Lees, C.M.

The Bellinger River Snapping Turtle (BRST) (Myuchelys georgesi) is a freshwater turtle endemic to a 60 km stretch of the Bellinger River, and possibly a portion of the nearby Kalang River in coastal north eastern New South Wales (NSW). In mid-February, 2015 a significant mortality event was observed in BRSTs. Prior to the 2015 mortality event, the BRST was described as locally abundant, but now the BRST population is currently listed as Critically Endangered. Since the mortality event a disease investigation has identified a virus as the agent most likely to be responsib

The Mala (Lagorchestes hirsutus) is a little known but charismatic wallaby, rescued from imminent extinction in the 1980s when the last 22 animals were secured in predator-proof enclosures. The last mainland wild population perished in a wild fire in 1991. Mala numbers remain critically low, dispersed among six predator-free sites, isolated from each other and located in three different States and Territories.