Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
A baby Bettong has been born at the North Florida Wildlife Center (NFWC).
For those unfamiliar with Bettongs (also called Woylies) and the marsupials' classification as a critically endangered species, that statement may not carry a lot of excitement – but for the NFWC and its supporters, the birth of a Bettong on Jefferson County soil means quite a lot.
In early April, the NFWC began the launch of their Brush-Tailed Bettong breeding program. The center obtained two bettongs, a breeding pair, from the North Georgia Zoo. While Bettongs are critically endangered in the wild, zoos and centers are attempting to breed the small marsupials in captivity – in the event that the breed is unable to reclaim a footing in the wild, they will be able to continue existing through the breeding programs.
Brush-Tailed Bettongs are native to regions of Australia and are critically endangered, with one of the subspecies already being classified as extinct. An assortment of causes is believed to have contributed to the bettongs’ endangerment, such as the introduction of new predators such as red foxes and feral cats, competition with grazing animals, the introduction of European rabbits to Australia and changes to fire regimes that have burnt portions of the bettongs’ habitats.
By the 1970s, the species was considered endangered and now, the NFWC will be doing its part to bring the breed back.
Earlier this year, the breeding program made its first successful leap when the NFWC staff discovered that that they were in possession of one extra Bettong than they remembered having. The staff aren't sure when exactly Tasman, a young Bettong that is named after a sea in Australia, was born, but they discovered her when she was about two-months-old.
“It's very difficult to know exactly when she was born – but we do know that once we were aware of her existence, she was around two months old,” said Ryan Reines, director and owner of the NFWC. “When she was old enough to start sticking her head out of her pouch and exploring, that is when we knew about her.”
Due to the fact that Tasman was already beginning to venture outside of the pouch on her own, the NFWC staff decided to go ahead and separate her from her mother.
In the wild, Bettong almost exclusively eat fungi, with the occasional vegetation and insects. At NWFC, Tasman was fed several bottles a day as well as an adult diet of specialized kangaroo pellets, worms and as many mushrooms as they can find and feed her. The center plans to create a mushroom gardening center in order to feed Tasman, her parents and the other Bettongs at the center.
Bettongs reach full-grown maturity faster than other Kangaroo-type marsupials, due to their small size. After about a year to a year-and-a-half, Tasman will be fully grown and the center plans to eventually enter her into their breeding program as well, and already have a single male Bettong that they plan to eventually introduce to Tasman.
Tasman's future at the center will be twofold, however. Most of the Bettongs at the center are 'pretty friendly' according to Reines, but because they are already paired off with a mate – and mating is the ideal situation for the Bettongs – the center doesn't want to overly mess with and handle the older Bettongs. But because Tasman is still young and has been partially hand raised by the staff, they hope that she will become an ambassador for her species.
While in the kangaroo family, Bettongs are less known than some of their larger marsupial cousins. Tasman will be one of the ambassadors at the center that will spotlight the critical state of her species while also letting guests to the center learn more about the intriguing lives of these small marsupials.
Tasman also signifies an important mission for the NFWC, whose primary purpose is to provide a sanctuary for exotic, endangered species. Bettongs are the second most endangered species on the center's property (the most endangered being the center's Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs, which are a favorite of visitors). Tasman shows that the NFWC is successfully undertaking its goal of furthering the lives of the species that are facing extinction from their native habitats.
For those interested in supporting the non-profit conservation center, donations can be made to paypal.com/nfwctally. You can also purchase a guided tour of the non-profit center, which is located at 1389 Cook Rd., in Lamont, where you will be able to interact with several of the NFWC mammals and birds. All donations and tour funds go towards the feeding, housing and care of the animals who live at NFWC. To learn more about the center, follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
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