13 August 2024
Urgent calls for state-owned land protection and new national parks intensify as logging continues in endangered species habitats.
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (Wildlife Queensland), the Queensland Conservation Council (QCC), and concerned wildlife experts demand immediate protection of all greater glider habitats on state-owned land. We are also urging the government to commit to funding the creation of new national parks and protected areas specifically dedicated to the recovery of the endangered greater glider.
Disturbing evidence of habitat destruction
Newly surfaced video and photographic evidence have revealed alarming instances of logging in the habitat of the endangered greater glider (Petauroides Volans) in publicly-owned native forests. This discovery follows a government promise to establish a Greater Glider Forest Park, a commitment now in jeopardy.
The timing of this disturbing revelation is particularly troubling, as it coincides with the declaration of several more Australian species being threatened and at risk of extinction. The greater glider, a nocturnal and elusive species native to Queensland, is already facing severe population declines across the country.
Volunteer effort uncovers a troubling reality
At the end of July, a team of dedicated volunteer experts and citizen scientists ventured into St Mary State Forest near Maryborough to document the presence of the greater glider. They found a dense population of these endangered creatures, with seven individuals spotted in a single night.
Sadly, logging activities were observed and documented less than three kilometres from this site. The proximity of these operations to the greater gliders’ den and feeding sites has sparked outrage among conservationists. They fear an acceleration of logging in areas that are critical to the survival of the species.
A call for action and accountability
Wildlife Queensland praises the Miles Government’s June announcement of a proposal to include over 7,000 hectares of St Mary State Forest and 81,000 hectares of core greater glider habitat in the Eastern Hardwoods forestry region in the Greater Glider Forest Park. However, ongoing logging activities threaten to undermine these conservation efforts.
Wildlife Queensland Projects Manager Matt Cecil expressed his deep concern:
“The largest gliding mammal in Australia is on track to become extinct due to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, fire, and a changing climate. Disturbing the habitat of an endangered species is not acceptable. The protection of habitat is critical for their conservation and persistence.”
Cecil further emphasised that logging within greater glider habitats disrupts the species’ ability to move safely and leads to the loss of vital tree hollows. He stressed that greater gliders require connected, mature eucalypt forests with many large tree hollows, as they feed almost exclusively on eucalypt leaves.
The fight for greater glider conservation
While less well-known than the iconic koala, the endangered greater glider is equally at risk of extinction. Wildlife Queensland is calling for the same funding and conservation investment dedicated to South East Queensland’s koalas in recent years. Without immediate action, the fate of the greater glider remains perilously uncertain.
What you can do:
- Voice your concerns to the Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation, the Hon. Leanne Linard MP.
- Learn more about Wildlife Queensland’s Queensland Glider Network.
- Support the Queensland Glider Network by adopting a glider.
- Report a glider sighting.
- Download Wildlife Queensland’s A Revegetation Guide to the Threatened Gliders of Southern Queensland.
- Subscribe to our eBulletin Talking Wildlife to learn more about your local wildlife, plus Wildlife Queensland’s latest news, offers and events.