New Hope for a Once Endangered Species

A species once on the brink of extinction is now seeing a revival. Researchers in Australia are excited as their efforts to save the species show promising results.

Exciting Discovery at Mt Gibson

Ecologists at the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary recently made a thrilling discovery. In the sanctuary, they found a group of newborn, spiky creatures. But these aren’t just any animals – they are western quolls, a marsupial carnivore once widespread across Australia.

A Species in Decline

Since European settlement, the western quoll population plummeted. Today, these marsupials, also known as chuditchs, are only found in small groups in the southwestern corner of the country. About the size of a cat, western quolls play a vital role in controlling the populations of invertebrates, reptiles, and birds.

Conservation Efforts Pay Off

For months, researchers have been working to reintroduce quolls to the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, where they had gone extinct. The recent discovery of baby quolls signals success. The species is now thriving and reproducing in the sanctuary.

Positive Signs

“Through regular monitoring, we see the quolls are doing well, and finding the first pouch young is a positive sign they’ve adapted,” said Georgina Anderson, AWC Senior Field Ecologist.

One quoll, named Aang, often appears on camera traps near the release sites. “He’s one of the largest and most striking quolls, with a bold personality – often visiting multiple sites to steal our chicken bait and disturb our canisters,” Anderson added.