Today is National Threatened Species Day and Bega Valley Shire Council is encouraging residents and visitors to better understand and potentially record one of Australia's most unique and iconic species, the platypus this month.
Council's Environmental Management Officer, Erin Moon said platypus numbers are in decline and they are at risk of localised extinction.
"By learning more about platypuses and recording where they live, we can better understand this incredible species and help prevent further decline in numbers," Ms Moon said.
"During September each year, the Australian Conservation Foundation and researchers from the University of NSW run The platy-project, to record and map platypus habitat across the country.
"We are asking shire residents and visitors to head to a local creek or river during September and try to spot a platypus and record what they see, or don't see.
"If you look at the map on The platy-project webpage, you will see plenty of sightings across the Bega Valley, except they are mostly old sightings.
"The very few newer sightings, between 2017 and 2023, are in Bega, Lochiel, Bemboka and Tantawanglo.
"We're pretty sure platypuses are located in more townships and surrounding areas and would love to know where they are."
Ms Moon said land clearing, dams, bushfires and drought destroy important platypus habitat, leaving them with nowhere to go.
"There are places within the platypus' range where sightings have never been recorded, or where they haven't been seen for a long time. These are our biggest gaps in knowledge.
"You can help researchers fill these gaps by visiting priority areas, looking for platypuses and uploading your findings to the University of NSW platypus sighting database."
National Threatened Species Day aims to raise awareness of animals and plants at risk of extinction and recognises the anniversary of the last Tasmanian tiger that died in Hobart Zoo on this day in 1936.
Australia is home to more than 500,000 animal and plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. In NSW there are close to 1,000 animal and plant species at risk of extinction.
The Bega Valley is home to 227 NSW-listed threatened plants and animal species.
