Year of the dragon

By Lachlan Ellis

Dragons have been rediscovered in Victoria, and though they’re not the fire-breathing kind from fairytales, the news is exciting for wildlife lovers.

The Victorian grassland earless dragon was believed to be extinct for over 50 years, until it was announced to have been rediscovered on Sunday 25 June.

Last sighted in 1969, the species has seen its numbers decline due to a variety of factors, but mainly habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats.

Moorabool Environment Group (MEG) committee member Jodie Valpied said it was an exciting time, and it’s possible the Victorian grassland earless dragon could be living here in Moorabool too.

“There is a chance that it could be here in Moorabool Shire. Moorabool Shire contains suitable basalt plains, temperate grassland habitats, for this little dragon. It is part of its historic range, so it is possible it could still live in Moorabool Shire, and we need to be carefully preserving its habitats, and having surveys to find it,” Dr Valpied told the Moorabool News.

“It’s really important that we do take action. We can’t take this rediscovery for granted, it’s like a second chance – we’re not going to be given a third chance. We need urgent action…so many areas where this dragon is likely to still live are still being destroyed right now. Hopefully this discovery will lead to better protection.

“We need better protection and management of the Western Grassland Reserves by the Victorian Government, not just lip service.”

The location of the rediscovered population is being kept a secret to protect the habitat and the species, but the State and Federal Governments are investing $188,000 to trial specially trained detection dogs to sniff out more dragon populations, and help inform the level of conservation required.

Surveys are ongoing at the rediscovery site, with the State and Federal Governments working with Zoos Victoria to develop a plan to ensure the species’ recovery.

Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said the rediscovery was a wake-up call on the need to protect vulnerable species.

“I want to protect our precious creatures for our kids and grandkids. It’s such exciting news that the Victorian grassland earless dragon has been rediscovered. It’s a reminder about why it’s so important to invest in habitat restoration and the eradication of feral species like cats and foxes,” she said.

“To best support the recovery of the Victorian grassland earless dragon, we have to know where they are. Detection dogs are an effective and non-invasive way to find this highly cryptic and critically endangered lizard in the wild.”

The Victorian grassland earless dragon is listed as critically endangered under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.