MEET George, the new member of the Rookeepers family.
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A rufous bettong, George is something special. In fact, you won’t find many like him.
The rufous bettong is extinct in the wild in Victoria, but thanks to a few breeders in the state, Victorians still have the chance to admire the small species.
Hand-raised by the Rookeepers’ director Michael Church, George will soon become a regular at demonstrations around the region.
Mr Church, who tours the Ballarat area with his collection of Australian animals, teaching children about their populations and environment, said George was already a crowd favourite.
“He comes to shows every now and again with me. Once he is fully grown, he will start coming everywhere with us,” Mr Church said. “I will pull him out and everyone wonders what he is. Not many people know much about the smaller species of kangaroo.
“The kids love him. He represents a kangaroo without having to carry around a full-grown eastern grey kangaroo.”
The rufous bettong hasn’t been seen in the wild in Victoria for more than 75 years, and is now only found in some parts of Queensland.
“The main reason they are extinct is because of feral cats,” Mr Church said.
Mr Church said George and the story behind the extinction of his species in Victoria was a great chance to teach children about some of Australia’s most vulnerable species.
“Every animal plays a vital role in the eco system. These guys eat fungi and mushroom spores.
“This then spreads through their poo and feeds and manures the ground, so it does tip the eco system when they become extinct.”