Grassland Earless Dragon – iconic sculpture
Wed 22 Aug 07
Greens MLA Deb Foskey has called for the signature artwork on Northbourne Avenue to be a giant sculpture of the Grassland Earless Dragon.
“This beautiful little lizard can only be found in the ACT, and – unless we act now – it faces extinction” Dr Foskey said today.
“The sculptor will either mourn a lost species or celebrate our ability to care for the grasslands this unique creature lives in.”
“That depends upon our land management practices, from now on, of the only two areas of habitat left.”
“The larger area, in the Majura Valley, is under threat from overgrazing by kangaroos. The population of dragons there appears to be crashing.”
“Part of the only other remaining area, in Symonston, is being handed over to a property developer in a land swap for the Narrabundah Long Stay Park.”
“So this unique little reptile, endemic to our territory, exemplifies one of the challenges of our age: the preservation of biodiversity.”
“A giant sculpture of the Grassland Earless Dragon would be the perfect way to welcome visitors: as a symbol of commitment to our unique native biodiversity and a testament to our guardianship, or as a reminder that through a lack of caring we made the creature extinct” Dr Foskey said.
