Translocation of a rehabilitated juvenile platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

The success of rehabilitated juvenile animals after release is poorly studied. This study monitored the behaviour and habitat use of a juvenile male platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) found in poor body condition on a driveway and rehabilitated, before undergoing an inter-catchment translocation. Radio telemetry tracked his movements and resting locations for 18 days during which he used more vegetation for shelter than burrows. After 8 days in the creek near the release site, he travelled through drains into a swamp, potentially displaced by resident platypuses, where the signal was lost. The results demonstrate significant challenges in post-release survival, including burrow creation. This case highlights the importance of monitoring animals after release.