The Western Australian Quokka Setonix brachyurus is declining due to habitat-loss and feral animal predation as a result of continued ancient forest logging. In March 2003 the Northcliffe-Environment-Centre took action to defend local quokkas.
Quokkas
Setonix brachyurus
photographed at Caversham Wildlife Park 2002
February 2006
The quokka Setonix brachyurus is a small Western Australian macropod marsupial related to the wallabies
The main quokka habitat is in the southern jarrah and karri forests. In the public mind the quokka is associated with the population of degenerate sycophants on Rottnest Island, a holiday resort off the coast of Perth. On the mainland, quokkas are timid nocturnal animals living in communal groups in dense thickets, often associated with riparian systems, although quokkas forage over a wide range
However, few Western Australians know that quokkas live on the mainland. Local knowledge reports that quokkas were very common until the 1930s and would raid group settler's gardens. Now quokkas are limited to a few isolatedgroups. The quokka is listed as "vulnerable" according to World Conservation Union criteria. The northern, jarrah population of quokkas has already declined to the point where extinction is inevitable
In a country with a literary culture the quokka would be given the folkloric status of Kenneth Grahame's Mole, Water Rat or Toad, or the divinity of Wu Chen Eng's Monkey King. However. . .
As the female quokka's body still gave warmth I took the mother with the infant quokka inside to CALM Manjimup where Julie, a CALM Wildlife Officer, removed the baby quokka from the pouch. It was passed to Lesley Harrison, a qualified animal carer in Northcliffe.
The history of CALM/DEC, Forest Products Commission (FPC), logging and quokkas is tragic. Hardly any mention was made of these animals until the Northcliffe Environment Centre raised the mainland quokka to government and public attention by protesting the logging of a locally known quokka habitat in Nairn 06 State Forest in 2003. Fox and feral pig predation increases following easier access due to habitat destruction.
On a positive note serious attempts are now being made by the local Landcare Group and CALM to attempt to eliminate feral pigs and foxes in the Northcliffe area.
Nairn 06 State Forest Quokka Colony
During preparations to log Nairn 06 State Forest I saw and documented two live and eight dead quokkas on Wheatley Coast Road adjacent to Nairn 06 during road building by Forest Products Commission (FPC) in preparation for clearfelling. I believe it is fair to assume these animals were fleeing the disturbance or fox incursion resulting from the disturbance.
A report by Paul Erlich and Gerardo Ceballos of Stanford and Mexico Universities, states that "Australia, which is the continent with the largest number of mammal species extinctions, is also a continent showing a widespread severe reduction of populations" [habitat].
Protest in Nairn 06 State Forest against
FPC logging of a quokka colony
On the 3rd of March 2003 members of the Northcliffe Environment Centre (NEC) gathered at first light in Nairn 06 State Forest to peacefully object to the wilful destruction of the quokka habitat. The photographs show the events from soon after the NEC arrival at Nairn 06 at first light to the removal of protesters by police at about 0900am
Grandmother Pat Swanell March 2003
The seven protesters blocking the road varied in age from 6 months to a 76 year old great grandmother - they were all removed by police and charged with Hindering A awful Activity. Even I Photographer was arrested
Crowea Logging
A new threat to Quinninup-Northcliffe quokka colonies is present with the recent logging Crowea 09 State forest,
including the popular Blackberry Pool Walk Trails and part of the Bibbulmun Track. Members of NEC
reported sighting of quokkas in this forest in November 2005