Wrotham Park Lodge
Flora and Fauna
Wallaby
Kookaburra
Kingfisher
Australian Bustard
Great Egret
Galahs
Geese
Jesus Bird
A Lagoon
Magpie Goose
Water Lillies
Mitchell River
Wrotham Park Lodge is largely pristine and untouched, offering you an opportunity to see a variety of animals in their natural habitat. Although a proportion of these animals are considered by many to be threatening, we recognise that they share our outback home and we treat them with respect at all times.
Cattle
The cattle that you will see around the Station and sometimes wandering near the Homestead are Brahman Cattle, which are highly resilient animals that can survive in the harshest of environmental conditions.
Cows are generally harmless and docile creatures (and sometimes clumsy). Bulls can be very territorial and will become aggressive if they feel they are being threatened. To be on the safe side, we request that you stay away from the cattle and we offer you the opportunity to get 'up close and personal' with cattle on our guided Station Tours.
Kangaroos & Wallabies
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are most likely to be found lazing under the shade of a tree during the heat of the day, licking their forearms to cool themselves. They venture out from dusk until dawn to graze on grasses and herbs.
They tend to dwell in groups called 'mobs' and have a dominant male as 'boss' who can weigh up to 70kg. The dominant male will become aggressive if it feels threatened (or when the females are on heat) and when fighting with another male can balance solely on its tail to free up its legs for fighting.
Females rarely show aggression and give a guttural cough when alarmed. They bear only one young at a time. The 'joey' develops in their pouch for nine months, and continues to feed from its mother until it is eighteen months of age.
Wallabies are very similar to Kangaroos, though much smaller, and are from the same macropod family.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles are one of the most feared creatures in Australia as they are incredibly strong, resilient and carnivorous. Consequently, they can pose a serious threat to people.
While crocodiles are killed in other countries for their skins, Australia's two species of crocodiles, Freshwater and Estuarine Crocodiles are protected. Crocodiles, situated at the top of the food chain, play an important role in keeping the natural ecosystems healthy and are one of few remaining links to our prehistoric past. Additionally, Northern Australia is the only area in the world where Freshwater Crocodiles reside. In Queensland, interfering with crocodiles or their eggs and possessing or taking parts of crocodiles are illegal without a licence from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
The natural waterways of Wrotham Park Lodge are known to be inhabited by Freshwater Crocodiles, which are widely considered to be placid and non-aggressive creatures. However, they are territorial creatures and being wild animals, they do have the potential to inflict a nasty bite! Their aggressive (and dangerous) relatives, Estuarine Crocodiles, are generally found in saltwater coastal areas. However, as they can survive in fresh water and have been known to travel inland, it is possible that they may also reside locally, or visit from time to time.
Freshwater crocodiles usually grow to no more than 2.5 metres and are grey or olive brown with ragged dark mottling. They are active during the day but forage mostly at night, feeding on small creatures like insects, fish, frogs, lizards, turtles, bats and birds. To capture prey, they wait in ambush at the water's edge and then lunge or snap sideways at animals which come to feed or drink. Another method is dragging prey underwater and then twisting it in a 'death-roll' until it dies or disintegrates.
Seeing crocodiles in the wild is difficult - they are very wary and may stay underwater when people are around. However, if you are careful you may see one as they spend much of their day basking in the sun, sheltering among plants or in mud. Slide marks along the river banks are a good indicator they may be close.
Dingoes
Dingoes are Australia's only native dog and also Australia's largest carnivore. They are believed to have descended from a family of wild Asian Dogs and introduced to Australia about 4000 - 6000 years ago, possibly when the Aboriginal tribes traded with Indonesians who were fishing in local waters.
There are a number of wild dingoes living in the bushlands of the Station. Unable to bark, they howl at night to keep their family together, and to warn others to stay away.
Predators by nature, dingoes are clever and tend to hunt for weak and vulnerable prey. Being curious animals, dingoes will occasionally approach humans. Like pet dogs, it is important that you show you are dominant - stand tall and strong if confronted by a dingo. However, unlike pet dogs, they are wild animals so always treat them with absolute caution. Never feed them (they are naturally thin) or try to befriend them - they may bite you and will become aggressive over time when hand-fed (and their hunting skills will decline).
Goannas
Goannas are harmless, large lizards with poor eyesight and clawed toes to climb trees or dig holes for protection against predators. If a goanna is being chased by a predator, it will climb the nearest tree.
Goannas never attack human beings, however, according to rural folklore, due to their poor eyesight goannas have been known to run up the trunk of a human being thinking the person is a tree. So, although not an aggressive animal, they may accidentally cause humans injuries with their sharp claws. Our fellow countrymen offer the advice that if you ever see a goanna that appears to be chasing you, remember that it is really looking to shelter in a tree, so simply lay down on the ground.
Birds
Wrotham Park Lodge is blessed with an abundance of bird species, in fact, approximately 60 different species have been identified, including:-
| Jabiru | Blue Winged Kookaburra | Pheasant Coucal |
| Great Egret | Laughing Kookaburra | Night Jar |
| Little Egret | Little Kingfisher | Wedge Tailed Eagle |
| White Faced Heron | Dollar Bird | White Breasted Sea Eagle |
| Royal Spoon Bill | Rainbow Bee Eater | Black Kite |
| Straw Necked Ibis | White Bellied Cuckoo Shrike | Whistling Kite |
| Crow | Jacky Winter | Collared Goshawk |
| Great Bowerbird | Grey Crowned Babbler | White Breasted Falcon |
| Crested Pigeon | Brown Falcon | Bar Shouldered Dove |
| Yellow Oriole | Olive Backed Oriole | Magpie Lark |
| Diamond Dove | Australian Kestrel | Southern Boobook |
| Galah | Apostle Bird | Masked Lapwing (Plover) |
| Sulphur Crested Cockatoo | Pied Butcher Bird | Rainbow Lorikeet |
| Red Tailed Black Cockatoo | Mistletoe Bird | Red Winged Parrot |
| Sarus Crane | White Gaped Honeyeater | Pale Headed Rosella |
| Pacific Heron | Yellow Honeyeater | Australian Pratincole |
| Magpie Goose | Blue Faced Honeyeater | Little Bronze Cuckoo |
| Whistling Duck | Banded Honeyeater | Channel Billed Cuckoo |
| Australian Brush Turkey | Brown Honeyeater | Common Koel |
| Pelicans | Rufus Throated Honeyeater | Little Friar Bird |
| Emus | Australian Bustard (Plains Turkey) |
Wild Flower
Wild Flower
Wild Flower
Freshwater Crocodile
Bird Identification and Reference books are available for your use from the Homestead Library.
Cats & Dogs
When you visit the working cattle station you are most likely to come across domesticated cats and dogs. Please inform your guide if you have any known allergies to these animals. The dogs are highly trained working dogs and are an important part of the mustering and cattle yard process.
Feral Pigs and Boars
Feral pigs and boars were originally introduced to Australia as farm animals on the First Fleet, and have since been released (or escaped) and learnt to survive in the wild. Incredibly strong and intelligent creatures, they are very unpredictable animals who easily feel threatened. More often than not, they will retreat from a human being however, they have been known to attack, especially when mothers are protecting their young.
Always keep a look-out for feral pigs and steer well clear of them, or retreat backwards quietly and steadily if you happen to come across them.
Snakes
Outback Queensland is home to a variety of snake types including the Brown Snake, Taipan, Rock Python, Children's Python and Green Tree Snakes, some which are potentially dangerous.
All snakes attempt to avoid biting humans, but will bite in defence if they are deliberately provoked or accidentally disturbed. When feeling threatened, snakes will give an opportunity for you to retreat (usually they will hiss to show they are there, though the Brown Snake may stand up into an 'S' position and strike repeatedly). That is your opportunity to move calmly back from the snake. However, sometimes, the snake's move from defensive posture to a warning or full bite can take place quite rapidly (and with little provocation).
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