But now it is the public that will decide which mammal will become the ACT's emblem — and Peking Duk is not among the finalists.

An ACT Legislative Assembly committee has shortlisted the eastern bettong and the southern brush-tailed rock wallaby as the territory's potential mammal emblem.

The ACT already has a floral emblem — the royal bluebell, found in the high mountain areas of the territory — and a faunal emblem, the gang-gang cockatoo.

But the revelation the territory was the only jurisdiction without a mammal emblem sparked a campaign from ABC Radio, and later Triple J, to rectify that.

Other state and territory mammal emblems are the platypus in NSW, the Leadbeater's possum in Victoria, the southern hairy-nosed wombat in South Australia, the koala in Queensland, the Tasmanian devil in Tasmania, the numbat in Western Australia, and the red kangaroo in the Northern Territory.

The eastern bettong, spotted tail quoll, southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby, echidna, and little forest bat were suggested as potential emblems for the ACT.

While the eastern bettong and southern brush-tailed rock wallaby emerged as early favourites, Triple J Drive presenters Gen Fricker and Lewis Hobba wrote to the Legislative Assembly committee saying "no mammal had given more to the ACT than Peking Duk".

"From their time as ducklings splashing about in Lake Burley Griffin to their migration to clubs around the world, the Duk quack is more recognisable than a kookaburra laugh or a wombat's angry sex noise," their letter said.

They added while some had questioned whether the band were mammals, Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles were "willing to feed their young by secreting milk if it comes to that".

The pair even got federal politicians to weigh in.

Anthony Albanese described Peking Duk as his "favourite local creature" and Simon Birmingham said he would order Peking Duk "any day".

Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary ambassador Brian Bettong was having none of that though.

Eastern bettongs were reintroduced into the ACT in 2012 after being extinct on mainland Australia for about a century.

Brian, who was rescued after being thrown out of his mother's pouch three years ago, has found fame online and was recently featured in National Geographic as the "rescued mini-kangaroo" who loves napping and cuddling corn cobs.

The Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary got $2 million in this week's ACT budget to fund the construction of a new ecotourism learning centre and the eradication of rabbits and hares from the area.

However the bettongs will face stiff competition from the brush-tailed rock wallaby.

The species is one of Australia's most critically endangered animals, with only about 40 left in the wild.

A 120-hectare semi-wild predator-proof enclosure will be built at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve to help the species recover, as part of a $650,000 joint project with the ACT government and Zoos Victoria.

Committee chair Suzanne Orr said when choosing the finalists, the committee considered the animal's connection to the ACT region, its contribution to the local environment, classification as vulnerable or endangered, and the potential to contribute to conservation efforts.

Members of the public have until June 26 to vote online for their choice of mammal to represent the ACT.