The brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillataes) a marsupial mammal native to the australian continent. It has an elongated tail, even longer than the head and body. The body length approximates 55 cm while the tail is 58 cm. It inhabits rocky terrain and open areas of forests, places with numerous ledges, caves and crevices. It feeds mainly on grasses, which comprise 35-50% of its total diet, but supplements its diet with leaves, sedges, ferns, roots, bark, fruit, seeds, and flowers.
The populations of this wallabi they decreased markedly with the European colonization in Australia. Previously, it was distributed throughout the southeast of the country, while currently it is restricted to the most southeastern areas of the continent. This species has several threats which they attribute to their categorization by the IUCN as “vulnerable” on the Red List.
The european red fox (vulpes vulpes) it’s a invasive predator that posed a major threat to the brush-tailed rock wallaby. The wallabies were forced to take refuge in rocky areas that are inaccessible to foxes.
On the other hand, the habitat loss, environmental degradation, hunting, food competition with domestic herbivores such as sheep, goats and rabbits, present great risks to the wallabi species. Consequently, by 1930 half a million individuals were lost in the state of New South Wales.
Additionally, the fires in Australia that have been going on in recent years have destroyed almost 40% of the brush-tailed rock wallaby’s habitat.
Due to all the threats that have divided the population of this species into subpopulations, it is estimated that approximately 40 individuals possess great genetic diversity, creating an opportunity to translocate the mammal and guaranteeing a chance for its survival.
Choosing an area for your migration is not easy as you must meet certain characteristics. Barry W. Brook of the University of Tasmania’s School of Natural Sciences and Australian Biodiversity and Heritage Center of Excellence is investigating where the species is suitable for translocation, ensuring its survival and conservation.
The presence roughness of the terrain is essential as a potential location since it works as a refuge for predators. On the other hand, it is also advisable to move a population to a location that was previously habitual.
It was discovered at eastern half of Tasmania as a potential translocation area, but as it is an area that has predators and where the wallaby has never inhabited before, it was proposed to carry out a test translocation on Maria Island. This is a National Park with rocky surfaces offering the species one last chance to survive. The translocation of the brush-tailed rock wallaby is essential and urgent to ensure the survival of the species.
On the other hand, the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has responded to the continued decline of the wallabi species with a program that incorporates a survey to locate all sites where the wallabi exist, a community awareness and engagement campaign, the development and implementation of Population Management Plans (PMPs) for existing sites, and ongoing research on threats and impacts.
SOURCES:
National Geographic
animal diversity