Australia's first ever platypus sanctuary
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Platypuses spend up to 12 hours each day hunting for food!
The duck-billed platypus faces extinction because of climate change.
Conservationists in Australia however have come up with a solution - the world's first ever sanctuary for platypuses.
The sanctuary will aim to breed and look after the mammals.
By 2022 it could house up to 65 platypuses.
The sanctuary would be made up of burrows and ponds, much like their habitat in the wild.
Since the wildfires in Australia in 2019 and 2020, the risk of platypuses going extinct has increased.
It is hoped that by building a sanctuary scientists could learn more about platypuses and how to save them from extinction.
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government have joined forces to build the refuge.
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia CEO Cameron Kerr said: "These facilities will be critical in building our knowledge so that we don't let this iconic creature slip off the Earth."
When platypuses are born they are the size of lima beans
Platypuses are classed as a protected species in Australia.
The wildfires have had a huge impact on numbers in the wild.
The duck-billed platypus has stunned science since its discovery.
Platypuses are one of the three mammals that produce venom the other two being slow loris and European moles
They are one of only two mammals that lay eggs!
The other being the echidna also known as the spiny anteater.
They can live in both water and on land and are rarely seen in the wild.
Their habits of staying hidden make it hard for scientists and wildlife experts to learn what they need to survive.
It is hoped this sanctuary will help people learn more about them so they can be better protected in the future.
- Published24 March 2020
- Published28 April 2020
