On Tuesday 27th January, we released four Eastern quoll joeys at Bannockburn Rewilding Sanctuary in New South Wales, building on last year’s successful reintroduction and continuing a landmark conservation project delivered in partnership with the Invasive Species Council’s Rewilding Australia program.
Once widespread across South-Eastern Australia, Eastern quolls rapidly declined around a century ago, as introduced foxes and cats spread out across their habitats. Today, wild populations occur only in Tasmania, making rewilding efforts on the mainland both ambitious and critical.
The four joeys will join five Eastern quolls released at Bannockburn in 2025, strengthening genetic diversity and supporting the development of a thriving, self-sustaining population. Encouragingly, three of the first quolls released have since gone on to have joeys of their own.
Located on the NSW South Coast, Bannockburn Rewilding Sanctuary is a 68-hectare fenced safe haven, free from foxes and feral cats, providing a secure environment for vulnerable native species to re-establish in semi-wild conditions.
The project forms part of the Eastern Quoll Conservation Coalition, led by the Invasive Species Council, which aims to establish 50,000 hectares of fox-free habitat for Eastern quolls on mainland Australia by 2030. Rob Brewster, Invasive Species Council’s Rewilding Manager said, “rewilding gives us the opportunity to step back in time, but also look forward, and imagine a future Australia without the devastating impacts from foxes and feral cats”.
Researchers from the University of Sydney are monitoring the newly released quolls using GPS tracking technology to assess their movements, survival and ecological impact. The findings will help guide future rewilding efforts, including exploring how Eastern quolls could one day persist beyond predator-free fenced environments.
Eastern quolls play a vital ecological role by controlling insects and small animals and improving soil health through digging and foraging.
Liz Gerber, Community and Conservation Manager, said the release represents a significant step forward for native species recovery. “Eastern quolls play an important role in healthy ecosystems and bringing them back helps restore balance that has been missing for decades,” Ms Gerber said. “Building on last year’s successful release shows what can be achieved when conservation is guided by science and strong partnerships.
Kelly Davis, Natives Animal Care Manager, said seeing the joeys transition into the wild was a powerful moment for the team. “To be part of bringing back a species from extinction in this area is incredibly special,” Ms Davis said. “These quolls were raised with the goal of release and seeing them settle into their natural environment is exactly what we hoped for.”
With Eastern quolls now beginning to re-establish in protected mainland environments, projects like this offer renewed hope that the species can once again thrive across Australia.