A species that was almost extinct now has a chance for survival.
A team of scientists in Australia is super excited because it looks like their hard work to grow more of the species has paid off.
Recently, ecologists at the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia made a stunning discovery.
In the sanctuary, they found a litter of newborn and spiky little creatures.
These creatures are really special. They are called “western quolls,” which are a unique kind of carnivorous marsupial.
A long time ago, these animals were found all over Australia, but ever since Europeans started settling there, their numbers have dropped a lot.
Today, western quolls, or chuditchs, are only located in the southwestern part of Australia, and they exist in small groups.
These marsupials are about the size of a cat and are important for the environment. They help keep the populations of smaller invertebrates, some reptiles, and birds in check.
New hope
Researchers have been busy over the last few months trying to bring back marsupials to the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, a place where they used to live but had disappeared.
Recently, they found baby marsupials, which shows that their efforts have paid off. The animals seem to be doing really well and are able to reproduce without any problems.
“By keeping a close eye on them, we can tell that the quolls are thriving in the sanctuary, and finding the first pouch young is a great sign that they’ve adapted to their new home,” explained Georgina Anderson, a Senior Field Ecologist at AWC.
“One quoll we’ve named Aang is often spotted on the camera traps we set up at the release sites. He’s one of the biggest and most beautiful quolls we have, and he has a fun personality – he likes to visit different spots to grab the chicken we use as bait and sometimes messes with our bait canisters,” she added.
#GOODNEWS: Ecologists at Mt Gibson, on Badimia and Widi Country in WA, have made an adorable discovery… The sanctuary’…Posted by Australian Wildlife Conservancy on Monday, November 13, 2023
What joy to see hope for the species! Hopefully, it can soon thrive throughout Australia again!
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