Perameles gunnii 

Like many of our grassland species, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, a small marsupial, is under threat of extinction. The loss of its grassland habitat to agriculture and farming, coupled with predation by introduced foxes and cats, has caused the population to plummet in the wild. Through a coordinated Recovery Program, habitat management, predator control and support for wild populations through captive breeding for release are core elements to its recovery to the wild. Zoos Victoria has been involved in this program since 1990.

This program focuses on the mainland population of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot which was once widespread across the grasslands and grassy woodlands of western Victoria and South Australia. The species is also found in Tasmania where its status is relatively secure. The overall objective is to minimise the probability of its extinction by establishing a self-sustaining reintroduced population. Habitat management, predator control and captive breeding are key elements to achieving this.

The Conservation Issue

Mainland populations of Eastern Barred Bandicoots have declined dramatically due to the clearing of woodlands, establishment of settlements, introduction of exotic pasture grasses, rabbits and fertilisers, grazing by domestic stock, altered fire regimes, and predation by feral pests such as cats and foxes.

Eastern Barred Bandicoots lived in South Australia, but are now thought to be extinct in that state. The last remnant mainland population has been reduced to only a handful of bandicoots surviving in a small fragmented area in and around the city of Hamilton.

Zoos Victoria’s Conservation Field Partners

The recovery of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot is the work of many organisations and community groups which are members of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team. Each Recovery Team member brings particular expertise to the recovery effort, ranging from captive breeding, habitat management and predator control to education and research. Zoo Victoria’s partners include:

Department of Sustainability and Environment
Parks Victoria
National Trust of Australia
Mt Rothwell Conservation and Research Centre
Friends of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot

The Program Plan

The objectives as outlined in the National Recovery Plan (Draft, 2005) are:

1. Establish a self-sustaining reintroduced population.
2. Maintain a captive population.
3. Build and maintain community and institutional support for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery program.

Zoos Victoria's Role

Zoos Victoria’s key roles in the recovery of this species are to:

1. Supplement in situ populations through captive breeding for reintroduction.
2. In the event that the wild population continues to decline, to maintain an insurance population in captivity.

In addition, a soft-release facility (i.e. a large protected, predator-proof enclosure containing natural habitat) has been constructed at Werribee Open Range Zoo within the Basalt Plains Experience. The purpose of this facility is to support the Recovery Plan by increasing our capacity to hold captive-bred animals in a soft release area prior to release into the wild. The soft release area is 3.7 hectares in size and has been developed to resemble the basalt plains of western Victoria.

Reports and Publications

Watson, M., and Hill, R. 2005. National Recovery Plan for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Perameles gunnii (mainland subspecies)
www.deh.gov.au

Victorian Action Plan: Eastern Barred Bandicoot Perameles gunnii
www.dpi.vic.gov.au