Surprise pair make a return after 20 years
Two rare black-flanked rock wallabies have been photographed at Kalbarri National Park, 20 years since the species was last seen.
Environment Minister Albert Jacob said a rock climber spotted the two wallabies in a gorge in the Promenade area of the park in August.
“Despite extensive searches for the elusive species, they have not been seen there for 20 years, so it was amazing to discover they have survived after all this time,” he said.
“The nearest known population is more than 450km away in the Wheatbelt, and there are some scattered populations much further north in the Pilbara, so we know these two wallabies must have been from the original population in the vicinity of the park.”
Mr Jacob said goats were considered to be a major factor in the decline of the rock wallabies but culling had helped their return.
“Goats have not only competed with the wallabies for food, but also pushed them out of protected gorge areas, leaving them vulnerable to predation by foxes and cats,” he said.
Mr Jacob said Parks and Wildlife had planned on reintroducing the species using animals from the Wheatbelt to improve the genetic diversity of wallabies in Kalbarri.
Parks and Wildlife is trying to determine if there are more wallabies in the park.
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