Black flanked wallabies from Mt Caroline and Nangeen Hill in the Central Wheatbelt electorate are providing the species with a brighter future elsewhere in the State.
Having been transferred from the Wheatbelt region to Kalbarri National Park in May, monitoring shows the relocated wallabies are thriving in their new Mid West home.
Following the discovery of a tiny population in a Kalbarri gorge in August last year, 23 radio-collared wallabies from the Wheatbelt were introduced to two locations at Kalbarri to boost local colony numbers.
Member for Central Wheatbelt Mia Davies MLA said the wallabies had been considered extinct in the Mid West region for 20 years until the recent discovery of two animals and a joey.
“This was exciting news and resulted in quick action by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, with help from WWF Australia, to secure the future of the species in the park,” Ms Davies said.
Of the 23 animals released earlier in the year, only one has died while two others have lost their radio collars and are unable to be tracked.
“The other 20 rock wallabies have settled in well to their new home,” Ms Davies said.
“These results are encouraging because none of the wallabies have succumbed to predators, which shows they have been able to quickly establish themselves in the suitable habitat.
“We hope to see images of new joeys appearing on the 36 remote sensing cameras that have been deployed throughout the park.”
Feral cats, foxes and goats are considered to be the main factors in the original decline of rock wallabies in the national park.
Under the Western Shield wildlife conservation program foxes have been baited in the park since 1996, and cat baiting is being implemented as part of $1.7 million in Australian Government funding to integrate the Eradicat bait into Western Shield baiting programs.
This was the first ever translocation of the species into the Mid West and the first of a number of planned releases of wallabies into the park over the next three years.
For media enquiries please contact Mia Davies on 08 9041 1702 (Merredin office), 08 9622 2871 (Northam office) or email mia.davies@mp.wa.gov.au
