Near-Extinct Wallabies Gain New Hope of Survival

The bridled nailtail wallaby in Queensland, Australia has narrowly escaped extinction, thanks to a team of conservation scientists who placed young individuals in a secured place away from predators, where they could grow safely and with a better chance of survival.

“Before we started the headstarting strategy, we estimated the core Avocet Nature Refuge population at 16 individuals. When we did a recount in 2018 after three years of gradually releasing headstarted wallabies that had reached the right size, the estimate of the total population of bridled nailtail wallabies – both inside and outside the headstarting exclosure – was 47,” says Alexandra Ross, lead author of the article and in charge of the project. “This clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the headstart exclosure as a conservation strategy.”

The idea was to round up wallabies under 3 kg and place them in a protected area because they are easy prey to feral cats. Once they reach adulthood, the survival rate boosts up to 80%, meaning that size matters when it comes to fending for themselves. The technique worked: out of the individuals raised in the enclosure between 2015 and 2018, 89% survived and were released in the wild. Since the animals are separated from feral cats from a few months to a year but are still in contact with other predators such as snakes and eagles, they do retain predator awareness.