Indigenous rangers race to save black-footed rock wallaby

Indigenous rangers in the APY Lands are burning as much buffel grass as they can in an effort to save a rare, black-footed rock wallaby.

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The Musgrave Ranges outside Pukatja. (NITV)

Around the Musgrave Ranges in South Australia, local rangers are working to save the rare, black-footed rock wallaby, known as "Warru." 

The rangers this week burned large amounts of highly flammable buffel grass to keep it off the hills and prevent it suffocating the food eaten by warru.

Ranger Ethan Dagg said the method would help prevent future harm to the animal's environment.

"We're using the road as a firebreak and if we do get any wildfires, it's already been burnt and it'll stop it from continuing on into the hills," Mr Dagg said.

A small Indigenous community named Pukatja, home to a few hundred people, is situated near the ranges.

APY Land Management Coordinator Doug Humann said community members were invested in the conservation effort.

"Anangu want to be involved in this project; it's their project, and they're out here doing stuff that's important to them culturally, which is significant in protecting warru into the future." 

Mr Dagg said their involvement also set an example to younger generations.

"We've got a lot of young mob these days staying at home all the time and not out on country much so it'll be good to get people out and about," he said.


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Published 21 August 2014 7:17pm
Updated 21 August 2014 8:41pm
By Myles Morgan
Source: NITV News

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