Aussie Ark welcomes birth of endangered Eastern Quolls

Aussie Ark is celebrating the birth of 46 new Eastern quoll joeys at its facility where the endangered species has been homed since 2017, following Aussie Ark stepping in to bring the species back to mainland Australia.

The conservation organisation aims to rewild lost species in the Barrington Tops of NSW.

Aussie Ark President Tim Faulkner adds “it’s an exciting time of year for the whole team when we do the Eastern quoll pouch check. These creatures are so important, and they fall into a really unique niche in the ecosystem.

“Eastern quolls were once common throughout Australia, but sadly can now only be found in the wild in Tasmania. We have big plans at Aussie Ark to reintroduce them back to the landscape in the Barrington Tops of NSW.”

The cause of their mainland extinction is due to introduced feral pests such as cats and foxes, as well as poisoning and trapping.  Across Tasmania, quoll numbers have declined by more than 50% in the 10 years to 2009 and are showing no sign of recovery. It’s estimated approximately 10,000 are left in Tasmania, but numbers have fallen rapidly with Eastern quolls edging closer to extinction.

The vision of Aussie Ark is to establish a robust insurance population of Australian threatened, native mammal species and release them into sanctuaries protected from unnatural threats. This vision is close to being realised with the organisation planning on releasing their first species into the sanctuaries this year.

The success of the Eastern quoll program at Aussie Ark is only possible with the ongoing support of Aussie Ark partners including Global Wildlife Conservation, Australian Geographic and the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species.

More information at www.aussieark.org.au

Image courtesy of Aussie Ark