Taronga Zoo receives rare and endangered Rock-wallabies from Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary

Four juvenile Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies bred at Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary have been relocated to their new home at Taronga Zoo. The three female and one male Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies will participate in a breeding program designed to save the species which is classified as being Endangered of Extinction.

Over 100 years ago, the ancestors of these wallabies were taken from their natural habitats in the Blue Mountains of NSW along with parrots and possums and exported to Kawau Island New Zealand to form part of the Governor's private menagerie.

By 2000 the species had been classified as an endangered in Australia. However on Kawau Island the animals were facing extermination as the Heritage Trust went about removing all introduced species as part of a plan to restore the natural ecosystem of the island which has become a popular tourist destination.

Deciding the wallabies must be saved a dedicated team of wildlife volunteers operating at Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary on the NSW Central Coast began the long process of obtaining statutory approvals for their rescue through the Australian and New Zealand governments.

In 2003, Waterfall Springs commenced the repatriation of 33 ‘central form’ Rock-wallabies from Kawau Island supported by the Department of Conservation New Zealand and Kawau Island Pohutukawa Trust.

Critical to the resources required were of hours of voluntary labour and support staff sent by Australian zoos to assist the operation. The project took three years, cost $210,000 and was primarily funded by corporate donors and Australian Geographic.

Following 18 months in quarantine at Waterfall Springs, this foundation group of Rock-wallabies continues to breed successfully and their off spring are now being relocated to partner Zoos and Sanctuaries including Taronga Zoo to support endangered wallaby breeding programs.

As the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby captive breeding program progresses, the off-spring will eventually be reintroduced back into their natural wild habitats along the eastern mountains of NSW in an effort to regenerate declining populations.

For further information contact Karen O’Mara
Waterfall Spring on 4308 2190 or 0415 326 762