Wildfires Devastate Wildlife in Australia
Crisis in Australia
Over three million hectares of land have been devastated by unprecedented wildfires in Australia, and along with it, a staggering amount of critical habitat for endemic species has been destroyed. In June of this year, we announced a new partnership with Aussie Ark, who had begun monitoring the Manning River Sawshelled Turtle (Myuchelys purvisi)—a species estimated to have only 500-1000 individuals—in hopes of establishing a captive breeding colony for potential population recovery. Tragically, the extreme drought has severely impacted the species' habitat; what were formerly continuous stretches of river have either dried up entirely or been reduced to shallow muddy pools at best. These uncharacteristically severe conditions are pushing yet another endangered species towards the brink of extinction.
Read more in this update from our partners at Aussie Ark
The Manning River Helmeted Turtle can be found in the clean-flowing waters of the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. This niche—a fragile environment paired with external threats such as feral pests, habitat destruction, and fire and drought—means that the Manning River turtle is susceptible to extreme risk in the case of disaster.
Knowledge of the Manning River turtle is seriously underdeveloped, however recent studies show a dramatic decline in numbers. For a captive insurance population to be established, specialized facilities are required to enable a population to thrive. Aussie Ark has a proven model in establishing robust and healthy insurance populations. Utilizing this knowledge, and the husbandry expertise of the Australian Reptile Park, we are able to change the trajectory of this unique Australian species.
Pre-drought Conditions:
An initial collection of a few wild specimens for the establishment of a long-term robust insurance population was scheduled for early 2019. Due to unforeseen circumstances, collection was delayed. However, in recent months Aussie Ark has been successful in gaining both license and ethic approvals. Collection was scheduled for November. However, the Upper Hunter region is facing the worst drought in 100 years—perhaps ever—coupled with raging wildfires that have burned over 3,000,000 hectares of New South Wales. These fires have decimated habitat and recent surveys of the rivers that house Manning River turtles determined that emergency intervention may be necessary in coming weeks if no rain arrives.
The turtles are resilient and can withstand dirty water. However, they must have water and the likely problem in the coming weeks will be the water temperature. If it gets too hot in the drying pools, the turtles will be forced to leave and will perish. Aussie Arks is prepared to move from collection to intervention, and the brand-new specialized facility set up at the Australian Reptile Park may now come to house more animals than initially anticipated.
Post-fire Conditions:
Aussie Ark noticed the plight of Manning River Turtle long before the current drought and fires threatened what is left. We took action because we know all too well once they are gone, nothing we do will ever bring them back. We are proud and thankful to our partners for believing in us and reflect what it means to be prepared for an event like this.
Aussie Ark's intervention plans are vital for now. We will continue to conduct regular in situ surveys to monitor the status of the wild population, to protect nesting sites, and monitor land management activities within their natural habitat. Once the assurance colony grows, wild translocation from the captive facility to areas where the turtles were formally found will be conducted to bolster wild populations and ensure the species remains ecologically functional while further wild solutions are addressed and implemented.
If it rains, we will commence collection for the insurance population. Without rain, emergency intervention will be necessary in the short term. The situation remains fragile.
– Aussie Ark
