HOW WE ARE SAVING GREATER GLIDERS FROM EXTINCTION

Did you know the greater glider is the largest gliding marsupial in the world? Swooping up to 100 metres in a single movement, with a big, bushy tail longer than its body and a shaggy coat (that makes it look deceptively larger than it actually is), they’re a sight to see, if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one. While they may hide humbly in the shadows of their more famous native housemates, these surprisingly nifty creatures represent everything we love about Australia’s unique wildlife. Sadly, though, their survival is under threat.

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Did you know you can vote for the greater glider to be Australia's Marsupial of the Year?

What is a greater glider?

All fur, oversized ears, and affectionately nicknamed the ‘clumsy possum’, there’s more to this lovable marsupial than meets the eye. Less common than a sugar glider, they’re found in Australia’s eucalyptus forests. The strictly nocturnal creature enjoys its own company, leading a relatively quiet life in every sense - you won’t hear so much as a peep from them, aside from a whoosh as they glide past. Family is the only exception to their solitary status. Baby gliders will sit in their mother’s pouch for the first 3-4 months of their life before hitching a ride on their back for a further three months (cute!). The secret to their impressive gliding skills is aerodynamic membranes, stretching from elbow to ankle and doubling up as a blanket on cold nights. Meanwhile, their tail acts as a built-in steering wheel, extending up to 60 centimetres beyond their body, enabling them to change directions.

How many greater gliders are left in Australia?

Don’t be fooled by their small stature; the greater glider is mighty resourceful. However, there are only so many tools in their toolbelt. Once abundant along Australia’s east coast, greater gliders have plummeted by as much as 80% over the last 20 years. Listed as a ‘Vulnerable’ species in 2016, their status was officially updated to ‘Endangered’ in 2022 under Australia’s national nature laws (the EPBC Act).

Why are greater gliders Endangered?

In addition to greater glider habitat destruction, like logging and land clearing, the catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires were a catalyst for their Endangered status. The natural disaster scorched nearly a third of their likely habitat, leaving the species perished or homeless and hungry in its wake.

Categorising the greater glider as Endangered recognises the species is one step closer to extinction. “It must be a turning point,” warns Dr Kita Ashman, WWF-Australia Threatened Species and Climate Adaptation Ecologist. “Put simply, Australia will lose this species unless we strengthen laws to protect its homes and cease logging native forests.”

A timeline of efforts to protect greater gliders

A Stop Work Order is issued: In August 2023, a dead Southern Greater Glider was found near logging operations in Tallaganda State Forest, just outside Canberra. This prompted the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to issue a Stop Work Order to the Forestry Corporation of NSW. The Forestry Corp was directed to cease all harvesting activities for 40 days and establish 50-metre exclusion zones around identified greater glider den trees. WWF-Australia, along with our partners led a campaign to halt destruction, calling for community support through a petition and drone footage highlighting the extensive deforestation.

A (small) step in the right direction: In a move hailed as a victory by WWF-Australia, Forestry Corp withdrew from logging compartments in Tallaganda following the Stop Work Order, helping to safeguard an area equivalent to over 2,500 rugby league fields. Stricter search rules are imposed: In response to public outcry over botched den tree searches conducted during daylight hours when greater gliders were asleep and therefore can’t be spotted, the NSW EPA enforced a new condition. It required searches be carried out at night and commencing no later than one hour after sunset, a critical time frame when gliders typically emerge from their hollows to forage. Almost 200 violations detected: With the ink barely dry on the new rules, 188 breaches were identified by conservation groups. Most searches were conducted more than an hour after dark when gliders had already left their dens for the night. Described as an "astonishing failure" by WWF-Australia, with only 5% of glider dens identified, calls were made to stop work on forestry operations statewide.

Advocating for better protection measures: WWF-Australia’s Dr Ashman proposed establishing a 100-metre exclusion zone around each sighting of a greater glider. This measure would allow surveys to be carried out through the night and accommodate gliders' feeding, socialising and movement needs more comprehensively. A big setback: In a huge blow for greater glider conservation efforts, the NSW EPA announced that Forestry Corp would no longer be required to search for den trees before logging operations, sparking further outrage among environmental groups. Reinstatement of search conditions: As a result of the backlash, the NSW EPA reversed its decision and reinstated requirements for Forestry Corp to search for den trees before logging. “We’re basically back at square one with protections for greater gliders. The EPA is righting a wrong that should never have happened in the first place,” said Dr Ashman.

Where are we now?

Updated protocols for greater glider protection now require temporary 25-metre exclusion zones around trees where gliders are spotted but not entering or leaving hollows. However, conservationists argue that this measure is insufficient and undermines community reporting of glider sightings.

Dr Ashman criticises the EPA for prioritising the logging industry over the endangered species, stating that previous rules required comprehensive surveys to identify den trees, which have been removed.

“There was no ambiguity about the previous protocols; they clearly stated all surveys needed to start at a time that would allow for the identification of den trees - but this didn’t suit Forestry Corp. Now, with this requirement removed, only the initial survey will be useful for identifying dens.”

Effective protection should require buffers closer to 100 metres. The updated protocols, therefore, may exacerbate the risk of extinction for greater gliders further.

Expert analysis on what this means for gliders

WWF-Australia partners with global experts who are renowned for their knowledge on greater gliders, in addition to our own in-house expert dedicated to the cause. Together, our commitment goes beyond years of research and advocacy; it extends to on-the-ground work, where they’ve seen first-hand the devastation that has ravaged the homes of these magnificent marsupials.

“I’ve never experienced anything so deafeningly silent as a forest that has been destroyed. I’ve stood in recently logged forests, and at first, the visual shock takes my breath away,” recalls Dr Ashman. The emotional toll of witnessing such destruction is a sentiment shared by Dr Stuart Blanch, Senior Manager of Towards Two Billion Trees at WWF-Australia, who has conducted numerous post-wildfire surveys. “It was one of the most sombre and sobering experiences of my long career as a wildlife conservationist.” In June 2023, WWF-Australia embarked on a groundbreaking initiative with the University of Sydney, conducting one of the first studies exploring how burnt forest influences greater glider behaviour. “How are they able to move in a canopy that's quite open and burnt? That’s what we're trying to understand,” said lead researcher Dr Vivianna Miritis from the University of Sydney. Ecologists scaled heights of up to 60 metres to capture greater gliders’ in their nesting hollows. Small collars, safely attached to eight gliders from burnt forests and seven from unburnt areas, monitored their movements every 30 minutes from dusk till dawn for a month before retrieval. This tracking provided a deeper level of insight into the elusive creatures, helping inform conservation strategies to protect and restore their habitat.

In addition to tracking, conservation actions for greater gliders include translocations and the installation of hi-tech nest boxes. The tree hollows where they nest take up to 250 years to form. With the greater glider teetering on the edge of extinction, time is not on our side. Despite offering alternative shelter, traditional nest boxes often inadequately protect gliders from extreme temperatures, affecting their feeding habits and survival rates. To address this, WWF-Australia, in collaboration with Greening Australia and the Australian National University, has developed state-of-the-art nest boxes with advanced insulation, air circulation, and heat-resistant coatings that aim to mimic the thermal conditions of natural hollows.

A promising future ahead

In good news, 234 hi-tech nest boxes have been mounted in Tallaganda National Park, NSW and East Gippsland, Victoria. While natural hollows remain the preferred habitat, these nest boxes provide the greater glider a fighting chance at survival amid a worsening extinction crisis, as well as a secure space for breeding - a positive outcome we’re already observing!

The incredible work we’ve done so far—and will continue to do—to support the longevity of this species is only possible because of you. Together, our voices are loud, and the notoriously quiet (and unbelievably cute) greater glider needs us to speak up now more than ever.

What you can do to help

• Help bring our threatened Australian animals, like the greater glider, back from the brink of extinction by signing our petition, urging our leaders for stronger national nature laws and adequate funding to protect wildlife.
• Make a donation to help protect our precious wildlife and the places they call home.
• Find out if a greater glider lives in your local area using WWF-Australia’s My Backyard Tool, and what you can do to better protect them.