Many different kinds of animals call the Organ Pipes National Park home. Since successful revegetation work has been gradually increasing the Park’s flora biodiversity, more and more native fauna have moved back into the Park. Unfortunately, some introduced species have also moved in and cause significant issues within the Park’s ecosystem.
Mammals
The Organ Pipes National Park is the home of a variety of native mammals, including brush-tailed and ring-tailed possums (pictured), eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, echidnas, sugar gliders, platypus, seven species of insectivorous bats and water rats.
Most of these animals have returned to the Park under of own accord over the past 30 years. Others, such as the Sugar glider, have been reintroduced.
Activity
Walk along the track between the Organ Pipes and the Tessellated Pavement. Look for evidence of shrubs that have been grazed by wallabies. Look for any other evidence of mammals.
Bats
In the past couple of decades, the FOOPs group has installed bat roosting boxes. The species of bats using the boxes are regularly monitored. You can see the boxes in the trees if you walk along the track that runs southeast of the Organ Pipes.
Activity
Discuss why special boxes would be needed to provide a home for bats. Where did the bats live before the boxes were put up in the trees?
Watch these videos to learn about microbats:
Feeding Microbats - Batzilla the Bat
Attract bats to your garden with DIY bat boxes - Gardening Australia