Focus on protecting the endangered Coastal Emu

Residents in the Clarence and Richmond communities are asked to report sightings of the Coastal Emu to help protect the remaining endangered population.

An estimated 50 Coastal Emus remain in crucial habitat areas of the Clarence and Richmond valleys. This species is genetically different from other emus, as native plants in the region are dependent on them for seed distribution.

The research project to help save the Coastal Emu is a partnership between the NSW Government’s Saving Our Species Program and Clarence Valley Council to make informed conservation decisions to protect and grow the existing population.

The Saving Our Species Program allocated $42,000 in funding to help save the Coastal Emu, with an additional $42,000 as part of a greater NSW Government Environmental Trust funded project.

NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean said the local community can help by informing on when and where they see a Coastal Emu through an online register, which has recorded 191 sightings to date.

“By identifying nesting sites, we can target feral animal control at a local scale,” Mr Kean said. “By tracking the seasonal movements of the emus, we can better understand the survival of adults and chicks, and whether captive breeding might hold the key to eventually re-building the number of Coastal Emus found in the wild.”

Sightings of Coastal Emus can be reported online to Clarence Valley Council’s Coastal Emu Register.

Find out more about the Coastal Emu and the NSW Government Saving Our Species Program.