Glider’s safe passage
One of the Far North’s most endangered species has taken with gusto to wildlife corridors installed near Cardwell over the past two years. Wildlife Queensland’s Cassowary Coast Hinchin brook branch president Daryl Dickson said, with assistance from Ergon Energy, the first of two 22m high glider poles were installed in November 2016 across Kennedy Creek Rd at Kennedy. A second smaller set of poles was installed nearby last December.
ONE of the Far North’s most endangered species has taken with gusto to wildlife corridors installed near Cardwell over the past two years.
Wildlife Queensland’s Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook branch president Daryl Dickson said, with assistance from Ergon Energy, the first of two 22m high glider poles were installed in November 2016 across Kennedy Creek Rd at Kennedy.
A second smaller set of poles was installed nearby last December.
Remote cameras on top of these poles monitor movement and use the 3G mobile network to download images to a base managed by volunteers.
Mr Dickson said volunteers had been thrilled at how quickly the animals had taken to the new facility.
“With limited money available to assist native wildlife it is very important that the dollars that we spend are well spent on projects that will really work,” Mr Dickson said.
“In the Far North tropics we have been working on installing glider poles – tall poles on either side of the gaps created by roads and highways.
“The poles mimic the height of trees that would have provided a safe launch and landing platform for the endangered mahogany glider.”
The mahogany glider is list- ed as endangered and is one of Australia’s most endangered mammals with only 2000 animals estimated to remain in the wild.
Mahogany gliders are only found in a narrow strip of tropical coastal eucalypt and melaleuca woodland from Hull River near Tully south to Ollera Creek (about 40km south of Ingham), in North Queensland.
Mahogany gliders do not live in rainforests and they have not been found above 120m elevation.
Mr Dickson said one of the major threats for the species was the destruction of its remaining habitat.
“Part of this fragmentation is caused by roads, highways, powerlines and railways,” Mr Dickson said.
“Glider poles really can assist gliders in safely crossing these gaps.
“The first glider image appeared on the cameras on November 23, 2016 – less than a month after installation.
It was of a sugar glider, the smaller cousin of the endangered mahogany glider.
On December 4 that year the first mahogany glider, a female, appeared on the crossing, with a male appearing a few nights later.
Images of mahogany gliders using the crossing have been regularly captured throughout 2017 and into January 2018.
The two glider pole crossings cost about $22,000.