Population boom for one of world’s most endangered animals - Northern Hairy-nosed wombat

24/05/2009 11:41:19

Northern Hairy-nosed wombat numbers up 20% in 2 years
May 2009. Queensland's critically endangered Northern hairy-nosed wombat, one of the world's most endangered species, has seen its population increase by 20 per cent in two years thanks to some remarkable State Government recovery efforts.

138 wombats alive - Up from 115 in 2 years
The wombats are more endangered than the Sumatran tiger and the giant panda, but they had grown from 115 to 138 individuals in two years within their only habitat outside Emerald.

In another new initiative funded by Xstrata, wombats are being trapped and an area in south west Queensland to create a second colony to safeguard and further increase the wombat population.

Queensland's Climate Change and Sustainability Minister, Kate Jones, said "This is a dramatic turnaround for an extremely vulnerable species in Queensland. It's the largest population increase in more than 25 years of studying and helping the northern hairy-nosed wombat."

Ms Jones said the Department of Environment and Resource Management had used proven threatened species management techniques to help wombat numbers rise, including

• Building a 20 kilometre predator-proof fence;
• Providing food and water in times of drought;
• Conducting controlled burns to prevent wildfire and improve food quality;
• Removing noxious weeds and pests; and
• Slashing areas of land to stimulate new grass growth.

Entire population found in 1 small area
Ms Jones added "We've created an environment where the wombat has thrived which is a major milestone in our efforts to save this species from extinction. The Department has the skills, and now thanks to a $3 million partnership with mining company Xstrata, a second population should be up and running in a couple of months. Currently, the world's entire population of northern hairy-nosed wombats are only found in one small area at Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland.

New site chosen for second population
"A second colony would halve the risk of one extreme event like disease, fire or flood, wiping out the entire species."

The 130-hectare site near St George was carefully chosen after a two-year search by DERM staff to find a location with suitable soils and food, within the original geographic range of the species.

Work is well under way to create a suitable environment for the new colony which includes building a predator-proof fence with help from Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Northen hairy nosed wombat, being transported back to its burrow. Credit Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Predator proof fence
The four-and-a-half kilometre boundary fence features a unique ‘floppy top' that restricts predators from climbing over, and a wire mesh skirt on both the inside and outside of the fence to stop predators and wombats digging under the fence.

Ms Jones said to record the population at Epping Forest National Park, DERM rangers obtained hair samples of the colony from sticky tape in wombat burrows.

"Monash University analysed these samples using DNA fingerprinting to arrive at the increased population figures of northern hairy-nosed wombats," she said. "Their analysis of the hair samples also indicated that the sex ratio of the population is about even - a sign of a healthy, growing colony.

Discovered in 1937
Regarded as an endangered species since they were first discovered at Epping Forest station in 1937, the northern hairy-nosed wombat is currently listed as Critically Endangered under the World Conservation Union's Redlist of Threatened Species.