Australia’s animal world is enriched by 20 rare long-nosed rabbit kangaroos: the bottom-dwelling juveniles are now in a protected area as part of a breeding program for the endangered marsupials. Barrington National Parks The Aussie Ark organization announced on Friday that it had been freed about 270 kilometers north of Sydney.
What’s special: Podorus tridactylus, as it’s called by its scientific name, is celebrated by experts as an “animal fire brigade.” “It is one of the smallest and oldest members of the kangaroo family, and is a living fossil that has remained relatively unchanged for about 10 million years,” Aussie Arch wrote. However, many Australians have never heard of this animal, known in its homeland as the “long-nosed potoroo”. “This is all the more tragic when we consider the ecological role of the species, which ultimately saves human lives,” animal rights activists assert.
Mushrooms and truffles are staple food
Long-nosed kangaroos feed primarily on underground mushrooms and truffles, explained Tim Faulkner, head of the organization. These dig with their front paws, the animals kick and dig up large amounts of foliage on the forest floor. This unusual behavior not only helps with leaf decomposition, but also keeps the soil moist and encourages the growth of new plants—ultimately reducing the power of wildfires. Faulkner referred to the handsome firefighters as “the engineers of Earth’s ecosystem.”
Fittingly, even the local fire brigade became part of the liberation. “I wish we could hire animals from the troopers,” laughed Fire Chief Brendan White.
According to the Australian Department of Environment, long-nosed kangaroos – also known as long-nosed kangaroos – are classified as vulnerable. In particular, the devastating wildfires of 2019 and 2020 greatly reduced their numbers. (Aba)
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