Golden bandicoots reintroduced to Northern Territory from the West Kimberley

The once-prolific golden bandicoot has made its return to the Northern Territory after an extended period of being locally extinct with a colony of the threatened species making their way to their new home in the red centre from the West Kimberley. The group of 40 bandicoots were gifted by the Ngarinyin People in the Kimberley to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary mammal restoration project earlier this month which sits on Ngalia-Warlpiri and Luritja Country in the NT. The small mammals used to be found across Australia but now the West Kimberley hosts the only remaining mainland population of the species. AWC chief science officer Dr John Kanowski said the reintroduction of the bandicoot to the area would help secure the long-term future of the species. “The golden bandicoot is one of many small mammals that have been extirpated from the region due to predation by cats and foxes and altered fire regimes,” he said. “This has been a long-awaited reintroduction that required years of planning and research to successfully achieve. Our ecologists and partners have spent many hours in the field developing an identification process for the golden bandicoot while also determining their range and abundance. “As ecosystem engineers, golden bandicoots play an important ecological role — turning over soil, which increases the rate of leaf litter decomposition, soil production and nutrient cycling.” Warlpiri woman April Napaljarri Spencer said the reintroduction of the species to the area was great for her country. “Those animals that they brought today, the bandicoots from the Kimberley — we’re really happy about that. Two women brought them to show us, and we will show them our country where these animals are coming to,” she said. “These animals are really good for us and the country.” The bandicoots were released into the 9450ha feral predator-free fenced sanctuary with 20 trackers attached to monitor their movement and health over the next month. A further 60 golden bandicoots from WA’s Barrow Island will be released at Newhaven later this month with the population hoped to be able to re-establish itself in its former habitat.