Platypuses are sensitive indicators of river health, declining across their range as water quality degrades, rivers are altered and drought frequency increases.
Platypuses trapped in illegal yabby traps drown unable to surface for air — an extremely distressing death for an air-breathing mammal. River regulation through dams alters the invertebrate food base and physical habitat structure platypuses depend on. Drought causes platypuses to travel long distances overland between waterholes, increasing predator exposure and dehydration risk. Their welfare is a direct proxy for the health of the river systems they inhabit.