Island Ark for endangered bandicoots

16 Eastern Barred Bandicoots have recently been released into a new home on Churchill Island in Phillip Island Nature Parks, as part of a trial program designed to save the species from extinction.

Considered extinct in the wild on the mainland since 1991, this small marsupial has been surviving behind predator-proof fences designed to keep them safe from foxes and feral cats. Thanks to Phillip Island Nature Parks’ efforts over the past 10 years to ensure Churchill Island is fox and feral-cat free, the 57-hectare island in Victoria’s east is considered to be ideal habitat for Eastern Barred Bandicoots.

The trial release of eight male and eight female Eastern Barred Bandicoots onto Churchill Island will be run by Phillip Island Nature Parks and supported by Zoos Victoria and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team.

The suitability of the island will be assessed over two years with the findings informing potential future releases of Eastern Barred Bandicoots onto larger fox-free islands, such as Phillip Island and French Island.

The trial release is part of a wider program aimed at saving the Eastern Barred Bandicoot from extinction, including a $146,800 gene pool widening project that will mix captive-bred Eastern Barred Bandicoots from Victoria with individuals from the Tasmanian sub-species to increase genetic diversity amongst the Victorian population, which has suffered due to their critically low population size.

The project has been supported by the Victorian and Tasmanian Governments, the Federal Government and Zoos Victoria.

The Australian Government contributed $55,000 to this project as part of the action plan under its new Threatened Species Strategy. 

8th October 2015 - GIANT PANDAS AND LITTLE PENGUINS COMBINE FOR CONSERVATION

6th June 2015 - AUSTRALIAN NATIVE MAMMALS TO BE REINTRODUCED TO NSW

20th August 2014 - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPOINTS COMMISSIONER FOR THREATENED SPECIES

2nd July 2014 - WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO OPENS BANDICOOT HIDEOUT

23rd March 2014 - MAJOR TOURISM EXPANSION ANNOUNCED FOR VICTORIA’S PHILLIP ISLAND