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The group session to see the gliders at Tower Hill State Game Reserve with organiser Jarah Marginata on Saturday night, February 25, has been postponed due to the weather.
"So the rain has cleared up for the night, but the wind picked up and is predicted to climb through the night," Mr Marginata said.
"Unfortunately that means the event is going to have to be postponed.
"Tower Hill is a particularly dangerous place to be in stronger winds and with the added factor of being at night, it's just too risky to run the event tonight
"People seemed pretty keen on this so sorry for the disappointment and the inconvenience."
Mr Marginata said he planned to run the event at a later date.
EARLIER: FRIDAY
A passion project has turned into the rediscovery of a native Australian marsupial at Tower Hill State Game Reserve.
Former Warrnambool resident Jarah Marginata was in the city in January as part of Parks Victoria's Summer Seasonal Ranger Program when he stumbled upon Krefft's gliders at night.
Parks Victoria said the gliders were thought to have declined at the reserve due to the reliance on artificial habitat nest boxes.
"I knew they were there because when I was a child 15 years ago I was monitoring them," Mr Marginata said.
"As far as I knew they'd gone extinct there in the last 10 years to 2023, so I wanted to find out if they were still there."
Mr Marginata said the rangers and Friend's of Tower Hill members spotted the gliders by chance while surveying for rabbits, considered to be a pest.
"While we were around, we heard something in the trees, shone a torch up and found one of the gliders," he said.
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Parks Victoria Warrnambool ranger team leader Ben Hammond said it wasn't known how many gliders were at Tower Hill currently and where they were nesting.
"The Friend's group will be back on site for a spotlighting activity this Saturday night in hopes to gather data on the gliders' use of nest boxes and tree hollows," Mr Hammond said.
Mr Hammond said gliders, emus and kangaroos were released at Tower Hill in the 1970s and 80s as part of a Victorian government program to re-introduce native species and restore nature in the reserve.
"Records from that time are unable to confirm which species were released at the wildlife reserve," Mr Hammond said.
"In recent times, gliders previously identified as sugar gliders have been found to be three distinct species.
"It's likely the gliders in the reserve are Krefft's gliders."
Anyone interested in seeing the gliders can meet with Mr Marginata at Tower Hill at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 25.
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Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
