Native marsupial populations on the rise in Sturt National Park
This World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the three native mammal species – bilbies, crest-tailed mulgaras and Shark Bay bandicoots – now thriving in Sturt National Park since their recent reintroduction.
These mammals were translocated to the area throughout 2020 and 2021 as part of Wild Deserts, a UNSW Sydney-led conservation project aiming to revitalise the desert landscape by repopulating the park with small native mammals. The project is run in collaboration with Ecological Horizons, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Taronga Conservation Society.
Project leader Professor Richard Kingsford says he’s excited about the survey results.
“It’s wonderful to see these animals back in their original home, prospering and restoring this desert ecosystem to some of its past magnificence,” he says.
“Every year’s results are exciting. We are looking to transform this environment out here by putting these animals back in and establishing food webs that were once here.”
Based on the success of these three species, the Wild Deserts team are now planning to translocate a fourth species, the golden bandicoot, in 2022.