Potoroo in historic move | Photos

Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) ecologists successfully trapped 24 long-nosed potoroo on Tuesday and Wednesday, taking them to the FCNSW depot at Eden for health checks.

Twenty animals had been given the green light by a visiting Taronga Conservation Society Australia vet early on Wednesday afternoon.

The final four were to be examined later in the afternoon, before the group is relocated to Booderee National Park.

The park’s natural resource manager, Nick Dexter, said the project has been 10 years in the making, and may pave the way for the southern brown bandicoot to follow suit.

"These animals, like many small animals in Australia, were really badly affected by the introduction of the European red fox,” Mr Dexter said.

“There was a wave of extinctions around the 1920s, and potoroo are one of the very few that held on.

“The work that Forestry Corp has done has allowed us to take a sustainable harvest, if you like, of their potoroo, so that they can be re-introduced at Boodaree.

“All going well, we can look at doing something similar with other species, like the southern brown bandicoot.”

FCNSW senior field ecologist Peter Kambouris said he was “delighted” with the results of the operation.

Mr Kambouris, who is based in Eden, said FCNSW monitors several endangered and at-risk species in local forests, and that the potoroo population is now in a strong enough position for some of the animals to be reintroduced elsewhere.

“We’ve been undertaking predator control at those sites for nearly 25 years out here, and changed the program in 2008 from a seasonal baiting program to a permanent baiting program,” he said.

“Since we started doing that, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of sites where these species were appearing.

“The long-nosed potoroo was the first of those species to recover, and we’ve had a pretty quick increase of occupancy from a handful of sites, through to probably 40 per cent of the sites consistently since then.”

This week’s trapping operation was a case of second time lucky, having been delayed after an initial attempt in autumn.

Mr Kambouris said though potoroo were prevalent during the first attempt, seasonal conditions meant the potoroo had enough food available without needing to take the bait.

Dr Karrie Rose, from the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, carried out the health checks at the Eden FCNSW depot.

She said she was surprised by how healthy the trapped potoroo appear.

“So far, we’ve been very impressed,” she said midway through the examinations.

““We’ve put them through a who barrage of tests, including complete blood cell counts, physical examinations, tests for faecal and other parasites, and viruses and diseases like herpes and salmonella.

“I thought we were going to have to make some tough calls with some of these animals, but having looked at 20 of the 24 so far, including some who are carrying young, they’re all looking healthy.

“We know very little about potoroo health – there’s nothing published – so this is all very interesting for us and the ANU researchers who are here as well.”

Once given the all-clear, the potoroo will be transferred north to Jervis Bay.

Representing the traditional owners of Boodaree National Park, the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community, Tony Carter said the return of potoroo is a historic event.

“They’re a very special animal, and as a traditional owner, I feel honoured to be able to return these animals and look after them,” Mr Carter said.

“We’ve got a location in the park where we’ve been eradicating foxes, wild dogs and anything else that will bother the potoroo once they’ve been released, and we’ll continue a monitoring program for as long as it takes.

“In the past, potoroo were a higher food source – one of the main ones around here behind the large snapper.

“This is a huge outcome for everyone involved, and I’m very thankful to everyone who has helped make it happen.”