Wildlife Land Trust / Sanctuaries / QLD / Madja Yilki

Dave and Connie Pinson are the owners of Madja Yilki, a property situated in Cow Bay, approximately 30km south of Cape Tribulation, Queensland. The property is a wildlife sanctuary and bush regeneration site as well as a residence, housing a small, off-grid cottage.

Dave and Connie are wildlife rehabilitators, specialising in flying-foxes. They have also established Daintree Life, an initiative to clear and revegetate weed-infested areas within the greater Daintree rainforest. So far, Dave and Connie have planted nearly 14,000 trees on roadside reserves, abandoned service roads, beach foreshores, private properties and national parks.

The property spans one hectare of coastal rainforest. Approximately one half of the block is classified as 7.3.8a: Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora), Eucalyptus and swamp mahogany (Lophostemon suaveolens) open forest to open woodland on poorly drained alluvial plains, an Endangered ecosystem. The other half of the block is populated by 7.3.20a: Pink bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia) and yanderra (Syncarpia glomulifera) open forest on alluvial fans at the base of ranges.

So far, 91 native animals have been identified on the property. Notable species include southern cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius), noisy pittas (Pitta versicolor), sooty owls (Tyto tenebricosa), grey goshawks (Accipiter novaehollandiae), major skinks (Egernia frere) and wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus).