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Meet the Mala - Australia's Cutest Macropod

Writer's picture: Gregory AndrewsGregory Andrews

The first time I met a Mala, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted one as a pet. They are, without a doubt, one of the cutest marsupials I’ve ever seen. With their soft, russet-coloured fur, twitching little noses, and endearingly tiny front paws, they look like they’ve stepped straight out of a children’s storybook and need a cuddle. But unlike a pet, these gorgeous little marsupials belong in the wild - if only they still had a truly safe place to call home.


Mala, also known as Rufous Hare-wallabies, were once widespread across central and western Australia. They thrived in the spinifex grasslands, nibbling on herbs, leaves, and seeds, perfectly adapted to the arid heart of Australia. But like so many of our native species, their story took a tragic turn with the arrival of feral predators like foxes and cats, coupled with habitat destruction from grazing and wildfires. By the early 1990s, Mala were extinct in the wild and only surviving in enclosures.


I first met Mala at Scotia Sanctuary, a vast and remote conservation area run by Australian Wildlife Conservancy. As a fenced feral predator-proofed zone, visiting Scotia is like stepping back in time, to an Australia before the arrival of feral cats and foxes. My kids were with me, and were lucky enough to help feed these precious little creatures. It’s an experience they still talk about today - crouching quietly in the night with their torches, holding out food and watching these tiny, endangered animals come hopping over, eyes bright with curiosity.


If it weren’t for places like Scotia and other predator-proof sanctuaries, Mala wouldn’t exist at all. Their survival is thanks to these dedicated conservation efforts, where they can live free from the threats that wiped them out in the wild. Australian Wildlife Conservancy is one of my favourite conservaiton organisations for that reason. It plays a crucial role in protecting and breeding Mala and other endangered marsupials, with the goal of one day returning them to secure wild landscapes.


If you want to help ensure these little fellas have a future, consider supporting Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Every dollar donated can help protect and expand safe habitat for the Mala and other endangered Australian species.


You can donate here.

AWC gave me this gorgeous photo when I was the Threatened Species Commissioner.

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2 comentários


keith h
14 de fev.

good on you Gregory

Curtir

Convidado:
14 de fev.

Please, thanks for sharing Big Bro Gregory.

Curtir
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