Four platypus found in Mackenzie River on one night by Ecology Australia team

Georgie, Frankie, Russell and Perry were the juvenile platypuses discovered on Saturday morning by an Ecology Australia team, led by researcher Chris Bloink.

Four platypuses in one day is a record for researchers in the Wimmera. The discovery also had a double significance, falling on the birthday of the team's lead researcher.

Wimmera CMA Water Planning and Policy officer Greg Fletcher said it was exciting to see those numbers in the MacKenize River.

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"Of these platypuses, three of the four were young, having been born around winter last year," he said.

"It shows that they are breeding up in good numbers. The fact we have three juveniles in there is wonderful and very promising for the future."

Sustaining the Wimmera's platypus population has been a priority for the CMA after the species was declared 'functionally extinct from the Wimmera's upper catchment more than a decade ago.

Mr Fletcher said the millennium drought-impacted platypus habitat severely by limiting food options and drying up refuge pools, which in turn exposed the species to predators such as foxes.

Once captured, the Ecology Australia team weighed and measured the platypus to determine their health, as well as implanted a microchip for future tracking.

Mr Fletcher said the four platypuses were in good health.

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"Sometimes they can be a bit emaciated, but according to the team they are in good health so that is wonderful," he said.

Mr Fletcher said the Wimmera CMA has worked to increase environmental water flows through the MacKenize River in an effort to provide more habitat for platypuses in the water body.

"We see the upper Wimmera catchment area as a really viable habitat for platypuses. It would be great to see platypus move back naturally from the lower Wimmera River.

"Potentially years down the track they can colonise those areas there, which would be a wonderful outcome."

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