Australia’s Royal Australian National Park, located south of Sydney, has been restocked with iconic platypuses after their local extinction for approximately fifty years, according to official sources. As part of a platypus restocking program in regional New South Wales, experts released five females into the Hawking River last week. In addition, four more males are planned to be released in the national park in the coming days. These nine individuals, captured in different areas of the region to ensure genetic diversity, will be monitored regularly to ensure the success of the project.
The Royal National Park, established in 1879 and the second oldest in the world, seeks to become a sanctuary to protect these iconic Australian monotremes. Habitat loss due to dam construction, over-abstraction of water for agriculture, deforestation, urban development, and attacks by dogs and foxes have been the main causes of their decline.
The platypus is considered one of the most primitive mammals from an evolutionary point of view. Its population has declined since the British colonization of Australia in the 18th century. The species, which possesses striking features such as mole fur, a beaver tail, frog legs, a poisonous spur, a duck bill, and teeth, has faced significant threats due to the loss of its natural habitat.
The restocking project involves the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia, the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). A study conducted by UNSW in 2020 revealed a 22% decline in platypus habitat over the past three decades, threatening their survival.