General News
23 February, 2022
Grampians survey shows platypus numbers improving
The discovery of young platypuses in the MacKenzie River bring high hopes around a platypus population boost.
THE local platypus population is looking to be on the rise following the recent capture of multiple young platypuses at MacKenzie River at Grampians National Park.
Ecology Australia principal aquatic ecologist and director Chris Boink and his team found four platypuses over late Friday, February 18 to early Saturday, all aged under two-years-old.
Mr Boink said he wasn’t too surprised at the discovery based on how healthy the MacKenzie River habitat looked.
“The habitat at MacKenzie River looks great,” he said.
“Certainly, the environmental flows would be helping the recolonising of platypus further downstream because the mid-MacKenzie is normally dry for large portions of the year.
“I thought if we went out and did a survey we might get results, so I wasn’t entirely surprised.
“Still, platypus don’t necessarily have that level of breeding success every year.
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Mr Boink said the next several months will provide plenty more opportunities to study the platypuses.
“I’d like to go out there and do more data collecting, especially in spring because I’d like to see how the adults act, and you get a lot more activity and movement during that time of the year with breeding,” he said.
The four platypuses consist of Georgia, a juvenile female born last winter-spring; Frankie, a second juvenile female born around the same time as Georgia; Russell, a juvenile male around the same age; and Perry, a sub-adult male less than two-years-old.
Wimmera Catchment Management Authority planning and policy officer water Greg Fletchers said there had been considerable doubts at one point around the future of local platypuses.
“At one time there were more platypus in the upper Wimmera River catchment area but they subsequently disappeared by and large due to lack of flow,” he said.
“That was the same issue in the MacKenzie River to a degree, in that they only had a tiny amount of habitat remaining during the peak of the millennium drought.
“We’ve gone from thinking 10 to 15 years ago the local platypus might be on its way out to now seeing them having made a really strong comeback.”
Mr Fletcher said he’s looking forward to the young platypuses making their way out and making the most of the now thriving habitat along the MacKenzie.
“Hopefully now, with the environmental flow that’s happening downstream of the river, it’ll mean the four platypus will have somewhere to move into in a few months' time when they leave their mother,” he said.
“That was the issue for young platypus some years ago compared to now. But it’s exciting to now learn that the platypus at MacKenzie River are breeding up again.”