Listen back to the What the Duck?! special broadcast with Dr Ann Jones and Cassie McCullagh.
After 65,000 votes, Australia has spoken — the rakali has been crowned Australia's most underrated native animal!
Raking in a whopping 20 per cent of the votes cast, the water rat was well out in front.
Here are the results:
- 1.Rakali
- 2.Palm cockatoo
- 3.Giant cuttlefish
- 4.Dugong
- 5.Marsupial mole
- 6.Turtle frog
- 7.Velvet worm
- 8.Great desert skink
- 9.Ghost bat
- 10.Short-finned eel
You can also read more on the ABC News blog from the countdown:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-15/wildlife-blog-15-august-2025/105651126
Featuring:
- Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University
- Jacinta Bowler, ABC Science Reporter
- Dr Kirsti Abbott, head of science at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
- Professor Nicki Mitchell, UWA
- Jonathan Webb, ABC Science Editor
- Dr Mark Norman, Chief Scientist Parks Victoria
- Dr Christina N Zdenek, ecologist with People for Wildlife
- Professor Peter Banks, University of Sydney
Production:
- Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
- Rebecca McLaren, Producer
- James Bullen, Producer
- Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer