Twenty-eight eastern quolls have been released into the Barrington Tops Wildlife Sanctuary, marking their first return to the area in over 60 years, as part of conservation efforts by organisation Aussie Ark.
Through a breeding program Aussie Ark has successfully bred the vulnerable species to almost 90 individuals, a number that grows with every season.
“Our ultimate goal is to bolster the Eastern quoll species’ population and rewild the Barrington Tops. The release of these 28 individuals is a massive step in the right direction, ”Aussie Ark’s President Tim Faulkner says.
Eastern quolls have been largely extinct on mainland Australia and from the Barrington Tops, since the 1960s due to habitat fragmentation and predation from feral foxes, cats and domestic dogs, and for many years were only widespread in Tasmania.
Over the years they have been re-introduced into fenced wild sanctuaries, like Aussie Ark’s, which provides refuge and a healthy habitat, removed of feral predators.
These ideal conditions allow the species to thrive and therefore breed effectively.
Last year, the organisation’s breeding record was broken with the birth of 51 quoll joeys.
