Moorunde Wildlife Reserve
| Moorundee Wildlife Reserve South Australia | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
  Moorundee Wildlife Reserve | |
| Nearest town or city | Sedan |
| Coordinates | 34°28′00″S 139°27′27″E / 34.46667°S 139.45750°ECoordinates: 34°28′00″S 139°27′27″E / 34.46667°S 139.45750°E |
| Established | 1968 |
| Area | 69.00 km2 (26.6 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Natural History Society of South Australia |
| Website | Moorundee Wildlife Reserve |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Moorunde Wildlife Reserve is a private protected area located in South Australia near the Murray River, between Blanchetown and Swan Reach.
History
In 1967, wombat enthusiasts Mr & Mrs Conquest of Adelaide approached members of the "Natural History Society of South Australia" (NHSSA), keen to establish a sanctuary for Hairy-nosed Wombats. The Natural History Society was an autocratic society that aimed to promote the native flora and fauna of South Australia. Together, the Conquests and the NHSSA raised funds to acquire a section of Portee Station for the purpose of establishing a sanctuary for the Southern Hariy Nosed Wombat. Early rifts between the Conquests and the Society regarding the management approach to the reserve saw the Conquests remove their support for the project. Subsequently, the NHSSA has maintained management of the reserve with a controversial "let nature take its course" approach. Controversy has continued between those members that see necessary action to restore and maintain the reserve for the long term sustainability of a viable wombat population and those members that wish to continue a minimal ("let nature take its course") approach to land management.
Neighbouring Reserves
In 1973, the Chicago Zoological Park purchased land to the north of Moorunde and established Brookfield Conservation Park as a wombat sanctuary. Several years later, Brookfield was gifted to the State Government of South Australia. It is now managed by Conservation Volunteers Australia. In the 1990s, Earth Sanctuaries established Yookamurra Sanctuary adjacent to the south of Moorunde. These three large reserves, together with numerous smaller private properties protected by native vegetation heritage agreements, now form a large contiguous area providing a protected habitat for wombats and many other native animals.
Protected area status
As of 2014, land that forms the Moorunde Wildlife Reserve is subject to three native vegetation heritage agreements created in 2008 under the Native Vegetation Act 1991 (SA) where its owner, the Natural History Society of South Australia, has agreed to protect the property’s native vegetation in perpetuity.[1][2][3][4][5][6] It is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ "Official Record for Unnamed (No.HA410)". World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), a joint project of IUCN and UNEP. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "Official Record for Unnamed (No.HA1412)". World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), a joint project of IUCN and UNEP. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "Official Record for Unnamed (No.HA1417)". World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), a joint project of IUCN and UNEP. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "Moorunde Wildlife Reserve Location Map" (PDF). Natural History Society of South Australia. 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "Protected Areas of South Australia September (Map) 2014 Edition" (PDF). Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- 1 2 "Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (see 'DETAIL' tab)". CAPAD 2014. Australian Government, Department of the Environment (DoE). 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2015.