SIGNIFICANT SURVIVOR: PAKANA RANGERS’ SEARCH FOR LONELIEST ECHIDNA IN AUSTRALIA

Conservation science is a world of measurements and observations. However, as more conservation efforts are guided by Traditional Owners and Knowledge, the cultural and emotional impact of the vital work taking place on sacred places makes some projects a matter of the heart and spirit. For the Pakana Rangers, it was impossible to measure the surprise and excitement when a trail camera on Lungtalanana Island in Bass Strait captured an image of an echidna, a creature thought to have vanished from the island decades ago. 

European colonisation decimated many native species on Lungtalanana. Farmers cleared land for sheep and cattle pasture, and cats released on the island continue to prey on small animals and birds. Traditional Owners were prevented from conducting cultural burning, leading to more severe wildfires and changing the way the remaining vegetation grew. Devastatingly, a 2014 bushfire destroyed 98% of Lungtalanana’s vegetation. Bushfire continues to be a key threat to this one-of-a-kind place.

Only the year before, the Rangers had done a survey on the island and found, apart from house mice, two frogs and a lizard. Native animals on this island is an especially precious sight.

However, these unexpected discoveries have only further inspired the Pakana Rangers, who are currently on a mission to determine if this echidna, locally known as trimanya, is a solitary survivor or part of a hidden population.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is leading an ambitious project to restore Lungtalanana Island and reintroduce culturally significant native species. Pakana Ranger supervisor Kulai Sculthorpe believes this discovery is profoundly important to the journey towards healthy Country on Lungtalanana.

Want to learn more?

For Kulai and his fellow Pakana Rangers, the discovery was highly significant. It is a symbol of the culturally significant island’s resilience,  capturing its extraordinary ability to bounce back after enduring so much.

"We, the Pakana Rangers, were thrilled to discover that trimanya still inhabit the island”, Kulai said. Despite all the hardships our Country and community have faced, moments like these ignite our passion and provide hope for a future where our Country can be healthy again. It also shows us that our Country needs us to play our role in protecting, conserving, and cherishing its values," he added.

Tasmania has its own subspecies of echidna, which is much hairier than those found further north, an adaptation to the cold. 

However, the Pakana Rangers have now called in additional scientific expertise to determine if the Lungtalanana specimen could be a unique subspecies, one endemic to the island.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre aims to reintroduce a range of species to the island, including the Bennett’s wallaby, long-nosed potoroo and the Bass Strait Island wombat.

 In preparation, the Pakana Rangers are removing weeds and have resumed cultural burning to reduce fuel loads. 

They are also seeking funding to eradicate feral predators. 

For the past two years, they have maintained numerous trail cameras to monitor the island’s remaining wildlife.

One of those cameras captured the echidna in the same location in August and November 2023. However, with tens of thousands of images to review and a full workload out on Country, it was not identified until November 2024. This workload includes responding to emergencies like the fire sparked by a lightning strike in late February.

Pakana Rangers, joined by Truwana Rangers from truwana (Cape Barren Island), fought the fire for four days. 

"The fire started in tinder-dry heathland. Fanned by unpredictable winds, it was out of control. Seeing our Country burn like that is never good," said Jesse Williams, Cultural Fire Coordinator, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

The fire impacted the northeast corner of Lungtalanana, and in that location stood a trail camera that captured signs of life in its final moments.

It recorded a Lewin’s rail, the first evidence that the secretive bird inhabits that part of the island. The next day, the fire swept through and melted the camera.

"After the water bombers from the Tasmania Fire Service went through, we worked the edges, extinguishing remaining hot spots. The efforts of the Pakana and Truwana Rangers helped save thousands of hectares of vegetation and prevent another catastrophic fire," Jesse said.

Using cameras, acoustic monitors and field surveys in collaboration with Dr Liz Znidersic from Charles Sturt University, the rangers have also found buff-banded rails and established that Lungtalanana is an important over-wintering site for migratory shorebirds, like the red-necked stint.

Building an understanding of the island’s species and landscapes will enable the rangers to better show how their work is making Country healthier on Lungtalanana. This will also help the rangers in other ways like being able to generate biodiversity credits. Biodiversity credits help put more money from the private sector into nature conservation, stewardship, and restoration.

"Lungtalanana demonstrates that returning species of cultural importance to Traditional Owners and restoring the ecosystem are fundamentally entwined. They work hand in hand," said Rob Brewster, Rewilding Program Manager, WWF-Australia.

"Animals like wombats and echidnas are ecosystem engineers. Wombat burrows create safe spaces for other species to evade the impacts of catastrophic fires and a warming climate. Their return will be an important milestone for this ambitious venture.

"By digging, echidnas push leaves and seeds underground, enriching the soil—they can turn over about seven tonnes a year," he said.

The discovery of the echidna on Lungtalanana Island means so much for the Pakana Rangers and the broader community. It shows there’s a chance there could be not just one but a population of echidnas on the island. It signifies the resilience of nature and the importance of cultural and ecological restoration efforts. The answer is still  unknown, and the journey to uncover whether this echidna is a lone survivor or part of a hidden population continues, driven by the dedication and passion of the Pakana Rangers.