Australia's most underrated animal: Winner!

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:
Rakali
Palm cockatoo
Giant cuttlefish
Dugong
Marsupial mole
Turtle frog
Velvet worm
Great desert skink
Ghost bat
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