The last known wild population of Victoria’s genetically distinct lowland Leadbeater’s possum has disappeared from its natural habitat, with the last remaining animals forced into captivity in a devastating blow for Victoria’s critically endangered faunal emblem.
With the lowland Leadbeater’s possum now extinct in the wild, urgent action is needed to save central Victoria’s remaining highland populations from invasive species and habitat loss.
The Invasive Species Council, Environment Victoria and VNPA are calling for urgent investment in invasive species control, habitat protection and threatened wildlife recovery after the last surviving animals were removed from Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and relocated to Healesville Sanctuary. The loss comes as leaked government report cards obtained by the Invasive Species Council reveal Victoria is failing to get on top of feral deer, cats and foxes, despite their ongoing threat to native wildlife.
‘This is a devastating and shameful moment for Victoria. A genetically distinct population of our own faunal emblem has been lost from the wild, and the last survivors now depend on captivity for their protection,’ Invasive Species Council Victorian Conservation Advocate John Kelly said.
‘These possums were already clinging to survival in one small patch of lowland forest at Yellingbo. Feral deer have contributed to the degradation of their habitat, while invasive predators like cats and foxes have compounded the threats facing an already desperate population.
‘The fact that these animals are now safe in a sanctuary is welcome, but we cannot mistake that for success. There are now no known lowland Leadbeater’s possums left in the wild, and we have failed to keep their last remaining habitat safe enough for them to survive.
‘The warning signs have been there for years. We cannot keep waiting until the last surviving animals have to be rescued from the wild before taking the threats to their survival seriously.
‘The government’s own National Vertebrate Pest Management Report Cards reveal feral deer have continued to spread across Victoria over the past five years, while feral cats and foxes remain major threats to native wildlife.
‘These report cards are governments’ own assessments of how we’re managing feral animals, and they paint a deeply concerning picture. We have deer spreading into new areas, cats and foxes continuing to threaten native wildlife, and now the last wild population of one of Victoria’s most iconic threatened animals has disappeared.
‘The loss of the lowland Leadbeater’s possum from the wild should be a wake-up call for every political leader in Victoria. Without serious investment in controlling invasive species, more of our unique wildlife could follow.
‘We are calling on the Victorian government and all parties contesting the next state election to commit to a $200 million Pest and Weed Fund, stronger feral deer control and secure, ongoing funding for threatened species recovery.
‘The federal government must also restore funding for the Commonwealth’s Established Pest Animals and Weeds program, which was not renewed in the federal budget.’
Environment Victoria CEO Jono La Nauze said: ‘Victoria’s faunal emblem should be thriving in the wild, not only surviving behind the fences of a sanctuary.
‘When we fail to protect vital habitats, our most vulnerable wildlife pays the price. This loss must serve as a turning point, not just another ignored warning.
‘With a state election approaching, every political party must explain what it will do to stop Victoria’s precious wildlife from being driven to extinction.
‘Keeping the remaining lowland Leadbeater’s possums alive in captivity is vital, but it is not enough. We need to restore their habitat, tackle the threats that drove them out and give them a genuine chance of returning to the wild.
‘The next government must commit to restoring Leadbeater’s possum to their natural habitat at Yellingbo over the next term of parliament. This requires a long-term plan to repair and rehabilitate the site and ensure reintroduced possums are safe from predators and other threats.
‘New protection areas in the Central Highlands east of Melbourne would protect vital habitat for remaining populations of Leadbeater’s possums. Victoria has the knowledge and the tools to protect its threatened wildlife. What we need now is the political will and investment to make it happen.’
Jordan Crook Parks and Nature Campaigner VNPA said: ‘For the first time in 20 million years there will be no lowland Leadbeater’s possums in the wetlands and floodplains of eastern Victoria, where they once lived all the way to the shores of Western Port Bay along the Bass River. A subpopulation of Victoria’s state emblem going extinct in the wild is a bleak moment in time that must be met with a strong, meaningful response and genuine long-term commitments and funding to secure the future of our state emblem.’
‘The last remaining wild Leadbeater’s possums in Victoria now only live in the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands, with much of their habitat outside of protected areas such as national parks and conservation reserves. This leaves the homes of the last wild Leadbeater’s possums at risk from destructive native forest logging, mining and development.
‘The Lowland Leadbeater’s Possum’s home in the wetlands and flood plains of Yellingbo has been trashed by feral deer, water flows have been altered and floodplains starved of seasonal floods and deprived of proper drainage.
‘The extinction of Lowland Leadbeater’s Possums from the wetlands and floodplains of Eastern Victoria is a cumulative outcome of years of poor funding of Park Rangers, erratic funding of habitat restoration efforts and protection of feral deer over native wildlife.’