Secret mission saves Australia's 'dinosaur trees' from bushfires

A secret operation by specialist firefighters has saved world's last stand of Wollemi Pines, a pre-historic species kwn as "disaur trees", from Australia's unprecedented bushfires, officials said. Fewer than 200 of trees exist in wild, hidden in a gorge in World Herit Blue Mountains rthwest of Sydney, which have been hit by one of biggest bushfires that have been ravaging much of Australia for months.

With flames approaching area late last year, firefighters deployed air tankers to drop fire retardant in a protective ring around trees while specialist firefighters were winched down into gorge to set up an irrigation system to provide moisture for grove, officials said. Matt Kean, environment minister for New South Wales state which encompasses Blue Mountains, described operation as "an unprecedented environmental protection mission."

While some of trees were charred by flames, grove was saved from fires, he said in a statement late Wednesday. pines, which fossil records indicate are more than 200 million years old -- pre-dating many disaurs -- were believed extinct until Wollemi grove was discovered in 1994.

RE: Australia: Firefighters save world's last disaur-era trees from bushfires

Its location has remained a closely-guarded secret to protect trees from contamination by visitors. "Illegal visitation remains a significant threat to Wollemi Pines survival in wild due to risk of trampling regenerating plants and introducing diseases which could devastate remaining populations and ir recovery," Kean said. trees have been propagated and distributed to botanic gardens around world to preserve species, but Wollemi gorge is only wild stand.

Australia's wildfires have since October claimed 28 lives, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and burned 10 million hectares (100,000 square kilometres) of land -- an area larger than South Korea or Portugal. About one billion animals may have died in fires which have driven many species closer to extinction, according to environmental groups. country was enjoying a long-awaited respite on Thursday as rainstorms blanketed much of Australia's east, though a return to warm and dry wear was forecast for later in sourn summer.

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