It's a Bettong Bonanza at the Ark

This is a major conservation milestone for Aussie Ark, with Bettongs’ health and pouch checks revealing many new joeys!

Conservation organisation Aussie Ark has kicked off 2026 in style, conducting its largest and most ambitious transfer ever of the endangered Rufous Bettong, with 16 new adults arriving at the Ark facility in the Barrington Tops from a sanctuary in Victoria.

The 10 females and 6 males are around two years of age and in prime breeding condition. They were firstly transferred into habitats within the Species Recovery Unit to acclimatise to the environment, food, and other macropods.

They were then trapped and given a rigorous health check, to decide where each individual was best placed within the breeding and rewilding program. Because the 16 animals were all new to the Ark, each one needed recording for the very first time in the Aussie Ark database. This required each Bettong to be weighed, microchipped, and given a body condition score.

Another important detail was the suite of new names for this years joey cohort! Aussie Ark Operations’ Manager Dean Reid, assisted by Wildlife Ranger Riley Tydeman, decided to call them names starting with a ‘B’ with an action theme to reflect the agility of the animal. So Bettongs with names such as Bump, Bing, and Bounce are now officially part of the Aussie Ark cohort! Mr Reid also called one of the males Bonanza because “this is truly a Bettong Bonanza!”

And the bonanza burst at the seams as the team discovered new joeys already in pouch! These joeys have occurred since the animals arrived at the Ark; the best indicator possible that the animals have adjusted happily to their new home.

Of the 16 new Bettongs, the team chose four as new founding members to live and breed in the Species Recovery Unit, whilst the remaining 12 transitioned into the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary to bolster the genetics of their ‘wild’ counterparts already living in the Sanctuary.

“It’s a big step for these new Bettongs,” Mr Reid said. “So we firstly do a ‘soft release’ into small, enclosed areas within the 400-hectare Sanctuary where they have food and shelter and can decide, in their own time, when to venture further afield. These animals are very precious to us, and we want them to thrive!”

The Rufous Bettong is an ancient cousin of the kangaroo. Like a ‘roo it bounces and has a pouch for young. But unlike a ‘roo it growls like a bear when agitated and carries den material like a monkey in its semi prehensile tail! It is a truly unique Australia species, which otherwise faces imminent extinction due to habitat loss and feral predation. Aussie Ark now boasts the largest breeding and rewilding program of the Rufous Bettong on mainland Australia … even larger now thanks to this record-breaking arrival.