Mahogany Glider with 2 pouch young: an exciting sign of hope
Photo © Daryl Dickson

Daryl Dickson, Mungarra Lodge Sanctuary

Today an exciting sign of hope was found when Department of Environment officers checked one of their post cyclone mahogany glider monitoring sites just north of Cardwell in tropical north Queensland. At first light, in a small patch of damaged remnant woodland, where remaining trees struggle to sprout new green growth, the vegetation is fighting through the tangled cyclone debris with new shoots and new life striving to recover.

This is one of the sites where a ‘den pair’ of endangered Mahogany Gliders were located by a team of international research students, led by wildlife ecologist, Dr John Winter in the aftermath of tropical cyclone Yasi. The gliders progress has continued to be monitored at this site regularly during the last 5 months. Today, while checking the health of the female mahogany glider, two tiny baby gliders were found in her pouch. A wonderful and promising discovery! – ‘Mum’ is a little lighter weight than we might ideally like to see but all three precious gliders appear to be in good health at present.

In a normal year, pouch young would be expected but under the current condition, nobody has been sure if the gliders would manage to breed this season. We still don't know just how they will cope through the remainder of the year or if they will find enough food in their depleted forests to rear their young but it would appear that they are feeling strong enough to try.

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) May 2011
Lily Creek Site 3 (The Bull Paddock)
Observations & supplementary feeding post TC Yasi

The mahogany gliders are proving to be amazingly resilient little north Queenslanders. They are indeed an iconic species that truly epitomize the resilience of all the survivors of the storm.

Check out these images at Lily Creek showing how valuable data is being collected through use of supplementary feed stations and night vision capture cameras following TC Yasi 2011. Click on the image to the left.

TC Yasi 2011 Mahogany Glider

The Mahogany Glider research and monitoring program, funded by DERM, FAME & the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is ongoing and aims to record the progress and assess the needs of one of Australia's most endangered mammals. It aims to provide information to assist in better planning for both disaster management and the long term survival of the Mahogany Glider – Petaurus gracilis.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi, it has been hard to guess just how this embattled species would cope with the catastrophic challenge presented. The entire habitat of the mahogany glider was impacted in varying degrees, with the most severe damage occurring in the northern end of the Mahogany Glider’s range around Cardwell and to the north.

The future was looking uncertain for the Mahogany Glider prior to TC Yasi, with remaining habitat declining in extent and condition and population estimated to be only 1500 animal surviving in the wild. Cyclone Yasi has certainly not improved the lot of this species but some positive signs are emerging that may well give us reason to have hope for the future.

Adopt a Glider

Home is where the hollow is …

… would you like to help us keep it that way?

On National Threatened Species Day, 7 September 2011, Wildlife Queensland is asking you to 'Adopt a Glider'. 

More information

• Mahogany Glider recovery post Cyclone Yasi update - June 2011
• Post Cyclone Yasi – what is happening? - 21 March 2011
• Mahogany Glider - Cyclone Yasi Info bulletin 4 - 11 March 2011
• QGN News #14 - February 2011
• Tully Times 17 March 2011
• Mahogany Glider - Cyclone Yasi Info bulletin 3 - 19 February 2011
• Terrain - Natural Resource Management Body for the Wet Tropics
• Plans underway to help wildlife after Cyclone Yasi - 18 February 2011
• Mahogany Glider - Cyclone Yasi Info bulletin 2 - 14 February 2011
• Mahogany Glider support feeding program - 14 February 2011
• Help rescue wildlife after Cyclone Yasi - 12 February 2011
• Mahogany Glider - Cyclone Yasi Info bulletin 1 - 11 February 2011
• Special message to Wildlife Qld members - 9 February 2011

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.