23-716 – Carol Williams

“Those three animals we protect them now. The old people use to eat the animals and we’re working with the KJ (Kanyirninpa Jukurrp Ranger) mob to protect them. The top one (Mangkarr) is taller than this one (middle – Nurta). This one (Nurta) is stumpy like a guinea pig. The bottom one (Winyminji) is the same size as a cat. It’s like a cat.”

– Carol Williams

Mankarr (Greater Bilby) is a type of desert-dwelling omnivore, found in a range of habitats from rocky soils, shrublands, woodlands and spinifex regions. Its fur is usually grey or white, and has a long, sharp nose and long pinkish ears. At the time of European colonisation of Australia, there were two species. The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s, while the greater bilby has survived, it remains a threatened species.

The Nurta (desert bandicoot), was a bandicoot of the central and western dessert, considered to be extinct since 2016. It was small in size with a long and narrow head which it used to investigate the sand while digging. It had orange-brow fur on its back and white below, with one or two dark bands on the hindquarters. The decline and extinction of the desert bandicoot is attributed to a range of factors including predation by cats and foxes, and habitat destruction due to the impacts of exotic herbivores and to changed fire regimes

Winyminji (Quolls) are carnivorous marsupials also native to Australia. They are primarily nocturnal and spend most of the day in a den. They have brown or black fur and pink noses. They are largely solitary, but come together for a few social interactions such as mating which occurs during the winter season. Quolls eat smaller mammals, small birds, lizards, and insects. All species have drastically declined in numbers since Australasia was colonised by Europeans, with one species, the eastern quoll, becoming extinct in the 1960s.

KJ program manage the conservation of the natural and cultural assets on Martu country through the employment of Martu as Indigenous rangers.  KJ rangers work to build knowledge on and protect the many important species that occur on their country, including the Mankarr, the wiminyji and the mulyamiji (great desert skink).