The discovery of two endangered marsupials snuggling in a treetop nesting box has triggered cheers from conservationists.
The greater gliders are from an elusive colony near Batlow in New South Wales’ Snowy Valleys region where the Dunns Road fire scorched swathes of bushland in early 2020.
Millions of animals were believed to have been killed in the blaze, and habitat destruction meant the remaining gliders lost vital hiding places from predators.
After the fire, the Riverina Local Land Services began documenting the locations of the surviving greater gliders and rehabilitating habitat for the at-risk species.
Cherie White, who works for the agency, said a recent photo of two gliders cuddling in a nest box west of Batlow was long-awaited proof the project was working.
“Each year, we’ve been going back and checking them, and we have finally had some wonderful results,” she said.
“There were cheers coming up, and there were hugs.”
Species on the brink
Greater gliders are the largest gliding mammals in Australia, capable of drifting up to 100 metres through the air.
There is no reliable estimate of the species’ population size in Australia, but experts say they were once commonplace across eastern parts of the country.
But bushfires and logging are believed to have caused the number of greater gliders to drop by more than 50 per cent in just 21 years.
This resulted in the species being listed as endangered in 2022.
Ms White said the colony near Batlow was significantly affected by the Dunns Road Fire, with the animals sighted on just eight properties since the blaze.
She said one of the biggest blows was the destruction of many large, hollow-bearing trees, which the nocturnal marsupials used to raise their young and hide from predatory owls.
“We’ve put these nest boxes up in the trees to provide them with artificial hollows,” Ms White said.
“We’re trying to bridge the gap whilst new hollows develop in our forests.”
Suitable hollows can take at least 100 years to develop naturally.
The land service has also helped landowners develop habitat rehabilitation strategies, connect areas of vegetation, install protective fencing, plant new trees and undertake pest control.
Rising from the ashes?
Among those working with the agency is Kate Masterson, who farms truffles on the property where the pair of greater gliders were photographed in early June.
She said it was incredible to see how the area had bounced back following the Dunns Road fire, which saw large parts of her land turned to ash.
“All the discoveries we’ve made since that point from the ground up … it’s just the ultimate outcome to see that change,” Ms Masterson said.
“Seeing the ash [become] the beginnings of new life is just amazing.”
The mating season for greater gliders runs between March and June, so it is hoped that the pair’s sighting in Batlow could signify a potential litter.
“We’re hoping that in the future months, two greater gliders might become two more,” Ms White said.