A new save haven for the critically endangered southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby has been unveiled at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

The purpose of the Jedbinbilla Safe Haven is to protect the wallabies, of which there are less than 100 still alive in the wild, from predators such as the devious fox.

“So this means that predators such as foxes are unable to get to the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. So it can really thrive and really operate as it would in the wild, without the threat of these major predators,” said Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti.

And as part of conservation efforts, the safe haven will be populated by wallabies from a breeding program, designed to make them more genetically robust than those in the wild.

Conservation efforts to protect the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby population here in the ACT have been ongoing since the mid-1990’s.

The wallabies have had it tough for the last few centuries. Over 100 years ago the endangered critters were hunted for their fur, and seen as a pest. Whilst today they are continuously threatened by the Red Fox, loss of habitat, loss of genetic diversity, competition with introduced species, and climate change.

“We do have a long-term dream that one day these animals will go back into the wild, but while their numbers are so small we want to ensure they are not at threat of extinction through things such as predators,” Minister Vassarotti explained.

For more information check out the Tidbinbilla website.

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