Unique to the ACT: A baby dragon at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve breeding colony. Photo: James Coleman.
Efforts to save Canberra’s critically endangered lizard species have been given an extra $4.5 million from the ACT Government because – aside from what effect they might have on our grasslands – it would be pretty embarrassing if we lost them.
Fewer than 100 Canberra Grassland Earless Dragons are thought to exist in the wild, and only in scattered populations across the Majura and Jerrambomberra valleys.
The small lizard, measuring 15 cm and weighing five to nine grams, is unique to the ACT and was only recognised as a distinct species here in 2019.
A previous $2.7 million of funding from the government established two breeding populations, one based in Melbourne Zoo and the other at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Together, they house 16 breeding pairs (32 animals in total).
ACT Environment Minister Suzanne Orr said this week’s funding boost announcement, to be spent over four years, would bolster these efforts.
“This small, iconic lizard is on the brink of extinction, and we cannot allow that to happen,” she said.
“This investment ensures we can act now, with science, collaboration and determination, to give the dragon a real chance to thrive again in our Canberra grasslands.”
Up to $2.4 million will be spent on program operations, including staff to manage the breeding colonies; $2 million will be used to expand the Melbourne Zoo colony to 200 dragons. The remaining $120,000 will be spent on the ultimate goal – strategically releasing the dragons back into the wild.
A ring enclosure for breeding dragons at Tidbinbilla. Photo: James Coleman.
ACT Government research ecologist Ben Croak told Region “habitat fragmentation and degradation” has led to the dragon’s dire situation – to the point it now faced another enemy.
“Isolating populations of dragons on their own, with no connectivity to other populations – what you get is what’s called a ‘founder effect’ where … you lose genetic diversity through inbreeding,” he said.
“We’re finding, when we bring animals in and genotype them, high relatedness of animals in the field.”
He said the dragons were hard to detect in the wild, but the most generous calculations suggested there were about 100 left.
“There are significant risks, reputational risks, in losing this species. If it goes extinct, it would be the first documented mainland extinction of a reptile species since European settlement – an iconic species like this right here in this tiny little part of Australia.”
Mr Croak said the dragon’s role in the ecosystem was “largely not understood”.
“They have really complex relationships with invertebrates – they’re prey to spiders when they’re little and then they use spider burrows when they’re older,” he said.
“So we don’t know what the effects of losing the species would be. They’re certainly an indicator species – they indicate grassland health if they’re present.”
Regular protests to help save the dragon have been held near Canberra Airport. Photo: Conservation Council ACT Region.
In recent months, the dragon has found itself at the heart of a dispute over a new link road at Canberra Airport. Environmentalists claim the road would cut one of the dragon’s few remaining natural habitats in halve.
Construction has started on the southern section of the road, but the airport agreed to hold off on the northern part “while options to confirm or strengthen protections for the dragon are being considered”.
The Conservation Council ACT and Friends of Grasslands, groups that have protested at the site, welcomed the extra funding but said it was time the Federal Government showed similar concern.
“We need to ensure the dragon doesn’t just become a zoo exhibition,” Conservation Council ACT CEO Dr Simon Copland said.
“In the start of their first term, the federal ALP government committed to no new extinctions under their watch. The ACT Government have now stepped to the plate to do everything they can to stop the extinction of the earless dragon.
“It is time the Federal Government demonstrated similar leadership by cancelling the approval of the Northern Airport Road to save the best habitat currently available for Canberra’s dragon.”
