Hopes $12m platypus refuge can help halt decline of iconic species
February 15, 2024 12:26 AM Subscribe
Hopes $12 million (Australian dollars, equivalent to $7.79 million US dollars) platypus refuge can help halt decline of iconic species. A new platypus haven at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo will aid conservation efforts by providing a home for up to 65 of the animals during drought, bushfire and flood.
Isn't Dubbo like, on the edge of their ecological range?
I mean I know zoos can have climate control, I'm just surprised that's the best place for them.
posted by Audreynachrome at 2:53 AM on February 15
I mean I know zoos can have climate control, I'm just surprised that's the best place for them.
posted by Audreynachrome at 2:53 AM on February 15
Maybe it is just how it is presented in the article, but it does seem odd to build a big facility with so many tanks that would be empty except during a fire or other disaster. Maybe they expect to also have a steady flow of ones that need rehab? It seems very expensive to build, and also to operate, compared to other conservation actions.
posted by snofoam at 3:08 AM on February 15
posted by snofoam at 3:08 AM on February 15
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Just a quick calculation factoring in the Australian value of statistical life ($5.4m) puts the average Australian at the same value as... 29 platypuses!
posted by Molesome at 1:38 AM on February 15 [1 favorite]