Australian Wallabies Saved From Extinction

Endangered wallabies in Australia brought back from the brink of extinction using a method known as 'headstarting'. Researchers place bridled nailtail wallabies under a certain size within a protected area to live until adulthood before releasing them into the wild.

This is a Bridled Nailtail Wallaby, found in Queensland in Australia. From 1937, they were believed to be extinct, until in 1973, they were spotted again. These endangered species were on a brink of extinction, facing threat from their main predators the feral cats.

Then headstarting conservation technique was used to save these wallabies from extinction. Scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) developed this technique, wherein wallabies are placed within a protected area till they attain adulthood.

This method ensured the wallabies lived without the threat from their predators before being released back into the wild. The Avocet Nature Refuge in central Queensland, where scientists chose to conduct the research only had 16 wallabies in 2015. After 3 years, the total population of bridled nail-tail wallabies both inside and outside the head-was estimated at 47.