Wildlife Land Trust / Sanctuaries / QLD / Damita Sanctuary

Michelle and David Gilmore are the owners of Damita Sanctuary, a property situated in Clifton Beach, approximately 25km north of Cairns, Queensland. The property is a residence and dedicated wildlife sanctuary, and Michelle is a registered wildlife carer. Michelle and David intend to maintain the property as a refuge for wildlife as the local area is increasingly cleared for development. They intend to bequeath the property to their daughter to protect in the future, and are interested in releasing rehabilitated fauna on the sanctuary.

The sanctuary covers one hectare of subtropical rainforest intersected by a permanent creek and surrounded by protected wet tropics rainforest. A variety of palms, eucalypts, native grasses and ferns dominate the vegetation.

A wide abundance of wildlife is found on the property including agile (Macropus agilis) and swamp (Wallabia bicolor) wallabies, striped (Dactylopsila trivirgata), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudochierus peregrinus) possums, fawn-footed melomys (Melomys cervinipes), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and a variety of small marsupials. Reptiles such as monitors (Varanus spp.) and water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) are also present, as well as a vast array of frogs and butterfly species.

Native birds such as kingfishers (Todiramphus spp.) and finches, among many other species, are in abundance. A southern cassowary (Casuaris casuaris) has also recently been sighted.