10 November 2023
Wildlife Queensland is launching its Christmas appeal this week to raise funding for a new Greater Glider (Petauroides Volans) project. This initiative will collect crucial data on greater gliders’ habitat preferences and movement patterns, enabling proactive conservation measures against habitat threats.
Introducing Gizmo …
In South East Queensland lives a remarkable animal whose fluffy ears and long, furry tail have captured the hearts of all who encounter her. Meet Gizmo, an adorable greater glider who symbolises hope, resilience, and the delicate beauty of nature.
The Queensland Glider Network first noticed this greater glider in 2018. Wildlife Queensland project officers continued to spot her when visiting the area and affectionately named her Gizmo. In 2020, the team had the privilege of spotting Gizmo with a joey in her pouch.
However, Gizmo and her kind face a dire threat, and today, we bring you an urgent appeal from Wildlife Queensland to ensure their survival.
Gizmo’s once idyllic home is now under siege as urban expansion encroaches upon her habitat. Greater gliders like Gizmo are cornered and suffering severe population declines. They are unable to breed outside their shrinking territory, thereby jeopardising their genetic diversity and overall well-being. Urban sprawl has pushed them to the edge of existence, making them more susceptible to predation and injury as they are forced onto the ground in search of new homes.
Gizmo’s plight mirrors the struggle of her species in Queensland. The greater glider, the largest gliding marsupial in the world, is now officially listed as endangered in our state. This heartbreaking reality has spurred Wildlife Queensland into action.
Wildlife Queensland’s plan to help greater gliders
To ensure our greater glider population survives the urban onslaught, we urgently need to identify their behaviour and habitat preferences. This project involves two key objectives:
- Understanding behaviour and habitat preferences: The project’s first phase involves identifying the preferred trees, hollows, and nest boxes for greater gliders. Expert tree climbers and ecologists will be enlisted to capture individual gliders, enabling the study of travel distances and den-sharing patterns. To monitor their movements, VHF collars will be attached.
- Optimizing environmental conditions: The second phase focuses on determining the ideal environmental conditions within greater glider hollows. Data loggers will be placed in their favoured trees, nest boxes, and hollows to record temperature and humidity. This data will be compared across different seasons and greater glider populations.
Matt Cecil, the Projects Manager at Wildlife Queensland, emphasises the importance of understanding these elusive mammals.
“Once we understand everything we can about greater gliders, we can take proactive measures if their habitat is pressured or destroyed,” says Cecil.
You can help make a difference for Queensland’s greater gliders
Please donate today to help Wildlife Queensland raise $100,000 for our new Greater Glider Project.
Your generous donation will make a real impact on our efforts to protect and preserve Queensland’s greater gliders from urban expansion. Without immediate action, these endangered greater gliders may find themselves on the critically endangered list and under the threat of extinction.
Please help us ensure these magnificent marsupials, like Gizmo and her baby, Wattle, continue to grace Queensland forests for generations.