In the early 1900s the brush-tailed rock-wallaby was abundant throughout rocky habitats of eastern Victoria. A combination of predation, competition, habitat modification and degradation, hunting, disease, climatic changes and stochastic events saw the species regarded as extinct in Victoria by 1916. The species wasn’t extinct, but low genetic diversity may have hampered any natural recovery of the species following these significant declines (Lunney et al., 1997; Dobroszczyk, 2007).

There are currently three known wild populations of Victorian brush-tailed rock wallabies in the southern Ecological Significant Unit (ESU) (Farm Creek, Little River and West Gully). These populations are monitored by members of the Victorian Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Recovery Team (www.vicrockwallaby.com) on a regular basis. Combined across the three sites, the wild population is currently estimated at 21, inclusive of one captive-bred male released in 2005 (a second male released at the same time was found dead six months post-release).

As part of the National Recovery Program, a captive breeding program commenced in 1996 in order to increase numbers for re-introduction to the wild. Adelaide Zoo bred its first joey in 1998, and has since bred a further 67 animals, 23 of which are still alive in the current captive population of 39. Cross-fostering, a technique refined by the staff of Adelaide Zoo, has been optimised and identified as the most appropriate technique to maximise births and recruitment into the captive brush-tailed rock wallaby population (Taggart et al., 2005). Pouch young of approximately 10-14 days old are transferred to the pouch of a yellow-footed rock wallaby P. x. xanthopus or tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii that have young at a similar stage of lactation, and are of similar age and size. These pouch young come not only from the adults at Adelaide Zoo, but also flown from other Recovery Team institutions Healesville Sanctuary (www.zoo.org.au), Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au/parks/tidbinbilla.html) and Waterfall Springs (www.waterfallsprings.com.au).

A site in the Grampians National Park, Victoria has been identified as a suitable location for the release of Victorian brush-tailed rock-wallabies from the captive population. Dunkeld Pastoral Company has established a large pre-release ‘hardening off’ enclosure where wallabies can be (and currently are) housed prior to release. Site preparations are currently underway for the first release in Spring 2008.