it’s early in the morning and Australia’s a pwhile and a National
Australia’s a pwhile and a National
Australia’s a pwhile and a National Geographic grantee Laura Roy kiss and
Geographic grantee Laura Roy kiss and
Geographic grantee Laura Roy kiss and her team are on the moon from the 4×4 to
her team are on the moon from the 4×4 to
her team are on the moon from the 4×4 to the trail to steep rocky cliffs
the trail to steep rocky cliffs
the trail to steep rocky cliffs thereafter the black-footed rock wallaby
thereafter the black-footed rock wallaby
thereafter the black-footed rock wallaby or waru South Australia’s most
or waru South Australia’s most
or waru South Australia’s most endangered mammal these small marsupials
endangered mammal these small marsupials
endangered mammal these small marsupials were once common throughout the ranges
were once common throughout the ranges
were once common throughout the ranges of Central Australia but now because of
of Central Australia but now because of
of Central Australia but now because of introduced predators hunting and changes
introduced predators hunting and changes
introduced predators hunting and changes in land management fewer than a hundred
in land management fewer than a hundred
in land management fewer than a hundred remain in the wild the scale of that
remain in the wild the scale of that
remain in the wild the scale of that decrease is just enormous when when you
decrease is just enormous when when you
decrease is just enormous when when you think about the fact that the early
think about the fact that the early
think about the fact that the early explorers when they came on to the APY
explorers when they came on to the APY
explorers when they came on to the APY lands and into these northern areas they
lands and into these northern areas they
lands and into these northern areas they they described the the water was
they described the the water was
they described the the water was swarming all over the hills Laura is
swarming all over the hills Laura is
swarming all over the hills Laura is part of the wadu’ recovery team an
part of the wadu’ recovery team an
part of the wadu’ recovery team an all-star Brigade of biologists
all-star Brigade of biologists
all-star Brigade of biologists zookeepers vets and Indigenous
zookeepers vets and Indigenous
zookeepers vets and Indigenous Australians dedicated to saving these
Australians dedicated to saving these
Australians dedicated to saving these imperiled animals when they capture a
imperiled animals when they capture a
imperiled animals when they capture a wallaby a runner carries it down to a
wallaby a runner carries it down to a
wallaby a runner carries it down to a waiting vet first he sedates his furry
waiting vet first he sedates his furry
waiting vet first he sedates his furry patient with gas to keep her from
patient with gas to keep her from
patient with gas to keep her from hopping away during the examination
but this is no ordinary checkup they’re
but this is no ordinary checkup they’re looking for females with babies tucked
looking for females with babies tucked
looking for females with babies tucked away in their pouches to take part in a
away in their pouches to take part in a
away in their pouches to take part in a very special accelerated breeding
very special accelerated breeding
very special accelerated breeding program
reproductive specialist david Taggart
reproductive specialist david Taggart explains
explains
explains there’s a technique that we’ve developed
there’s a technique that we’ve developed
there’s a technique that we’ve developed recently called cross-fostering and it’s
recently called cross-fostering and it’s
recently called cross-fostering and it’s a technique that uses closely related
a technique that uses closely related
a technique that uses closely related surrogate species to rear the patch
surrogate species to rear the patch
surrogate species to rear the patch young of an endangered species in this
young of an endangered species in this
young of an endangered species in this case the Wahoo’s cousin the more common
case the Wahoo’s cousin the more common
case the Wahoo’s cousin the more common yellow-footed rock wallaby will serve as
yellow-footed rock wallaby will serve as
yellow-footed rock wallaby will serve as the foster mother
the foster mother
the foster mother the yellow cook takes on the burden of
the yellow cook takes on the burden of
the yellow cook takes on the burden of lactating and nursing those young to
lactating and nursing those young to
lactating and nursing those young to independence and that frees up the
independence and that frees up the
independence and that frees up the worried mothers to psyche again mate and
worried mothers to psyche again mate and
worried mothers to psyche again mate and have another young and so in this way we
have another young and so in this way we
have another young and so in this way we can accelerate the breeding of the
can accelerate the breeding of the
can accelerate the breeding of the endangered worry from one young annually
endangered worry from one young annually
endangered worry from one young annually to up to six or eight young annually but
to up to six or eight young annually but
to up to six or eight young annually but the baby has to be the right size for
the baby has to be the right size for
the baby has to be the right size for the cross-fostering to work
the cross-fostering to work
the cross-fostering to work unfortunately
unfortunately
unfortunately this Joey is a little too big so when
this Joey is a little too big so when
this Joey is a little too big so when the exam is over
the exam is over
the exam is over the researchers carry mom back up the
the researchers carry mom back up the
the researchers carry mom back up the hill and release her where she was
hill and release her where she was
hill and release her where she was caught
meanwhile back at the camp
meanwhile back at the camp the team has found a female with a Joey
the team has found a female with a Joey
the team has found a female with a Joey that’s just the perfect size they
that’s just the perfect size they
that’s just the perfect size they carefully transfer the tiny wallaby from
carefully transfer the tiny wallaby from
carefully transfer the tiny wallaby from its mother’s pouch to a portable
its mother’s pouch to a portable
its mother’s pouch to a portable incubator but not to worry the mother
incubator but not to worry the mother
incubator but not to worry the mother won’t be without a baby for long the
won’t be without a baby for long the
won’t be without a baby for long the unique wallaby reproductive system keeps
unique wallaby reproductive system keeps
unique wallaby reproductive system keeps a second fertilized embryo on standby
a second fertilized embryo on standby
a second fertilized embryo on standby for just such an occasion in a month
for just such an occasion in a month
for just such an occasion in a month it’s likely she’ll give birth to another
it’s likely she’ll give birth to another
it’s likely she’ll give birth to another Joey
Joey
Joey they will make all packed up and ready
they will make all packed up and ready
they will make all packed up and ready to go this youngsters in store for an
to go this youngsters in store for an
to go this youngsters in store for an airborne journey of nearly a thousand
airborne journey of nearly a thousand
airborne journey of nearly a thousand miles
it’s 1:00 a.m. when the team arrives in
it’s 1:00 a.m. when the team arrives in Adelaide where the Joey is once again
Adelaide where the Joey is once again
Adelaide where the Joey is once again handed off and rushed to the Adelaide
handed off and rushed to the Adelaide
handed off and rushed to the Adelaide Zoo
vets examine and weigh the youngster and
vets examine and weigh the youngster and carefully place him in his new foster
carefully place him in his new foster
carefully place him in his new foster mother’s pouch it doesn’t take him long
mother’s pouch it doesn’t take him long
mother’s pouch it doesn’t take him long to find what he needs a well-earned meal
to find what he needs a well-earned meal
to find what he needs a well-earned meal of fresh milk aunty should probably
of fresh milk aunty should probably
of fresh milk aunty should probably drink up there’s a lot riding on his
drink up there’s a lot riding on his
drink up there’s a lot riding on his survival
when he’s old enough to survive on his
when he’s old enough to survive on his own researchers will move the Joey to
own researchers will move the Joey to
own researchers will move the Joey to this captive breeding facility at the
this captive breeding facility at the
this captive breeding facility at the nearby Monarto zoo
here he’ll grow up among his own kind
here he’ll grow up among his own kind with a little help from some human
with a little help from some human
with a little help from some human friends
friends
friends the hope is that these youngsters will
the hope is that these youngsters will
the hope is that these youngsters will go forth and multiply
go forth and multiply
go forth and multiply giving rise to a whole captive-bred
giving rise to a whole captive-bred
giving rise to a whole captive-bred generation of water that will someday
generation of water that will someday
generation of water that will someday return to the wild
return to the wild
return to the wild and perhaps reclaim their former habitat
and perhaps reclaim their former habitat
and perhaps reclaim their former habitat my hopeful Watteau is that in the long
my hopeful Watteau is that in the long
my hopeful Watteau is that in the long term it would be amazing to have the
term it would be amazing to have the
term it would be amazing to have the animals swarming all over the hills as
animals swarming all over the hills as
animals swarming all over the hills as they used to be in the past and while
they used to be in the past and while
they used to be in the past and while it’s unlikely that Laura and her team
it’s unlikely that Laura and her team
it’s unlikely that Laura and her team will witness a swarm of Wallabies in
will witness a swarm of Wallabies in
will witness a swarm of Wallabies in their lifetime
their lifetime
their lifetime one thing’s nearly certain as long as
one thing’s nearly certain as long as
one thing’s nearly certain as long as they’re on watch the Sun won’t go down
they’re on watch the Sun won’t go down
they’re on watch the Sun won’t go down on the water sponsored by National
on the water sponsored by National
on the water sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new millennium
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