05 Aug ENDANGERED EASTERN QUOLL JOEYS ARE BORN!
23 TINY ENDANGERED EASTERN QUOLL JOEYS BORN IN BARRINGTON TOPS! Donate Now
Aussie Ark are celebrating the birth of 23 new Eastern quoll joeys at their breeding facility located in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales. The endangered species has called Aussie ark home since 2017, when the facility stepped in to bring the species back to mainland Australia for the first time in over 60 years.
The Quolls were born as part of the organisation’s breeding program for the endangered species, which aims to return the species back to mainland Australia in protected spaces.
“Every year that we do these pouch checks, I am reminded of the importance of the work we are doing up here at Aussie Ark. Each one of those tiny pink joeys serves as a beacon of hope for endangered species across Australia” says Hayley Shute, Manager of Conservation at Aussie Ark.
She continued “The last few years in Australia have been devastating, and the recently released State of the Environment report, only highlights the dire straits of wildlife in our country. It serves as a reminder for what we should be doing, and that is supporting organisations like Aussie Ark to make real, tangible differences to these species”
The 23 new arrivals are only the start for the organisation. As this year’s breeding season continues the organisation expects to see this number rise. Additionally, the organisation expects to confirm further joeys born in the wilds of their Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, following a release of 50 additional quolls earlier in the year!
Eastern quolls were once common throughout Australia, but sadly became extinct some 60 years ago. The cause of their mainland extinction is due to introduced feral pests such as cats and foxes, as well as poisoning and trapping. Across Tasmania, quoll numbers have declined by more than 50% in the 10 years to 2009 and are showing no sign of recovery. It’s estimated approximately 10,000 are left in Tasmania, but numbers have fallen rapidly with Eastern quolls edging closer to extinction.
In 2020, Aussie Ark returned the first Eastern Quolls back to the wilds of the Barrington Tops inside their Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary which has been managed to reflect that of a pre-European era is a wild idea to rewild Eastern quolls and protect their species from extinction.
The success of the Eastern quoll program at Aussie Ark is only possible thanks to the ongoing support of Aussie Ark partners including Re:wild, Australian Reptile Park, Australian Geographic, WIRES, Glencore, and the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species.
You can help Aussie Ark’s mission of saving endangered native wildlife from extinction by ‘adopting’ an Eastern quoll for as little as $25 a month!
