Quolls quick to build up numbers

THEY have grown up, moved on and found love.

Twenty eastern quolls relocated to NSW from Tasmania in March like their new homes so much they are now having babies.

The quolls were bred in the state and relocated to Booderee as part of a project to test whether or not they could successfully be reintroduced to the wild.

Regular check-ups have revealed encouraging signs of success as one in three of the female marsupials have already reproduced.

Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary operations manager Darren Rumble is heartened by the success of the project after his park and the Devils@Cradle Tasmanian Devil Sanctuary sent 10 quolls each to NSW last year.

Mr Rumble said thanks to the success so far, Trowunna would send another 40 quolls to Booderee on the southern coast of NSW next year.

Eastern quolls were abundant along the east coast of Australia in the early 1900s before feral cats, foxes, wild dogs and disease decimated their numbers.

The mainland quolls were last sighted decades ago, with the very last eastern quoll found at Vaucluse in Sydney in the 1960s.

However, eastern quoll colonies clung to life in Tasmania.

Australian National University researcher Natasha Robinson said the project had demonstrated the potential for successful reintroduction to the Australian mainland.

“We’ve proven the quolls can find food, shelter and breed,’’ Dr Robinson said.

“We’ve also shown a capacity to make changes to improve the quolls’ survival rate.

“We have also an excellent collaboration between government, non-government organisation and research institutions for this project and we’re grateful for the strong community support.”