Conservation organisation, Aussie Ark together with partner organisation, the Australian Reptile Park have released 20 threatened parma wallabies into the feral-proof Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary.
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The group of wallabies includes a male and female pair from the Australian Reptile Park among them.
These two parma wallabies were born at the Australian Reptile Park on the Central Coast and were part of a small cohort of wallabies on public display.
Due to their genetic value, the male and female youngsters were transferred to the Barrington Tops' facility last month to join Aussie Ark's world-leading parma wallaby breeding and re-wilding program.
They have spent the past month acclimatising to the alpine environment in Aussie Ark's Species Recovery Unit.
Aussie Ark's operations manager, Dean Reid and Australian Reptile Park's mammals and birds keeper, Lauren Hunter, conducted the transfer and attended the historic release together.
"The pair joined another 18 parma wallabies who were born and bred at the ark," Mr Reid said.
"It was so memorable watching them all bounce away to freedom."
It was Ms Hunter's first visit to the Barrington Tops facility and the first time witnessing an Aussie Ark release.
"The parma wallaby was once widespread along the Eastern seaboard," Ms Hunter said.
"But the species has been decimated, mainly by feral predation, and was once thought extinct.
"To see this cohort begin their lives in a feral-proof sanctuary is very special; they can thrive, reproduce, and help save their species from extinction.
"As a zookeeper, this collaboration with Aussie Ark has been a career highlight."
