Wongalara Sanctuary facts for kids

Wongalara

Location in Northern Territory

Wongalara Sanctuary is a special nature reserve in the Northern Territory of Australia. It's a big area where amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes are protected.

Where is Wongalara Sanctuary?

Wongalara Sanctuary is located in the northern part of Australia, in an area called the Top End. It's about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south-east of the famous Kakadu National Park. The sanctuary is next to Arnhem Land and shares borders with several other large properties and protected areas.

What is Wongalara Sanctuary?

This sanctuary covers a huge area of about 1,910 square kilometers (737 square miles). That's bigger than many cities! It is owned and looked after by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). They bought the land in 2007 with help from public donations and the Australian Government. Their main goal is to protect the unique plants and animals that live there.

Several rivers, like the Mainoru River, Jalbot River, and Wilton River, flow through the sanctuary. The closest main road is the Central Arnhem Road, which passes near the area.

The Landscape of Wongalara

The land at Wongalara is very diverse and beautiful. You can find:

• Areas with spiky spinifex plants
• High sandstone cliffs and flat-topped mountains called plateaus
• Forests and woodlands filled with eucalypt trees
• Small patches of monsoon rainforest
• Wetlands where water collects

The most common type of plant life is a low, open savannah woodland.

Amazing Wildlife at Wongalara

Wongalara Sanctuary is home to many important and sometimes rare animals. Some of the special creatures you might find here include:

• The northern masked owl
• The colorful Gouldian finch
• The crested shrike-tit
• The hooded parrot
• The powerful red goshawk
• The small, cat-like northern quoll
• The tiny kakadu dunnart
• And of course, the freshwater crocodile in the rivers

Scientists often visit the sanctuary during the dry season. They study the mammals and do other research to help protect them.

Protecting Animals from Pests

One of the biggest challenges for wildlife in Australia is dealing with feral animals. These are animals that were brought to Australia by people and then escaped into the wild, causing problems for native species.

To help protect the native wildlife, a large fence has been built around part of the sanctuary. This fence covers an area of 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) and is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) long! It cost a lot of money to build, around $500,000 Australian dollars.

The fence helps keep out feral animals like:

• Wild cattle
• Wild buffalo
• Wild horses
• Wild pigs

These feral animals eat the same food as native animals and can damage the land. By keeping them out, the sanctuary helps the native animals have enough food and a safe place to live. There are plans to fence the entire property, which would create the largest area in Australia free from these large feral animals.