SYDNEY: Australian conservationists on Wednesday unveiled plans to build the world's first refuge for the platypus, to promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duck-billed mammal faces extinction due to climate change.
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government said they would build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semiaquatic creatures, at a zoo 391 km (243 miles) from Sydney, by 2022, which could house up to 65 platypuses.
"There is so much to learn about the platypus and we know so little," Taronga CEO Cameron Kerr told reporters.
"These facilities will be critical in building our knowledge so that we don't let this iconic creature slip off the earth."
Concerns about the platypus going extinct have been heightened since once-in-a-generation wildfires devastated 12.6 million hectares (31 million acres) of bush, nearly the size of Greece, in late 2019 and early 2020.
Scientists estimate nearly three billion animals died in what the prime minister called the country's "black summer". A government inquiry found bushfires would likely occur more often because of warming temperatures.
Unlike other famous Australian animals such as the koala or kangaroo, the beaver-like platypus is rarely seen in the wild due to its reclusive nature and highly specific habitat needs.
The furry, web-footed animal, along with the echnidna, is one of just two egg-laying mammals, and generally lives around small streams and slow-moving rivers in cooler temperatures.
"The refuge ... will give us a chance to really learn about what sort of environments they like, and what is most likely to encourage them to breed," said Kerr.
The 2019-20 bushfires followed several years of drought, and Taronga had noted beforehand an increased number of platypuses with "climate-related injuries and illnesses", it said in a statement.
Last year, a separate inquiry found that koalas would be extinct in New South Wales by 2050, due to deforestation for farming and urban development.
The platypus is classified as a protected species in Australia, and Taronga said that without intervention, the animal may follow a few decades later.
Reuters
Wed Mar 03 2021
Unlike other famous Australian animals such as the koala or kangaroo, the beaver-like platypus is rarely seen in the wild due to its reclusive nature and highly specific habitat needs. Filepic/REUTERS
Polis Israel guna meriam air leraikan protes antikerajaan
Penunjuk perasaan menggesa Perdana Menteri Benjamin Netanyahu berundur dan mengadakan pilihan raya baharu.
Rejim Zionis mara ke Jabalia, antara kem pelarian terbesar
Lokasi operasi rejim itu tertumpu di Jabalia, salah satu daripada lapan kem pelarian terbesar di Semenanjung Gaza.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Suspek serangan Balai Polis Ulu Tiram tiada kaitan kumpulan pengganas - KPN
Berita terkini insiden serangan Balai Polis Ulu Tiram yang mengorbankan dua anggota polis dan mencederakan seorang yang lain, pada Sabtu.
Filem terbaharu ‘The Experts’ tampil pelakon hebat, genre berlainan buat peminat
Filem dengan idea original ini menampilkan kisah fiksyen tentang rompakan yang melibatkan sebentuk cincin permata.
Dua tahun di Ulu Tiram, pulang ke sini jasad terbujur kaku’ - Bapa
Dia tidak menitiskan air mata sepanjang berada di Johor Bahru bagi menyelesaikan urusan jenazah anak keempat daripada lapan itu.
Malaysia, Uzbekistan akan tingkatkan kerjasama ekonomi - Tengku Zafrul
Malaysia dan Uzbekistan akan memperbaharui komitmen mereka untuk mengukuhkan hubungan ekonomi sempena hubungan diplomatik selama empat dekad.
Bimbang hilang suami antara faktor wanita tidak jalani saringan kanser
Bimbang kehilangan suami dan menjadi beban kepada keluarga antara faktor menyebabkan ramai wanita di Kelantan tidak menjalani saringan awal kanser yang disediakan LPPKN di negeri ini.
SUKMA-21: Sarawak mahu cipta rekod untuk naik imej sebagai kuasa sukan
Sarawak selaku tuan rumah temasya Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) edisi ke-21 yang berlangsung bermula 17 Ogos ini, mahu mencipta rekod kejohanan untuk menaikkan imejnya sebagai kuasa sukan di negara ini.
Kelantan warta garis panduan baharu sukan Muay Thai - Exco
Kerajaan Kelantan sudah mewartakan garis panduan baharu berhubung sukan Muay Thai di negeri itu untuk diperkasakan dan dibangunkan semula bagi melahirkan atlet bertaraf dunia.
Pertumbuhan ekonomi rantau APEC dijangka cecah 3.4 peratus pada 2024 - Laporan
Pertumbuhan ekonomi di negara-negara Kerjasama Ekonomi Asia Pasifik (APEC) dijangka mencecah 3.4 peratus pada 2024 dan perlahan kepada 2.9 peratus pada 2025-2026.
Demi makhluk unik... Australia bina santuari platypus pertama di dunia
Ini bagi mempromosikan pembiakan dan pemulihan kerana mamalia tersebut kini menghadapi kepupusan akibat perubahan iklim.