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 NSW, 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 overwhsi 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).
Further Report, with lots of pictures, here.