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:

1. 1.Rakali
2. 2.Palm cockatoo
3. 3.Giant cuttlefish
4. 4.Dugong
5. 5.Marsupial mole
6. 6.Turtle frog
7. 7.Velvet worm
8. 8.Great desert skink
9. 9.Ghost bat
10. 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