25 Nov HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP TO PARADISE!
HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP TO PARADISE! VULNERABLE WALLABY SPECIES RELEASED IN SANCTUARY Donate Now
Aussie Ark is excited to announce the biggest ever release of Parma Wallabies into our 400 hectare Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary on the Mid North Coast of NSW.
Aussie Ark is the recognised world leader specialising in breeding and rewilding some of Australia’s most endangered species, and over the past five years we have been building up an ‘insurance population’ of the Parma Wallaby at our Species Recovery Unit in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales.
“For the past five years we have conducted a very successful breeding program, we provide the wallabies with all the nutrition, protection and care they need to thrive, and health check them regularly. Most of the wallabies released today were born and bred right here at Aussie Ark.” – Kelly Davis, Aussie Ark Curator.
Aussie Ark released 30 individuals; a record number for the conservation charity organisation. New partners Clarks Shoes were on site with Aussie Ark staff, to enjoy the spectacle.
“It’s always incredible to see animals being released into a wild pristine environment. This is what we work so hard for, and this release is a true career highlight for me. Seeing those little guys bounding away into freedom is a sight I’ll never forget.” – Kelly Davis, Aussie Ark Curator.
Shy and reclusive, this tiny wallaby species was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in the 1960s. Extermination by feral pests including the fox and cat, as well habitat loss and land-clearing, has decimated the species. It is now classified as vulnerable.
The species was once widespread along the NSW coast, from the Queensland border to the Bega Valley in the south-east. But now their range is confined to the coast and ranges of central and northern NSW, with the Gosford district a strong-hold.
The release is an important step for the program, and now Aussie Ark will continue to expand its breeding program for future releases. Rangers will also monitored the released wallabies, and hope to see successful breeding in a wild space next year!
