Zoos and conservation organisations reflect on Australia’s woeful extinction rate this National Threatened Species Day

Today, on National Threatened Species Day, Zoos and Conservation organisations are reflecting on the fact Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate of any country in the world. It is a stark reminder of the importance of zoos and conservation breeding programs.

National Threatened Species Day marks the anniversary of the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger, also known as the Thylacine, declared extinct on 7th September 1936. 

The Australian Conservation Foundation has highlighted that 48 more species, including freshwater crayfish and a frog that has a pocket for its tadpoles, have been added to the threatened species list, showing the urgent need for reform of Australia’s environment law.

The new additions are plants, frogs, insects, reptiles and ecological communities.

They include the Bulloak jewel butterfly, Kate’s leaf-tail gecko and 16 species of native spiny crayfish that are found nowhere else in the world.

ACF national nature campaigner Jess Abrahams notes “Australia has so many unique and amazing species, but too many of them are heading towards extinction because our environment law is so weak it is unable to protect their habitats.

“Australia has a woeful track record when it comes to protecting our unique animals and plants. We are a world leader in sending mammals to extinction – and it is mostly because we keep allowing their homes to be bulldozed, logged and overrun.

“ACF welcomes $1.3 million for programs to help the Swift parrot, yet logging is still permitted in Tasmanian forests where record numbers of these critically endangered birds were documented last summer.

“Stopping logging and habitat destruction for roads, real estate and agriculture would have a huge, positive impact.

“Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has set a worthy target of no more extinctions.

“The real test of the government’s long promised environment law reform will be whether the changes address the biggest threats to our precious native plants and animals.

“We urge the government to delay no longer and urgently strengthen our national environment law.”

Today, on National Threatened Species Day, Zoos SA is celebrating the Tasmanian Tiger’s closest living relative, the Fat-tailed Dunnart.

Weighing in at just 20 grams, the Fat-tailed Dunnart may seem like an unlikely candidate, but DNA confirms the tiny marsupial is indeed the closest living relative to the Tasmanian Tiger and is also related to endangered Tasmanian Devils and threatened quolls.

Unlike the fate of the Tasmanian Tiger, Zoos SA is on a mission to ensure Fat-tailed Dunnarts and other dunnart species don’t follow the same path to extinction as their striped relative.

Keeper Kasey Fenwick says Quiche is one of five resident Fat-tailed Dunnarts at Adelaide Zoo and is playing an important role in the conservation of her species.

Fenwick shares “Quiche was born as part of Adelaide Zoo’s breeding program and is now taking part in the program to boost the number of Fat-tailed Dunnarts."

Quiche’s contribution to conservation doesn’t end at her own species, the little marsupial has also played an important role in the conservation of fellow dunnarts, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart.

“She helped trial tracking collars to study the movements of her cousins, the critically endangered Kangaroo Island Dunnart.

“Being similar in size to the Kangaroo Island Dunnart, we were able to refine the design and fit of the collars.”

Quiche’s trial of the collars set the project up for success, with Zoos SA using the collars to track Kangaroo Island Dunnarts for over a month, gaining valuable information on the health of the wild population on the island and insight into the species habits, foraging and nesting behaviour.

Good research is crucial in conservation because for endangered animals, there are rarely second chances.

Zoos SA contributes to a number of conservation programs including native ‘breed to release’ programs.

More information on Australian Conservation Foundation 

More information on Zoos SA 

Image. Fat-tailed Dunnart. Credit Zoos SA