As bushfires continue to rage on around the country, millions and billions of animals are perishing in the blazes (😢).
But this means that conservation efforts are being doubled and then re-doubled to protect them immediately and support their survival and recovery.
And even if species are able to survive the bushfire, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t being directly harmed. Like the brush-tailed rock-wallaby.
That’s where Operation Rock Wallaby comes in.
The Operation (with a name I 100% endorse) is a mission to air-drop thousands of kilos of food and water (mostly sweet potato and carrots) to endangered colonies across the state.
Operation Rock Wallaby 🦘- #NPWS staff today dropped thousands of kgs of food (Mostly sweet potato and carrots) for our Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby colonies across NSW 🥕🥕 #bushfires pic.twitter.com/ZBN0MSLZei
— Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) January 11, 2020
Talk about Deliveroo. Literally.
Matt Kean, the NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, made the announcement on Twitter over the weekend. And, in a statement, Mr. Kean said that the Operation is one of the “key strategies” to support the species’ recovery, according to 9News.
“The wallabies typically survive the fire itself, but are then left stranded with limited natural food as the fire takes out the vegetation around their rocky habitat,” he said.
It was one of the most widespread drops to date. And locations included Kangaroo Valley, the Capertoo and Wolgan valleys, and the Yengo, Jenolan, Oxley Wild Rivers and Curracubundi national parks.
Mr. Kean even posted a photo of “one happy customer” sitting amongst the fallen carrots and noshing down on one.
One happy customer 🦘🥕🥕🥕🥕#operationrockwallaby #AustralianFires pic.twitter.com/wtzMgeaX6D
— Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) January 11, 2020
Look at that little face!
You can only imagine the simultaneous surprise, joy, and confusion the wallabies would have been feeling to all of a sudden be showered with tonnes of sweet potato and carrot.
From @Matt_KeanMP Supplementary food drop rock wallabies, 1000 kg of sweet potato and carrot to 6 different colonies in Capertee and Wolgan valleys; 1000 kg across Yengo National Park; almost 100 kg of food and water in the #KangarooValley #NSWbushfires pic.twitter.com/zmwnVKhcm2
— kelly fuller (@kelfuller) January 12, 2020
But, I also hope they’re taking cover and don’t cop a spud to the noggin.
Mashable reports that food drops will continue until these habitats are able to support themselves. That means until they regain enough moisture and nutrients to sustain the lives of these little guys and girls and their other furry, feathered, and scaled friends.
And efforts are currently being made to manage the populations of rival predatory (particularly feral) species.
And if you want to support the firies on the front-line, or bushfire-affected communities, and/or the animals and their habitats being destroyed by these blazes, you can find our more here.
Image Sources: Kelly Fuller (@kelfuller); Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP)
