Wallaby rediscovered in Australia after half century
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Researchers with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy confirmed the presence of the Nabarlek, Australia’s second-smallest wallaby, in Western Australia’s Kimberley region after 50 years without detection.
The team used trail cameras and analyzed scat samples on Dambeemangaddee Country to verify the wallaby’s presence at two locations, roughly 105 miles apart. This marks the first recorded sighting of the species on the Yampi Sound Training Area, a priority location for the federal government’s threatened species action plan.
The rediscovery offers insight into the Nabarlek’s ecology and provides hope for the endangered species. Populations of the Nabarlek, which resembles other wallaby species, had dwindled in recent years due to threats like feral cats, changes to the ecosystem caused by herbivores, and wildfires. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy collaborated with the Dambeemangari Aboriginal Corporation, using both modern technology and traditional knowledge to confirm the wallaby’s identity.
The groups plan to continue surveying the region to assess the size and health of the Nabarlek population and develop strategies to protect it from ongoing threats. Dambeemangaddee traditional owners expressed joy at the news, viewing the wallaby’s survival as an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
