Images here: https://dams.wwf.org.au/resourcespace/?c=6126&k=3e3c099845
It was a totally unexpected sight. No-one had seen an echidna on Lungtalanana Island in Bass Strait for decades. It was feared any survivors were wiped out in the devastating 2014 wildfire.
But there on the screen was a trail camera image of a "trimanya", which means echidna in palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aboriginal people. Pakana Rangers are now set on finding out if it is a loner or if there are others.
An echidna photographed on 1 August 2023. A second photograph in November 2023 in the same location is believed to be the same individual.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is leading a bold project to restore the island and return culturally significant native species.
Pakana Ranger supervisor Kulai Sculthorpe explained the deep significance of the echidna discovery.
"The importance of having trimanya back on the island is monumental. All life holds an important role in Country but having soil movers is going to massively help our cultural restoration project. With the wholistic Caring for Country model we as a community strive towards, these little guys will fit in perfectly to the cultural landscape we are trying to reinstate there, especially with the ecological values they bring due to their behaviours," Mr Sculthorpe said.
"We the Pakana Rangers were so excited to discover the island still had trimanya. For all the hardships our Country has faced and also our community it's the little moments like these that really ignite the fire underneath us all and provide that hope there is a future where our Country can be healthy again. It also shows us that our Country does need us to play our role, to protect, conserve and cherish the values of our Country, " he said.
Tasmania has its own subspecies of echidna, which is much hairier than more northern echidnas as an adaption to the cold.
However, Pakana Rangers have contacted a scientist to see if the Lungtalanana specimen could be another subspecies altogether, one unique to the island.
European colonisation wiped out most native species on Lungtalanana. Farmers cleared land to create sheep and cattle pasture. Cats released on the island in those early days then preyed on small animals and birds. Traditional Owners were prevented from conducting cultural burning, which led to more severe wildfires, altering the structure of remaining vegetation.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre wants to return a range of species to the island, including the Bennett's wallaby, long-nosed potoroo, and the Bass Strait Islands wombat.
A juvenile Bass Strait Islands wombat © WWF-Australia Chris Crerar
In preparation for this, Pakana Rangers are removing weeds and have resumed cultural burning to lessen fuel loads. They're trying to secure funding to rid the island of feral cats. For the past two years they've maintained numerous trail cameras to assess the island's remaining wildlife.
A feral cat on Lungtalanana after killing a native water bird © Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre
One of those cameras snapped the echidna in the same location in August and November 2023. But with tens of thousands of images to review, and a full workload out on Country, it was not identified until November 2024.
That workload includes responding to emergencies like the fire sparked by a lightning strike in late February.
Pakana Rangers, joined by Truwana Rangers from truwana (Cape Barren Island), fought the fire for four days
"The fire started in tinder dry heathland. Fanned by unpredictable winds, it was out of control. Seeing our Country burn like that is never good," said Jesse Williams, Cultural Fire Coordinator, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
"After the water bombers from the Tasmania Fire Service went through we worked the edges extinguishing remaining hot spots. The efforts of the Pakana and truwana rangers helped save thousands of hectares of vegetation and prevent another catastrophic fire," he said.
Dramatic video from the fire shows the last moments of one of the trail cameras. On 25 February it recorded a Lewin's rail, the first evidence the secretive bird inhabits that part of the island. The next day the fire came through and melted the camera.
Using cameras, acoustic monitors, and field surveys in collaboration with Dr Liz Znidersic from Charles Sturt University, the rangers have also found buff-banded rails and established that Lungtalanana is an important over-wintering site for migratory shorebirds, like the red-necked stint.
Building a continuous data set on the island's species and landscapes will enable the rangers to demonstrate measurable improvements with the aim of generating biodiversity credits.
The restoration of Lungtalanana and return of native species is being supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia. WWF is highlighting this innovative project on World Rewilding Day (20 March).
"Lungtalanana demonstrates that returning species of cultural importance to Traditional Owners, and restoring the ecosystem, are fundamentally entwined. They work hand in hand," said Rob Brewster, Rewilding Program Manager, WWF-Australia.
"Animals like wombats and echidnas are ecosystem engineers. Wombat burrows create a safe space for other species to evade the impacts of catastrophic fires and a warming climate. Their return will be an important milestone for this ambitious venture.
"By digging, echidnas push leaves and seeds underground, enriching soil – they can turn over about seven tonnes a year," he said.
