Wettest January on record at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary

Our Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the iconic Kimberley region, has experienced its wettest January on record (since we began recording in 2006). A total of 417.9mm of rainfall has saturated the sanctuary grounds over the last month, with 155.1mm recorded this week alone.

Sanctuary staff Larissa, Joe, Braden, Josh, and Ruby are currently cut off from road access due to the flooding. Thankfully, access to the airstrip is still available for supplies to be flown in, and food was delivered to the crew on Friday.

Here’s a glimpse at what life looks like for our small team stranded on the sanctuary at the moment.

B Riles/AWC

R Albury/AWC

R Albury/AWC

L Potter/AWC

L Potter/AWC

L Potter/AWC

L Potter/AWC

J Guthrie/AWC

R Albury/AWC

L Potter/AWC

L Potter/AWC

J Porter/AWC

Mornington-Marion Downs Wildlife Sanctuary is a model for conservation in northern Australia, protecting nearly 6,000 square kilometres of the iconic Kimberley region. Our science-informed conservation programs at Mornington include:

• The largest non-government fire management program in Australia.
• One of the largest feral herbivore-free areas in Australia, within which threatened small mammal populations have increased significantly.
• The most extensive feral cat research program ever conducted.
• Ongoing scientific research and surveys to measure indicators of ecological health.