It is raining sweet potatoes and carrots in the Australian state of New South Wales, ravaged by spectacular fires for weeks. The name of the operation? "Rock Wallaby". The challenge ? Save the "tailed rock wallaby", an endangered species. The state government of New South Wales therefore organized last week a delivery of thousands of tonnes of vegetables to the areas affected by the fires… by helicopter!
The environment minister of this eastern state, Matt Kean, said in a statement that providing food to the Wallabies was one of the main strategies used to promote the survival and recovery of the species affected by fires in the Antipodes.
Operation Rock Wallaby 🦘- #NPWS staff today dropped thousands of kgs of food (Mostly sweet potato and carrots) for our Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby colonies across NSW 🥕🥕 #bushfires pic.twitter.com/ZBN0MSLZei
- Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) January 11, 2020"Initial fire assessments indicate that the habitat of several large populations of brush-tailed rock wallabies was burned during recent bush fires. Wallabies generally survive the fire itself, but are then left in the plan with limited natural food while the fire destroys the vegetation around their rocky habitat, "clarified the minister on the frontline on this front. "The wallabies were already stressed by the ongoing drought, which made their survival difficult without help," said the official in an article in the Australian Huff Post.
Operation Rock Wallaby 🦘- #NPWS staff today dropped thousands of kgs of food (Mostly sweet potato and carrots) for our Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby colonies across NSW 🥕🥕 #bushfires pic.twitter.com/ZBN0MSLZei
- Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) January 11, 20202000 kilograms of carrots and sweet potatoes
According to a press release from the region, nearly 2,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes and carrots were therefore dropped in 11 different “rock” wallaby “rock colonies”. These deliveries will continue and will be accompanied by a fight against predators, as the species recovers.
Shocked by fires, 20,000 Australians demonstrate for the climate
"At this point, we plan to continue to provide additional food to the rock wallaby populations until sufficient natural food resources and water are again available in the landscape during post-fire recovery Confirms the press release.
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Chris Dickman, professor of ecology at the University of Sydney, estimates that more than a billion animals have been killed directly or indirectly by the forest fires that hit the country. Animals that survive the fire itself by fleeing or taking refuge underground will reappear in areas that lack the resources to support them, he said. Another problem to come.
