Bringing the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Back from the Brink
Blueprint
ASSESS
By 1988, the mainland Eastern Barred Bandicoot (EBB) population was declining rapidly and close to extinction. A group of Australian conservation organizations formed a dedicated EBB Recovery Team. The team began collecting as many remaining EBBs from the mainland as possible, with Zoos Victoria successfully establishing and managing a captive breeding population for insurance and reintroduction. Eight reserves were then established across the EBBs indigenous range in western Victoria between 1989 and 2004. Three of the reserves were fenced, while five were unfenced. EBB populations in all five unfenced sites failed due to fox predation, even though fox controls were in place. Although it was clear that only fenced reserves which excluded foxes were suitable as release sites, maintaining these fence systems is costly. A species viability assessment showed the ~800 hectare space within the three fenced reserves was not enough for long-term sustainability of EBBs.
PLAN
To avoid the high cost of building fox-excluding fences, the recovery team thoroughly evaluated the suitability of islands in Victoria for assisted colonisation. None of the islands had ever been previously occupied by EBBs, however those concerned do not host fox populations. This planned process of translocation involved a methodical and closely-monitored release of animals outside of the species’ indigenous range to prevent its extinction. French Island was initially identified as the most ideal release site because of its 9,000 hectares of fox-free, suitable habitat for the bandicoot (including private farmland).
However, during the translocation planning process it became clear that increasing community engagement would become an equally important goal in addition to refining bandicoot-specific details for the releases. Initial community surveys showed there were conflicting levels of support for the project because some locals feared bandicoots would become invasive and disruptive across farmland. Success would require gaining the support of the French Island community. A trial release was planned to another island (Churchill) first, in part as a demonstration site where community members could visit and see for themselves what to expect from an EBB release.
ACT
A trial release of 18 non-breeding EBBs occurred in 2012 on French Island to assess if EBBs could survive in coastal island conditions. With positive results, a breeding group of 20 EBBs was then translocated to Churchill Island in 2015, which is 52 hectares and managed by Phillip Island National Parks. This group reproduced successfully and established a population of about 130 bandicoots by 2019. In 2016, IUCN’s Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) generated a disease risk analysis to determine if EBBs, domestic animals, or livestock would be at risk if EBBs were translocated to specific islands.
The second island release was to Phillip Island in 2017, which marked the first time EBBs were released into an area with feral cats. Throughout these releases, Zoos Victoria led community outreach and education programs to showcase the success of these translocation projects. After demonstrating successful establishment on these two islands, the project support within the French Island community was now strong. In October 2019, 74 breeding-age bandicoots were released on French Island with the community taking a hands-on role and releasing bandicoots themselves. Bandicoots were sourced from several captive breeding centres, as well as a translocation from Churchill Island. Future planning for French Island conservation to benefit multiple species includes a feral cat eradication project commencing in June 2021 when COVID-19 restrictions ease and the recovery team personnel can resume activity on site.
Results
Post-release monitoring confirms the EBBs are in good condition and breeding has occurred. Of the 74 EBBs released in 2019, 49 have been recaptured during monitoring surveys. Extensive monitoring planned for 2020 was reduced in scale due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. In September 2020, trapping at the release site yielded fewer captures than expected. The recovery team suspects that the release site was too wet, given high rainfall over winter and spring, and EBBs may have moved to higher, drier ground. In May 2021, trapping yielded the highest capture rate so far with 21 EBBs being caught, 12 of which had never been caught before. EBBs have also been sighted outside the release area. The installation of 40 camera traps within the release area supports current population monitoring using cage traps. So far, many EBBs have been detected alongside feral cat detections.
Visual & Audio References
©Michelle Lang
Collaborations
Major
Partners
The EBB recovery team is a collaboration of members from the following organisations:
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)
Parks Victoria
Phillip Island Nature Parks
The University of Melbourne
Zoos Victoria
Additional
Contributors
Conservation Volunteers Australia; Glenelg Hopkins CMA; Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre; National Trust of Australia; Tiverton Property Partnering; the Australian Federal Government; the Members and Donors of Zoos Victoria
Funders
The Dyson Bequest; John Cochrane; The Scobie and Claire Mackinnon Trust; Threatened Species Commissioner Discretionary Grants; Australian Research Council
Additional Resources
Content Updated as of 9/3/2020