complete its breeding and rewilding program.

The snakes’ new home is specialised terrariums in Aussie Ark’s Conservation Ark facility in the grounds of the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby NSW. The three new residents were given a rigorous health check including mouth swabbing for DNA to optimise pairing based on genetics. With spring and summer the snakes’ breeding months, pairing is a huge focus at Conservation Ark with hope for young in early 2026.

Whilst on-site securing the three new snakes, Aussie Ark met with UTS’ Professor Jonathan Webb and Traditional Owners to discuss future habitat protection and restoration. The snake is only found in the Sydney sandstone basin, and this habitat has been badly impacted by illegal rock removal for selling at nurseries and landscape suppliers.

“Our aim is to protect the snakes, prohibit site access with gates, introduce fake rocks to restore habitat, and then put the offspring of Aussie Ark’s captive insurance population back out there on restored habitat,” Professor Webb said. “That’s the only way we’re going to reverse the species’ decline. If we do nothing, this population is doomed.

In consultation with the Gurungada Cultural Land Management & Native Conservation Services, Nowra Local Aboriginal Land Council & Lilly Connolly Aboriginal Corporation, Aussie Ark is also funding a program to help train indigenous rangers to restore habitats and monitor the survival of broad-headed snakes On Country.

“I believe this creates a great opportunity to educate our young people and teach them why habitat restoration is so important,” Gurungada Director Jason Groves said. “There’s no doubt this snake would be a totem animal to some of the people in the region. We all need to work together to ensure this special reptile has a future.”

Aussie Ark Managing Director Tim Faulkner said he is delighted with the three new snakes and “very proud” about this holistic conservation program.

“We’re funding habitat restoration, Traditional Owner engagement, and working hard alongside UTS to ensure the best possible future for this iconic reptile,” Mr Faulkner said. “It’s resource-heavy, expensive and complex, so we hope the program inspires the help of our supporters, the wider community, and government agencies.”