The ACT Government has provided an additional of $4.5 million over 4 years to help prevent the extinction of one of the Territory’s most critically endangered species, the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon.
This new funding builds on $2.7 million already invested since 2020 and forms part of an ambitious recovery plan to conserve the unique lizard, which is found only in the Canberra region.
‘This small, iconic lizard is on the brink of extinction, and we cannot allow that to happen,” said Environment Minister Suzanne Orr.
‘Improving the genetic diversity of the Dragon is key to ensuring we can recover the species. The captive breeding programs the ACT Parks and Conservation Service has run over the last few years has proven we can do this and now the Government is backing and expanding our efforts.’