#SaveQuokkas – There are only 39 Quokkas left on the mainland of Western Australia – report
While the Rottnest Island quokka is famous worldwide, its less famous relative, the mainland quokka, is under threat due to loss of habitat and feral predators.
After the 2015 Northcliffe bushfires, 98,000 hectares of quokka habitat was destroyed.
Since then, WWF Australia has conducted a survey that found more than 500 quokkas originally thought to be living in the south-west region have been almost wiped out.
Now, only 39 could now be accounted for.
To help protect the mainland quokkas, WWF-Australia are asking the people of Perth to share their own quokka selfie with the hash tag #SaveQuokkas
DONATE: Help #SAVEQUOKKAS in Western Australia
#SaveQuokkas : New analysis reveals devastating impact of bushfire on iconic little Aussie https://t.co/8GgNT2o45q pic.twitter.com/NSczPAxTxM
— Daniel Rockett (@DRock1978) September 6, 2016
The quokka was once widespread on the mainland, but since European settlement, more than half their range has been lost. The 2015 Northcliffe forrest fires have been devastating.
Of the 43 burnt sites known to be occupied by quokkas prior to the fire, only 10 of these (23%) were occupied post fire and seven of these were immediately adjacent to the fire edge, adjoining unburnt vegetation.
It is estimated that these 43 sites supported more than 500 quokkas and the survey found that only approximately 39 quokkas remain. However some quokkas may have survived the fire by fleeing to unburnt areas. One site in unburnt forest near the fire edge supports 36 quokkas per hectare which is an extremely high density, not previously recorded.
The probability of habitat being occupied by quokkas in the fire area is dependent on the structure of the vegetation and, in particular, the number of vegetation layers. Of the sites that were occupied, 100% contained habitat with three vegetation layers or more (maximum 7 layers), while habitats with two or fewer vegetation layers were never occupied. Vegetation structure is a habitat feature that has previously been found to be important for quokkas in this region
Merril Halley, Species Conservation Manager with WWF, said that there is hope for the area’s quokkas.
“WWF supporters are now investing in radio collars and sensor cameras – so we can accurately pinpoint where the quokkas are living, and where they are travelling to,” Ms Halley said.
“We need to target efforts to control feral predators, which have become a bigger problem because the protective bush has now been burnt out.
“With better information, we can better protect the remaining quokkas from predators and protect their habitat from feral pigs.
“With the right information and tools, we can help these quokkas recover,” she said.
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