Maintaining the gains for the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (andu)

Why we need to act

Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (andu) are a culturally and ecologically significant species of the semi-arid ranges. Once widespread across South Australia, surveys in 1980’s indicated that andu were in serious trouble. Across its range in the Flinders, Olary and Gawler Ranges, some local populations were completely gone, and others were at risk of extinction.

Ongoing conservation efforts since the early 1990’s have been greatly successful with the numbers of Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby increasing tenfold in many areas. As evidence of this success, they can now readily be seen in the wild in many areas across their range. While recovery efforts have had great results, Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby are still vulnerable to some key threats and these require ongoing management. Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby populations in the southern Flinders Ranges are particularly at risk and are receiving an increased focus through this project.

Threats to the species

Predation from European foxes and competition from feral goats are considered to be the main factors that impact on the recovery of Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby throughout its range

Other threats to Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby include:

• competition for food with other herbivores,

• wheel and Rope Cacti invasion reducing available habitat, and

• buffel grass weed invasion promoting more intense and regular fires.

All of which can lead to degradation or loss of critical habitat.

Solution and approach

Broad-scale threat mitigation will be delivered across all three safer haven project areas including:

• reducing competition by controlling the number of feral goats across all areas and feral deer in the southern Flinders Ranges,

• reducing predation pressure from foxes and feral cats, and

• managing problem weeds, such as Buffel grass and Cacti, to reduce their impact on habitat quality for Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby.

The effectiveness of threat mitigation measures will be assessed through:

• monitoring Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby population trends with remote cameras,

• targeted on-ground scat surveys and habitat assessments,

• measuring competition from feral goats and other herbivores through herbivore browse assessments, and

• tracking Yellow-footed Rock wallaby recovery and effectiveness of feral herbivore and predator control with our comprehensive remote camera network.

Project partners and additional funding information

Creating Three Safer Havens 

A master project in collaboration with the Department for Environment and Water (DEW). 

The aim of the project is to continue to develop and create three unfenced safer havens for the reintroduction of eleven (11) threatened and culturally significant species across three (3) national parks whilst maintaining habitats, increasing climate resilience and ensuring populations are nationally recognised in semi-arid South Australia.