Secret hidden beneath Australia's 'most important' parcel of land
The last place in the world where a rare lizard lives is a tightly guarded secret because the tiny creature is highly prized by collectors. But even more valuable is the land where the Victorian grassland earless dragons live — a single farm west of Melbourne that sits right in the middle of a landscape earmarked for development 20 years ago.
While a captive breeding program has been established at Melbourne Zoo, less than two per cent of viable dragon habitat remains intact in Victoria, and there are growing concerns government isn't doing enough to protect what remains. On Thursday, the experts who know the species best sounded the alarm in a new report published by the Biodiversity Council, saying 'urgent action' is needed to protect the dragon from extinction in the wild.
Peter Robertson is a reptile ecologist and a member of the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Recovery Team, who has been studying the species since it was rediscovered living inside tiny burrows in 2023. In his opinion, the property where the dragons live is the "most important" parcel of land in Australia that's not yet in public hands.
'It's only three paddocks that the whole world population is now known from, and there's every chance that it will never be found anywhere else,' he told Yahoo News. 'It may persist in little populations elsewhere, but we don't know.'
When it comes to new developments in native grasslands where the dragons could still persist, the land first needs to be assessed by ecologists. But there's plenty of development in potential habitat that's underway right now, because it was green-lit before its rediscovery and its listing as a critically endangered species. The earth has been broken at the property next door to the rediscovery site, and soon, there will be dozens of houses occupying the land.
And while that's great news for developers and people who need somewhere to live, the increased traffic on roads, the dogs and cats, and the fragmentation of habitat will likely be bad news for the dragon.
Prior to its rediscovery, Victoria's distinct dragon species hadn't been seen since the 1960s, and many thought it was extinct. But scientists never gave up hope, and in 2019 a Museums Victoria dragon expert said she was confident they could survive, while Zoos Victoria began mapping the state for potential habitat.
The dragon's rediscovery was ultimately accidental. It was found during a routine survey of animals and plants, because the broader region was set to be rezoned for development.
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That farm where it was found is potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. Those working to protect the dragons are concerned the government has yet to put in an offer to buy the property, putting its owners and the future of the dragons in limbo.
Robertson thinks conserving this 'one known population' needs to be the 'number one' priority of the government if it wants to stop its extinction. And he warns its future is far from being secure.
'When we can see what's clearly required, and nothing's happening, and nothing's happened for more than two years since the rediscovery. It is really frustrating,' he said.
'This might be the one chance we have to save this species. If we don't secure that habitat it may go back to apparent extinction, just like we assumed for decades.'
Dragons are often described as a 'Goldilocks species' because they require habitat to be 'just right' — a mosaic of short to moderate grass tussocks as well as areas that support basking in the sun.
At the rediscovery site, it's 60 years of sheep grazing that's kept the grass low, creating a perfect environment perfect for dragons. But other viable habitat on private land has been left for decades to degrade, and it will need significant rehabilitation if it's ever to be home to dragons again.
Biodiversity Council spokesperson and report contributing author, Janna Dielenberg, thinks it's unlikely that the dragon could be rediscovered due to the region being developed. 'The chances of another discovery are exceedingly slim,' she told Yahoo News.
In 2010, the Victorian government committed to buying 15,000 hectares of private land over a decade to protect rare native grasslands and create the Western Grassland Reserve (WGR). But 15 years on, the plan has not been completed and just 4,000 hectares have been protected. It was conceived as part of a deal with the Commonwealth called the Melbourne Strategic Assessment (MSA) that allowed the state to take charge of development in sensitive areas.
One major concern is that the MSA has not been updated to include the rediscovery site. And the Biodiversity Council says it's 'disappointed' that over the last 15 years, other land that might have once been a great asset to dragons has been allowed to degrade because it's yet to be purchased by the Victorian government.
Dielenberg said land that was in 'great healthy condition' is now overrun with weeds, used for dumping soil, or transformed from sheep grazing to crops, making it no longer suitable for dragons.
'Sheep farming has become less profitable over that time. And when they plough it all up for crops it rips up their burrows, and destroys the grasslands forever,' she said.
In a statement Victoria's department of environment (DEECA) said it is "protecting" native grassland habitats by continuing to acquire and rehabilitate land.
'This is funded by the MSA levy which is paid by developers and therefore proceeds in line with the rate of development in the area,' it said.
'We are working with the private landholder and other stakeholders on ways to protect the dragon rediscovery site, as well as delivering a successful conservation breeding program for the Victorian grassland earless dragon with the Commonwealth Government.'
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