Newsletters
December 2009 - Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby News
Dear Friends,
Since our October Newsletter there has been another release into a nearby Shoalhaven colony of two captively bred females from Waterfall Springs Sanctuary. They have been named Pinot and Waratah. Waratah is one of the offspring of Warugul who was translocated from a Kangaroo River colony to Waterfall Springs captive breeding programme three years ago. His genetics have now come back into the area, which is very pleasing to us all. The release of Pinot and Waratah was three weeks ago, and they are going well and turning up regularly at the monitoring cameras. They both have, of course, radio-collars and so are being tracked.
Also at this same colony are Roxy and Polly, Adam, and Adam and Roxy's offspring Nibbler. Polly and Adam were previously released into this colony, and Nibbler is the offspring of Roxy and Adam and is now independent of his mother. All animals are doing well.
The Friends have had some more good news. Following on from the largest ever captively bred release in April this year, onto Square Top Mountain in the Warrumbungles, the last five months have been without a mortality among the released BTRW. BTRW movements have recently been a little more wide-ranging, and all animals are behaving as normal providing insights on how Warrumbungles BTRW use their habitat. One of the released females has pouched young, and it's little head is now poking out of the pouch - very good news indeed. This released female is evidently finding enough nutrition to carry a joey to this stage. The next stage of this Warrumbungles project will be to release six more BTRW onto Square Top Mountain in a few months time, followed by intensive monitoring.
The other bit of news is that the Friends have recently received NPWS funding to establish a community pest animal survey, which will involve setting up monitoring cameras on interested owners' properties to identify feral animals that may impact on BTRW. This survey will be followed by a fox shooting programme.
Thank you all who continue to support the work of the Friends and NPWS.
On behalf of the Friends and NPWS, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Susan Robertson,
President, Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby
