South West NRM CEO Dr Manda Page speaks with ABC Perth afternoons presenter Michael Tetlow about our new project: Addressing the threat of climate change for endangered amphibians and reptiles.

Michael Tetlow

Sometimes when experts are trying to bring a species back from the brink, they do something called Translocation. It has helped with dibblers, they were moved onto Dirk Hartog Island and it has now been trialled for a native turtle. There are only 300 western swamp tortoises which are actually turtles left in the wild around the Perth wetlands and pending final approval next year, a group of turtles and some eggs will be moved permanently to the South West.

Let’s have a chat to Dr Manda Page who is the CEO of South West Natural Resource Management. Dr Page, hello. Welcome to afternoons.

Dr Manda Page

Hi Michael. Thank you for having me.

Michael Tetlow

Tell me a bit about the turtles, and why they are so endangered.

Dr Manda Page

Well, so the western swamp tortoise, which, as you said, is actually a turtle, which is quite confusing… is a critically-endangered species. It’s only 15 centimetres, about 500 grams of size, so it’s a smaller turtle, and it was thought to be extinct. It was rediscovered actually by a schoolboy in 1953. Since then they have rediscovered it in the wetlands around Perth.

That habitat is not great. It’s got a lot of pressures and the drying climate now. And so the species has never really, you know, been able to take off in the wild.

Michael Tetlow

Tell me about what has been done in those decades since to help the turtles survive.

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, there’s been a huge amount of work that’s been done and of course with a lot of people. So the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions obviously have been, pivotal in this program but so have volunteers. Like the western swamp tortoise group and universities.

So we’ve done everything from understanding the biology of the species. Understanding its threats. What habitat it needs. How it breeds, you know, everything you could find out about the species in order to inform how we can actually help recover it.

Michael Tetlow

Tell me about the plan. Translocation to the South West. What would that give to the swamp turtle or the tortoise that they don’t have here in Perth.

Dr Manda Page

Well, one of the things we are most concerned about is that there’s not a lot of that wetland habitat left around Perth due to sort of urban development. But, as well, as we all know, climate change is a real thing.

And so in this drying climate, we’re really concerned about, you know, the stability and the sustainability of those those sites. So this is a bold project, which is about moving them outside of their normal range. Because we’ve done this wonderful modelling, which has determined that moving them down south will give them a much better chance in terms of having a wetter climate.

Michael Tetlow

What is involved, once they are there in a South Western climate in terms of protecting them from not just feral animals and cats and that sort of thing. But also humans.

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, it’s on a protected area. So, that area is already well managed by the department, in terms of, you know, the threats like feral animals and people and weeds and all the other things that can get in the way.

But of course, we’ll really closely monitor them. So the idea is that we should be able to almost work out the, I guess, the survivorship of, of most of the individuals. And so hopefully they’ll establish and they’ll do well.

This is the first time we’re doing it in an operational sense but there’s been a few trials done before to test the waters for this project that’s taken probably nearly 10 years in the making.

Michael Tetlow

So a few trials with the western swamp tortoise?

Dr Manda Page

Yeah. So the great thing with the western swamp tortoise is that though there’s not very many left in the wild, the Perth Zoo have cracked the breeding program. This gives us the ability to have more animals to do trials like this. But also to augment the populations, the existing populations around, Perth.

Michael Tetlow

720, ABC, Radio Perth, and WA. The Afternoon Show at 12 minutes to two.

I’m chatting with Dr Manda Page, CEO of South West Natural Resource Management. When you put them into their swamp or wherever, it is, there being located to, do they all get little trackers put on them? Is that how it works?

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, generally we do have little transmitters that can be fitted to their shells, which doesn’t have any impact on them.

And the idea is that it allows us to track them. It’s still quite a feat though because people still have to get out on the ground and walk around because these transmitters don’t send a signal very far, so it can still be quite a difficult program.

Michael Tetlow

In addition to the trials you’ve done with the western swamp tortoise, you’ve done translocation with other animals as well, haven’t you?

Dr Manda Page

The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions has led a number of translocation programs and I think you know, translocations is one of those bold interventions that we do when we get to a point that a species is probably right on the brink.

And the best thing we can do is to establish new populations or augment existing populations. To make sure they survive.

Michael Tetlow

So much work going on outside of the turtles and I’ve been told to ask you about the white-bellied frogs, tell me about these.

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, so, the white-bellied frogs are very cool as well.

These are tiny little frogs that are found down here in the South West. They’re about the size of your thumbnail. So they’re tiny. But they’ve existed down here for a long time but they’re critically-endangered. Again, real problems with, you know, habitat and drying climates.

But that’s another species that the Perth Zoo has done a huge amount of work on and they do what’s called a head starting program where they can collect eggs and grow them up and then we can put the little critters out.

Michael Tetlow

Manda Page. Thank you so much for joining us on afternoons.

Dr Manda Page

My pleasure have a great day.

Michael Tetlow

Yeah, you too Dr Manda Page. The CEO of South West Natural Resource Management. Western swamp tortoises and eggs are going to be moved permanently to the South West, pending final approval, from the State Government.

Just 300 western swamp tortoises left in the wild around the Perth wetlands because the climate change and other factors. They may well have a better chance of survival in the state’s South West.

This is 720 ABC Radio Perth at nine minutes to two.