Bumper Crop of Quolls

THIS week pouches were checked and 30 Eastern quoll joeys were discovered at the Aussie Ark in the Barrington.

The Eastern quoll became extinct on mainland Australia in 1963 due to foxes and feral cats, but survives in the wild in Tasmania.

Last year the the quolls were bred for the first time at the Aussie Ark and next year there will be a wild release program, returning the Eastern quoll to the wild.

The Aussie Ark have been busy ensuring the quolls have everything they need including extra nest boxes, more food and are being closely watched, said keeper Hayley Shute.

“We have worked really hard to ensure we get the best results from our breeding quolls, and we couldn’t be happier to confirm 30 healthy joeys,” said Ms Shute.

“The Eastern quoll plays an important role as an ecosystem engineer, scavenging on carrion on the forest floor,” she said.

“They are also a natural predator maintaining balance in the bush,” she said.

“This breeding season has been extremely important for us as these joeys will be the first collection to be part of a wild release program,” Hayley Shute said.

The joeys, which are currently one or two months old will remain with their mother until they are approximately five months and at 12 months of age will be independent and prepared for the wild release.

Aussie Ark is a not-for-profit facility in the Barrington Tops, east of Scone. For more information visit: www.aussieark.org.au.