La Trobe University has a new feather in its cap, with the introduction of three emus to its wildlife sanctuary in Bundoora.
The emus were released into the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary on Thursday, April 11, as part of a program to regenerate the 90-acre nature reserve that is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna.
The new residents give La Trobe the bragging rights of being the only city campus in Australia to have three emus on site.
The three emus replace two older emus who spent more than 10 years at the sanctuary and became local icons for students, staff and visitors, before they naturally passed away in recent years.
The new emus were welcomed to the sanctuary with a special smoking ceremony by Wurundjeri elders.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor professor Theo Farrell said the size and location of La Trobe’s Bundoora campus meant it could provide a safe home for a huge range of Australian flora and fauna.
“La Trobe is lucky to have this important refuge for endangered species of flora and fauna as part of its Melbourne campus,” he said.
“These emus are a welcome addition to regeneration efforts at the Sanctuary and will provide another point of interest to the thousands of visitors we have each year.”
Sanctuary operations manager Olivia Swain said they wanted to reintroduce emus to the sanctuary not just because the previous residents were missed by visitors, but because as they played an important role in environmental sustainability as they manage weeds and support seed dispersal.
“Emus also target weed species like blackberries, as they eat them to the ground and volunteers can simply remove the remaining stalks and roots,” Olivia said.
All three emus are male, and come in at 18 months old, and are suitable to be around people without causing harm.
Gerald Lynch
