Project Kial

Project Kial
A Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Recovery Project

The start of Project Kial
Since the end of 2003, QPWS officers and wildlife carer volunteers have captured 130 Bridled Nailtail wallabies that had been kept in a 60 hectare enclosure at a mine site in central Queensland. The mine owners sponsored a university Bridled Nailtail wallaby research programme on their land as an environmental project.
When the university concluded the Bridled Nailtail wallaby research project, wildlife care volunteers from Australian Animals Care and Education Inc (AACE) and QPWS officers determined that the living conditions had become highly detrimental to the health of the animals.
The wallabies were relocated to a private property (Kial) where they have successfully undergone intensive treatment for various conditions including those caused by an over abundance of parasites (ticks, mites and worms) and severe malnutrition. The animals’ poor health was attributed to the decline in the nutritional quality of the natural food plants within the enclosure and the seasonal increase in the tick and mite parasite populations.

About the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (aka flashjack)
The Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) is one of the three nailtail species, only two of which exist today. The Crescent Nailtail Wallaby was declared extinct in 1956 as a result of fox predation and land clearing.
The Northern Nailtail inhabits northern Queensland and the Northern Territory where its numbers remain steady. Some scientists believe that this species has managed to survive so well due to the fact that the centre of their home range lies north of the country populated by rabbits.

The nail on the tail
All three species are named after the bony nail like projection at the end of their tails. Scientists debate its function. Some believe that it is dragged along the ground as a stabilising aid when the animal travels at high speeds while others think that it is used as a dental hygiene tool used in much the same way as we use toothpicks and a third theory is that it is used to draw squiggly lines in the dirt as part of a courting ritual.

Bridled Nailtail wallaby description
A beautiful grey, white and yellowish wallaby measuring slightly over a metre in length including the tail, the Bridled Nailtail wallaby was believed to be extinct until 1973 when a small colony was discovered on a Central Queensland property. The Bridled Nailtail was named for the distinctive darkly-bordered white stripes that run from its ears down across the shoulders to under the forearms.

Social structure
The Bridled Nailtail wallaby is believed to be solitary animal preferring to spend its day alone, and only forming groups when seeking a mate.

Behaviour
The Bridled Nailtail wallaby feeds at night and shelters on the edges of brigalow scrub during the day. It becomes active a few hours before nightfall when it comes out to browse and groom. It eats herbs and malvaceous plants in open eucalypt woodland and grass is a minimal part of its diet unless forbs are in short supply.
This wallaby has very acute hearing that alerts it to something approaching from quite a long distance. When frightened its first reaction is to freeze. They may seek shelter in a hollowed out log, or under a bush or even lay flat on the ground in the hopes that grass will conceal it effectively.

Breeding
Bridled Nailtail wallabies are good breeders. Females produce 2.5 joeys a year with a gestation period averaging 26 days and the pouch life lasting 120 days.

Habitat
Before the European settlers arrived in Australia, the Bridled Nailtail wallaby territory consisted of acacia forests (Brigalow) and grassy woodland that stretched from Charters Towers, Queensland down through New South Wales and into northern Victoria. Today they inhabit four different types of vegetation on the Taunton Scientific Research property in central Queensland:
- open grassy eucalypt woodland dominated by popular box (Eucalyptus populnea)
- dense acacia forest dominated by brigalow (Acacia harpophylla)
- transitional vegetation intermediate between the woodland and forest areas of very dense brigalow regrowth

AACE Inc
PO Box 47, Marlborough, QLD 4705
Tel: 07-4935-6076. Email: info@aace.org.au

Australian Animals Care & Education Inc (AACE)
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Project Kial A Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Recovery Project The start of Project Kial Since the end of 2003, QPWS officers and wildlife carer volunteers have captured 130 Bridled Nailtail wallabies that had been kept in a 60 hectare enclosure at a mine site in central Queensland. The mine owners sponsored a university Bridled Nailtail wallaby research programme on their land as an environmental project. When the university concluded the Bridled Nailtail wallaby research project, wildlife care volunteers from Australian Animals Care and Education Inc (AACE) and QPWS officers determined that the living conditions had become highly detrimental to the health of the animals. The wallabies were relocated to a private property (Kial) where they have successfully undergone intensive treatment for various conditions including those caused by an over abundance of parasites (ticks, mites and worms) and severe malnutrition. The animals’ poor health was attributed to the decline in the nutritional quality of the natural food plants within the enclosure and the seasonal increase in the tick and mite parasite populations. About the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (aka flashjack) The Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) is one of the three nailtail species, only two of which exist today. The Crescent Nailtail Wallaby was declared extinct in 1956 as a result of fox predation and land clearing. The Northern Nailtail inhabits northern Queensland and the Northern Territory where its numbers remain steady. Some scientists believe that this species has managed to survive so well due to the fact that the centre of their home range lies north of the country populated by rabbits. The nail on the tail All three species are named after the bony nail like projection at the end of their tails. Scientists debate its function. Some believe that it is dragged along the ground as a stabilising aid when the animal travels at high speeds while others think that it is used as a dental hygiene tool used in much the same way as we use toothpicks and a third theory is that it is used to draw squiggly lines in the dirt as part of a courting ritual. Bridled Nailtail wallaby description A beautiful grey, white and yellowish wallaby measuring slightly over a metre in length including the tail, the Bridled Nailtail wallaby was believed to be extinct until 1973 when a small colony was discovered on a Central Queensland property. The Bridled Nailtail was named for the distinctive darkly-bordered white stripes that run from its ears down across the shoulders to under the forearms. Social structure The Bridled Nailtail wallaby is believed to be solitary animal preferring to spend its day alone, and only forming groups when seeking a mate. Behaviour The Bridled Nailtail wallaby feeds at night and shelters on the edges of brigalow scrub during the day. It becomes active a few hours before nightfall when it comes out to browse and groom. It eats herbs and malvaceous plants in open eucalypt woodland and grass is a minimal part of its diet unless forbs are in short supply. This wallaby has very acute hearing that alerts it to something approaching from quite a long distance. When frightened its first reaction is to freeze. They may seek shelter in a hollowed out log, or under a bush or even lay flat on the ground in the hopes that grass will conceal it effectively. Breeding Bridled Nailtail wallabies are good breeders. Females produce 2.5 joeys a year with a gestation period averaging 26 days and the pouch life lasting 120 days. Habitat Before the European settlers arrived in Australia, the Bridled Nailtail wallaby territory consisted of acacia forests (Brigalow) and grassy woodland that stretched from Charters Towers, Queensland down through New South Wales and into northern Victoria. Today they inhabit four different types of vegetation on the Taunton Scientific Research property in central Queensland: - open grassy eucalypt woodland dominated by popular box (Eucalyptus populnea) - dense acacia forest dominated by brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) - transitional vegetation intermediate between the woodland and forest areas of very dense brigalow regrowth AACE Inc PO Box 47, Marlborough, QLD 4705 Tel: 07-4935-6076. Email: info@aace.org.au
AACE goals	Join AACE	Contact AACE	Project Kial	Goals & Achievements	Volunteers	Partners	Donations	Home