A fluorescent pink slug found nowhere else on the planet could soon tower over the New South Wales landscape as Australia's next iconic roadside attraction, with Narrabri Shire Council throwing its support behind a proposal to build a giant monument dedicated to the endangered Mount Kaputar pink slug.

The creature — which can grow up to 20 centimetres long and is famous for its vivid hot-pink colouring — lives exclusively in the high-altitude forests of Mount Kaputar National Park, roughly 50 kilometres east of Narrabri in north-west NSW. Council is now exploring plans for an oversized sculpture, potentially between 10 and 20 metres in length, that could help draw travellers off the highway and into the region.

Where the Idea Came From

The concept began, perhaps fittingly, as a light-hearted gesture. Narrabri Mayor Darrell Tiemens said the proposal grew out of a meeting with representatives from the council's sister city, Randwick Council in Sydney.

"We gifted all of them little pink rubbery slugs. It was just a little joke," Tiemens said. "But then we gave them the story of these pink slugs that can be up to 20 centimetres long, and they exist nowhere else on the planet, and they're part of a very unique ecosystem up on Mount Kaputar National Park which is the most inland alpine environment in Australia."

The response from Randwick councillors was unanimous — they backed the idea and offered to help Narrabri find funders for the project. From novelty gift to serious tourism proposal, the slug's moment had arrived.

A Species That's Already Captured Imaginations

The Mount Kaputar pink slug is no stranger to the spotlight. The species drew international attention after the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20 swept through large sections of Mount Kaputar, raising fears the slug had been wiped out entirely. Conservationists later located surviving populations near the mountain's summit, triggering renewed monitoring and protection efforts for the rare mollusc.

The slug has also inspired the next generation of environmental advocates. In 2023, then 13-year-old Griffin Barber, captivated by the species, entered an artwork into the Australian Conservation Foundation's Wild at Art: Threatened Species Art Competition. His piece — a creative take on the slug's unusual appearance and conservation significance — won first prize in the Most Unusual Artwork category that year.

Despite the creature's fame, even locals have rarely glimpsed one in the flesh. Tiemens noted that neither his partner nor his mother-in-law has ever seen one. "They only come out on very dark, grey, misty, rainy days," he said. He himself has spotted one just twice. Just recently, one councillor encountered the slug for the first time while accompanying a pair of American tourists through the national park.

Putting Narrabri on the Map

Beyond the novelty factor, the mayor sees the proposed monument as a chance to reframe how travellers perceive the Narrabri region. The town sits roughly halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane, making it a common overnight stop — but one that many visitors pass through without realising what surrounds them.

"A lot of people see Narrabri as a place to stop on the way," Tiemens said. "Quite often people stop here, they stay in a hotel, they go to our restaurants and our pubs and the Maccas, without knowing this ancient mountain range is outside their door."

A striking, well-designed slug sculpture, he believes, could change that. "We just think if it's done in a really tasteful, cool, artistic, creative way, then I think it'll be a great thing."

Funding the Dream

The proposal remains in its early stages — no final design has been selected — and the council has been clear that ratepayers will not foot the bill. Instead, the project will rely on grants, sponsorships, and philanthropic contributions.

Tiemens has not ruled out unconventional support. "If there are people out there who are philanthropists, someone wants to leave a big pink slug monument in their will, we would be very happy to accommodate that," he said.

If funding comes through, the giant slug would join Australia's beloved collection of outsized roadside landmarks — adding a genuinely one-of-a-kind, conservation-backed icon to the national roster.