Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #savingourspecies
Most recents (5)
A fantastic moment in Taronga’s #bilby #conservation program was releasing #bilbies to SturtNP Western #NSW as part of the Wild Deserts Project. This large collaboration centres on #reintroduction of locally #extinct species. #SavingOurSpecies #ScienceWeek 
The #bilbies are a key part of the Wild Deserts project in #SturtNP and, as ecosystem engineers, are paving the way to #HabitatRestoration across thousands of hectares in #NSW. #SavingOurSpecies PC: Bobby-Jo Vial
The #reintroduction of #bilbies to the wild as part of the Wild Deserts project with UNSW, DPIE and the region’s Traditional Owners, the Wongkumara and Maljangata people, was a great step forward in restoring this western corner of NSW. PC: Bobby-Jo Vial
A flagship project for Taronga is the greater #bilby #conservation breeding program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in #Dubbo, which is a collaboration with multiple partners, including the @NSWDPIE #SavingOurSpecies program. #ScienceWeek
While the ultimate aim is securing the species in the wild, producing animals fit #ForTheWild and a sanctuary fit to house them in, constitutes a significant amount of the work towards achieving this goal.
To prepare for the #bilby release, introduced predators (#foxes) and herbivores (#rabbits) were detected, removed, and excluded from the 110ha fenced #sanctuary. Detection involved #cameratraps, track plates, and thermal cameras
In 2019, a population of Booroolong #frogs was rescued & translocated to Taronga for temporary holding in light of devastating impacts on its environment following prolonged drought & approaching Black Summer #bushfires zooaquarium.org.au/public/Public/… #SavingOurSpecies #ScienceWeek
Time was of the essence! These #frogs live only 3-4 years & were all adults on arrival at Taronga. These critical but ageing founders possess unique genes necessary for their species to adapt and survive in an ever-changing environment.
Cryopreserving sperm can be stored indefinitely, and so we can ensure that the #GeneticDiversity of wild populations is retained by helping these precious males produce offspring. Look at the frog sperm here!
Bellinger river snapping #turtles are a great example of Taronga’s collaborative work on pathogen discovery and commitment to #conservation. #SavingOurSpecies #WildlifeHealth #ScienceWeek #reptiles
When conservation-savvy locals raised the alarm that something was wrong with the #turtles in the Bellinger river, multiple agencies were there to help, including the ARWH who were responsible for finding out what was making these animals sick.
The AWRH found a nidovirus, one that had never been described before. This is also described here by @KarrieARose in a Taronga TV clip:
Know us as Taronga Zoo? We’re more than that. As Taronga Conservation Society Australia, we sit within the NSW Government’s Dept of Planning, Industry & Environment (@DPIENSW), led by @Matt_KeanMP, and contribute to #SavingOurSpecies programs & more. @nswenviromedia #scienceweek
Taronga is constituted under the Zoological Parks Board Act 1973 as a statutory authority owned by the people of #NSW. Breed-for-release programs, wild-wild animal translocations, #conservation education and scientific research are key to our work and legislated under the Act.
Co-delivered with @NSWEducation (>40y partnership), multiple #universities and community, our diverse learning pathways at the Taronga Institute of #Science & Learning nurtured many budding #conservation scientists. taronga.org.au/education/taro…
