The Duke of Edinburgh’s unwitting intervention 60 years ago saved the rarest marsupial in the world.
Gilbert’s potoroo — a nocturnal, fungi-loving rat–kangaroo — is named for English naturalist John Gilbert, who first documented them on a visit to Australia in 1838.
The macropod was almost extinct by 1870, but this could be attributed to both invasive predators as well as extensive hunting history by Aboriginal people.
However, a small population remained undetected at Two Peoples Bay, 22 miles east of the Western Australian city of Albany — to only be discovered in 1994.
The fact the area remained unspoiled and able to support the Gilbert’s potoroo was thanks to Prince Philip, who had lobbied for Two Peoples Bay’s protection in 1962.
The Duke, however, would have been unaware of the presence of the elusive little critters — and had intervened on behalf of an entirely different threatened species.
Regardless, the population of Gilbert’s potoroo has now exceeded 100, with local experts expressing optimism over the rare marsupial’s chances of long-term survival.
Gilbert’s potoroo (pictured) — a nocturnal, truffle-loving rat–kangaroo — is named for English naturalist John Gilbert, who first documented them on a visit to Australia in 1838. The macropod was almost extinct by 1870s. This is due to the invasive predators that had been introduced and the history of intensive hunting by Aboriginal people.
A small population of Gilbert’s potoroo remained undetected at Two Peoples Bay, 22 miles east of the Western Australian city of Albany — to only be found in 1994. It was the Duke of Edinburgh who in 1962 lobbied to protect Two Peoples Bay. The area managed to remain unspoiled and could support Gilbert’s potoroo. Pictured in 2006: Prince Philip
Prince Philip was reportedly unprofessional during a 1962 visit to Perth when he lobbyed Western Australian officials against destruction of Bushland around Two Peoples Bay, which had been originally earmarked for housing development.
‘If that had happened, there would have been cats and dogs and fire and it wouldn’t have been preserved,’ biologist Tony Friend of the Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation told the Times.
The Duke had hoped to save the elusive ‘noisy scrubbird’ — a species which, much like the Gilbert’s potoroo, had been long thought extinct until a small population was found to be inhabiting Two Peoples Bay the year prior to royal’s intervention.
Fortunately, Western Australia’s authorities capitulated, calling off the construction plans and eventually designating Two Peoples Bay a nature reserve in 1967.
It would be nearly three decades before evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Sinclair stumbled across a Gilbert’s potoroo in the nature reserve by accident while surveying the numbers in the area of a wallaby-like species called ‘quokka’.
She explained that she was initially skeptical about what she found to The Times.
I was thinking, “nah. surely not!” She said that this is Western Australia’s most visited nature reserve.
“Surely they weren’t sitting under somebody’s nose for 120 years!”
However, her snares captured two more of the elusive marsupials the very next day after the first discovery — and the seemingly miraculous find was confirmed.
The Duke was unaware of the presence of the elusive little marsupials — and had intervened on behalf of an entirely different threatened species, the noisy scrubbird (pictured)
Gilbert’s Potoroo now has over 100 residents. Local experts are optimistic about the marsupial’s long-term survival chances.
‘Prince Philip, in helping to save Two Peoples Bay, enabled Gilbert’s Potoroo to survive undetected — and thought extinct — until its rediscovery in 1994,’ Jackie Courtenay of the Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group told the Times.
Dr Courtney hopes that more spaces can be found in which Gilbert’s potoroo can live free from the threat of predators like foxes and pythons — but with enough of the truffle-like fungi that make up their primary food source.
Conservation biologist: “It is truly a beautiful creature.”
“And it would, for that sole reason, be just such a loss, if that animal is no longer in the world.
Prince Philip was reportedly unprofessional during a 1962 visit to Perth when he lobbyed Western Australian officials against destruction of bushland surrounding Two Peoples Bay, which had been originally intended for housing development. Two Peoples Bay was declared a natural reserve by the authorities in 1967 after the construction plans were canceled.