the leadbeater 's possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) is a critically endangered possum largely restricted to small pockets of alpine ash , mountain ash , and snow gum forests in the central highlands of victoria , australia , north-east of melbourne .

it is primitive , relict , and non-gliding , and , as the only species in the petaurid genus gymnobelideus , represents an ancestral form .

formerly , leadbeater 's possums were moderately common within the very small areas they inhabited ; their requirement for year-round food supplies and tree-holes to take refuge in during the day restricts them to mixed-age wet sclerophyll forest with a dense mid-story of acacia .

the species was named in 1867 after john leadbeater , the then taxidermist at the museum victoria .

they also go by the common name of fairy possum .

on 2 march 1971 , the state of victoria made the leadbeater 's possum its faunal emblem .

leadbeater ' s possum

for more information about how we protect the leadbeater ' s possum please visit our leadbeater ' s possum projects page .
the review of the protection measures for victoria’s iconic leadbeater’s possum has been completed .
supporting the recovery of the leadbeater’s possum progress report december 2016 : record of leadbeater ' s possum colonies found in national parks and reserves .
various techniques can be used to maintain and develop leadbeater ' s possum habitat and work towards simultaneous leadbeater ' s possum conservation and timber production .
the below map shows the leadbeater ' s possum home range . for an interactive map showing leadbeater ' s possum colony detections please follow this link .
leadbeater ' s possum survey standard ( pdf , 3 . 6 mb ) leadbeater ' s possum survey standard ( docx , 3 . 1 mb )
follow rachel carbonell ' s full investigation about the threatened habitat of the leadbeater ' s possum .
vicforests has acknowledged the federal minister for environment’s decision today to list the leadbeater’s possum as ‘critically endangered’ .
the critically endangered leadbeater’s possum has been found living in man - made hollows .
footage of leadbeater ' s possum using an artificial tree hollow constructed by arborists .
zone 1b : leadbeater ' s possum conservation and timber production as joint priorities .
fire can have a major impact on survival of the leadbeater ' s possum .
if victoria keeps logging the way it is , the leadbeater’s possum is doomed .
leadbeater’s possum : victoria’s central highlands area is ‘critically endangered’ , says report . photograph : healesville sanctuary / aap
leadbeater ' s possum advisory group recommendations report ( pdf , 532 . 8 kb )
leadbeater ' s possum advisory group technical report ( pdf , 2 . 3 mb )
and without the forests the leadbeater ' s possum won ' t have a chance .
10 . 2 investigate the response of leadbeater ' s possum to edges of habitat .
leadbeater’s possum is dependent on large , old trees that produce hollows for its survival .
a range of leadbeater ' s possum spatial information is now available via the leadbeater ' s possum interactive map . this user - friendly tool provides public access to the most up - to - date leadbeater ' s possum spatial information , including the location of :
there are 680 known leadbeater ' s possum colonies protected in victoria ' s forests . at a conservative estimate of three possums per colony , this represents an estimated 2040 known leadbeater ' s possum individuals .
not many people have – the leadbeater’s possum gymnobelideus leadbeateri is small , speedy and endangered .
the review found the timber harvesting exclusion zones have contributed to the conservation of leadbeater’s possum .
leadbeater ' s possum review report - july 2017 ( pdf , 2 . 5 mb )
dr harley says this possum is among 16 lowland leadbeater ' s possums at healesville sanctuary .
once thought to be extinct , leadbeater ' s possum was rediscovered in 1961 and became victoria ' s faunal emblem .
victoria’s gorgeous animal emblem , the fairy ( leadbeater ' s ) possum is smaller than a human hand and notoriously shy .
the victorian government continues to implement the group’s recommendations and undertakes additional measures to identify and protect leadbeater ' s possum colonies .
australian government ( 2015 ) . leadbeater ' s possum action plan . available from : urltoken .
there are 204 , 400 hectares of potential habitat found across the range of the leadbeater’s possum .
the leadbeater ' s possum is critically endangered and efforts are underway to save the tiny marsupial .
the leadbeater ' s possum , victorian state fauna emblem , is under serious threat of extinction .
time is running out for the once thought extinct leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) .
a baby leadbeater ' s possum , weighing in at 25g . ( credit : emma campbell )
leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) recovery plan ( pdf - 217 . 77 kb )
leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) recovery plan ( rtf - 2 . 37 mb )
4 existence of management guidelines that address the conservation of leadbeater ' s possum throughout its range .
zone 1a : leadbeater ' s possum ( and other wildlife ) conservation as the major priority .
the survival of leadbeater ' s possum hinges on our ability to develop ecologically sustainable logging practices .
the leadbeater ' s possum was missing in action for over 50 years before being rediscovered in 1961 .
1 monitor and review the recovery program via the leadbeater ' s possum management team ( lmt ) .
4 zone all areas of forest within known range of leadbeater ' s possum according to habitat suitability .
figure 3 : the model proposed to identify options for a reserve system for leadbeater ' s possum .
the leadbeater ' s possum is now critically endangered and efforts are underway to save the tiny marsupial .
government of victoria ( 2014 ) leadbeater ' s possum action statement . government of victoria , melbourne .
the review also explored possible alternative options for protecting leadbeater ' s possum colonies , and compares their potential effectiveness for the possum’s recovery and impact on the timber industry .
a new leadbeater ' s possum survey standard has been developed to detail the acceptable methods to determine the presence or absence of the possum .
it said : ' ' it is recommended that none be removed from fire - affected areas known to contain leadbeater ' s possum , powerful and sooty owls , and within leadbeater ' s possum reserves . ' '
vicforests makes significant efforts to identify and protect leadbeater’s possum habitat when assessing areas available for timber harvesting .
2 . apply conservation strategies in each of the 21 leadbeater ' s possum management units ( lmus ) .
4 . zone all areas of forest within known range of leadbeater ' s possum according to habitat suitability .
8 . 1 . assess development proposals which could affect leadbeater ' s possum for areas outside state forest .
3 develop and implement a monitoring program of leadbeater ' s possum and the effectiveness of the reserve system .
6 . 1 implement monitoring of leadbeater ' s possum populations throughout its range , using rigorous experimental design to assess its conservation status and to assess the effectiveness of the reserve system for leadbeater ' s possum conservation .
one species particularly vulnerable to fires is the leadbeater ' s possum , whose habitat is already under threat .
the conservation status of the leadbeater ' s possum has recently been heightened , from endangered to critically endangered .
a tiny male leadbeater ' s possum is wrapped up before being examined by staff at the healesville sanctuary .
9 . 1 implement training for all relevant field and planning staff involved with leadbeater ' s possum management and / or timber production within its range , in relation to understanding the ecology of leadbeater ' s possum , habitat assessment and recording , the recovery plan process , and progress towards implementation of leadbeater ' s possum management guidelines .
in 2013 , the independent leadbeater ' s possum advisory group made recommendations to support the recovery of the possum , while maintaining a sustainable timber industry .
three leadbeater ' s possum survey kits are available for loan to community groups and individuals searching for new colonies .
2006 the last leadbeater ' s possum held in captivity at healesville sanctuary dies ( it originated from yellingbo ) .
calculating population numbers of the leadbeater ' s possum was difficult given their hard - to - access remote habitat .
a recovery plan ( deh ) has been written for leadbeater ' s possum , outlining the planned recovery process .
prof david lindenmayer , the leading expert on leadbeater’s possums , replied that “if you want to conserve leadbeater’s possum , you basically have to protect almost all of the remaining mountain ash forest” .
vicforests will transition away from the use of clearfell harvesting in ash forests which are home to the leadbeater’s possum , victoria’s faunal emblem as part of the advisory group ' s recommendations .
the tiny leadbeater ' s possum , victoria ' s state faunal emblem , could be extinct in a few years if its numbers continue to plummet .
conservationists have called for a moratorium on logging more than 100 , 000 hectares of victoria’s remaining native forest estate to protect the critically endangered leadbeater’s possum .
the andrews government has been told it must choose between saving victoria ' s endangered emblem the leadbeater ' s possum or hundreds of timber industry jobs .
as you will be aware the leadbeater ' s possum is one of this state ' s faunal emblems and it is listed as an endangered species .
the wilderness society claimed that the timber amendment will
likely secure the extinction
of the leadbeater ' s possum .
smith , a . 1995 . leadbeater ' s possum . pp . 224 - 226 in r strahan , ed .
leadbeater ' s possum has been the faunal emblem of the state of victoria ( australia ) since 2 march 1971 .
lindenmayer db ( 1989 ) the ecology and habitat requirements of leadbeater ' s possum . australian national university , canberra .
but state greens mp samantha dunn dismisses the suggestion the leadbeater ' s possum is to blame for forest industry issues .
at the heart of the case is the threatened extinction of the rare leadbeater possum .
the highlands are home to the vast majority of the state ' s 1500 - 3000 leadbeater ' s possums .
implement training for all relevant field and planning staff involved with leadbeater ' s possum management and timber production within its range in relation to ecology , habitat assessment and progress towards implementation of leadbeater ' s possum management guidelines and this recovery plan .
the majority of victoria’s native forest logging reserves are in the mountain ash forests of central victoria and gippsland , an area that overlaps with leadbeater’s possum habitat .
the government ' s forest taskforce has been told the only way to save the leadbeater ' s possum , is to stop logging in the central highlands .
leadbeater ' s possum - des hackett ' s captive breeding program is associated with blackburn victoria located at these coordinates - 37 . 8194637 , 145 . 1534068
it is estimated that there are less than 1000 adult leadbeater ' s possums .
the leadbeater ' s possum interactive map : this map shows all locations of leadbeater ' s possum colonies found between 1998 - 2014 and via surveys in state forest by vicforests , delwp , ari , parks victoria , zoos victoria and the community .
2 apply strategies that address the development and continued availability habitat in each leadbeater ' s possum management unit ( lmu ) .
2 establish a permanent reserve system in 10 leadbeater ' s possum management units ( lmu ) by june 1997 and the remaining lmu ' s by june 1998 .
there are fears the leadbeater ' s possum may become extinct within a decade if its habitat is not conserved . photograph : urltoken
review how the exclusion zones are applied to reduce unnecessary indirect impacts on the timber industry while ensuring adequate protection for leadbeater’s possum .
smith ap ( 1984 ) diet of leadbeater ' s possum gymnobelideusleadbeateri ( marsupialia ) . austwildl res 11 : 265 - 273 .
government of victoria ( 2014 ) supporting the recovery of the leadbeater ' s possum . government of victoria , melbourne , australia .
dr chris taylor from the university of melbourne led the spatial analysis which identified the important areas for the leadbeater ' s possum .
models assessing the current and predicted abundance of leadbeater ' s possum indicated a massive decline in leadbeater ' s possum numbers between the present and the year 2020 due to a decline in tree hollows , followed by a population bottleneck lasting until the year 2075 .
the victorian minister for agriculture and food security , peter walsh , said :
the greatest threat to leadbeater’s possum is bushfire , not logging activity . forest harvest is prohibited in areas where there is leadbeater’s habitat .
critical forest habitat that is home to the leadbeater’s possum , victoria’s faunal emblem , is almost certain to “collapse” due to logging and fires , new research has found .
environmentalists said the report highlighted the need for a national park as a long - term strategy to protect the leadbeater ' s possum ' s current and future habitat .
the leadbeater ' s possum needs structurally - dense understorey because unlike some other small possums , like sugar gliders which can glide from tree to tree , leadbeater ' s can ' t glide ,
she said .
in the mountain ash forests of victoria ' s central highlands , the critically endangered leadbeater ' s possum is fighting for survival , its habitat decimated by fire and logging .
there are fears the leadbeater ' s possum may become extinct within a decade if its habitat is not conserved . photograph : / urltoken
' ' we have a legislative and a moral obligation to preserve [ the leadbeater ' s possum ] , ' ' he said .
going bush looks at some new techniques being used by vicforests and other organisations to create future habitat for the leadbeater ' s possum .
salvage logging following fire or other damaging agency should take place according to established procedures that protect the habitat of leadbeater ' s possum .
lindenmayer db ( 1996 ) wildlife and woodchips : leadbeater ' s possum , a testcase of sustainable forestry . unsw press , sydney .
forest management practices cannot be claimed to ecologically sustainable unless there are viable populations of leadbeater’s possum maintained in the wild and in perpetuity .
listen to greens senator richard di natalie speaking in the senate in november 2012 for conservation action to save the forsets for leadbeater’s possum .
he said efforts to revive the possum ' s population faltered after mr hackett died in 1997 , and today the possum ' s natural habitat was under threat from logging .
1 . the leadbeater ' s possum management team ( lmt ) to continue to monitor and review recovery program and recommend further management actions .
the life history and conservation of leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeatereri ) in lowland swamp forest / daniel k . p . harley .
according to dr nelson , the ideal habitats for the leadbeater ' s possum were old hollow - bearing trees and old - growth forest .
professor keenan said this pointed to the leadbeater ' s habitat shrinking dramatically and possibly becoming unable to support the possum in half a century .
smith ap ( 1980 ) the diet and ecology of leadbeater ' s possum and the sugar glider . ph . dmonash university , melbourne .
what i think it proves is the leadbeater ' s possum isn ' t as bad off as people say ,
phillips says .
at the threatened species summit on 16 july 2015 , the minister for the environment committed to releasing an action plan for the leadbeater’s possum .
leadbeater’s possum colonies can be made up of anywhere between three and 12 individuals . based on a conservative estimate that each identified colony has only three individuals , the 680 known leadbeater ' s possum colonies represent an estimated known leadbeater’s possums population of 2040 . the majority of these colonies have been discovered in the last two years by looking in areas available for timber harvesting .
the leadbeater’s possum advisory group technical report 2014 provided a conservative estimate of the number of total leadbeater’s possum individuals , including those that have not yet been found in national parks and reserves , to be between 3945 and 10 960 based on estimated colony numbers averaging 2 . 5 individuals .
survey ' s from delwp , ari , vicforests , parks victoria , zoos victoria and the community have discovered 218 new leadbeater ' s possum colonies in the central highlands in victoria .
around 42 % of leadbeater’s possum’s habitat was burned in the 2009 wildfires and our repeated surveys at long - term sites since then have indicated that the species does not occur on burned sites – even those subject to moderate or low severity fire . large areas of intact forest are critically important for the survival of leadbeater’s possum .
the victorian government is working to identify and protect colonies of the endangered leadbeater ' s possum . victorians can help to look for new colonies .
a leadbeater’s possum , which barnaby joyce wants reclassified as not critically endangered to open up more areas for logging in victoria . photograph : zoos victoria
wilkinson , h . e . ( 1961 ) the rediscovery of leadbeater ' s possum . vict . nat . 78 : 97 - 102 .
the life history and conservation of leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeatereri ) in lowland swamp forest /  daniel k . p . harley .
warneke rm ( 1968 ) leadbeater ' s possum . wildlife in south - eastern australia . ed dempster k . australian broadcasting commission , sydney .
logging is a major form of human disturbance . it is damaging the habitat of leadbeater’s possum and leading to the rapid demise of the species .
in february , d’ambrosio halted logging in the blue vein coupe in central victoria after signs of leadbeater’s possum habitation were spotted next to the bulldozers .
there are fears that widespread logging of old - growth forests in the central highlands region of victoria will wipe out the endangered leadbeater ' s possum , the state ' s faunal emblem .
“models assessing the current and predicted abundance of leadbeater’s possum indicated a massive decline in leadbeater’s possum numbers between the present and the year 2020 due to a decline in tree hollows , followed by a population bottleneck lasting until the year 2075 . this predicted ‘bottleneck’ means that for a period of 55 years , from the year 2020 to 2075 , habitat suitable for leadbeater’s possum , and by implication population size , will be at its lowest . ”
, or leadbeater ' s possum , is strictly confined to a remote region in victoria , australia . it inhabits a range of only about 3500 square kilometers in the highlands of victoria . leadbeater ' s possum is one of the most isolated marsupials in the wild ( massicot , 2001 ) .
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it is currently unknown how many leadbeater ' s possum colonies are living in the parks and reserve system set aside to provide their best available habitat .
seebeck jh , suckling gc , macfarlane ma ( 1983 ) leadbeater ' s possum - survey by stagwatching . victorian nat 100 : 92 - 97 .
if leadbeater’s possum goes extinct , it will not be because we did not have the science . it will be because we chose the wrong path .
this action plan outlines measures the australian government is currently taking , as well as a plan to protect and recover the leadbeater’s possum into the future .
the victorian government has amended the state ' s logging laws in a move conservationists fear will transfer control to the timber industry and could doom endangered species such as the leadbeater ' s possum .
harley , d . 2013 . the application of zoos victoria’s ‘fighting extinction’ commitment to the conservation of leadbeater’s possum gymnobelideus leadbeateri . the victorian naturalist . vol 129 ( 5 ) : 175 - 180
as the leadbeater ' s possum fights for survival in victoria ' s central highlands , a tiny population of genetically distinct lowland possums is also clinging to existence—for different reasons . rachel carbonell reports .
a total 4 , 046 hectares of state forest has been reserved inside the timber harvesting exclusion zones , and the review has found that the risk of extinction of the leadbeater ' s possum within the leadbeater ' s possum reserve system has been reduced by approximately 34 % as a result of the action .
the leadbeater’s possum is identified in the strategy as a species requiring emergency intervention . earlier this year , the possum was uplisted from the ‘endangered’ to the ‘critically endangered’ category of the epbc act threatened species list .
lindenmayer , d . 2000 . factors at multiple scales affecting distribution patterns and their implications for animal conservation - leadbeater ' s possum as a case study .
massicot , p . 2001 .
animal info - leadbeater ' s possum
( on - line ) . accessed october 2 , 2001 at urltoken .
a classic hollow ‘stag’ tree favoured by leadbeater’s possum : this tree was killed in the 1939 victorian fires and has remained standing for more than 70 years .
the leadbeater’s possum lives in ash and snow gum forests in the central highlands region in an area of approximately 70km by 80km north - east of melbourne .
the latest supporting the recovery of the leadbeater ' s possum progress report is released confirming 71 new colonies have been found in state forest since february 2015 .
apply strategies that address the development and continued availability of adequate high quality habitat in each leadbeater ' s possum management unit ( lmu ) for the future .
implement population monitoring of leadbeater ' s possum throughout its range and assess the effectiveness of the reserve system for the species conservation , using rigorous experimental design .
suitable habitat should be maintained across the distribution of leadbeater ' s possum in the central highlands to provide for the long - term survival of the species .
lindenmayer , d . b . ( 1989 ) the ecology and habitat requirements of leadbeater ' s possum . phd thesis , australian national university : canberra .
while the leadbeater ' s possum remains at a high risk of extinction until 2050 - 70 , that risk has been reduced within the leadbeater ' s possum reserve by 34 per cent , thus demonstrating the effectiveness and efficiency of this action in contributing to [ its ] conservation outcomes ,
the report found .
last year the victorian government’s leadbeater’s possum advisory group , which was established after 45 % of the possum’s habitat was destroyed in the 2009 black saturday bushfires , announced that concerted survey efforts had resulted in confirmed sightings of more than 200 new colonies , increasing the number of known individuals to 1 , 500 .
flora and fauna guarantee action statement 62 - leadbeater ' s possum gymnobelideus leadbeateri ( department of environment and primary industries , 2014 ) [ state action plan ] .
leadbeater ' s possum is monogamous , and young of both sexes are almost always displaced from the nest prior to reaching full maturity ( massicot , 2001 ) .
the latest supporting the recovery of the leadbeater’s possum progress report has been released by minister for agriculture and the minister for the environment , climate change and water .
the report details a number of leadbeater ' s possum recovery milestones delivered over the past two years and since the previous progress report was released in october 2015 .
lindenmayer db , meggs ra ( 1996 ) use of den trees by leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideusleadbeateri ) . aust j zool 44 : 625 - 638 .
there are more than 400 identified leadbeater’s possum colonies within areas controlled by vicforests , all of which have been protected by a 12 - hectare special protection zone .
two distinguished environmental scientists accused the victorian government of forestry policies knowingly designed to drive leadbeater’s possum , one of the two fauna emblems of victoria , to extinction .
victoria ' s faunal emblem the leadbeater ' s possum and other species will become extinct within about 30 years unless clear - fell logging stops in victoria ' s mountain ash forests , new research based on 30 years of monitoring the forests has found .
all new leadbeater ' s possum colonies located in state forests have been protected by a 200 metre radius ( 12 . 6 hectare ) timber harvesting exclusion zone , resulting in an additional 2 , 983 hectares reserved to protect leadbeater ' s possums since the program commenced .
a key recommendation from the 2014 leadbeater ' s possum advisory group report was the establishment of 200 metre radius timber harvesting exclusion zones around all existing ( post - 1998 ) and new , verified records of leadbeater ' s possums in state forest in the central highlands .
australia’s leading scientific expert on the endangered leadbeater’s possum has publicly lambasted the victorian state government , claiming it is the first ever domestic administration to take “calculated actions” that it knew could wipe out a threatened species .
the letter , co - authored by hugh possingham , of the university of queensland , claims that a “substantial watering down” of logging industry regulations has led to a drastic loss of the leadbeater’s possum’s natural habitat .
the victorian government released the supporting the recovery of the leadbeater ' s possum : progress report december 2016 to provide an update on the recovery program of the state ' s ' critically endangered ' faunal emblem .
environmental groups have called for all logging in and around the leadbeater’s possum habitat to cease and have campaigned for the creation of a new national park in the area .
about 30 % of remaining leadbeater’s possum habitat is in areas that are currently logged , and meacher said opening up more areas for logging would have a devastating effect .
in 2008 more than 30 000 hectares of ash - eucalypt forest was converted into a reserve in the central highlands specifically to protect the leadbeater ' s possum population . all of the best known areas of leadbeater ' s possum habitat not already reserved were included in an expansion to this reserve system . click here for more information .
the life history and conservation of leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeatereri ) in lowland swamp forest / daniel k . p . harley . - version details - trove
a careful ecological and statistical assessment of the lpag report and associated action statement indicate that both documents contain significant flaws and could even have perverse outcomes for leadbeater’s possum .
but as the debate rages over how to save them , a tiny population of genetically distinct lowland leadbeater ' s possum is also clinging to existence for different reasons .
leadbeater ' s possum , a marsupial endemic to native forest on melbourne ' s fringe , was declared extinct in the 1950s , apparently wiped out by agricultural land - clearing around the bass river in south gippsland .
the greens and professor tim flannery will back the creation of a new national park in victoria ' s highland forests as part of efforts to save the endangered leadbeater ' s possum at a public forum on thursday .
the endangered leadbeater ' s possum is victoria’s faunal emblem . the species is found only in victoria , and lives primarily in the ash forests and sub - alpine woodlands of victoria ' s central highlands , with a small lowland population to the east of melbourne .
wildfire – fires can burn through large areas of the montane ash forests which are home to leadbeater’s possums . the recent black saturday bushfire burnt 45 % of high - quality leadbeater ' s habitat in the permanent reserve system
the most important components of leadbeater ' s possum habitat are nest - tree abundance , vegetation structure and food availability . large old hollow trees ( either dead or alive ) for nesting and shelter are essential for the survival of leadbeater ' s possum . leadbeater ' s possum prefer short , fat trees with numerous holes and a large quantity of dense surrounding vegetation ( lindenmayer et al . , 1991a ) . leadbeater ' s possum harvests a dispersed food supply , and because the species lacks a gliding membrane animals must rely on running and jumping to move from tree to tree . this requirement is best met in structurally dense regrowth or understorey vegetation ( smith 1982 ) . the major components of leadbeater ' s possum diet are obtained from smooth - barked eucalypts and some species of wattle ( smith 1984 ; lindenmayer et al . , 1991b ) .
major deficiencies in the effectiveness of conservation strategies for leadbeater’s possum became apparent in 2009 after the ’œblack saturday’ wildfires burned more than 72 , 000 ha of montane ash forest in the central highlands of victoria . these fires destroyed an estimated 36 % of suitable habitat for leadbeater’s possum and 45 % of the reserve system for the species [ 25 ] . the fires , together with historical and current logging operations have reduced the amount of old regrowth montane ash forest to unprecedented low levels . finally , the government of victoria changed forest survey standards so that areas of potentially suitable habitat for leadbeater’s possum would not be properly assessed prior to the commencement of logging operations [ 47 ] . these factors clearly indicate there is a high risk of extinction of leadbeater’s possum . in response to this risk , the government of victoria had established a leadbeater’s possum recovery team and university - based scientists produced a document of key strategies that attempted to secure the future of wild populations of the species [ 14 ] . the response of the government of victoria was to ignore the advice of its own panel of scientific experts ( the leadbeater’s possum recovery team ) and to create a leadbeater’s possum advisory group ( lpag ) containing none of the key experts on the species . instead the lpag included the ceo of the state owned logging organisation and the group was co - chaired by the head of the state timber industry association . the terms of reference for the lpag ’œsupporting the recovery of the leadbeater’s possum while maintaining a sustainable timber industry’ restricted the actions able to be recommended for conserving leadbeater’s possum . this effectively tied the survival of leadbeater’s possum to the health of the extractive industry that threatens it . the lpag subsequently produced a recommendations report and a technical report [ 48 ] . the recommendations then formed the basis of an action statement for leadbeater’s possum which dictates management of the species [ 49 ] .
dr harley estimates the population of leadbeater ' s possum outside the central highlands would total fewer than 100 , restricted to tiny pockets at risk from the next major bushfire .
an interesting characteristic of leadbeater ' s possum is that it is polyoestrus ; the loss of a litter stimulates the immediate production of another litter ( smith , 1984 ) .
since then more than 600 leadbeater ' s possum colonies have been found and protected and the majority of those were detected in state forest in areas available for timber harvesting .
8 . 2 determine management objectives for the populations of leadbeater ' s possum in the yellingbo state nature reserve and snow gum forests at lake mountain and mt . baw baw
dr david lindenmayer and dr hugh possingham deserve recognition for their recent extinction risk assessment study which has suggested ways in which the management of leadbeater ' s possum could be improved . peter myroniuk from the melbourne zoo contributed to useful discussions relating to the role of the international captive population of leadbeater ' s possum towards the conservation of the species .
based on work we published in 1993 , we have found that changes in landscapes arising from a series of closely juxtaposed logged areas renders such landscapes unsuitable for leadbeater’s possum .
jack mckenzie and blake nesbit from the wildlife of the central highlands ( wotch ) group are looking for the critically endangered leadbeater ' s possum near native forest logging coupes .
smith s , morey . j ( 2001 ) options for a permanent reserve system for the conservation of leadbeater’s possum . central highlands of victoria . flora and fauna program . department of natural resources and environment , melbourne .
smith , a . p . ( 1995 ) . leadbeater ' s possum . in : strahan , r . , ed . the mammals of australia . page ( s ) 224 - 226 . sydney : reed books .
retention harvesting will replace traditional clearfell methods in 50 % of the area harvested across the leadbeater’s possum’s range beginning from july 1st 2014 in the biggest change to harvesting practices ever implemented by vicforests - click here to read more .
the review’s methodologies and their application have been independently assessed by professor john woinarski of charles darwin university in terms of benefits to the leadbeater’s possum and by forest consulting service indufor group in terms of costs to the timber industry .
lindenmayer , d . , m . taylor . 1995 .
the leadbeater ' s possum page
( on - line ) . accessed october 6 , 2001 at urltoken .
research by professor david lindenmayer , of the australian national university , has revealed that since the plan was imposed , the leadbeater ' s possum population has halved to around 2000 .
8 . 2 . determine management objectives for the populations of leadbeater ' s possum in the yellingbo state nature reserve and snow gum forests at lake mountain and mt . baw baw
10 . 1 . 1 examine the results of genetic analysis to explore aspects of dispersal behaviour and population genetic variability in several wild sub - populations of leadbeater ' s possum .
smith , a . p . ( 1984 ) diet of leadbeater ' s possum , gymnobelideus leadbeateri ( marsupialia ) aust . wildl . res . 11 : 265 - 73 .
macfarlane ma , seebeck jh ( 1991 ) draft management strategies for the conservation of leadbeater ' s possum , gymnobelideusleadbeateri , in victoria . department of conservation and environment , melbourne .
professor david lindenmayer from the australian national university ( anu ) said governments needed to act to protect the remaining forests and to protect the leadbeater ' s possum and other species .
i am enclosing a copy of a letter written to the minister in reference to leadbeater ' s possum and i hope to deliver this by hand within the next few days .
leadbeater ' s possum inhabits dead and decaying trees , many of which are filled with abundant insect populations . as a primary predator of tree - dwelling insects , the possum limits the insect influence in the ecosystem ( smith , 1995 ) .
the leadbeater ' s possum is a small , fast moving , nocturnal possum that lives in the central highlands region of victoria . it was recently listed as critically endangered by the epbc act ( 1999 ) due to loss of species habitat .
david lindenmayer has worked extensively in the forests of the central highlinds for 30 years . he has argued cogently in a december 2012 article – sending leadbeater’s possum down the road to extinction – that the current widespread clear - felling in victoria’s mountain ash forests “loses large amounts of money for the state of victoria , degrades the forest , erodes water catchment yields , increases fire risks , and is driving leadbeater’s possum – the state’s faunal emblem – to extinction . ”
the federal government has announced that the leadbeater’s possum , victoria’s state emblem , has now been included in the list of “critically endangered” species . the government’s science advisers are now pressing on the need to stop logging activities in the central highlands of victoria to save the species from extinction .
we will continue to work with government to ensure that the leadbeater ' s possum continues to survive , and to ensure that there is a secure future for the industry .
graph 2 shows the detections of leadbeater ' s possum colonies per month in state forest since february 2015 . the trajectory shows that the number of colony detections are continuing to increase .
10 . 3 improve the precision of modelling fire in the ash forests of the central highlands , particularly as it relates to the risks of reducing populations of leadbeater ' s possum .
successful management for the long - term conservation of leadbeater ' s possum has clear benefits to a wide range of other hollow - dependent fauna inhabiting the montane ash forests of victoria .
scientists working in the central highlands claim this advice has not been followed . david lindenmayer , an australian national university ecologist who has spent 25 years studying the possum , says that trees are regularly felled in areas important to the survival of leadbeater ' s possum and other threatened species of possum , glider and bird .
fairfax media reported this month that cabinet–in–confidence scientific advice to the state government had found the current habitat set aside for the leadbeater ' s possum was not large enough to ensure its survival .
the advisory group was co - convened by zoos victoria and the victorian association of forest industries , with representation from parks victoria , vicforests , and the leadbeater ' s possum recovery team .
leadbeater’s possum remains at a high risk of extinction until 2050 - 70 , due to ongoing habitat loss ( especially loss of hollow - bearing trees ) and the likelihood of future bushfires .
there are 204 , 400 hectares of potential habitat found across the range of the leadbeater’s possum . in 2014 it was stated in the leadbeater ' s possum advisory group technical report ( january 2014 ) that only 30 % of that area was available for potential timber harvesting and the remaining 70 % was parks and reserves that were created to protect threatened species and forest biodiversity .
our research has clearly demonstrated that a key part of the habitat of leadbeater’s possum is access to large old trees . they are typically 190 years old ( and often much older ) .
environmental justice australia , acting on behalf of volunteer organisation friends of the leadbeater’s possum , wrote to the victorian environment minister , lily d’ambrosio , on monday requesting she implement an interim conservation order to “completely prohibit logging within the critical habitat of the leadbeater’s possum” in order to ensure the survival of the species , which is at risk of dying out within the next 40 years .
the total number of this species ' population is currently decreasing . according to iucn red list , there are approximately 2 , 000 mature leadbeater’s possums today , 200 of which are found at yellingbo . as a result , leadbeater’s possum is classified as critically endangered ( cr ) species on the iucn red list .
the creation of exclusion zones around each verified colony has resulted in the protection of 436 leadbeater’s possum colonies ( including new records since 2014 and existing records from the previous 15 years ) in the state forests of victoria ' s central highlands .
efforts have been put into place to protect this endangered possum from the negative effects of logging . 25 leadbeater ' s management units have been , or will be defined , with specific management for the possum , and which will contain some permanent reserve areas .
harley , d . ( 2015 ) . the use of call imitation to establish territory occupancy by leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) . australian mammalogy . 37 : 116 - 119 .
harley , d . ( 2016 ) . an overview of actions to conserve leadbeater ' s possum ' gymnobelideus leadbeateri ' . the victorian naturalist . 133 ( 3 ) : 85 - 97 .
implement training for all relevant field and planning staff , and monitor and report annually on progress towards implementation of leadbeater ' s possum management guidelines as contained in the central highlands forest management plan .
1867 leadbeater ' s possum ( lbp ) first described from two specimens collected at the bass river in south - west gippsland . the first helmeted honeyeater was also described at the same time .
1 ) the leadbeater ' s possum likes to nest in the hollows of old trees and there are very few of these old trees due to massive bushfires ( wild fires ) in 1939 .
lindenmayer db , possingham hp ( 1995 ) the risk of extinction : ranking management options for leadbeater ' s possum . centre for resource and environmental studies , the australian national university , canberra .
however , all existing data gathered over the past four to five years clearly indicates that leadbeater’s possum is heading for extinction . some urgent and radical reforms must take place in mountain ash forests :
help save leadbeater’s possum have invited people along to the supreme court appeal on monday 24 june 2013 10am – 3pm , at the victorian supreme court of appeal , 459 lonsdale street , melbourne .
in reply to your letter ref . 93 - 77 - 12 of 23rd january in reference to the leadbeater ' s possum colony which is presently in the care of mr . des hackett .
the leadbeater ' s possum advisory group also recommended that a review be undertaken on the effectiveness of this action to support the recovery of leadbeater ' s possum , while also maintaining a sustainable timber industry . the review was recommended to commence after completing two years of surveying , or once 200 new colonies were located in state forest . in june 2016 , both of these milestones were met .
large areas of montane ash forests have been logged for the production of pulp and timber , which also decreases the available leadbeater’s possum habitat . about 75–80 per cent of ash - type forest in victoria’s central highlands region is broadly designated for wood production .
it ' s pretty stark and it ' s pretty certain at this point : it ' s going to be extinct in 25 years ,
he says .
harley , d . ( 2016a ) . an overview of actions to conserve leadbeater ' s possum ' gymnobelideus leadbeateri ' . victorian naturalist , the . 133 ( 3 ) : 85 - 97 .
and while he holds out some hope for the future of leadbeater’s possum , much will depend on the timing and intensity of the next fire , and whether the recovering areas are disturbed by logging .
a report , released by the department of environment , land , water and planning ( delwp ) late on tuesday , found established zones for the leadbeater ' s possum were effective in slowing extinction .
develop and implement a monitoring program based on rigorous experimental design to assess population status of leadbeater ' s possum throughout its range and the effectiveness of the reserve system for the conservation of the species .
smith , a . p . ( 1980 ) the diet and ecology of leadbeater ' s possum and the sugar glider . ph . d . thesis , zoology department , monash university : clayton .
leadbeater’s possum is listed as endangered on the iucn redlist and under the federal environment protection & biodiversity conservation ( epbc ) act , and a threatened species under the state flora and fauna guarantee act .
leadbeater’s possum is just one of 40 other vertebrates dependant on tree hollows for homes in the mountain ash schlerophyll forests . hollows that can take over 150 years to develop in a tall ash tree .
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attiwill , p . m . ( 1995 ) . managing leadbeater ' s possum in the mountain ash forests of victoria , australia - reply . forest ecology and management . 74 : 233 - 237 .
smales , i . j . ( 1994 ) . the discovery of leadbeater ' s possum , gymnobelideus leadbeateri mccoy , resident in a lowland swamp woodland . victorian naturalist . 111 : 178 - 182 .
smith , a . 1984 . demographic consequences of reproduction , dispersal and social interaction in a population of leadbeater ' s possum . pp . 359 - 373 in a smith , i hume , eds .
“given the large amount of recent evidence regarding leadbeater’s possum colonies detected in the central highlands region , including in forest types other than ash and snow gum and in regrowth areas ( including areas burnt as recently as the 2009 bushfires ) , i have asked the minister for the environment and energy , the honourable josh frydenberg mp , to review the threatened species status of the leadbeater’s possum , ” joyce wrote .
establish research projects by 1997 addressing the dispersal and recolonisation capacities of the species , modelling of fire as it relates to the risks of reducing populations of leadbeater ' s possum and response to edge effects .
overall objective : to downlist leadbeater ' s possum from endangered to vulnerable within 10 years based on the iucn ( 1994 ) criteria of population trend and size , extent of occurrence and probability of extinction .
smales , i . j . ( 1994 ) the discovery of leadbeater ' s possum , gymnobelideus leadbeateri mccoy , resident in a lowland swamp woodland . vict . nat . 111 : 178 - 182 .
the call for another look at possum protection has been backed by gippsland mps and lobby groups , and deputy prime minister barnaby joyce has also called for the possum ' s endangered status to be reviewed .
leadbeater’s possum have grey to greyish brown fur on the top of the body with a distinguishable dark mid - dorsal stripe , pale cream underside and a club - shaped tail that is broader at the tip .
he said the decision “will cost jobs and ruin the forestry industry” , and suggested that an increase in the number of sightings of the leadbeater’s possum in the past five years indicated that its numbers had recovered .
a spokesman for friends of leadbeater’s possum , steve meacher , said the organisation would oppose any logging in protected mountain ash forests and was taking advice on mounting a possible legal challenge if the transfer went ahead .
in april 2014 the government set up an extensive program to survey for leadbeater ' s possum colonies and , if found in areas available for timber harvesting , protect them with a 12 hectare special protection zone .
in a confidential report to australian sustainable hardwood’s parent company , the hermal group , in 2014 , vicforests said the major reason for the reduction in sawlog volume was the 2009 black saturday bushfires and dismissed industry claims that protection of leadbeater’s possum had caused the “supply crisis” .
leadbeater ' s possum was first described in 1867 from dense tea - tree thickets around the bass river east of melbourne . by the early 1900s no further animals had been found and the land around the bass river was extensively cleared , so the possum was thought to be extinct .
leadbeater ' s possums have very specific habitat requirements in order for them to survive and flourish . sadly , almost half of the possum ' s ideal habitat – the old - growth mountain ash forest in the central highlands of victoria – was burnt in the 2009 bushfires .
citation : lindenmayer b , blair d , mcburney l , banks s ( 2014 ) preventing the extinction of an iconic globally endangered species leadbeater’s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) . j biodivers endanger species 2 : 140 . doi : 10 . 4172 / 2332 - 2543 . 1000140
lindenmayer db , blair d , mcburney l , banks s ( 2013 ) new restoration forest management prescriptions to conserve leadbeater’s possum and rebuild the cover of ecologically mature forest in the central highlands of victoria . fenner school of environment and society , the australian national university canberra .
the last three known remaining leadbeater ' s possums from lake mountain , in victoria , have been rescued and moved to the healesville sanctuary .
one of the target species of our work is leadbeater’s possum , one of victoria’s two faunal emblems . ( the other - the helmeted honeyeater - is also highly endangered . ) we have worked on this highly endangered possum and its habitat , especially the effects of fire and logging on the dynamics and structure of the forest in which it lives .
mccarthy , m . a . & d . b . lindenmayer ( 2000 ) . spatially - correlated extinction in a metapopulation model of leadbeater ' s possum . biodiversity and conservation . 9 : 47 - 63 .
vicforests’ general manager stakeholders and planning , nathan trushell , said the research would work towards developing new models and techniques to assist the long - term survival of threatened species such as the leadbeater’s possum . ( more )
develop management guidelines for leadbeater ' s possum throughout its range . in particular develop and apply modified and alternative silvicultural systems that result in the continuing presence of high quality habitat , while providing for commercial timber production .
nre will continue research efforts to assist and improve management for the long - term conservation of leadbeater ' s possum . those high priority projects necessary for the effective application of proposed and ongoing conservation strategies include : -
thomas , v . c . ( 1989 ) the ecology of leadbeater ' s possum ( gymnobelideus leadbeateri mccoy ) at cockatoo swamp , yellingbo state nature reserve . honours thesis , latrobe university , bundoora , vic .
smith ap , lindenmayer db ( 1988 ) tree hollow requirements of leadbeater ' s possum and other possums and gliders in timber production ash forests of the victorian central highlands . austwildl res 15 : 347 - 362 .
michael ryan , a vicforests forest scientist , says field surveys are carried out to check for potential leadbeater ' s possum habitat before logging , and an exclusion zone created where necessary . he says there is also ' ' an extensive conservation reserve system ' ' designed to protect the possum .
most people have never seen the leadbeater ' s possum . the last one held in captivity at healesville sanctuary died in 2006 . even in colonial days sightings of the possum , which has a distinctive black strip along the spine of its 20 - centimetre - long body , were rare .
we have studied the effects of current widespread clear - felling in victoria’s mountain ash forests for almost three decades . clear - felling now loses large amounts of money for the state of victoria , degrades the forest , erodes water catchment yields , increases fire risks , and is driving leadbeater’s possum - the state’s faunal emblem - to extinction .
zoos victoria is working to change the fate of threatened species and is committed to fighting extinction – we will ensure that no more victorian terrestrial vertebrate species become extinct . the continuing story of the leadbeater’s possum is symbolic of zoos victoria ' s commitment to saving our local fauna .