It is only due to reintroductions that this species is now in South Australia again.

Listen/Read a radio interview with Monarto Senior Curator, Peter Clark on the Tammar wallabies.

The South Australian mainland tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii eugenii had become extinct on mainland South Australia by the 1920’s, largely due to habitat destruction and predation by the red fox. However, a feral population did exist on Kawau Island, near Auckland, New Zealand after having been introduced in 1862. In 2003-04, the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments, in association with Zoos SA, initiated the repatriation of eighty-five wallabies, just as the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Auckland Regional Council planned to eradicate the wallabies due to their feral status.

Following a trial release of ten tammar wallabies in November 2004, a further 36 radio-collared wallabies were released in June 2005 and then another 36 in October 2006. The first and third releases (both carried out later in the year) were deemed successful, whilst survival from the second release was poor (this was determined to be a consequence of the autumn release timing).  Although some predation has occurred, the combination of ongoing fox control and the gaining of predator avoidance skills by surviving wallabies meant that at the time of the last comprehensive population survey carried out in mid 2007, at least fifty individuals had survived, including many animals born in the wild. This is an outstanding result, especially as this has been a ‘hard release’ i.e. no fences for protection from predators, and having to live entirely from the habitat around them (the animals were ‘hardened off’ before release).

Monarto Zoo have been instrumental in the re-introduction of the South Australia mainland tammar wallabies to Australia, initially providing quarantine facilities upon the wallabies’ arrival from New Zealand, and then in breeding animals for release to the wild at Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula. Further releases are planned as part of this species’ recovery and currently a well-managed captive breeding population of over one hundred animals is maintained at Monarto’s Native Fauna Complex. To date over 180 joeys have been bred at the zoo, and like Zoos SA’s Victorian brush-tailed rock wallaby program, this program uses the assisted reproductive technique of cross-fostering. By fostering the young of mainland tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii eugenii) into the pouches of Kangaroo Island tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii decres – a sub species still common on Kangaroo Island), the reproductive output of the mainland tammar wallabies is increased, thus ensuring sufficient numbers exist to both maintain a viable population and provide sufficient animals for release.

Along with Zoos SA, the Tammar Wallaby Recovery Program is a collaborative effort between:

• The South Australia Department for Environment and Heritage
• The University of Adelaide
• The Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage
• Conservation Volunteers Australia