by limbhaze » Tue Mar 29, 2022 9:09 am
The last refuge of the critically endangered western ground parrot has been saved by favourable weather from fire which had threatened to encroach on its final stronghold.
A fire burning in Cape Arid National Park near Israelite Bay since Friday has torn through 36,000ha of bush, which provides critical habitat for the parrot.
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions nature conservation regional leader Deon Utber said favourable weather on Monday had aided an otherwise dire situation.
“The western ground parrot was one of the key assets in the planning that we identified where protection works needed to go in place,” he said.
“Our ability to put in some of those containment strategies under extreme conditions were difficult to achieve with the level of fire intensity.
“Thankfully, with the prevailing north-easterly, it hasn’t driven in to that south-east section, so now we (were) able to get some of those containment measures in place.