Time to Roam Magazine Issue 11 - October/November 2014 | Page 45

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Atticus Fleming

The Australian species lifesaver
Finally winning the war to save our native
animals from the dreaded feral cat.
BY PARIS BOSCH

Atticus Fleming’s quest to protect Australia’s
endangered species was sparked at a
young age, growing up in rural NSW and
reading books on threatened wildlife.
“I grew up in a small place called Bakers Swamp, so my
brothers and I spent a lot of our formative years in the
bush, exploring and bird watching and horse riding.
“My parents also gave me my first book on
endangered animals when I was about three or
four, so really from that young age I was fascinated
by animals that were on the brink of extinction
and what could be done to save them.”
After studying law and spending a short spell in a
city law firm, Atticus finally had the chance to make a
difference as he was appointed as an advisor to the
then Federal Environment Minister, Robert Hill.
“That was a fantastic six years, because we
were able to achieve a lot of wonderful things for
the environment, including biodiversity legislation,
additional protection for species and places.”
“But I did get to the end of that time and realise
that while the government does have a role to play
in protecting the environment, in many cases it’s not

very good at delivering hands on conservation.”
A short time later, he met up with Martin
Copley, founder of the Australian Wildlife
Conservancy (AWC). They shared a mutual
passion for saving endangered animals.
“I was impressed by Martin’s commitment and
his vision and I could see that the private, non-profit
sector in Australia could make a huge contribution. I
thought this was probably the perfect opportunity.”
In 2002 Atticus Fleming became the AWC’s first Chief
Executive and he has managed its growth to the point
where its wildlife conservancies covering some three
million hectares, including remote and iconic locations
such as the Kimberly, Cape York and Lake Eyre.
Hundreds of kilometres of fences have been
built to keep some 14,000 hectares free of feral
animals. Work is underway on fencing to safeguard
another 7,800 hectares at Mount Gibson WA.
The reserves are a sanctuary and vibrant breeding
habitat for some 80 per cent of native bird species
and around 67 per cent native mammals.
The AWC also protects approximately 20 per
cent of remaining bilby populations, one-third of all
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Issue 11 Oct/Nov 2014

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