Taronga Collaborates with International Partner to Conserve the Iconic Platypus
A world-first research program aiming to conserve the iconic Platypus is now underway on Dundullimal Tubba-Gah Wiradjuri Country at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia.
The multi-year project is a collaboration between Taronga Conservation Society Australia, which operates Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo and Taronga Zoo Sydney, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the University of NSW (UNSW).
In consultation with First Nations communities, a team of scientists seeking to learn more about these unique egg-laying mammals has launched the first-of-its-kind research program to improve conservation of the species – before it’s too late.
Four new platypuses have joined Platypus Rescue HQ at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, providing a unique opportunity to study the species’ breeding behaviour and biology in a state-of-the-art setting where environmental parameters can be monitored and controlled.
The research program, which combines ex-situ monitoring and wild population field work, aims to refine the conservation strategy for the Platypus by understanding how this vulnerable and elusive monotreme is responding to environmental stressors like climate change, and identifying interventions required to protect the animal’s future.
“The Platypus is such a loved and iconic Australian animal, but there is still so much we need to learn about them if we want to help them thrive into the future,” said Program co-leader, Wildlife Conservation Officer, Dr Phoebe Meagher.
“Understanding the key factors leading to reproductive success and how platypus respond to extreme climatic events like severe drought are crucial knowledge gaps we plan to fill.”
During the last significant drought in 2019, Taronga and UNSW led a successful emergency rescue of platypuses. With a 21 percent overall decline in the species’ geographic range and a further 40 percent anticipated decline over the next 50 years, this event highlighted the urgent need for more research on climate impacts and triggers for wild interventions.
In February 2024, Taronga opened Platypus Rescue HQ, thanks to funding from the NSW Government, philanthropic donors and WIRES. This facility is the world’s largest dedicated conservation centre for platypus, with the capacity to house up to 65 platypuses at once in times of extreme weather events, and encompasses areas for refuge, research and recovery.
Equipped with independent stream systems, waterfalls, and plenty of space to dig cozy burrows, Platypus Rescue HQ’s purpose-built research facility is designed to mimic the wild and allow researchers to monitor the platypuses in the most natural setting possible.
By using this facility in combination with wild population monitoring, scientists believe they will be best prepared to inform Taronga’s future emergency response strategies and develop a genome resource bank and genetics database to better understand and protect wild platypus populations.
Category: Animals, Business, International, Local News, Nonprofit
