But did you know that the Australian water-rat — also known as rakali — is a genuine native rodent that was a natural part of our environment long before its pest cousins, the black rat and brown rat, arrived in Australia?
The water-rat is an extremely attractive mammal. Its thick coat of soft fur, splendid whiskers, blunt muzzle, partly webbed hind feet and furry tail all help create a resemblance to a miniature otter.
Australian Platypus Conservancy's Geoff Williams will share his knowledge of this fascinating animal at an online information session on Tuesday, May 24, at 7pm.
Mr Williams has been studying platypus and rakali since 1994. Before helping establish the platypus conservancy, Mr Williams was director of Healesville Sanctuary and assistant director of Taronga Zoo.
His talk will outline the biology and key conservation requirements of rakali and include tips on how to go about spotting one in Mitchell Shire waterways.
"Once people learn about rakali they usually become great fans of these animals which can be just as cute, confiding and resourceful as otters," Mr Williams said.
"We hope that members of the local community will start to look for them and report all reliable sightings, both from the past and present.
“All reports are eventually entered in the Atlas of Living Australia to help planning of future conservation action by management agencies and environmental groups to help water-rats in the wild."
Register for the webinar at tinyurl.com/rakaliwebinar
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