Juvenile platypus discovered in Sydney's Royal National Park

Australian Community Media

Ten platypuses were re-introduced into the park in May 2024, in the hopes of re-starting the local population that has been extinct for decades. Video via AAP.

Transcript

00:00 So last year we collected 10 platypus and we held them at Taronga so that we could look

00:07 after them, their health care and we could also implant trackers before we released them

00:11 back here at the Royal National Park.

00:13 When the platypus first came to Taronga we kept them in a purpose built platypus facility.

00:18 It was able to hold 10 platypus with both water and terrestrial components.

00:23 Yeah so platypuses are very elusive and they have quite an expansive range.

00:28 They can forage in areas of about a 1 to 2 kilometres so it's quite challenging to actually

00:32 catch platypuses.

00:33 You can track these platypus up and down the river for up to 3 years.

00:38 We understand where they're moving and even what other platypuses they're communicating

00:43 and hanging out with.

00:44 This post release survey has been really important to understand how the platypus are doing,

00:50 where they're staying and more importantly have they been breeding successfully in the

00:54 park.

00:55 The platypus are doing well, the rest of the park is doing well and it just means that

00:58 platypus will be able to thrive here.

01:00 But we learn so much through these programs about what it means further out in the wild

01:05 and how we look after platypus into the future.

01:07 What we learn here is applicable all across New South Wales.

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