Key Takeaways

• The veterinary team at Healesville Sanctuary is warning landowners to be careful while gardening or renovating to avoid disturbing wildlife, particularly echidnas and their burrows.
• Echidnas are egg-laying mammals that create burrows in random places, often in inconvenient locations, to protect their young.
• It is essential to keep an eye out for wildlife, especially during summer, when people are more likely to be outdoors and may inadvertently disturb echidnas and their burrows.
• If an echidna is found in a backyard, it is crucial to keep pets away and allow the echidna to find its own way out again, as it is illegal to pick up or move an echidna from its natural surroundings.

Introduction to Echidnas and Puggles
The veterinary team at Healesville Sanctuary, located north-east of Melbourne, has recently received a pair of orphaned puggles that require their care. The baby echidnas were found when their burrows were accidentally destroyed by people doing new-year renovations. One of the puggles was dug up by an excavator clearing a paddock, while the other was discovered under a slab of concrete at a building site. This incident highlights the importance of being mindful of wildlife, particularly echidnas and their burrows, when engaging in outdoor activities such as gardening or renovating.

Echidna Behavior and Habitat
Echidnas are egg-laying mammals, also known as monotremes, which create burrows in random places to protect their young. According to Gerry Ross, life sciences manager at Healesville Sanctuary, female echidnas often choose locations that may seem inconvenient or silly to humans, but provide a protected environment for their puggles. These burrows can be found in open heathland, forests, scrubs, or grasslands, and echidnas will often shelter under bushes or burrow into soil during poor weather. It is essential to be aware of the potential presence of echidnas and their burrows when working on properties, especially during summer.

Puggle Development and Care
Puggles, the young of echidnas, are covered with soft hair that will eventually turn into spines. They do not have teats to express milk like other animals, and instead, the mother’s milk is excreted from mammary glands on the stomach in a way that resembles sweating. The mother echidna will often feed the puggles and then leave them alone in the burrow for up to 10 days, during which time they will eat a significant amount of milk and then enter a torpor, or sleep state, to slowly digest the milk. This unique care system means that puggles can be vulnerable, especially when their burrows are hidden and may be inadvertently disturbed by humans.

Conservation and Protection
The biggest threats to echidnas come from feral dogs and foxes, as well as habitat loss due to land clearing and development. It is essential to take steps to protect these iconic Australian animals and their habitats. If an echidna is found in a backyard, it is crucial to keep pets away and allow the echidna to find its own way out again, as it is illegal to pick up or move an echidna from its natural surroundings. By being mindful of echidnas and their burrows, and taking steps to protect them, we can help conserve these unique and fascinating creatures.

Importance of Responsible Land Management
The incident at Healesville Sanctuary highlights the importance of responsible land management and the need to be aware of the potential presence of wildlife when engaging in outdoor activities. By taking simple steps, such as being cautious when gardening or renovating, and keeping an eye out for wildlife, we can help reduce the risk of disturbing echidnas and their burrows. It is also essential to educate others about the importance of protecting these iconic Australian animals and their habitats. By working together, we can help ensure the conservation of echidnas and other wildlife for future generations.