Feature

Rare photos of critically endangered Kangaroo Island Dunnart

02 Jul. 2020
© Brad Leue/AWC

A small carnivorous marsupial found nowhere else on earth, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart was facing imminent extinction last summer after losing more than 95 per cent of its habitat to bushfire.  

Taking urgent action to protect species, AWC partnered with Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife and local landholders, the Doube family, to secure the surviving dunnarts within a  13.8-hectare feral predator-free critical refuge.  

Against incredible odds, the tiny mammal population is surviving and individuals have since been caught on camera. AWC Photographer, Brad Leue, captured the following stunning images within the critical refuge, as featured in Australian Geographic. 

 

Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 12 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 1 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 3 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 4 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 5 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 8 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 10 © Brad Leue/AWC
Ki Dunnart Brad Leue Awc 15 © Brad Leue/AWC

 

The critical refuge area ensures immediate protection for a small population of Kangaroo Island Dunnarts, but work is now underway to expand the feral predator-free area into a ‘Stage 2 Western River Refuge’ to secure a further 370 hectares.  

 The expected outcomes from this project are exciting: the expanded sanctuary will provide long-term protection for a further six threatened species, including Southern Brown Bandicoot, Southern Emu Wren, Heath Goanna, Western Whipbird, Bassian Thrush and Kangaroo Island Echidna.