WILDLIFE Preservation Society of Queensland (Wildlife Queensland) members and volunteers in far north Queensland are making strong headway in saving the rare and beautiful mahogany glider from extinction.

Since the mid-1990s, Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch, together with Wildlife Queensland Townsville Branch, Terrain NRM, and the Mahogany Glider Recovery Team, has been actively working to save the endangered mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis) from extinction.

The mahogany glider is one of Australia’s most threatened mammals, found only in a very restricted area of coastal woodland in far north Queensland.

With such a limited distribution and the ongoing effects of past, extensive habitat clearing and natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, the future of this species will rely on the region’s ability to manage the remaining essential habitat, restore connectivity and hopefully create new viable habitat for the future, according to Wildlife Queensland.

Glider conservation actions

Wildlife Queensland members and volunteers have been carrying out vital on-ground programs to connect remaining fragmented mahogany glider habitats to allow for the movement of animals and help maintain viable populations of the species.

Project work has included: 

• Detailed vegetation mapping and priority corridor mapping.

• Revegetation and corridor native planting projects and assistance to landholders.

• Ongoing fire and weed management programs.

• The installation of camera-monitored glide poles and glider pole crossings that mimic vegetation and allow for safe launch and landing sites to enable gliders to safely navigate open space such as roads or railway lines.

• Ongoing genetics and populations monitoring.

• Wildlife-friendly fencing and wildlife land-bridges to ease movement between fragmented habitat and reduce mortality rates.

• Den box studies.

Community engagement and education

In addition to providing assistance to landholders and visiting schools to educate students about mahogany gliders, members of the Mahogany Glider Recovery Team have produced:

• A barbed-wire policy for graziers on plantation forestry within mahogany glider habitat.

• Guidelines for planners in mahogany glider habitat.

• A revised Wildlife Queensland schools mahogany glider education kit.

• Educational videos.

• A Mahogany Glider Recovery Plan Storymap site (arcgis.com).

Cassowary Coast – Hinchinbrook Branch president, Daryl Dickson
speaking about the ‘Bridging the Gap’ Mahogany Glider Project.
The late Suzie Smith is in the background. Photo: Daryl Dickson.

A mahogany glider in flight. Photo: © Daryl Dickson.

Barbed wire fences pose a devastating threat to mahogany gliders and other wildlife. Photo: © Daryl Dickson.

Mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis), male. Photo: © Daryl Dickson.

This beautiful little mahogany glider (Petaurus
gracilis) was captured on the glide pole camera
at Kennedy Creek Road, Queensland.
Photo: Daryl Dickson.

Swamp mahogany tree, Lophostemon
suaveolens — an important part of the
mahogony gliders’ habitat. Photo: Ethel
Aardvark — own work, CC BY 3.0.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Glorious Gliders webinar

In 2020, Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch president Daryl Dickson spoke about her work to connect and protect Queensland’s endangered mahogany glider to an audience of more than 150 at a Wildlife Queensland Glorious Gliders webinar.

• Listen to the webinar recording

• Download [4.99 MB] Daryl Dickson’s PowerPoint presentation

Mahogany Glider Recovery Plan

The renewed National Recovery Plan for the Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) came into effect in April 2022. The plan details the actions that must be taken to assist in the mahogany glider’s survival.

Read more about the plan and the incredible team effort that helped bring the plan to fruition.

#ends