Narrabri Shire is weighing a 10-to-20-metre sculpture honouring a species found only on Mount Kaputar.
Narrabri in northern New South Wales is considering a large sculpture of the Mount Kaputar pink slug. The shire council is exploring a monument between 10 and 20 metres long, or potentially larger if funding allows, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The slug lives only in the high-altitude subalpine forests of Mount Kaputar National Park, about 50 kilometres east of Narrabri. It can grow to 20 centimetres and is known for its fluorescent pink colour. The threatened species’ habitat was affected by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires. After it went unrecorded for several years, field surveys found small populations surviving on isolated rock faces near the summit.
Narrabri Mayor Darrell Tiemens said a monument could draw visitors and highlight the region’s environment. The idea originated in Sydney through the sister-city relationship with Randwick, whose council is helping Narrabri seek grants. Boggabri, another town in the region, already has a smaller pink-slug sculpture, making the proposed Narrabri project a separate attraction.