A rare wallaby species, once believed to be extinct, has been rediscovered on Kawau Island in New Zealand. This surprising find traces back to the 1860s when a South Australian governor introduced parma wallabies to the island. Conservationist Peter Pigott learned about the colony in the 1960s and was determined to save the species. "It was quite emotional," Pigott recalled. "It was thought to be extinct, and [I thought] this may be the only chance I'll have in my lifetime — and the only person ever in Australia — to save a wallaby from extinction."

Pigott committed to ensuring the parma wallaby's survival. He stated, "I will buy more land at Mount Wilson [in the Blue Mountains], I will fence it, I will build dams and we'll see if we can breed it back so that it survives." His daughter, Heidi Pigott Irwin, joined him in this mission. "It's like everything just lined up, when everything's right in the universe," she said. The family established a predator-free zone on their property, where they successfully relocated 36 parma wallabies from Kawau Island. Over the past 50 years, the population has thrived, peaking at around 300 individuals.

In parallel, small groups of parma wallabies have been found along the east coast of Australia, where they face threats from foxes and cats. The NSW Invasive Species Council is now working on a rescue mission to protect these wallabies. Rob Brewster, the rewilding manager, explained that the species is particularly vulnerable due to its size, which makes it an easy target for predators.

As Pigott approaches 90 years old, he plans to pass stewardship of the wallabies to organizations that manage feral-free sanctuaries. Brewster noted, "Peter has been looking after [the wallabies] for 50 years and he just can't continue that any longer. Really that was always his intention. This wasn't the end game behind a small four-hectare fence. He always wanted to see them back out in broader landscapes."

The council has successfully moved over 50 wallabies to predator-free areas, including the Bannockburn Rewilding Sanctuary and the Ngambaa Nature Reserve. Brewster emphasized the importance of these efforts for the future of the vulnerable species. "We know very little about the parma wallaby," he said. "We know that up and down the NSW coast there are scattered small populations of parmas, but if we look in most places they aren't there anymore."

While estimates of the wild population range from 10,000 to 50,000, Brewster cautioned that these figures are based on limited data. He stressed that moving species to predator-free areas is not a complete solution. The NSW Invasive Species Council aims to ensure that no Australian animal is threatened by extinction from foxes and cats by 2050.

Ms. Pigott Irwin expressed excitement about the translocation of wallabies to larger environments. "This is very exciting for us. It marks a big time in the parma wallaby story with dad," she said. She added that this process is crucial for the species' future. Pigott hopes that the story of the parma wallaby will inspire others to take action for threatened species. "Other animals will be on the brink of extinction and people will be able to come in and say, 'well, Pete Pigott said it can be done, so we'll do it.'"