Overview
Six months after a group of ten adorable platypuses were introduced into the Royal National Park, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has reported that the duck-billed buddies are thriving in their new home.
The iconic native animal had been extinct from the area for 50 years up until 2023, but now they're back and they're loving it, with nine of the ten platypuses reportedly adapting well to their new environment.
As for the tenth, it has travelled beyond the established tracking area, but the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said: "we are confident the little adventurer is just exploring other creeks".
Originally announced back in 2021, the project is the first-ever translocation program for platypuses in New South Wales, coming from collaborative work between NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, UNSW Sydney and WWF-Australia.
The ten ultra-cute pioneers were collected from southern NSW before being given health checks and fitted with transmitters at Taronga Zoo's platypus refugee. They were then brought to the national park and shown their new digs, where they've been hanging out ever since.
The project was started after a 2020 UNSW study that found that the areas where platypuses live in Australia had shrunk by 22 percent in the last three decades.
The group of furry trailblazers will be monitored through 2024, with hopes that they might breed and rear young — a milestone moment for the project if it does occur.
If you want to head out and explore this expansive stretch of nature — and possibly catch a sighting of a platypus — there are plenty of walks and stays that you can plan in the Royal National Park.
Find out more about the platypus reintroduction project via the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Facebook page.