Editing Waychinicup National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Waychinicup National Park
| state                  = wa
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Waychinicup1.jpg
| caption                = Waychinicup Inlet
| image_alt              = 
| local_map              = yes
| zoom                   = 10
| coordinates            = {{coord|34|52|38|S|118|22|20|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_label_position = top
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Albany, Western Australia|Albany]]
| area                   = 39.82
| area_footnotes         = <ref>{{cite journal| year=2010| title=Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report| journal=Annual Report| pages=48| publisher=Department of Environment and Conservation| issn=1835-114X| url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111124319/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/| archive-date=11 January 2011| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| established            = 1990
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]]
| url                    = http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/waychinicup
}}
[[File:Waychinicup.jpg|thumb|right|Waychinicup NP]]
'''Waychinicup National Park''' is in [[Western Australia]], {{convert|404|km|mi|0}} southeast of [[Perth]] and {{convert|65|km|mi|0}} east of [[Albany, Western Australia|Albany]], along the coast of the [[Southern Ocean]].

==Location and description==
The park is bordered by the Southern Ocean to the south, [[Mount Manypeaks (Western Australia)|Mount Manypeaks Nature Reserve]] to the east, and agricultural land to the north. Its coastline runs between Normans Beach and Cheynes Beach, near [[Bremer Bay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cloudninespachalets.com.au/page_2.html|title=Rainbow Coast - Great Southern Attractions|year=2010|access-date=12 November 2010}}</ref> 

The park offers and array of landscapes, from the rugged coast to boulder-strewn hilltops. Tree-filled, deeply-incised [[valley]]s have freshwater streams flowing through them, with [[moss]]-covered boulders. Facilities provided include a camping area and bush toilet near the inlet of the [[Waychinicup River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australiassouthwest.com/en/Natural+Wonders/Waychinicup+National+Park.htm|title=Australia's South West - Waychinicup National Park|year=2007|access-date=6 June 2007}}</ref>

[[Bald Island]] Nature Reserve is located offshore nearby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/2008/pubs/capad08_wa.xls|title=Department of Environment - Terrestrial Protected Areas - Western Australia|year=1998|access-date=2016-03-08}}</ref>

== Fauna ==
[[File:Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) (16172696979).jpg|thumb|[[Southern right whale]]s in the park]]
===Mammals===
The park is home to some of the rarest animals in Australia. Species found in the park include the [[quenda]], [[ring tailed possum]]s and one of the few mainland populations of [[quokka]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,102/Itemid,755/|title=Department of Environment - Waychinicup National Park|year=2007|access-date=6 June 2007}}</ref>

[[Southern right whale]]s inhabit the ocean off the coast.

In 2010, an [[insurance population]] of [[Gilbert's potoroo]] was established within an enclosure at the park,<ref name=morrison2017>{{cite web | last=Morrison | first=Lisa | title=Hunt for a safe haven for world's rarest marsupial continues | website=ABC News| publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]  | date=22 February 2017 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-22/hunt-for-a-home-for-gilberts-potoroo/8290948 | access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> as a short-term measure, but it was found in 2015 that native [[carpet python]]s were getting into the enclosure and preying on the marsupials.<ref>{{cite web | last=Arnall | first=Karla | title=Pythons prey on Australia's rarest marsupial in south coast nature reserve | website=ABC News| publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]  | date=8 December 2015 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-08/pythons-prey-on-rarest-marsupial-in-south-coast-reserve/7010170 | access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> As of December 2018 there were 20 of the [[critically endangered]] marsupials in the park, representing a fifth of the total remaining population in the world.<ref name=scorecard2018> {{ cite report| url=https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/species/20-mammals-by-2020/gilberts-potoroo| title= Gilbert's Potoroo, Potorous gilbertii| series=Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018| publisher=Australian Government| author=National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Research Hub |date=2019 }} [https://www.awe.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/2096e1b3-739d-4626-b04c-1b0fcf0be69b/files/gilberts-potoroo-year-3-scorecard.pdf PDF]</ref> 

===Birds===
The park forms part of the [[Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks Important Bird Area]], identified as such by [[BirdLife International]] because of its significance in the conservation of several rare and threatened bird species.<ref name=bli>BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18 November 2011.</ref>  The critically endangered [[noisy scrubbird]], which was once thought to be [[extinct]], is found within the park; a small population of 14 were translocated from [[Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve]] in 1983, followed by another 16 in 1985. By 1994 it was estimated that 223 male birds had been heard singing in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/noisy-scrub-bird/measures.html|title=Noisy Scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus) Recovery Plan|year=2007|access-date=6 June 2007}}</ref>

The [[western bristlebird]] is another vulnerable species that is found within the park. Most of the birds remaining population is found in [[Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve]] and Waychinicup National Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=515|title=Dasyornis longirostris — Western Bristlebird|year=2010|access-date=6 June 2007}}</ref> [[Population]]s of the bird that have been on the decline since the late 19th century has started to stabilise.

==See also==
* [[Protected areas of Western Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{National Parks of Western Australia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:City of Albany, Western Australia]]
[[Category:National parks of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1990]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Jarrah Forest]]