Kangaroo Island is the last stronghold of Rosenberg’s Goanna, a large monitor lizard, a descendant of the dinosaurs. Extensive studies have been undertaken close to One Kangaroo Island.
Lucky was an adult female goanna who befriended our builders Murray and Maree whilst they built Walcowrie.
Lucky’s initial summer breeding partner was Fatso.
Fatso disappeared, but Lucky lived on for another 20 years, being the longest recorded adult goanna sighting on Kangaroo Island. Lucky would reappear at meal times, smelling the BBQ from a distance.
Each alternate year, Lucky would mate then lay her eggs in a termite mound. The eggs were encapsulated for many months before her offspring were born, having anaerobic organs, feeding on termites. Then approximately six weeks after birth they break out of the mound having developed aerobic capacity.
By the time One KI reached lockup, Lucky had taken to visiting the builders at One KI. Lucky died in 2018 at the front of One KI, blessing the new home with her memories.
A short distance away, Peggy and Mike from the Pelican Lagoon Research Centre have undertaken and published extensive research over many years on both the Rosenberg goanna and the echidna.
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