Friends of the Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby
Do you know that Kangaroo Valley’s Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies are facing imminent extinction? Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were once common throughout Eastern Australia. Now they are endangered. Only approximately 20 individuals remain in the wild in Victoria and not many more in Kangaroo Valley, the southern extent of their range in NSW. The Friends are working to pull these iconic Kangaroo Valley Rock-wallabies back from the edge of extinction.
On the edge
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’s our goal?
Over twenty 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.
In addition, The Friends have a strong focus on gaining support through ongoing community education about the species, its predators and the predator control works required. Furthermore, The Friends also promote a responsible pet ownership program to ensure that pets don’t become Rock-wallaby predators or enter 1080 baited areas.
Why is Kangaroo Valley a priority site for Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby conservation?
Being an isolated population at the southern extent of their range in NSW, the Kangaroo Valley Rock-wallabies are genetically distinct. Therefore, conserving genetic diversity is crucial to the overall security of the species. Most importantly, genetic diversity improves their resilience to predation, disease, competition, habitat fragmentation, drought and fire.
Kangaroo Valley Rock-wallabies – a sound investment and a wonderful legacy
Help us to continue our work to protect this ambiguous yet iconic species, especially the most southern population in NSW.
Browsing through our website you will be able to see how you can help. This includes becoming a member, symbolically adopting a Rock-wallaby, purchasing some of our merchandise or making a tax-deductible donation.
Please take a few minutes to view our website.
Additionally you can share our fight to save the brush-tailed rock-wallabies on Facebook and Instagram. And moreover, you can stay up to date on our work via these social media platforms.
Furthermore, every membership, adoption and tax-deductible donation we receive is vital to our work. Most importantly, we have great chance to save the vulnerable joeys we can save from European foxes, feral cats or wild dogs.
Adopt
Help protect these endangered little Aussie rock-stars through a $60 symbolic adoption.
Donate
Your generous donation is very important to us, to help preserve a threatened species.
Join
Your support helps preserve, protect and recover our local Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby population.
Merchandise
Help keep us running so that we can help our Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby colonies recover.