The brush-tailed bettong, a tiny marsupial resembling a kangaroo, has made a remarkable comeback after being brought back from the brink of extinction through a bold reintroduction program. With almost 40% of captured individuals being descendants of those originally introduced to the area, the Marna Banggara initiative is exceeding expectations.
A Species Reborn: The Brush-Tailed Bettong’s Journey Back from the Brink of Extinction
The Threats Facing a Tiny Marsupial
The brush-tailed bettong, a marsupial resembling a tiny kangaroo, was once widespread across mainland Australia, but its population declined drastically due to the introduction of feral cats and foxes brought by European colonization. This devastating event led to the extinction of the species in South Australia‘s Yorke Peninsula over 100 years ago.
A Bold Reintroduction Program
The Marna Banggara initiative, launched in 2019, aims to restore ecological diversity in the region. The project has released almost 200 brush-tailed bettongs into a predator-controlled area on Yorke Peninsula, where they can thrive without threats from invasive predators.
Monitoring and Conservation Efforts
To monitor the reintroduced population, the team captures individuals using peanut butter as bait and checks their pouches for young. They also take measurements to assess body weight, health indicators, and genetic samples from ear snips to track population mixing and genetic diversity. The recent survey revealed a healthy population with 31 out of 83 captured individuals born in the peninsula.
Ecological Significance
Brush-tailed bettongs are ecosystem engineers, digging to find food and turning over soil that benefits other species. Their primary food source is fungi growing underground, which they uncover by digging. This process aerates the soil, improves water filtration, and helps seedlings germinate, benefiting other animals in the ecosystem.
A Future of Conservation
The Marna Banggara team’s efforts are paying off, with almost 40% of captured individuals being descendants of those originally introduced to the area. The reintroduction program is “probably even exceeding expectations,” with 22 out of 26 females carrying pouch young and a strong indication that the population is breeding and healthy.
A Broader Impact
The success of this initiative could have positive knock-on effects on industries such as tourism and agriculture. By restoring ecological diversity and controlling predators, local businesses can benefit from increased conservation efforts. The team hopes to return more locally extinct species to the region over the next few years, including other marsupials like the southern brown bandicoot and western quoll.
A Message of Hope
The Marna Banggara initiative serves as a beacon of hope for the recovery of native species in Australia. By working together with local communities and implementing conservation efforts, it is possible to bring back some of these missing pieces from our landscape.
