South West NRM CEO Dr Manda Page speaks with ABC Radio breakfast program presenter Stan Shaw about our new project: Addressing the threat of climate change for endangered amphibians and reptiles.

Stan Shaw

White-bellied frog and the western swamp tortoise are among 110, species, flagged as high priority under the Federal Government’s push to ensure no more animal extinctions. The tiny frog, no bigger than your fingernail, about two centimetres, is only found in isolated parts of the Margaret River region. The western swamp tortoise, there were thought to be maybe only 300 in the wild, then last year one popped up its little head in the wetlands near Northcliff.

Now, both will be part of a program by South West NRM and the Perth Zoo who are teaming up to translocate the species back into the South West. It’s a fascinating project, Dr Manda Page is the CEO of South West NRM and joins me.

Hello there.

Dr Manda Page

Good morning, Stan. How are you?

Stan Shaw

Very good. What else can you tell us about these critically endangered species?

Dr Manda Page

This is a fantastic project for the South West. The western swamp tortoise, didn’t actually exist down in this part of the world. Because of the drying climates in where it does exist due to, you know, climate change and other factors it’s been decided that we should try and establish a population down here to try and protect this critically endangered species that’s, going extinct.

And then the white-bellied frogs. Well, you know, they are a local and critically endangered as well, not doing so well, due to the drying climate.

So, it’s fantastic to be partnering up with the Perth Zoo and Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions to try and ensure that these guys continue to exist.

Stan Shaw

So, on the  tortoise you’re saying there’s not a population down here at the moment so the idea is to create a population?

Dr Manda Page

So obviously the site’s been tested with the release of some animals down here. But, prior to that. No, this isn’t part of its habitat that we know, but there’s been extensive work done by the department and actually also the University of Western Australia have been pivotal in this as well in modelling, where to put this species to try and ensure that it’s resilient to the climate change that’s coming.

Stan Shaw

Very interesting. 14 away from eight, my guest is Dr Manda Page from South West NRM. We’re talking about this translocation project with the Perth Zoo to look after the western swamp tortoise and the white-bellied frog. So when we say, like this partnership with the Perth Zoo, what does that look like?

What does translocation mean?

Dr Manda Page

It’s a tool that we use when we’re trying to save threatened species. So, we only use it when things are in dire straits – where they’re pretty much critically-endangered and there’s no other options, but the translocation is actually where humans, because we have to, are interfering and actually are moving animals into locations.

Sometimes we do it to top up existing sites, sometimes we do it to re-establish populations that have disappeared. For the western swamp tortoise, we’re doing it this time to do an assisted migration into a new site. But the role of the Perth Zoo is pivotal because these species don’t, there’s not enough left in the wild for us to move them from a wild population to a wild population.

So the Zoo do come in here and they do this amazing captive breeding programs where they can amplify the numbers and that gives us enough numbers to go and establish these new populations and augment existing population.

Stan Shaw

So they grow them. They raise them in the Perth Zoo. And then how, and what they just transport them down to the location and plant them there? And then and that’s your job. You monitor them?

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, we are involved in all aspects of it but you’re right. There’s actually a huge amount of planning that goes on way before we get to this stage and that takes many, many years. It’s done under sort of strict protocols to make sure we’re not making any situations worse. But yes, we’ve got to identify sites. We’ve got to make sure that the threats that impact the species like feral animals and weeds and other things are managed at those sites.

We’ve got to make sure there’s enough resources there for them and enough animals from the captive breeding program or the wild. And then we have strict protocols about how we release them to ensure, you know we’re not introducing things like new diseases or anything into a site.

And then we do pre and post monitoring, to ensure the success. Unfortunately, when we don’t have success because, you know, these sorts of things are quite risky, we learn from them and we know what to do better next time.

Stan Shaw

Yeah, it sounds quite precarious and risky as you said, and then, the Federal Government has, they’ve essentially said they want no more animal extinctions under their watch and they flagged 110 species in the country.

What hope do you have that we won’t see another animal Extinction? In I don’t know the next 10 or 20 years? I mean, is that?

Dr Manda Page

Yeah, tough question. And I’ve been working with threatened species and in conservation for over 30 years and it’s a tough gig. You know, it’s unfortunately, we have more losses than wins in the work that we do but you’ve got to stay positive.

If I didn’t think that we could make a difference, I wouldn’t be doing it and we wouldn’t be doing it and the Federal and State governments wouldn’t be sponsoring it and all the community groups and amazing volunteers that work on threatened species, wouldn’t be doing it.

I could not say with my hand on my heart that there won’t be any more extinctions, there are a lot of species that are in really precarious situations. We hope that the work that we do and our partners and the community really can make a positive difference.

And this is, one example of that.

Stan Shaw

I hadn’t thought about that, you know how emotional your gig might be that you, put all this time and money and effort into trying to protect those little guys. You become connected in lots of ways emotionally as well and then you lose them or something doesn’t work. That would be tough.

Dr Manda Page

Absolutely. It is and, you know, that’s why I take my hat off to all of the amazing people that give up their time and energy and put their expertise into trying to save threatened species because it’s, as I said, it is a tough gig, emotionally.

We’re all, we’re really passionate about what we do. This sort of work does attract passionate people. But it comes with its issues because of that. It’s important that we look after our environment and also the people that are working in it.

Stan Shaw

Absolutely. Thank you for telling us about the project. Good luck. You’re working with the Perth Zoo to, essentially, save the white-bellied frog and the western swamp tortoise. We wish you all the best. Thank you very much. Nice to chat. Dr Manda Page there, CEO of the South West NRM.