What's New at Billabong Sanctuary
Meet Jilly the Joey
One of the many rewards of working at Billabong Sanctuary is the special relationship that develops between the Rangers and the animals in their care.
Recently one of our agile wallaby babies was rejected by its mother. This can happen when an animal is stressed for some reason.
Ranger Brooke took over and has hand-raised the female joey, named Jilly. Now about 8 months old, Jilly is so tame that she follows her carers around like a puppy. She has been weaned from her macropod milk formula, and is thriving on solid food such as apples, carrots, macropod pellets and lucerne chaff.
Agile Wallabies are the most abundant macropod along the coast of tropical Australia.
Sandy-brown in colour, they are identified by the pale stripe along the thigh. In the wild, mobs of agile wallabies emerge from their shady resting places in late afternoon to feed on grass and sedges.
Once Jilly is old enough to feed herself she will be allowed to roam freely in the park with our other wallabies and kangaroos. Visitors can expect her to come up for a cuddle or a hand-out from those little paper bags of seed, and no doubt she will become a regular at Aussie Animal Encounters.
So next time you visit Billabong Sanctuary, say hello to Brooke and her little shadow—they make a special pair.
Billabong Birdlife
A visit to Billabong Sanctuary is always an adventure. As you make your way up the boardwalk to the reception area, you never know what new birds you‘ll see over by the billabong.
This large central lagoon is always teeming with wildlife—Krefft’s turtles and eels make their home in the water, and hundreds of waterbirds flock round the edges. All are free-ranging local animals which have chosen to make their home here with us.
Now that we are well into the dry season, we become an important refuge for scores of local water birds: moorhens, magpie geese, black ducks, plumed whistling ducks, ibis, even a black swan and an Australian shelduck (well out of his normal range).
Take a close look and you may be lucky enough to spot the dusky moorhen chicks which have recently hatched. Within a few days these sooty balls of fluff will be poking round the water’s edge with their parents.
Dusky Moorhens are widespread throughout eastern Australia. Once settled within a particular territory, they form groups of male and female birds which work together to build the nest and raise the young. Moorhens feed on aquatic vegetation as well as insects, fish and small crustaceans. In favourable conditions, they breed all year round, so whenever you come to Billabong there is always a chance you will see some of their cute little chicks.
Brush-turkeys and magpie geese regularly raise their young within the park, sheltered from predators such as wild dogs and feral pigs. Magpie geese are different from other waterbirds because their feet are only partially webbed. This means these large black and white geese can roost up in trees, and here at Billabong some pairs even make their nests in the bushes at the water’s edge. 
The goslings leave the nest within a few days after hatching, so during the breeding season you will often see them on the pathways round the park.
Throughout the seasons, as our native bottlebrush, eucalyptus and tea-trees come into flower, they attract flocks of colourful honey-eaters, sunbirds, lorikeets and other birds.
There are always fascinating new animals and birds to see here at Billabong Sanctuary -- truly a haven for native wildlife.
Venomous Snakes of Townsville with Ranger Dan
Following the success of the trial run over Easter, our spectacular new venomous snake show is set to be a permanent fixture every Sunday afternoon at Billabong Sanctuary!
You will thrill to see the most venomous snakes in the world, right in front of your eyes, free of any glass or enclosure.
As Ranger Dan features each one in turn, you will learn all you have ever wanted to know about the Inland Taipan, the Eastern Brown Snake, and the Coastal Taipan.
Two of these ‘Top 3’ venomous snakes are found right here in the Townsville area. Here is your chance to see them up close, but in absolutely safe conditions, inside our brand new purpose-built snake pit.
This new ‘snake pit’ is actually a collapsible aluminium framework, 4 metres on each side and 1.2 metres high, lined with heavy duty canvas and marine carpet flooring. It allows Dan to safely showcase our venomous snakes, while allowing you to get up close for the best possible look. Dan even went all the way to America to get the very latest snake handling gear: hooks and tongs from specialist herpetology suppliers.
Ranger Dan has been handling venomous snakes since he was 15 years old. During this show he will share his passion for these misunderstood reptiles, dispel common myths about their behaviour and give visitors a deeper appreciation of their unique and fascinating ecology. Other snakes of the Townsville region will also be included in the presentation.
The first of the Venomous Snake shows will kick off at 11 am on Sunday May 4th, and will run for about half an hour. Python handling will follow immediately afterwards. There is no extra charge over the price of admission to Billabong Sanctuary. How good is that!
For more detailed information on the biology of these awesome reptiles, check out the Aussie Animal Info section on our Education Billabong page.
Curlews and Koalas : New Billabong Babies!
The eerie night-time wailing of the curlew is one of the sounds most evocative of the Australian bush.
More formally known as the Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) this bird lives in open bushland throughout Australia. Because it feeds at night, and is so well camouflaged, it is heard more often than it is seen.
Visitors to Billabong Sanctuary have been able to get up close and personal with our two friendly curlews in the rainforest walk-through. We are thrilled to announce that in early April this pair hatched 2 healthy chicks. The family has been moved into the nocturnal animal enclosure area to provide a bit more security and privacy.
Ranger Jacqui will let the parents do the initial work of rearing the chicks, but as they mature she will start training them to take part in her new show.
This show, still in the planning stage, will feature the threats posed to native Australian wildlife by predators such as foxes, feral cats, pigs and cane toads. All have been introduced into Australia with disastrous consequences.
Curlews nest on the ground, and so are particularly vulnerable. While they are still common in the Townsville area, they have become threatened in the southern states.
In the meantime, Billabong’s resident curlew family is thriving on their diet of chopped meat and commercial insectivore mix. Stop by soon to have a peek at these beautiful young birds!
Other new arrivals…
Two of our female koalas, Lucy and Abby, have young in the pouch. We’ll let you know in a couple of months when their little joeys first start to peek out into the world, and you’ll have the chance to give them names.
Special Deals for Locals and Members
The Shop Staff at Billabong Sanctuary have come up with some fantastic new deals for local residents and friends.
Firstly, we are re-introducing our THREE-FOR-TWO deal for those of you lucky enough to live in Townsville. For every two paid local adult admissions, a third adult will be admitted absolutely free.
What a great opportunity to introduce friends and relatives to the wonders of Australian wildlife!
Proof of local residency (postcodes 4810 – 4819) will be requested. Check the Sun newspaper for promotional coupons.
Secondly, Club Billabong is offering even more value for your annual family membership. Starting this Easter, each new membership in Club Billabong will now entitle you to not one, but FOUR FREE SOUVENIR PHOTOS with your choice of our friendly native animals: koala, wombat, crocodile or python.
Your original membership card will be punched as each photo is taken, so be sure not to lose it or leave it at home!
You can take advantage of this offer any time during your membership year, and you’re more than welcome to share any of your 4 photo opportunities with any guests who accompany you.
Membership in Club Billabong entitles you and your family to free admission to Billabong Sanctuary every day for a whole year. You are also entitled to special Members Only events at Billabong Sanctuary, as well as discounts at several local businesses and attractions. See our Club Billabong page for more details, or come in to Stockland Plaza during the week before the school holiday: Ranger Dan and friends will be there with a few of our native animals to entertain you, and you can join up or renew your membership at the same time.
Very good, well laid out and informative – Al Matland-Stellart, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) |