Custom-made refuge for naturally occurring endangered Greater Gliders
iPhone surveillance reveals nest boxes instantly used, as habitat destruction beyond the Sanctuary pushes species to extinction
Body condition & weight checked for adorable hatchlings barely the size of a 50-cent piece
Conservation organisation Aussie Ark has erected 150 custom-made nest boxes in its Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, providing a critically needed refuge for the endangered Greater Glider.
Surveillance using an iPhone on the end of an extendable pole has enabled Aussie Ark team members to check the habitation of the nest boxes. At the time of press, 20 of the 150 nest boxes had been checked to monitor success. Aussie Ark is thrilled to report that most of the boxes were indeed occupied by sleepy Greater Gliders!
The Greater Glider is the world’s largest gliding marsupial, capable of ‘flying’ for up to 100 metres per leap. Once airborne, they steer their bodies by using their long tails and can change direction by 90-degree angles mid-flight. They are nocturnal, navigating the dark treetops thanks to extraordinary eyesight and hearing. During the day, they need to avoid predation and conserve energy by sleeping. Their preferred bedrooms are tree hollows, but sadly, habitat destruction has made those bedrooms few and far between.
So Aussie Ark came up with the solution of nest boxes. These are kindly made and donated by volunteers at local Men’s Sheds, with design and size perfectly engineered to suit the Greater Glider. The species naturally occurs in the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary and thrives there. Safe from tree felling and ferals, it’s estimated that between 200 to 300 Greater Gliders occupy the Sanctuary…with 62 individuals counted on just one night of spotlighting! This number is extraordinary for a species whose population is collapsing beyond the Sanctuary’s perimeters.
Aussie Ark Operations Manager Dean Reid oversaw the installation of the nest boxes throughout the 400-hectare feral-proof Sanctuary and is thrilled with the result.
“It’s so rewarding doing this work!” Mr Reid said. “It proves the Sanctuary is not only an oasis for our rewilded species like the Tasmanian Devil and Eastern Quoll, but also naturally occurring species that may need our help.”
If you’d like to help Aussie Ark install more nesting boxes in the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary and ensure the long-term survival of the Greater Glider, please donate now at aussieark.org.au.
