It is also the only representative of its subspecies on the continent. While habitat loss, cyclones, cars and dogs have reduced its numbers to less than in the wild - largely concentrated around Mission Beach, Cooktown and on Cape York - a medley of local, state and national governments are working with community and indigenous groups to turn things around for the giant bird.
That said, the greatest contributors to the health of an ecosystem still frequently miss out on conservation attention. A federal government committee told a senate inquiry last year that mammals, birds and flowering plants were represented in greater numbers in conservation efforts than animals that literally have never grown a backbone.
Non-flowering plants, which play a vital role in ecosystems and biodiversity, are simply overlooked. The prehistoric-looking Lord Howe Island stick insect is an unusual invertebrate, in that it is listed nationally and internationally as critically endangered. It also has a dedicated captive breeding program.
Not all threatened insects are so lucky. Hugh Possingham believes that rather than assessing bats, frogs and Tasmanian devils according to the odds of them vanishing from the planet, governments should manage biodiversity by weighing up the cost and chances of success against the unique nature, or taxonomic distinctiveness, of the animal.
Echidnas and platypus score highly on this taxonomic scale, while a medium-sized wallaby would get a low score given the variety of members in its family tree. It sounds drastic. Opponents say it is not that simple, and that triage amounts to assisted, unnatural selection. The Austral-asian Bat Society argues that no one has the right to play God. The independent, non-profit Australian Wildlife Conservancy maintains that if funds are invested correctly, we should be able to save everything.
Threatened-species scientists Deborah Ashworth and Todd Soderquist argue that applying triage to animals and even plants risks placing the most feasible and affordable projects at the top of the list, while letting the more complicated, long-term or expensive slide to the bottom.
But governments are coming around to Possingham's way of thinking. In , Queensland was the first state to introduce a triage test, called Back on Track. The logic underpinning the plan was to recover the greatest number of threatened species. And across the Tasman, New Zealand has identified species in decline and prioritised of those most likely to benefit from intervention. The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has made its own list; starting with species, its focus over the past five years has narrowed to less than And in NSW, where almost a third of native mammals, 28 per cent of birds, 18 per cent of reptiles and 13 per cent of plants are threatened, the state government has signed up to prioritise threatened species.
Australia's first threatened-species commissioner, Gregory Andrews, took up his post in July. Among his tasks is to draw up a list of threatened species most likely to benefit from intervention. What, then, to make of the Tasmanian devil? An army of scientists is dedicated to saving the species.
Captive breeding programs are well established on the mainland, and small islands off Tasmania have been quarantined for healthy devils. But will science deliver a cure in time? Or, more to the point, should we keep investing in the hope that it might?
Granted, the devil's public appeal will keep the dollars dribbling in, even as its population dwindles. But are we taking finite. Has the devil earned its place on the ark?
For Jenny Gray, the answer is clear. At the sanctuary, I bring the young devil's swaddled body closer to mine. I open my forearms a little and spread my fingers wide to support the folds of blanket so she can prop her chin on the edge and watch as keepers prepare her bottle. Her weight is satisfying. Not heavy enough to create strain, but not so light as to seem less than substantial. I know she is there. Our zoos inspire animal lovers of all ages.
And by strengthening the connection between people and wildlife, we hope to protect the future of animals and their homes. Our important work includes breeding and recovery programs; we've built partnerships with local communities, fellow conservationists, and like-minded organisations — close to home and in far-flung corners of the world.
We're a not-for-profit organisation, so every dollar counts. Each time you visit one of our zoos, donate , buy a memento from our shops, or share what you've discovered, you're helping us to protect wildlife. There was no rest. In addition to working in the triage centers to care for wildlife, the vets change and clean bandages for the injured koalas in the hospital in Victoria, all in an area that is open to the public. But several other animals have been affected, and the vets have been treating wounded kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, kookaburras, and honeyeaters, en masse, too.
Close to 1, koalas have perished in the fires and nearly 80 percent of their habitat has been destroyed, according to the World Wildlife Fund, leaving them most at risk. And, as De Gabriele notes, other factors aside from fire play into the dwindling koala population—including chlamydia which results in infertility , other wildlife attacks, and the effects climate change is having on eucalyptus trees themselves.
At the animal sanctuary, vets treat koalas and other animals behind glass windows, so visitors can see their work up close. For the busy vets at Healesville, the work has really just begun. Click here to find out more of our favourite sights at Healesville Sanctuary including other play spaces. Wallaby Wednesdays are on 11am Dress-up as wallabies and join in on pouch races and hopping games.
You might also get the chance to see the special guest appearances by our feathered, scaly, and furry friends! This post contains affiliate links. If you book using the links there is no extra cost to you and I earn a small commission that helps me to provide free, valuable and useful information for you!
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