14 The conservation organisation sprang to life in 2011 as Devil Ark, starting with 44 “founder” Tasmanian Devils that kickstarted the breeding program to create an insurance population of the species free from the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease that has decimated the species in Tasmania. The facility expanded in 2017 and transitioned to what is now known as Aussie Ark. The Ark works in tandem with the Conservation Ark facility on the Central Coast and between them 20 endangered species are now cared for. Operations Manager Dean Reid said Aussie Ark has “exploded with wildlife” over the past few years with about 500 animals born in the Species Recovery Unit alone. “Off the back of the success of the Devil breeding program, we started to think about what other animals we could breed that fit into our ethos. “We started to breed small macropods; the Rufous Bettong, Long-Nosed Potoroo and the Parma Wallaby as their numbers are declining in the wild due to cats and foxes. “Then we thought we could do more, so we applied for a grant from Australian Geographic to build our Eastern Quoll enclosures. “We thought, ‘why stop there’ and built enclosures for Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallabies. It was a huge project that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars as we had to bring a lot of big rocks in to create their habitat.” The team didn’t stop there, enclosing 400 hectares of land for their Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. All the feral animals were cleared out and 13 kilometres of fencing installed. At their last count there were 150 Bettongs, 50 Parma Wallabies, 150 Potoroos and about 50 Devils out in the Sanctuary. Eastern Quolls are also allowed to be released once they are over 3 years old. “It’s an experiment to get the area back to the ecological function it had pre-settlement and be self-sustaining,” Dean explained. “Those healthy insurance populations are also important as robust gene pools, to provide animals to other sanctuaries nationwide.” Over the years Aussie Ark has expanded its capabilities to allow the public to drive up and see the incredible work they’re doing. You can head up and see Aussie Ark in action by taking a “Devils in the Wild Tour”. The guided tours are held throughout the year a couple of times a month and take you through the everyday running of the facility. You’ll see where the animals live, how the breeding programs work and get up close and personal with some of Australia’s rarest and most iconic animals. If the Barrington is a little far for a day trip you can make a holiday out of it by staying at “Quolls Cottage” or “Devil’s Retreat”. Dean said what they’re doing at Aussie Ark is incredibly important and they want to share their work with as many people as possible. “The animals we’re protecting are crucial to the environment, they all have individual roles to play in the ecosystem. “We have a long way to go to save animals like the Devil from extinction, but what we are doing is having a huge impact, it’s an incredible thing to be a part of.” OF BARRINGTON The Heart Tucked away in a corner of the beautiful Barrington Tops is Aussie Ark, a conservation organisation managing insurance populations of some of the world’s most threatened species. Nestled on just over 2000 hectares of land, Aussie Ark has bred hundreds of animals since its inception over a decade ago and you can go see their work and the animals for yourself. If you can, please donate today to help Aussie Ark continue its vital work. Also book tours and accommodation. aussieark.org.au Images courtesy of Aussie Ark
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