20 Platypuses Now Thriving in Australia's Oldest Park

For the first time in over half a century, platypus babies are being born in Australia's oldest national park.

The beloved duck-billed creatures vanished from Royal National Park's Hacking River after an oil spill decimated the population more than 50 years ago. Now, thanks to an ambitious rewilding project, at least 20 platypuses call the Sydney waterways home again.

Scientists released four more adults this week, two males named Ducky and Absinthe and two females named Hydra and Dawn. The nighttime operation brought creatures from healthy populations in the Central Tablelands and Southern Highlands to their new home under cover of darkness.

UNSW ecologist Gilad Bino leads the delicate translocation effort, which began in 2023 with 10 platypuses. Since then, researchers have discovered four juveniles born in the wild, proof that the reintroduced animals are doing more than just surviving.

The first baby, named Gilli (meaning "flame" or "life has been ignited" in Dharawal language), was found in 2024. Researchers have now documented two successful breeding seasons, a milestone Bino calls being "over the moon about."

Each platypus gets tracked with glued-on acoustic devices and radio transmitters. The technology helps scientists pinpoint exact burrow locations and confirm the animals are thriving in their restored habitat.

Why This Inspires

This project proves that even species lost for generations can return when we commit to restoration. Three good wet years created vibrant food webs for the platypuses, showing how resilient nature becomes when given the right conditions.

The work is exhausting. Bino and colleague Tahneal Hawke often work from 11pm to 4am, carefully catching platypuses from donor sites, checking their health and sex, then rushing them to their new home to minimize time out of water.

The final stage arrives in 2027, when three more adults will join the population. Bino believes even more platypuses may already be living undetected in the park's waterways.

His advice for visitors? Grab a camping chair, sit quietly by the riverbank at dusk, and you might just spot one of these remarkable survivors gliding through the water.