Wallabies bouncing back in WA park

More than 20 rare black-flanked rock wallabies have been moved to a national park in Western Australia to boost the existing tiny population that was only discovered last year.

The threatened species was thought to be extinct at Kalbarri National Park, having not been spotted for 20 years, until a rock climber filmed two wallabies in a gorge last August.

Camera monitoring and Department of Parks and Wildlife staff confirmed the sighting and now 23 wallabies have been moved from the Wheatbelt to the park in the Mid West region.

Environment minister Albert Jacob said it was the first of several planned releases of wallabies into the park by the department, with the help of WWF Australia, over the next three years.

WWF spokeswoman Merril Halley said the marsupials were captured and placed in soft, dark bags that were secured in pet packs before being flown to the park.

"Wallabies are quite sensitive and would not have reacted well to a seven-hour drive from the Wheatbelt to their new home, so it was much better to fly them there instead," she said.

Mr Jacob said managing the threat of feral cats, foxes and goats would be crucial for the long-term viability of the wallabies.

"Their decline in the national park is largely due to goats competing with them for food and pushing them out of the protected gorge areas, leaving them vulnerable to predation by foxes and cats," he said.

The park has been baited for foxes since 1996 and the department has also carried out goat culling since 2006.

About 36 remote sensing cameras have been deployed in the park to monitor the animals.