A patch of the rare sundew Drosera silvicola was found at Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, east of Perth, after the plant had not been spotted in that area for more than 30 years, according to a PerthNow report published on 2 December 2025. The find is a rediscovery of a known species—not the discovery of a new one—and took place during a search by Curtin University PhD student Thilo Krueger and a team of scientists and volunteers.
What was found—and where?
The plant is Drosera silvicola, a small sundew, at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary along the Avon River, east of Perth. PerthNow reported that the team found a large patch after nearly giving up on the search and taking a detour. The report says the species had not been spotted in that area for more than 30 years.
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Krueger described the moment he noticed the plant: “I was so excited when I first spotted the plant out of the car window, I jumped out of the door fist pumping the air and threw myself on the ground next to it.” PerthNow reported that 10 scientists and volunteers took part in the search.
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How does this sundew catch insects?
Drosera silvicola is only a few centimetres in size, according to the report. Like other sundews, it catches tiny insects with sticky tentacles on its leaves and digests them. The plant’s insect-trapping leaves are what make it a carnivorous plant; the report does not provide further details about its diet or the specific habitat conditions at the newly found patch.
Why is the rediscovery important?
Before the find, Krueger said the species was known from only two other vulnerable populations in the South West. PerthNow reported that both previously confirmed populations were on mine sites. These are figures from the December 2025 news account, not a current independent census of the species.
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The report attributes Priority One status to Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), describing the category as extremely rare and potentially threatened, and as requiring a full conservation assessment. That status is the newspaper’s account; the report does not reproduce a DBCA listing or assessment.
Finding a population within a protected conservation area offers a different setting from the two mine-site populations described in the report, but the discovery alone does not establish the patch’s long-term security or the species’ overall condition. AWC regional ecologist Amanda Bourne called the find “a huge win for conservation” and said it highlights how wildlife sanctuaries can help preserve Australia’s biodiversity.
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What does the find say about plant diversity in Western Australia?
PerthNow reported that more than 150 carnivorous-plant species have been recorded in the South West. It also noted that many such species occur in small areas and can be vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change. The article does not identify the source or method behind the regional species count, nor does it provide a site-specific threat assessment for the Paruna population.
The find is therefore a meaningful local rediscovery, but it is not by itself proof that D. silvicola is recovering across its range. Confirming that would require information beyond the news report, such as repeat surveys and population monitoring.
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Source
Details and quotations in this article are attributed to Claire Sadler’s PerthNow report, published 2 December 2025: “Patch of extremely rare carnivorous plant found by Curtin University PhD student hour outside of Perth”.
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