Safeguard a Bandicoot from Extinction

Dear Friends in Bandicoot Recovery and Conservation,

It’s winter in Melbourne which means a very active couple of months for our Eastern Barred Bandicoots at the Woodlands site.  Even though they can breed all year round, this is the time when they produce the most offspring.  This is due to the ground becoming softer due to the rains, meaning easier foraging for insects in the ground to eat.  So there are signs all over the enclosure of hungry Bandicoots, with little cone-shaped holes where they have been eating.  Hopefully with full bellies it will increase their breeding, as there is more than enough food for the Bandicoot mums to rear their offspring. 

Even though we have had some good rainfall events, the long hot and dry summer has stunted some of the normal grass growth.  Due to this we have built and trialled some temporary shelter boxes just in case they need some extra protection while the grass is a little shorter.  The shelters are based on the same size as our monitoring traps as we know they enter that particular shape and size.  They are open on the bottom so they can still dig a small nest and bring in the grass material.  They also have two offset doors which reduces the effect of a wind tunnel, giving them multiple options of building a nest inside and offering great weather protection.  The two doors are also to make the Bandicoot feel comfortable by allowing two exits if they feel threatened.  Check out the photo as well as the video of Bandicoots trying on their new temporary homes for size.  You will also notice that many other animals have checked out the new real estate.  Thankfully the possums only had an inspection and went back to their normal habitat of hiding in trees, and I think the shelter is a little too small for a Kangaroo!

After our great news of collecting six Bandicoots and transferring them to help start Hamilton’s new population, we have been at it again at Woodlands.  This time we have collected 14 Bandicoots to move to the Zoos Victoria’s breeding program.  This was done to keep genetic diversity within the captive breeding program.  Animals are taken from various locations, and this time it was our turn.  Hopefully the Woodlands genetics will be making their way through to help the recovery of species.          

Let’s hope for some more rain before the spring arrives, and a bumper breeding season here at Woodlands.  Your generous donations continue to make all this research possible, and allow us to construct shelters that work by being able to watch them on the infrared cameras.  

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone involved from Conservation Volunteers Australia, Parks Victoria, our volunteers and all members of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team who are helping to make this project possible. Your support for Conservation Volunteers Australia and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot recovery project is very much appreciated and with your help, we will continue to achieve great conservation outcomes.

Links:

• Conservation Volunteers website

Welcome to our latest report,

The long hot and dry summer in Victoria continued well into autumn, with above average temperatures and hardly any rain.  Our last update saw us looking forward to our monitoring session in April, eager to collect data on the effect of the hot and dry conditions on our Eastern Barred Bandicoot population.  It's with great joy, I can share with you all now, that the tough critters did exceptionally well. 101 individual Bandicoots were caught, and all received perfect health check reports, showcasing that the Woodlands site is perfect for the Bandicoots.

This update for supporters of the Bandicoots is already great, but it is about to get more exciting.  Due to the successful model of Bandicoot recovery at Woodlands, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) was asked to take over the management of the original Bandicoot release site in Hamilton, Western Victoria.  The site, to be suitable to meet the requirements to successfuly house Bandicoots needed to go through a restructure, needing fence repairs and fox control to be undertaken.  The local Hamilton CVA staff took on the challenge, and within seven short months had made the essential fence repairs and removed four foxes.  This is an amazing achievement on its own, but the story gets better.  Once proving there were no foxes on site over a two month period, it was time to release Bandicoots back on site.  The release of healthy Bandicoots is also a milestone achievement for Woodlands, as we were allowed to finally relocate animals to help other sites.  This is only allowed once a population has become stable and self sufficient.  So, in April, twenty Bandicoots were released: six animals from Woodlands, six animals from Mount Rothwell and eight from Zoos Victoria's breeding program.  Each Bandicoot was carefully selected and prepared for their historical journey - to re-establish a presence and population in Hamilton.  An inspiring effort by, all and a new chapter in bringing Bandicoot's back from extinction in the wild. Watch a video of the release now.

In late May, we implemented our first post release monitoring in Hamilton.  With only twenty animals to try and catch in 110 hectares  - the odds were slim.  Catching two or three would have been a good result - so you can imagine we were over the moon with joy when we processed nine individuals, seven males and two females, all in good health and setting up their new homes.  As an extra bonus, one of the females revealed two babies in her pouch, which were conceived on site.  So we are proud parents for the first time, and very shortly these pouch young will be out and about in the real world, at Hamilton. 

It is without a doubt, that the past few months have been rather frantic - with positive activity, so kindly enabled through your kind donations.  A special thanks to you - our supporters through Global Giving, as well as the Hamilton CVA staff, the wonderful local volunteers who are assisting us all the way with this program, Parks Victoria and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team who help make this possible. The remote cameras are playing a huge role in Hamilton, reporting the movements of the Bandicoots, which already reveal that they are enjoying exploring the whole site.  This knowledge supports the suitability of the site habitat, and ensures plenty of future breeding will occur as they look to establish nest areas.  

Bandicoot recovery has reached a new milestone, but there is still much for us to achieve to truely reverse the status of being extinct in the wild.  Please show your support again for this project appeal through a kind donation.  Why not take advantage of the special GlobalGiving Bonus Day on June 15 - where an amazing 50% of your kind donation (up to $1,000) being matched.  So please consider our Eastern Barred Bandicoots this winter and donate on June 15.  Please put a reminder in your phone or calendar today and share this story with your friends and work mates!

Yours in conservation,

Links:

• Conservation Volunteers Australia website