{"id":2190909,"date":"2026-05-09T18:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T17:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2190909"},"modified":"2026-05-09T19:03:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T18:03:57","slug":"once-extinct-in-the-wild-bandicoot-marsupial-to-be-released-across-australia-after-being-bred-for-survival-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/once-extinct-in-the-wild-bandicoot-marsupial-to-be-released-across-australia-after-being-bred-for-survival-look\/","title":{"rendered":"Once Extinct in the Wild, Bandicoot Marsupial to be Released Across Australia After Being Bred For Survival (LOOK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Australia, the eastern barred bandicoot was declared extinct in the wild in 1991, after the population dwindled to just 60 living at a landfill site in Victoria.<\/p>\n

But now, the marsupial has been \u201cbred for survival\u201d and will be released into a half dozen reintroduction sites across the country after previous attempts to reintroduce it failed because of inbreeding.<\/p>\n

In the world-first gene-mixing approach, mainland Australian bandicoots have been bred with those from Tasmania\u2014two genetically distinct populations isolated from each other for more than 10,000 years.<\/p>\n

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The small, native marsupials became extinct after the ecosystem was devastated by invasive species like rabbits, along with feral cats and foxes that became predators across the huge island.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The genetic rescue program was led by\u00a0the Odonata Foundation, Cesar Australia, and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot\u00a0Recovery Team.<\/p>\n

Animal survival isn\u2019t the only benefit\u2014the land will improve too. Burrowing by the chipmunk-sized bandicoots improves soil health and strengthens landscapes against flood and drought.<\/p>\n

The latest plan to reintroduction aims to build a population of at least 500 animals across a minimum of five different locations. (Watch the excellent video at the bottom\u2026<\/em>)<\/p>\n

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Eastern barred bandicoot released at night \u2013 SWNS \/ Right Now Climate Fund \/ James D Morgan<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

It ensures animals are geographically dispersed and less likely to be wiped out by natural disaster.<\/p>\n

That goal of climate resilience resonates with Amazon.com\u2019s\u00a0Right Now Climate Fund, which donated $2.5 million to help restore endangered species in Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty years ago, these bandicoots were gone from mainland Australia,\u201d said Michael Miller, an Amazon VP for the fund, which was established in 2019 with $100 million to help communities in Europe become more climate resilient, using nature-based solutions to enhance biodiversity, along with their key partner The Nature Conservancy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes their recovery incredible is the science behind it\u2014a genetic rescue program which is science-backed, scalable, and transformative for conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Eastern barred bandicoot \u2013 James D Morgan \/SWNS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe same methodology could help save endangered animals all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three-year project will help save the eastern barred bandicoot and other species including the eastern quoll and southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby.<\/p>\n

Dr. Andrew Weeks, director of Cesar Australia and science advisor to Odonata\u00a0perfectly summed it up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve built a fit, feisty bandicoot population with far greater genetic health and a much better chance of survival than their inbred predecessors.\u201d<\/p>\n