Zoos Victoria – incorporating Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo - is involved in a range of breeding and recovery programs in Australia and around the world to help ensure our endangered native wildlife exists into the future.

Australian Conservation Programs based at Healesville Sanctuary include:

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

Elusive and shy, the Brush-tailed rock-wallaby has been nicknamed ‘the Shadow’ by those who work with it. Unfortunately this nickname could equally refer to the tiny numbers of this species surviving in the wild. Hunting bounties at the turn of the century decimated this species, and its future survival in the wild truly does lie in the balance.

Find out more about the program.

Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix)

Classed as Critically Endangered, the Helmeted Honeyeater is still surviving in only two small wild populations east of Melbourne. Healesville Sanctuary staff, along with other dedicated recovery team members, have been working on maintaining a captive colony and managing a release program since 2001. With the success of initial releases establishing a wild colony, efforts are now being made to secure and increase this population of wild birds through further action and research.

Find out more about the program.

Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus)

The Mountain Pygmy-possum is restricted to alpine and sub-alpine regions of Victoria and NSW. Three genetically distinct and geographically isolated populations have been found at Mt Buller, Mt Hotham, and Mt Kosciusko. The population is continuing to decline and on Mt Buller there may now be fewer than 30 animals. The remaining populations are threatened by habitat loss, feral predation and increased competition by other small mammals. 

Find out more about the program.

Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)
 
Like many birds in Tasmania the Orange-bellied Parrot migrates to mainland Australia each year. However, the salt marshes and dunes where they spend the winter have been cleared and degraded by human activities over the past two hundred years. This degradation is generally thought to be the main cause of decline in the bird's population.
Healesville Sanctuary is involved with a captive breeding and release program in an effort to increase numbers of this species. 

Find out more about the program.

Spotted Tree Frog (Litoria spenceri)

The Spotted Tree Frog is considered Critically Endangered in Australia and is believed to be vulnerable to extinction. Factors believed to be causing species’ decline include habitat disturbance, such as changes to water flow, water quality, sedimentation, timber harvesting, dredging, weed evasion, herbicides, and predation by exotic animals. In 2006 Healesville Sanctuary joined the National Spotted Tree Frog recovery team, assisting the recovery of the species by captive breeding and releasing tadpoles. 

Find out more about the program.