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Last Ditch Effort: Saving Victoria's Critically Endangered Possum
9 Nov
Summary
- Only 13 lowland Leadbeater's possums remain in Victoria's forests.
- A new, predator-proof sanctuary has been created for the possums.
- Habitat loss due to logging and fires threatens the species.
Victoria's critically endangered Leadbeater's possums, with only 13 individuals remaining, face a hopeful future thanks to a newly established bespoke sanctuary. Located at Haining Farm, this refuge aims to protect the small marsupials from predators like foxes and feral cats, offering them a safer environment.
This intervention comes after a drastic decline in possum numbers at the Yellingbo conservation area, where they were once numerous. Habitat loss, a consequence of past logging practices and bushfires, has severely impacted their specialized needs for cool, wet forests with old trees. The Yellingbo area, a remnant of a once widespread ecological community, also supports the endangered helmeted honeyeater.
Conservationists from Zoos Victoria temporarily relocated the remaining possums to Healesville Sanctuary before their release into the new, specially constructed refuge. This new habitat, developed over eight years by Parks Victoria and partners, involves extensive tree planting to recreate suitable conditions. Supplementary feeding and nesting boxes have been installed to support the possums in the young forest, which currently lacks natural hollows.
Experts emphasize the urgency, noting that the species was thought extinct until the 1960s and requires at least 220 hectares of suitable habitat to sustain the lowland subpopulation. There is criticism directed at the state government for not establishing the proposed Great Forest National Park, seen as crucial for the species' long-term survival.
