News - 09 May 2019
Numbat (WA)
noombat or Myrmecobius fasciatus
Conservation status: ENDANGERED (EPBC Act) Uplisted since RFA signed? YES; in 2018 from Vulnerable to Endangered EPBC Act recovery plan? NO; “Recovery Plan required”—Commonwealth Department of Environment |
- The Numbat once lived across much of southern Australia but is now restricted to the South West of WA, due to habitat destruction and introduced predators.
Threats
“There are estimated to be less than 1,000 mature Numbats in the wild and less than 250 mature individuals in the largest subpopulation… Of the remaining eight self-sustaining subpopulations, two are considered to have declined in the past five years. The overall trend for the species is considered to be an ongoing decline (Woinarski et al. 2014; Hayward et al. 2015)… Research to better understand the effect of timber harvesting on resident Numbats and to further inform the development of the silviculture guidelines specifically for Numbats is proposed under this recovery plan… though more research is needed to understand the impacts of timber harvesting on Numbat habitat, the result may indicate a need to modify commercial timber harvesting practices.”
Source: Numbat Recovery Plan
Full South West WA logging plan maps
Next: Spotted-tailed Quoll (NSW/Vic/Tas)
Our forest wildlife in crisis: Spotted-tailed quoll populations are significantly affected by the reduction, degradation and fragmentation of their habitat.