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Canberra Today 15°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

For the first time in 80 years, baby quolls!

quoll

THE Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary tells us the Eastern Quoll is making a comeback. For the first time in 80 years, the marsupial is breeding in the Canberra region.

“Just a few months ago Eastern Quolls were translocated from Tasmania and Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre (VIC) to the predator-proof environment,” a spokesperson said.

“Despite some of these agile climbers escaping from the Sanctuary soon after release, the rest appear to be settled and are breeding successfully.”

Professor Adrian Manning, of the Australian National University (ANU), leads the major research partnership with the ACT Government, CSIRO, James Cook University and the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust to fund and deliver this ground-breaking project.

“This project is researching the translocation of the Eastern Quoll, and to have found evidence of females breeding in the first year is very promising for the future establishment of a population in the Sanctuary” Adrian said.

“Our remote cameras are also showing the females settling down to their favorite dens – which is a great sign.”

Daniel Iglesias, Director, ACT Parks and Conservation says the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust is delighted to learn the quolls are breeding as it is the best indication yet that the animals are settled and happy in their new environment.

“It’s great to see the protective environment of the Sanctuary enabling Eastern Quolls to breed free of predation from foxes and cats,” Daniel said.

“The sanctuary is surrounded by a 11.5 km specially designed fence that prevents introduced predators from entering. Without the fence, quolls, and other introduced animals like the bettong, would be gobbled up within minutes.

Upon recapture, ANU ecologists discover the beginning stages of breeding – tiny pouch young. Credit: Will Batson
Upon recapture, ANU ecologists discover the beginning stages of breeding – tiny pouch young. Credit: Will Batson

“Although Mulligans Flat Sanctuary lacks introduced predators, the Eastern Quoll is a predator itself.

“As a native predator, quolls play an important role in the environment feeding on insects, birds and small mammals.

“The reintroduction of this fiery mammal marks another significant step in restoring the natural woodland ecosystem for the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, ACT Government and ANU ecologists.

“Other successful introductions include the Eastern Bettong, the Bush Stone-curlew and New Holland Mouse.

“At this point the discovery of breeding is very promising for quolls at Mulligans Flat. Once baby quolls are delivered to their den by their mum, they quickly mature and enter the breeding population for the next year. This means Spring in the sanctuary may be defined by spotty Australian mammals dancing through the night.”

For a chance to see these creatures in Spring, you can book into a twilight tour at bettongs.org

For more recent videos of quolls captured by ANU ecologists from the Mulligans Flat Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment team, see: https://mulligansflat.org.au/2016/07/06/eastern-quolls-breeding-in-canberra-new-videos-2mulligansflat.org.au.

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