Possum Loop, Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gidgegannup

Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary is a 1.952 hectare conservation reserve located in the Avon Valley. Managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the sanctuary acts as a critical ecological corridor linking Walyunga and Avon Valley National Parks, and is protected by a extensive predator-proof boundary fence. 

The area is a complex mosaic of woodland, shrubland and heathland, with around 400 species of plants, including a number of priority species. The ridges are dominated by stunning stands of Powderbark and Wandoo, with large pockets of Jarrah and Marri forest in the valleys. Between August and October, the park bursts into bloom, with a spectacular variety of orchids, including Donkey, Pink Fairy, White Spider, and Snail Orchids. Yellow Buttercups (Hibbertia), White Myrtle, and Bearded Heath are also common. Paruna hosts several species of carnivorous plants such as sundews, including the highly localized Drosera walyunga, which is strictly endemic to Paruna and its adjacent national parks.

The AWC has successfully established populations of the endangered Black-flanked Rock-wallaby (which was first historically recorded in this exact valley back in the 1840s) and the Tammar Wallaby. It is also home to the Woylie, Quenda, and Chuditch (Western Quoll), which is WA’s largest endemic carnivore. More than 100 bird species live in the valley; notably the  endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Rufous Whistler, migratory Rainbow Bee-eaters, and Wedge-tailed Eagles. The granite outcrops form unique micro-habitats for specialized short-range endemic species, including trapdoor spiders and scorpions.