Woylies release beyond predator fence marks bold jump for species in outback WA
The animals were released "beyond the fence" at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, 350 kilometres north of Perth, last week, following several decades of work to restore the population in the protected area.
Once found across mainland Australia, the population of woylies — or brush-tailed bettongs — fell by almost 90 per cent due to land clearing and invasive species brought about by European settlement.
In the Wheatbelt, the local population was believed to be extinct for more than 100 years.
Over four nights, 147 woylies were carefully released into bushland outside Mt Gibson's fences, one of the largest and fastest translocation events by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Sixteen ecologists worked with local Badimia Rangers to relocate the animals.
Wildlife ecologist Louis O'Neill said the newly released woylies faced some risks outside the safe area, but it was important that conservation efforts shook off a "safe haven" mindset.
"We admit that we may lose a few individuals, but that's part of the process," he said.
"Having the cat presence is important for the woylies to have some predator awareness because we can't get rid of cats across all of Australia.
"The woylies can learn to develop anti-predator behaviours."
The population at Mt Gibson has grown to more than 1,000 animals from the 162 introduced in 2016.
Dr O'Neill said moving the population outside the fence would help the woylies resume their natural role in the broader ecosystem.
"They can help with the soil turnover, nutrient recycling, seed germination," he said.
Despite the dangers, conservationists are confident the animals will survive and breed.
Working in their favour is recent baiting and cage trapping on 60,000 hectares of nearby bushland, with recent surveys confirming a low population of feral cats.
"There's a low enough threshold that the woylies can coexist with [cats]" Dr O'Neill said.
A number of woylies have also climbed the sanctuary's 2-metre fence in recent years, kick-starting the repopulation by themselves.
"The young are growing up and surviving on the outside."
Forty of the woylies were fitted with radio collars so that ecologists could track their movements outside the fence.
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