Oakey Scrub
- Acquired:
- 2021
- Area:
- 65 ha
- Bioregion:
- Cape York
- Habitat:
- lowland tropical rainforest, savanna woodland
- Threatened Ecological Communities:
- 1
- Threatened and Near-Threatened Species:
- 6
Reserve overview
Oakey Scrub is a small 65 hectare reserve on Oakey Creek just to the west of Cooktown on Cape York Peninsula. Its major significance lies in its lowland tropical rainforest which takes up just under half the area and which has recently been listed as nationally endangered. Much of the rainforest on Oakey Scrub was partially cleared in the nineteenth century, but it has now recovered well with a canopy height of 22-30 meters and a diverse range of species.
protecting wiLdlife, sustaining life
Species we protect here
Recent surveys have found evidence of both the endangered Cassowary and near threatened Bennett’s Tree-Kangaroo in the Scrub. A wide range of wet tropics/Cape York birds are also present.
Besides the rainforest, Oakey Scrub also protects an area of very healthy tropical savanna which is inhabited by the endangered Northern Quoll. The other listed species found on the reserve are Semons Leaf-nosed Bat, the Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat and the Red Goshawk.
Conservation Highlights
The major management issue at Oakey Scrub is that of feral animals trampling the rainforest floor, damaging the ground layer, and making it hard for any rainforest tree seedlings to survive.
While most of the damage has been done by pigs, other feral animals present are cattle, horses and a small number of deer. We have a major program underway seekeing to substantially reduce the populations of these feral animals.
