Easter Surprise: Potoroo in the Pouch

TWO long-nosed Potoroos have been found in pouches at Aussie Ark this week, weighing approximately 0.3 grams, less than one Easter egg.

The joeys will stay in the pouch between 120 and 130 days and stay close to the mother to feed for 40 days after leaving the pouch.

Long-nosed Potoroo in the pouch at Aussie Ark.

Aussie Ark have been building an insurance population of the species since 2017 and plan to release the animals into the 64 hectare and 400 hectare feral-free wildlife sanctuaries later this year.

The Long-nosed Potoroo is one of the smallest and most ancient members of the kangaroo family and is considered a living fossil – having remained relatively unchanged for around 10 million years.

Once widespread along the east coast of Australia, population has declined and fragmented since the introduction of foxes and cats, making it difficult for breeding, resulting in local extinctions.

Amanda Woodbine, from Aussie Ark said the long-nosed potoroo is critical to the health of forests.

“The Long-nosed Potoroo is an ecosystem engineer, improving the health of the forest by dispersing a host of beneficial fungi spores as they forage and move around,” said Ms Woodbine.

“These fungi, which form a major part of their diet, assist eucalypt and acacia trees absorb more water and nutrients, and are essential for seedling survival,” she said.

“It also plays a key role in reducing the chance of fires by grazing undergrowth and turning over leaf litter,” Amanda Woodbine said.

Since opening Aussie Ark in 2017, the team has been building an insurance population of long-nosed Potoroos ready for release into their 64Ha and 400Ha feral-free wildlife sanctuaries in late 2019.