Newsletters
October 2009 - Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby News
Dear Friends,
The Friends of the BTRW held their 14th AGM on 5th September, 2009. The Executive Committee for 2009/2010 is: Susan Robertson, President; John Rowntree, Vice-President; Melinda Norton, Secretary; Brian Care, Treasurer; Ernie Dumpleton, Carla Jackett and Chris Pryor, Non-Office Bearing members of the Committee. Our thanks go to Mick Delmenico, who has retired from the Committee, for his contribution over the past year. We welcome Chris Pryor as a new member of the Committee. Thank you to all the other Executive Committee members for another year of dedication and effort for the conservation of the BTRW.
In other BTRW news, it appears spring has sprung. We are seeing evidence of pouch young with a few of the females at a Kangaroo Valley colony after the translocation of a young male rock-wallaby from the Jenolan Caves into the colony last September. “Twelve” has settled into the colony well and with the fur on his neck fully regrown following the recent removal of his radio-collar, he is looking like quite the impressive male. The intensive fox baiting in the Kangaroo Valley area is going to be more important than every as the pouch young start to venture from their mothers pouches over the following months.
At a second colony in the Kangaroo Valley, the four remote monitoring cameras set up by NPWS have revealed one of the females at this colony also has a pouch young. With an estimated of only five animals at this colony, the survival of each adult and young is essential. The potential for additional fox baiting around this colony is currently being examined.
Nibbler, the offspring of Roxy and Adam at another BTRW colony in the area, has survived its most vulnerable young months and we are hoping that he/she is getting to a big enough size to be able to take care of itself. Nibbler has been out of the pouch for 5 months now. He/she is no longer feeding from Roxy and is regularly turning up in photos from the on-site monitoring cameras in this colony. The other resident of this colony, Polly, a young female released in February this year, has claimed her own rock-pile and is growing into her full adult size. We are hoping to remove her radio-collar over the next few months now she appears to have settled in.
As usual, fox control in the Kangaroo Valley, Bugong and Illaroo areas is intensive and ongoing and we appreciate everyone’s support of these programs. Contact the NPWS Fitzroy Falls Office for further information on the baiting locations and timing. The next fox shoot in these areas is currently being planned and is hoped to commence in October/ November. Landholders in key areas will be contacted shortly to seek interest in participating in the program.
Many thanks to those who support the work of the Friends and NPWS.
Susan Robertson,
President, Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby
