Dedicated in 2009, the Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) is located south of Alice Springs. It stretches across more than 320,000 hectares of former pastoral land in Australia’s red centre. The hot, arid sand plains reveal an incredibly rich biodiversity. Small mammals such as the vulnerable mulgara, the fawn hopping mouse and reptiles like the thorny devil all live here. Angas Downs is also of great historical and cultural value to the Traditional Owners, the Anangu, with many culturally important sites.
Work undertaken on the IPA includes the management of erosion and vegetation destruction by feral animals, the reintroduction of native species by restoring water sources, cleaning out traditional wells and fencing off water access by feral camels and horses. The work programme also includes biodiversity surveys, promoting biodiversity through traditional fire management, weed control (mainly buffel grass and couch grass) and rock art conservation.