Writing and Editing Services
  Rosebud Communications
  • Home
  • About
  • Projects
    • Clients
  • Rose's Red Pen Blog
  • A Rose in Oz Blog
  • Photos Down Under
  • Contact

Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary

7/26/2018

4 Comments

 
Picture
Imagine traveling back in time to see the red-gum and yellow-gum grassy woodlands of Australia before European settlement. Before invasive predatory species like cats and foxes decimated the native wildlife. Before rabbits were an invasive pest. I didn’t need a TARDIS and the Doctor to time travel. All I had to do was drive 30 minutes north to the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary.

The sanctuary can return to an earlier time, thanks to an electrified, predator-proof fence. In 2004, the Australian Capital Territory established the sanctuary, removed the invasive predators and herbivores, and enclosed the land within the predator-proof fence. Native plant and animal species were reintroduced to create a living ecosystem, not a zoo.

Other large, fenced animal sanctuaries exist in Australia, but they tend to be in remote areas. Mulligans Flat is unique because it’s so close to Canberra’s urban environment. The nearly 1200 acres of sanctuary have become an ecotourism destination where visitors can see rare Australian animals.

Some of the animals reintroduced to the sanctuary have not lived in mainland Australia for more than 100 years, including the eastern bettong, the bush stone-curlew, and the eastern quoll.
Eastern bettong
Bush stone-curlew
Eastern quoll
The bettongs and quolls had been hunted to extinction but were successfully reintroduced from Tasmania. With luck, once the populations have rebounded, some of these native species will eventually be released outside of the sanctuary.

I wasn’t lucky enough to see any of the rare nocturnal animals the day I visited, but I did spot two echidnas (my first sighting of echidnas in the wild), the omnipresent eastern grey kangaroo, and numerous wallabies.
Echidna
Eastern grey kangaroo
Wallaby
Next time, I’ll have to go back for one of the popular twilight tours.

4 Comments
Diane
7/26/2018 04:25:22 pm

Wow, this is so cool. Perhaps we can a twilight tour when I visit?

Reply
Rose
7/26/2018 05:44:36 pm

I was thinking exactly the same thing! :)

Reply
Lillian
8/23/2018 06:02:40 am

I was fascinated by all the wildlife as well as so many other things that you are sharing with Diane. What a great experience for the two of you to have together. She is going to feel a 'letdown' upon her return home--but I'll bet your heads are filled with many memories. Life is good !!!
Lillian

Reply
Rose
8/23/2018 04:09:00 pm

We are having such a good time! Many more new memories for both of us -- feeling fortunate to have such a good friend.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

    Archives

    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All
    Daily Life
    Events
    History
    Holidays
    Nature
    People
    Places

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.