It has been 50 years since a platypus has been seen in the Royal National Park of Australia, the oldest in the oceanic country, located about 50 kilometers south of Sydney. Known for its unique mammalian characteristics, including its duck-like bill, a venomous spur on the male, and the ability to lay eggs, this iconic animal is one of only five species of monotremes found only in Australia.
The long wait is over. Scientists from the University of New South Wales have reintroduced this species to this natural enclave. Specifically, four females were released on the banks of the Hacking River. In the coming weeks, a further two female and four male platypuses are expected to be released there, bringing the founder population in the Royal National Park to a total of ten animals.
Their return has been made possible by a conservation programme, developed by the Taronga Conservation Society, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the environmental organization WWF-Australia and researchers from the Taronga Science Center. UNSW Ecosystems.
"This is a landmark project that not only restores the platypus to its rightful place in the Royal National Park, but also aims to set the stage for future conservation efforts for a largely overlooked species. ”, explains the principal investigator, Gilad Bino.
The researchers "collected platypus from multiple sites across multiple rivers," to ensure there were "no impacts on the source populations and to ensure the genetic diversity of the introduced population in the Royal National Park."
In fact, the Platypus Conservation Initiative has already undertaken something of a platypus translocation when they rescued platypuses from dry pools severely affected by the 2019 droughts in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and transferred them to safety at Taronga Zoo.
To safely complete this move, UNSW researchers spent months assessing water quality and food availability along the Hacking River. At this point, platypuses may encounter a variety of different small aquatic animals, such as dragonfly nymphs, caddis larvae, and small shrimp, which they feed on.
From now on, the survival and movements of platypuses in the park will be monitored in the coming months and years to gain valuable information about their establishment in this new environment.
However, in any area, platypuses face multiple threats. One of them, climate change. For this reason, this group is already working on other initiatives, in addition to the reintroduction of the species, such as developing "emergency responses to rescue and transfer platypuses from areas affected by drought."
