Footage taken by the BBC in the Oxley Wild River NP. Although it includes BTRW response to a wedge-tailed eagle (a potential native predator), the BTRW response would be the same if it was a fox in the colony and foxes are the most significant predator they face in our part of the world.
Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies
Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were once abundant throughout eastern Australia, but are now endangered, their southern populations confined to small, isolated pockets of habitat. The remnant population in Kangaroo Valley is the southernmost population in NSW. The colonies still survive due to the hard work of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Inc.
Did you know...?
- NPWS have identified Kangaroo Valley as a priority site for the protection of the species under the Saving Our Species program
- Predation is the primary threat against Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies, particularly from introduced predators such as foxes
- The majority of the Kangaroo Valley Rock-wallaby colonies live on private property so community support is vital for the population’s recovery
Conserving Rock-wallabies
The Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby is a not-for-profit group dedicated to conserving this iconic species. We are working towards a future where Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies thrive in the wild in a biodiverse Australia.
Why are Rock-wallabies endangered?
In the 1900s half a million Rock-wallabies were hunted in Australia for the fur trade and bounties. Introduced foxes, dogs and cats have since savaged remaining populations, particularly at the southern end of their range.
Small remnant southern populations like Kangaroo Valley are trapped in an extinction vortex where the few adults only produce a handful of young, which are easily lost to predation by feral pests, predominately the European fox. But we are steadily winning this battle!
What is being done to help?
Over twenty five years ago the Friends partnered with National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and local landholders to save the last Kangaroo Valley Rock-wallabies. Together we have developed an integrated predator control program, primarily targeting foxes, their number one predator.
Having halted the decline of Rock-wallabies in this remnant southern NSW population, the Friends and NPWS now have their sights set on reaching the ultimate goal of a self-sustaining Shoalhaven population.
