This wildlife sanctuary, which has been owned by the Maslen family since 1985, is situated in the lowland tropics with connectivity to the Daintree river system. Barbara Maslen and Allen Sheather have lived at and managed Wild Wings and Swampy Things Nature Refuge since 2004. A 40-year restoration project in the lowland tropics, Wild Wings and Swampy Things was officially declared a Nature Refuge in Queensland parliament on the 9th of August 2006. The property has several wetlands in the low-lying areas, a house as well as a smaller cottage with forested hills behind them. While Barbara and Allen are currently working on an improvement to the first wetland created in the year 2000 the intention in 2027 is to try and find a new owner for the property who would love and care for Wild Wings and Swampy Things into the future.
Wild Wings and Swampy Things Nature Refuge spans 40 hectares across tropical wetland rainforest which has naturally grown back on the steep hills. In most of the lower lying areas restoration has involved more targeted planting with the creation of wetlands to provide higher areas allowing tree growth as well as to provide water habitat which helps filter run-off from neighbouring properties and the road.
The property provides habitat for a range of species including swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus), striped possums (Dactylopsila trivirgata), spectacled fruit bats (Pteropus conspicillatus), blossom bats (Syconycteris australis), tube-nosed bats (Nyctimene robinsoni) and several insectivorous bat species, amethystine pythons (Simalia amethistina), carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), tree snakes (Dendrelaphis punctulatus), red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus), slatey grey snakes (Stegonotus cucullatus), Macleay’s water snakes (Pseudoferania polylepis), keelbacks (Tropidonophis mairii), small-eyed snakes (Cryptophis nigrescens). Numerous skinks (family Scincidae), breeding lace monitors (Varanus varius) and estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) on occasion. About 15 frog species have been identified on the property, and there is an extensive list of birds with 142 species having being recorded on the property in the last 40 years. Birdlife can be seen on the wetland and there are numerous rainforest bird species including cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii).
You and learn more about the sanctuary here https://swampythings.wordpress.com/
