The Department of Environment and Science (DES) has acknowledged the 50th anniversary of Epping Forest National Park (Scientific), gazetted on 7 October, 1971.
The Department also paid tribute to Alan Horsup for his 30 years of research into the northern hairy-nosed wombat in the Park and his contribution to their recovery from threatened extinction.
Executive Director for Wildlife and Threatened Species at the DES, Kirstin Kenyon said that in 1971 the Government acquired the Park from neighbouring cattle stations.
“The acquisition was to protect the remaining northern hairy-nosed wombat population and conserve its habitat,” Ms Kenyon said.
“Located in the Brigalow Belt North Biogeographical Region near Clermont, the national park was home to the last remaining population of this species.”
She said surveys in the early 1980s estimated there were just 35 wombats remaining in the Park and urgent action was taken to protect them.
“With the support of Glencore, The Wombat Foundation, landowners and volunteers, I’m thrilled that we now have an estimated 315 wombats,” Ms Kenyon said.
She said Dr Horsup had spent countless hours in the Park monitoring and caring for the wombats.
“Dr Horsup first started at the Park in 1991, when there was an estimated 65 wombats left,” Ms Kenyon said.
“He joined the Department specifically to save the species and has dedicated 30 years of his life to the northern hairy-nosed wombat,” she said.
“He has been a critical factor in helping to boost their population.”
Ms Kenyon said a second population of the wombats was successfully established at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge to minimise the risk of extinction.
“This recovery is one of the great back-from-the-brink stories, but more is needed to be done to expand the program and reintroduce the species into new locations,” she said.
Noting that the anniversary of the Park’s formation coincided with National Threatened Species Day (7 September), Ms Kenyon said the DES also recognised that there were 1,020 species listed as threatened in Queensland.