A tiny marsupial with a huge two-metre leap has been discovered on a wildlife sanctuary in Western Australia, to the surprise of scientists.
Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this articleCopy linkA tiny marsupial with a huge two-metre leap has been discovered in a Western Australian wildlife sanctuary.The red-tailed phascogale was spotted at Paruna Sanctuary, 50 kilometres north-east of PerthThe red-tailed phascogale, listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection Act, was once found in woodland areas across the southern half of Australia.
Ecologist Bryony Palmer made the shock finding at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy-run sanctuary, 50 kilometres north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. "They have a number of threats, primarily land clearing and feral predators … so to have them turn up on their own at one of our sanctuaries is very exciting."
Once found in almost every Australian state, Dr Palmer said the phascogales have become extinct from 99 per cent of their former range, which makes this discovery all the more special.