The northern hairy-nosed wombat (NHW) is one of the
world’s most threatened mammals. It is listed as endangered
under both the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act
1992. The current population of about 115 individuals is restricted
to a single, isolated colony on Epping Forest National Park
(Scientific) in central Queensland near Clermont.
Since 1992, the species has been the subject of an intensive
recovery program, led by the Environmental Protection Agency and
QPWS. This succeeded in increasing the size of the population from
65 individuals in 1993 to 113 in 2000.
Tragically, following a series of dingo attacks in 2001, the
population declined to an estimated 90 individuals. Actions were
taken to counteract the threat of further attacks.
These included the construction of a dingo exclusion fence
around all wombat habitat on Epping Forest National Park and
the inception of a volunteer caretaker program to provide a
permanent presence on the park.
Since completion of the dingo fence in 2002, there have been
unprecedented levels of burrow construction and signs of juvenile
(footprints, small dung) on the park, indicating that the
population is recovering. This has also involved an improvement in
the sex ratio. In the late-1990s, the population contained about 55
males and only 35 females, or 38 per cent of the population. This
has now improved, and the 52 females in the last census make up 45
per cent of the population. In addition, the variety of native
grasses they feed on has been reduced by buffel grass
infestations.
The project involved a number of actions. These included:
monitoring of the wombat population, provision of supplementary
feed and water, habitat management, predator and competitor
control. Kangaroo exclusion cages were built over feed stations to
restrict access to all but the smallest kangaroos, and reduce
competitive pressure on the wombats.
