Alison and Richard Swain are the owners of Mandjura, a property situated in Numeralla, approximately 25km east of Cooma, New South Wales. Originally an agricultural site, the property is now a residence, wildlife sanctuary and regeneration site. Alison and Richard wish to build their conservation and restoration activities through weed and pest control, re-establishment of native grasslands and continuation of their gully restoration works.
Mandjura spans 44 hectares of previously agricultural land, now destocked and in the process of regeneration. Remnant vegetation consists of eucalypt woodland and native grasslands.
A wide range of wildlife is found on the property including eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums, microbats, sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster), eastern brown snakes (Pseudonaja textilis), red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus), highland copperheads (Austrelaps ramsayi) and a variety of native frogs.
An array of birdlife is also present including wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax), crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans), willy wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys), yellow-rumped thornbills (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) and many more.
