Century-long drought over as quolls thrive again
Previously extinct eastern quolls are scavenging and scouting the Australian mainland in numbers not seen for more than 60 years.
Researchers on Wednesday said 15 of the cat-sized marsupials were "thriving" after being released into a new feral-free mainland sanctuary on the NSW south coast.
It follows the reintroduction of 19 quolls to a sanctuary in Jervis Bay in April 2024 and other sites in northern NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
Jerrinja traditional owner Ron Carberry sees the reintroduction of the quolls into a 68-hectare feral-proof site near Nowra as a magnificent step for the region.
"These little quolls haven't been on our country for 104 years. It's about healing it," he said.
"They play a part in the food chain - without them, our country has been disturbed. We live and breathe with them."
About the size of a small domestic cat, the furry, white-spotted critters were once widespread across southeastern mainland Australia before the population was decimated by farming and feral animals.
It was last sighted on the mainland in 1963.
While quolls have survived on fox-free Tasmania, the population there has plummeted to about 10,000.
The marsupials control the food chain, eating both invertebrates and vertebrates while carrying nutrients important to ecosystems, say researchers involved in the mainland rewilding project.
The new group has been living inside the fenced-off site on private school Scots College's rural property since January.
The land donated by the college has radio, GPS and camera transmitters allowing researchers from conservation group Aussie Ark and the University of Sydney, as well as students, to see how the species interact in the wild.
The hope remains of relocating the quolls beyond the fence.
But there is no timeline for that, with pet cats and feral animals killing an average of five million native animals every day in Australia, according to federal environment department figures.
Scots College property manager Duncan McMaster said this project will restore environmental balance in the region where quolls were once a common sight.
"We're very passionate about this," he told AAP.
"For students, it gives them an understanding of the importance of these animals in the landscape.
"We have this magnificent property in the Shoalhaven which is in a very environmentally sensitive area with river frontage, oyster beds and farmers.
Researchers will continue to monitor the quolls with cage trapping every three months, collecting data to see how they interact in their new environment.
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