NPWS researcher Michael Saxon, holding a Long-nosed Potoroo, trapped at Bruces Creek in Nadgee State Forest in 1991. Click through photos to video at the end.
Footage of a rare and secretive long-nosed potoroo tending to her joey at Nadgee Nature Reserve could be a world first for the threatened species.
The minute-long footage was created using over 300 still images taken on a movement sensitive camera and clearly shows the joey leaving and re-entering it’s mother’s pouch at night.
The discovery has delighted National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) who monitor several hundred sites within Nadgee Nature Reserve and the Ben Boyd National Park using 80 cameras which have collected tens of thousands of images.
Significant recordings have also been made of other native species including the threatened Southern Brown Bandicoots, Eastern pygmy possums, Feathertail gliders and the first ever evidence of threatened Spotted-tailed quolls in coastal heathland.
NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker released the extraordinary footage to mark Threatened Species Day last Friday.
“This is a threatened species in NSW, it’s rare and very secretive, so seeing this mother with a pouch joey leaving and entering the pouch and being groomed is quite exceptional and very touching,” Ms Parker said.
“As far as we are aware this is the very first footage of a long-nosed potoroo in the wild providing such information.”
National Parks and wildlife Services rangers and staff from the Office of Environment and Heritage returned to Nadgee Nature Reserve this week to continue their research.
Their footage is a highlight on a new threatened species website that went live last Friday www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies
The website contains detailed information and photographs of more than 1000 threatened plants, animals, populations and ecological communities found in NSW, including recordings of animal calls.
It also links with the NSW Wildlife Atlas, which records sightings of our wildlife.
“I’d encourage everyone to use the site to learn more about the threatened species of NSW,” MS Parker said.
“You can search your region to find out all about what threatened species are found in the area."