Birth heralds a big year

The birth of twin, female bilbies has been a great start to what is expected to be a big year for Broome’s Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park, which is set to launch a foundation in memory of the late conservationist.

Coinciding with the anniversary of the arrival of the park’s rare triplet baby bilbies in January 2011, wildlife manager Marshall Black said the latest arrival was a testament to the tireless work of the late Malcolm Douglas to bring the bilby population back from the brink of extinction.

Mr Black said 2012 was expected to be a “bumper year” for one of Australia’s most endangered species as staff at the Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park welcomed the belated Christmas presents.

He said they had been “thrilled” to discover the babies shortly after Christmas, during a routine check of the animals.

The first to arrive in 2012, the two new marsupials have brought the park’s breeding program up to more than 30 bilbies.

Mr Black said the bilby population experienced a boom last year, thanks to the success of the bilby breeding program and the well designed enclosures, and hailed the project as the “greatest success”.

While hopes are strong for a booming year ahead for the bilby population, the park’s general manager Mark Jones hailed 2012 as the “year of endangered species and conservation” with the launch of the Malcolm Douglas Foundation.

Mr Jones said the concept had been in the pipeline for a long time and was a symbol of continuing Mr Douglas’ legacy.

“The foundation is in the spirit of Malcolm’s passing and continuing the good work,” he said.

Another branch of the foundation will be the Kimberley Ark Project, focused on establishing breeding programs for endangered species including the bilby, and also for species expected to be hit hard by the arrival of cane toads, such as leopard snakes, king browns and fresh water crocodiles.

Mr Jones said the project would be in partnership with the Department of Environment and Conservation and in relationship with Aboriginal communities and pastoralists, paving the way for employment opportunities.

“The vision is to have big fenced off areas that will become feral free, and policed by the communities and pastoralists,” he said.

“It’s a big project, a big dream.

This year is going to be incredibly exciting…the next challenge is turning it into a reality.”