September–October 2015 79MARTIN WILLIS/ MINDEN PICTURES ; HONEYEATER:
Acanthagenys rufogularis;
SKINK:
Tiliqua multifasciata– from the maps in song, down to every faint shading, scent on
the breeze or granular detail underfoot.
The late Tjilpi Robin Kankapankatja lived and breathed
this knowledge. In 2000 some 7000sq.km of his ancestral land
centred on Walalkara was declared as an Indigenous Protected
Area (IPA) – the fi rst of fi ve IPAs now declared in the APY
Lands. For decades, Tjilpi Robin worked with ecologists to
help them grasp the particulars of this place – including
habits of the desert’s most vulnerable creatures, from the
Tjakura (great desert skink) and Nganamara (malleefowl) to
the enigmatic Itjaritjari (southern marsupial mole).
To scientists, the intuitive awareness of the Anangu is a
revelation – not just for locating plants and animals, but also
for subtleties such as discerning at a glance, amid a patch of
active lizard burrows, which one is occupied.
Walalkara IPA coordinator Kate Holmes embraces the work
with Tjilpi Robin’s family, including senior women such as
his wife, Antjala, and her sister Iwana. For this Adelaide-born
fi eld biologist, it’s a rare opportunity to share in a legacy ofstewardship. At one level this is an alliance of western science
and traditional ways.
That means everything from safeguarding waterholes and
traditional burning methods, to using motion-detecting cameras
to monitor a malleefowl nest. But being immersed in landscape
and language also creates deeper ties. “They are the most won-
derful people to be with,” says Kate. “I feel like I’m being accepted
into their world, and so readily accepted too – it’s very special.”
This collaborative spirit guides APY Land Management, the
team that oversees the Anangu agenda for their country. It’s a
whole-landscape eff ort to watch over cultural sites, livestock,
mining activities and biodiversity projects. In such an expansive
region, no challenge is more daunting than controlling the spread
of buff el grass, which was believed to have fi rst come to Australia
with camels in the 1860s and was encouraged during the 1980s
to help keep dust down around communities.
It’s now the biggest ecological menace. Fast-growing and
highly fl ammable, buff el grass promotes hotter, faster and
more frequent bushfi res, placing communities at risk andT
HE WARRU is one of South
Australia’s most endangered
mammals. Although total wild
numbers are unknown, Warru are
spread patchily across central Australia
in the NT, WA and SA, and on several
WA islands. In 2007 fears that the
species would soon become extinct in
SA led to the formation of the Warru
Recovery Team, made up of traditional
owners, conservationists and scientists.
With the support of the local people,
joeys have been taken to Monarto Zoo,
south-east of Adelaide. Here, cross-
fostering (see AG 127) is used to raise
them with yellow-footed rock-wallaby
foster mothers. In 2010 a 100ha
predator-proof enclosure was created
near the APY Lands’ Musgrave Ranges,
which is now home to about 25 Warru
that are protected from cats and foxes.BLACK-FOOTED ROCK-WALLABYA whole-landscape effort
watches over cultural sites,
livestock, mining activities
and biodiversity.
Scaly fella. Lungkata, the
unmistakeable blue-tongued
skink, fi gures in one of Uluru’s
best-known Tjukurpa stories.Warru wallabies have been
successfully cross-fostered.The black-footed rock-wallaby,
or Warru (Petrogale lateralis),
was once common across
the rocky hills of
central Australia.This small nocturnal wallaby is
found amid rocky outcrops. It is
generally greyish-brown with a
paler belly and chest, a dark stripe
running from its head down its
spine, and it has a dark tail and feet.DESCRIPTION:FAC TS
WEIGHT:2.3–5.5kg
There are 3 subspecies of Warru.
200 – 300
11
Warru are found on the APY Lands.Learn all about
Australia’s
kangaroos and
other macropods,
in our poster-guide
that’s FREE to
subscribers along
with this issue!