Working through some images during lockdown. Some rare photos of the endangered Bridled Nail Tail Wallaby from AWC’s Scotia Sanctuary. Click on the image to see full size.
Bridled Nail Tail Wallaby
Category Archives: Scotia Sanctuary
Scotia Special
AWC in the Simpson
While crossing the Simpson Desert our convoy passed another heading east to west. They were a group of 3 motorcycles. The Doc was “Tail End Charlie” (the last in the convoy) and stopped to tell the leader he was the last car. The leader of the other group said he was an AWC supporter and gave The Doc the thumbs up after seeing the stickers on the side of The Doc’s car.
Next week the Doc is off to AWC’s Mornington Sanctuary in The Kimberly, should be great.
A bridled nail tail wallaby this time, once thought to be extinct in Australia, but now thriving on AWC’s Scotia Sanctuary.
The Doc’s Road Trip
Here is a map of the last road trip, just under 8,000km (excluding the flight which was 390km). The plane flight over Lake Eyre and Anna Creek Station are the “wings” you can see in South Australia.
Odometer milestones were:
- 25,000km at Warrumbungles, NSW
- 26,000km between Cobar and Wilcannia, NSW
- 27,000km AWC’s Scotia Sanctuary, NSW
- 29,000km Simpson Desert, SA
- 30,000km Innamincka, SA
- 31,000km near Cobar, NSW
Next week The Doc flies to AWC’s Mornington Sanctuary in the Kimberlies, Western Australia.
AWC’s Scotia Sanctuary
The Doc has had the privilege of visiting Scotia Sanctuary run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy or AWC over the past weekend. It was a Supporter’s event, as The Doc is a Foundation Supporter of AWC.
Scotia is in Outback New South Wales, near the South Australian border, about half between Broken Hill and Mildura. It is remote, meaning the Sanctuary needs to be heavily self reliant.
Small mammals in Australia are in critical decline, Australia already has the worst mammal extinction record in the world and many more may follow. Animals like the numbat, bilby, boobie, woylie, bridled nail tail wallaby and rufous-hair wallaby (also known as the mala).
These small marsupials cannot defend themselves against feral predators like the fox and cats. Feral cats in Australia are extraordinarily destructive. A conservative estimate indicates the cats take 75 million small mammals, birds and reptiles every night. Then you have foxes, land degradation by feral herbivores (camels, buffalo, donkeys, goats, etc.) and wildfires.
These precious populations are protected by feral free areas behind electrified fences, supported by a team of land managers, feral eradication experts (not all the property has an electric fence) scientists and researchers on the ground.
Over 80 cents in every dollar given to AWC goes to the field, a figure far higher than other conservation groups. Work is based on science and results tracked. People are accountable. The result is that AWC now cares for a large percentage of these remaining populations of critically endangered animals.
While small mammals are a priority work also involve birds like the Endangered Gouldian finch and purple crowned wren. Threatened flora and rebuilding on the overall habitat are priorities as well. A healthy landscape will allow the birds and animals to flourish. So The Doc got see how the Australian habitat looked like before European settlement. We need to improve our stewardship of the land and our animal capital by good science, sensible polices and hard work. AWC shows individuals working together can make a difference and a big one. People need to take ownership instead of looking to governments.
The Doc now prepares for the Simpson Desert crossing in a few days, and will leave you with a picture of the ever so cute mala, (one of the rarest mammals in Australia).
Sometimes jokingly referred to as the T Rex of the marsupial world, because of is tiny front legs and large hind legs (relative to its body size).
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