'Stranded' Eddie the echidna thought to have swum from Bribie Island's broken tip
An echidna found washed up on the Caloundra foreshore may have swam more than a kilometre from the isolated northern tip of Bribie Island.
Locals and wildlife carers believe the animal may have been swept away overnight during a high tide and say it could be "Eddie", a solitary echidna first spotted several weeks ago on the eroding spit of land.
Sunshine Coast resident Dave Cairns discovered the echidna at the base of a rock wall near Golden Beach and said it was alive but appeared to be exhausted.
"I think it floated across overnight," he said.
"It was about a kilometre from where wildlife's been trapped [on the spit].
"With the tide and swell, it could've easily been swept off."
Mr Cairns said in all his years living near the passage he had never seen an echidna in that part of Golden Beach.
"Never — not once in 30 years," he said.
"It's why I reckon it came from the tip [of Bribie]."
The echidna is now receiving veterinary care at Australia Zoo's animal hospital, being treated for exposure to salt water.
Licensed wildlife carer Sybelle Foxcroft took the creature in and said the echidna was in a humidicrib receiving oxygen.
She has previously taken part in a search of the island's tip to locate any animals that were isolated.
Ms Foxcroft said she believed it was the same echidna they had been tracking for several weeks.
"Looking at footage, his size and condition, it matches what I'd expect if he'd gone without proper food," she said.
Where the echidna was found is a densely populated area with apartment buildings and foreshore infrastructure, with little suitable ground for echidnas to burrow or shelter.
Dr Kate Dutton-Regester, a wildlife conservationist and lecturer at the University of Queensland, said echidnas were capable swimmers, though it was not often seen.
While typically found around freshwater sources, she said echidnas could plausibly travel some distance in salt water, particularly if assisted by currents.
Dr Dutton-Regester said the symptoms described were consistent with salt water exposure.
She said the echidna could have been swept off the island or may have entered the water voluntarily, but she could not confirm whether it came from the tip of Bribie Island.
"We're at the beginning of echidna breeding season," Dr Dutton-Regester said.
"If it's a male they often roam more widely in search of a mate."
Dr Javier Leon, a coastal erosion expert from the University of the Sunshine Coast, said recent conditions may have already displaced some animals.
"We have had a large swell from the east the last two days that might have contributed to further erosion and, potentially, the wash-over of wildlife," he said.
He said the area had already been severely damaged following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in February and warned it would become uninhabitable for animals.
Jen Kettleton-Butler from the Pumicestone Passage Catchment Management Body (PPCMB) also travelled to the tip with a wildlife carer at sunset last week in an effort to locate Eddie, but they were unable to find the animal.
Animals including goannas, lizards, snakes and small marsupials have recently been observed on the isolated section.
Ms Kettleton-Butler said the spit, cut off by two tidal breakthroughs, now measured about 30-40 metres wide and 300-400 metres long and appeared to be shrinking with every high tide.
When first contacted the Department of Environment said it had not seen any evidence of worsening impacts on wildlife at the northern tip of Bribie Island that would justify intervention.
The statement said the animals in the area were considered to be adapted to rapidly changing coastal conditions.
The department has been approached for further comment following the discovery of the echidna at Golden Beach.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie previously said he would request expert coastal engineers to urgently investigate the erosion and assess potential risks to wildlife.
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