Cape Le Grand NP - new home for rock wallabies

7/10/03
Aerial baiting for foxes at Cape Le Grand National Park in the Esperance region has led to the reintroduction of the black-flanked rock wallaby species (Petrogale lateralis).
Environment Minister Judy Edwards today said 25 black-flanked rock wallabies would be released into Cape Le Grand National Park this week as part of recovery plans for this threatened species.
"Cape Le Grand National Park was part of the black-flanked rock wallaby's former home range before the introduction of foxes and European settlement, both of which have led to a serious decline in the population and range of the species," Dr Edwards said.
"Since 1997, the Department of Conservation and Land Management, under its wildlife recovery program Western Shield, aerially baits Cape Le Grand NP four times a year.
"The baits contain the manufactured poison 1080, which occurs naturally in gastrolobiums, a type of native plant. This poison is deadly to introduced species.
"Aerial baiting has met expectations in controlling foxes in the park, enabling the department to translocate native species into their former habitats."
Dr Edwards said the black-flanked rock wallabies for the Cape Le Grand National Park translocation would be sourced from the population at Mt Caroline Nature Reserve, which is located south-west of Kellerberrin.
"The Mt Caroline population has increased dramatically since the establishment of an introduced predator control program in 1982," she said.
"The population has now reached a level that removing 25 animals will not affect its viability.
"CALM staff will trap the animals, which then will be weighed, sexed and tagged before being transported to Cape Le Grand National Park.
"Post-release monitoring will be co-ordinated by CALM District staff, using a combination of spotlighting and diurnal observations.
"It is hoped that the translocated population will have increased by 50 per cent within three years."
Black-flanked rock wallabies are dark to pale grey-brown and are paler on the chest and dark brown on the belly. The face is dark, with a white or sandy-brown cheek stripe and a dark brown to black dorsal stripe from between the ears to below the shoulders.
Their habitat varies from granite outcrops, sandstone cliffs, caves and slopes in ranges to coastal limestone cliffs.
Dr Edwards said the department's aerial baiting program was carried out on more than 3.5 million hectares of conservation lands throughout the State.
"Aerial baiting has enabled the department to significantly reduce the threat of foxes, allowing the translocation of several native species in the South-West alone during the last year," she said.
"This translocation aims to increase the number of populations of the black-flanked rock wallaby within its former home range and to provide further information on its biology and ecology."
Minister's office 9220 5050