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Western Barred Bandicoot (Perameles bougainville)

The western barred bandicoot is a small, nocturnal marsupial now naturally restricted to Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. It has also been reintroduced to sites in Western Australia and South Australia. On development sites, the main risks are clearing of open scrub and dune habitat, loss of ground cover, changed fire regimes, introduced predators, disease and disturbance of nests or other shelter sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The species can breed throughout the year, with more breeding activity during the cooler months on Bernier and Dorre Islands. It is nocturnal year round and does not undertake seasonal migration.

Seasonal timing is based mainly on the Shark Bay island populations. Reintroduced populations may differ with local conditions, rainfall, predator control and food availability.

  • Breeding: Breeding can occur year round, with breeding during the cooler period from April to October reported for the Shark Bay island populations.
  • Young: Young develop in the pouch for about 50 to 54 days, then remain associated with the nest until weaning at about 61 to 63 days after birth. Dependent young may therefore occur in any month.
  • Nocturnal movement and foraging: Individuals emerge around dusk and forage at night throughout the year. The species is not migratory.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing can harm adults, nests and dependent young in any month. Risk is highest from April to October because breeding activity is concentrated in the cooler months.

Identification

The western barred bandicoot is a small, lightly built bandicoot with a pointed snout, large erect ears and distinctive dark bars across the hindquarters. It is most likely to be detected at night, or from nests, tracks and conical foraging diggings.

Adults have light brown to grey fur above, a white underside and white feet. Two or three darker brown to black bars radiate across the hindquarters. The tail is short and tapered, and the hind feet are elongated, with the second and third toes partly fused and the fourth toe long and strongly clawed.

Females are slightly heavier and have longer snouts than males. The pouch opens backwards, which helps prevent soil entering while the female digs.

Head and body: 179 to 226 mm on Bernier and Dorre Islands

Tail: 81 to 106 mm on Bernier and Dorre Islands

Island weight: About 168 to 280 g for males and 165 to 379 g for females in the available profile data

Identification: Distinguishing features

The combination of small body size, large erect ears, pointed muzzle, white underside and two or three dark hindquarter bars is distinctive. Eastern barred bandicoots are larger, at about 27 to 35 cm, while southern brown bandicoots are darker and have shorter ears, muzzles and hind feet.

The mainland form was larger than the Shark Bay island form. Identification should therefore consider the local population and any available photographs or expert confirmation.

  • Do not rely on body size alone where juveniles or reintroduced animals are present.
  • Record the bars, ear shape, muzzle, tail, hind feet and overall coat colour in photographs where possible.
  • Treat an unconfirmed sighting as a listed mammal record until an experienced ecologist verifies it.

Identification: Field signs and survey cues

Western barred bandicoots are nocturnal. During daylight they shelter in concealed nests made from plant material, shallow hollows or scrapes beneath low shrubs and other suitable cover. They emerge around dusk to forage.

Foraging diggings are generally small, conical pits made while searching for invertebrates, fungi, roots and other food. Diggings alone cannot reliably separate a western barred bandicoot from other listed bandicoots, bettongs or rabbits, so record their size, shape, substrate, associated tracks and nearby scats or food remains.

The species has no distinctive call described in the supplied sources, and hair sampling cannot be used to identify it reliably according to the survey guideline. Use direct observation, camera traps, spotlighting, trapping by suitably authorised personnel and expert assessment of signs where confirmation is required.

  • Search beneath low shrubs, in leaf litter and around shallow scrapes for nests and resting depressions.
  • Map all suspected diggings and follow up with direct detection methods.
  • Photograph tracks and diggings with a scale, because sign identification can be difficult where rabbits or other digging mammals occur.
  • Avoid disturbing a suspected nest during daylight unless disturbance is authorised and necessary.

Distribution

The western barred bandicoot formerly occupied a much wider part of southern and central Australia. The remaining natural populations are confined to two Shark Bay islands, with additional reintroduced populations at selected conservation sites.

The natural range is now restricted to Bernier Island and Dorre Island in Shark Bay, Western Australia. The species formerly occurred across parts of Western Australia and the lower southern mainland, with historical records extending into South Australia, New South Wales and north western Victoria.

Current and former records are associated with arid and semi arid areas, including the Shark Bay region and inland conservation sites. The supplied documents do not provide a formal Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregion name for each occurrence.

  • Western Australia: natural populations on Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, plus reintroduced populations including Faure Island, Heirisson Prong, Dirk Hartog Island and other conservation sites described in the recovery and translocation documents.
  • South Australia: reintroduced population at the Arid Recovery Reserve near Roxby Downs.
  • Other states: the former mainland range included New South Wales and north western Victoria, but the supplied documents do not identify a current established population in either state.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Bernier and Dorre Islands are the remaining natural strongholds. Reintroduced populations have been established or attempted at Heirisson Prong, Faure Island and the Arid Recovery Reserve, with further translocation work involving Dirk Hartog Island and Mt Gibson described in the population modelling report.

Reintroduced populations are dependent on predator control, suitable habitat and ongoing monitoring. Their presence should not be assumed from historical records alone.

  • Treat Bernier Island and Dorre Island as source populations requiring particular protection from disturbance and excessive harvesting.
  • Check current records with the relevant state conservation agency before works near a reintroduction site.
  • Confirm whether a conservation reserve, predator proof enclosure or translocation site occurs within the project area.

Distribution: Population size and trend

Population numbers fluctuate between seasons and with rainfall. The remaining natural populations are small and fragmented compared with the former mainland distribution. Population viability modelling indicates that drought frequency and the size and genetic composition of translocated populations strongly affect long term persistence.

Natural population extent: Two remaining natural populations, on Bernier Island and Dorre Island

Estimated combined seasonal abundance: Several hundred to about 3,000 individuals across the two islands in the modelling background information

Former mainland status: Extinct on mainland Australia since the 1930s according to the recovery material

Habitat

Western barred bandicoots use open, dry country with enough low cover for shelter and foraging. They are associated with stable dunes, scrub and grassland rather than dense closed vegetation.

On Bernier and Dorre Islands, the species is especially common in scrub associated with stabilised dunes behind beaches. Other documented habitats include sandhills, grasslands, open scrub, saltbush and bluebush plains, and stony or semi arid country.

The recovery plan identifies open habitat with some ground cover as the broad habitat requirement. The species can use introduced or restored habitats where predators are absent or controlled.

  • Prioritise searches in open scrub, stable dune vegetation, grassland, saltbush and bluebush communities.
  • Retain low shrubs, leaf litter and patches of ground cover within and beside work areas.
  • Treat apparently open, sparsely vegetated ground as potential habitat where it contains suitable foraging substrate or nearby shelter.

Habitat: Structural features

Suitable habitat has a mixture of open ground and low vegetation that provides food, concealment and nest material. The supplied sources do not provide a specific preferred canopy height, vegetation density, elevation limit or minimum patch size.

Habitat quality can be reduced by clearing, fragmentation, heavy grazing, rabbit modification, changed fire regimes and the loss of ground cover.

  • Map low shrub cover, stabilised dunes, grass tussocks, leaf litter and areas with repeated diggings.
  • Keep connected patches of suitable cover where practicable, particularly between known shelter and feeding areas.
  • Avoid creating isolated strips of habitat between roads, compounds, stock areas or cleared ground.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The species is associated with arid and semi arid environments, including coastal islands and inland conservation sites. The supplied documents do not give a defined elevation range or a numerical climatic limit.

Foraging habitat

Western barred bandicoots forage alone at night and dig for both animal and plant foods. Foraging is concentrated in open ground and low scrub where soil can be searched and food resources are accessible.

The diet includes invertebrates, seeds, roots, herbs, berries and fungi, with occasional small vertebrates also reported. Digging is an important feeding method and may leave conical pits in soil or soft substrate.

Food is sought around low shrubs, scrub, grassland, stable dunes and other open habitats. The supplied sources do not identify particular plant species as consistently preferred food plants.

  • Inspect soft soil, sandy patches, leaf litter and the edges of low shrubs for fresh foraging pits.
  • Record the presence of fungi, invertebrate remains, seeds, roots or other food evidence near suspected diggings.
  • Avoid grading, compacting or filling active foraging areas until fauna checks and clearance controls are complete.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range and movement

Males use larger home ranges than females, and home ranges can overlap at their edges while core use areas are generally separate. The species is not migratory, but individuals move through habitat at night between shelter and feeding areas.

Male home range: About 2.5 to 14.2 hectares

Female home range: About 1.4 to 6.2 hectares

Daily movement reported: Up to about 1,020 m for males and about 490 m for females within a 24 hour period

Breeding habitat

Breeding can occur throughout the year, but activity is concentrated in the cooler months on Bernier and Dorre Islands. Females need secure nest sites, low cover and nearby foraging habitat during pouch development and weaning.

Females carry young in a backward opening pouch and leave pouch young in the nest while they forage. Young become independent shortly after weaning. Breeding habitat therefore includes concealed ground nests under low shrubs, in leaf litter or in shallow hollows, together with connected feeding habitat.

Breeding season: Can breed year round, with a preference or peak during the cooler months from April to October

Litter size: Usually 1 to 3 young, with an average of about 1.8

Gestation: About 12 days

Pouch period: Young remain in the pouch for about 50 to 54 days before beginning to emerge

Weaning: About 61 to 63 days after birth

Age at maturity: Females about 120 days; males about 150 days

Lifespan: Wild lifespan is not established; maximum recorded captive lifespan is about 5.8 years

  • Search for and protect nests beneath low shrubs, in leaf litter and in shallow scrapes before clearing or earthworks.
  • Retain nearby cover and avoid separating nest sites from feeding areas with trenches, vehicle routes or temporary fencing.
  • Use staged clearing and fauna spotter procedures where breeding habitat is occupied or where nests are detected.

Sheltering habitat

Daytime shelter is provided by concealed nests and shallow depressions rather than deep burrows. Shelter sites are generally within low vegetation, leaf litter or other ground cover.

Western barred bandicoots build nests from plant material and use shallow hollows or scrapes beneath low shrubs. The available sources do not provide a standard nest diameter, nest depth or required ground cover height.

Shelter sites can be difficult to see during a routine clearance inspection because they are concealed under vegetation or litter. Daytime searches should therefore include likely cover and the immediate edges of proposed disturbance.

Shelter type: Concealed nest made from plant material, shallow hollow or scrape

Typical shelter setting: Beneath low shrubs, in leaf litter or within other suitable ground cover

  • Inspect low shrubs, leaf litter, shallow hollows, scrapes and dense ground cover before machinery enters.
  • Mark and protect suspected nests until a suitably qualified person determines whether they are occupied.
  • Maintain undisturbed cover near known diggings and records of nocturnal activity.
  • Do not use the absence of a visible nest as evidence that the species is absent.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and construction

The species has undergone a major range contraction and is highly sensitive to the loss of predator free habitat. Project impacts can act directly through clearing and disturbance, or indirectly by increasing predator access, fire risk and habitat fragmentation.

Clearing can remove feeding habitat, low shrubs, nest material and shelter sites. Roads, compounds, borrow areas, tracks and other infrastructure can divide open habitat and increase movement barriers or exposure to predators.

The recovery material identifies land development, habitat fragmentation and disturbance from infrastructure as relevant pressures. Construction near known or potential populations should be planned around retained habitat and active fauna management.

  • Complete a desktop check and field habitat assessment before clearing, including a search for nests, diggings, tracks and other signs.
  • Avoid clearing stabilised dunes, low scrub, saltbush, bluebush and open ground with repeated diggings where practicable.
  • Keep machinery, laydown areas and vehicle movements out of retained habitat.
  • Use fauna spotters and staged clearing where suitable habitat cannot be avoided.

Threats: Predators and introduced animals

Feral cats and foxes are major predators and are considered leading causes of decline and mainland extinction. Rabbits and domestic stock can modify vegetation and ground cover, reducing habitat quality and food availability. Predator control is a central feature of successful wild and reintroduced populations.

  • Do not allow domestic cats or dogs into conservation areas or work areas near known populations.
  • Secure food waste, construction materials and temporary facilities so they do not attract feral animals.
  • Coordinate predator control, quarantine and hygiene requirements with the reserve or recovery program manager.
  • Assess whether new roads, camps or lighting could increase predator access or activity.

Threats: Fire, drought and vegetation change

Changed fire regimes, drought and loss of vegetation can reduce shelter and food resources. Population modelling indicates that frequent severe environmental events can substantially reduce the persistence of source and translocated populations.

  • Avoid unnecessary burning or fuel reduction in occupied habitat during the breeding and dependent young period.
  • Maintain unburnt shelter patches and ground cover where fire management allows.
  • Consider drought conditions when scheduling capture, translocation, clearing or other activities that remove cover.

Threats: Disease and hydrology

Disease has been identified as a potential threat, including the risk of introducing infection between isolated populations or through captive and translocation work. The supplied documents do not identify a species specific hydrological requirement or a documented hydrology change pathway, so hydrology impacts should be assessed through their effects on dune stability, vegetation, soil moisture and food resources.

  • Apply approved hygiene, quarantine and equipment cleaning procedures when moving between populations or conservation sites.
  • Prevent the spread of soil, plant material and animal material between sites where disease or invasive species are concerns.
  • Assess drainage, dewatering, altered runoff and ponding where these could change ground cover or food resources.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment and habitat targeting

Survey for the western barred bandicoot, also called the Shark Bay bandicoot, must account for its nocturnal behaviour, small size and similarity of its signs to those of other digging mammals. The species is currently restricted naturally to Bernier and Dorre Islands, with established or past translocations elsewhere, so confirm the local population and habitat context before selecting methods.

Confirm whether the project area is within the species' current or historical range, or contains a managed translocation population.

Target semi-arid and arid habitat with open vegetation and ground cover, including scrub, sandhills, stable dunes, grasslands, saltbush, bluebush and low shrub cover.

Map connected native vegetation, dense shrub patches, stable dunes, nests, tracks, diggings and other shelter features before placing survey equipment.

Typical adult size: Head and body length on Bernier and Dorre Islands is about 173 to 226 mm, with a tail about 81 to 106 mm long.

Average body weight used in the survey guideline: 226 g

  • Use a stratified design that samples each relevant habitat type and plant community.
  • For areas larger than 5 hectares, replicate the survey across habitat types or plant communities rather than treating the whole area as one sample.
  • Record the survey area, habitat type, vegetation cover, recent fire history, evidence of rabbits or stock, and the presence of foxes or feral cats.

Survey methodology: 2. Spotlighting

Conduct spotlight searches at night because western barred bandicoots are nocturnal and emerge from nests at dusk to forage.

Walk suitable habitat slowly and systematically, focusing on low shrubs, stable dunes, sandhills, grassland edges and other areas with ground cover.

Record the start and finish time, route length, weather, moon conditions, habitat searched and every animal observed.

  • Use spotlighting to confirm records from ambiguous tracks or diggings and to search areas where direct signs have been found.
  • Do not treat a lack of spotlight detections as evidence that the species is absent, particularly where predator pressure, recent fire or seasonal conditions may have reduced activity.

Survey methodology: 3. Searches for nests, tracks and diggings

Search during daylight for shallow nests or scrapes beneath low shrubs, leaf litter and other concealed cover.

Search for tracks, scats and conical foraging diggings around suitable food and shelter resources.

Document the location, dimensions, photographs, substrate, associated vegetation and any nearby tracks or scats for each sign.

  • Treat diggings as indicators of possible presence, not as species confirmation, because rabbits and other listed mammals can make similar signs.
  • Use associated tracks, scats, food remains and the surrounding habitat to help separate western barred bandicoot signs from those of other mammals.
  • Follow any promising sign location with a direct detection method such as spotlighting, camera trapping or trapping.

Survey methodology: 4. Cameras and live trapping

Deploy camera traps at active diggings, runways, nest areas and habitat edges where signs cannot be identified confidently.

Use Elliott B or cage trapping only where required by the survey design, with an experienced ecologist and an approved animal welfare procedure.

Keep trapping effort, trap locations, trap nights, bait, checking times, weather and captures documented for every trap line.

  • Position traps to sample the habitat types identified during the desktop and field assessment.
  • Use suitable shelter and checking arrangements for the local temperature and weather conditions.
  • Do not rely on hair sampling to identify this species, because the survey guideline does not list hair identification as possible for the western barred bandicoot.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Apply the survey guideline methods to sites up to 5 hectares and replicate them across larger sites and separate habitat types.
  • Use more than one method where practicable, combining habitat and sign searches with spotlighting, cameras or trapping because detection can vary between methods.
  • Record negative results, not only confirmed detections, and retain photographs, maps, effort data and field notes.
  • Have uncertain records checked by an appropriately experienced mammal ecologist, particularly where signs could be from rabbits or another bandicoot.
  • Submit confirmed records, survey effort and important negative results to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Report any potential EPBC Act matter to the project environmental manager and seek specialist advice before works continue.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

The western barred bandicoot is EPBC Act listed as Endangered and has lost most of its former mainland range. Project planning should retain suitable shelter and foraging habitat, prevent access by introduced predators and avoid disturbing known or potential translocation populations.

EPBC status: Endangered

Known natural populations: Bernier Island and Dorre Island in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Known threats: Feral cats, foxes, rabbits, stock, land clearing, changed fire regimes, disease, habitat fragmentation, fire and drought

  • Avoid clearing Bernier and Dorre Island type habitat, including open scrub, sandhills, stable dunes, grasslands, saltbush, bluebush and low shrub cover, wherever practicable.
  • Retain connected native vegetation and ground cover between occupied or potentially occupied areas.
  • Retain known nests, shallow scrapes, active diggings, dense low shrubs and other shelter features within the project footprint where practicable.
  • Keep works and vehicle movements out of retained habitat and use existing access tracks where possible.
  • Do not introduce domestic cats, foxes, rabbits, livestock or contaminated soil, equipment or materials into occupied or translocation areas.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Check whether the proposed action may have a significant impact on this EPBC listed species or its habitat and obtain EPBC Act advice before construction.
  • Check the relevant state or territory threatened species legislation, wildlife permits, animal ethics requirements and rehabilitation or relocation approvals.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey methods, exclusion areas, fauna handling arrangements, stop-work triggers, reporting responsibilities and emergency contacts.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat and any relocation area are available before disturbance begins.
  • Schedule night works, clearing and high-noise activities to minimise disturbance to nocturnal foraging areas, and obtain project-specific advice where works coincide with the main cooler-month breeding period from April to October.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete a pre-clearance survey using habitat searches, searches for nests and diggings, spotlighting and cameras or trapping where signs indicate possible presence.
  • Mark retained habitat, active diggings, nests, exclusion zones, access routes and machinery limits on plans and in the field.
  • Use exclusion fencing only where it can prevent entry into the work area without trapping animals or cutting off access to retained habitat.
  • Brief machinery operators and supervisors on the species' appearance, nocturnal activity, signs and stop-work procedure.
  • Confirm the contact details for the fauna spotter catcher, project ecologist, wildlife carer and veterinarian before clearing starts.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Clearing must be controlled at the point of work. The fauna spotter catcher should have authority to pause machinery, inspect habitat and direct the sequence of clearing whenever an animal, nest, burrow or uncertain sign is found.

  • Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the approved clearing limits, retained habitat, weather, fauna risks, equipment and stop-work contacts.
  • Complete a morning inspection of the work area, exclusion fencing, access tracks and retained habitat before machinery enters.
  • Clear progressively from the edge of the work area towards retained habitat only where the fauna management plan supports that direction and animals have a safe route away from machinery.
  • Keep machinery stopped while the spotter catcher checks vegetation, ground cover, logs, rocks, nests, scrapes and diggings within the next clearing section.
  • Use low-speed, supervised clearing around retained shrubs, dunes, shelter sites and other identified habitat features.
  • Do not allow night clearing unless it has been specifically assessed, approved and supervised under the fauna management plan.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

  • Inspect and hand-clear low shrubs, leaf litter, logs, rocks and shallow scrapes before earthworks or grading.
  • Treat active diggings, nests and repeated tracks as potential evidence of occupation until checked by the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist.
  • Move retained logs, rocks and suitable shelter material only under supervision and place them in nearby retained habitat where this is safe and approved.
  • Do not bury, crush or cover nests, shallow scrapes or active foraging areas without an ecologist's direction and a documented clearance decision.
  • Prevent machinery, spoil, sediment and waste from entering retained habitat or blocking movement between habitat patches.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounters, stop work and records

  • Stop work immediately if a western barred bandicoot is seen, captured, injured, trapped, inside the clearing area or at risk from machinery.
  • Allow only an appropriately authorised and experienced person to capture, handle or relocate the animal, using the approved wildlife handling procedure and the minimum handling time.
  • Release a healthy animal into nearby suitable retained habitat only when the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist confirm that the location is safe and any required approval is in place.
  • Take injured or unwell animals to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian and record the transfer details.
  • Stop work if an unidentified mammal, fresh nest, concentrated diggings, unexpected population or evidence of predator exclusion failure is found.
  • Record the date, time, exact location, habitat, animal condition, identification method, photographs, action taken, release or treatment location, personnel and machinery involved.
  • Report any threatened species interaction, injury, death, unauthorised clearing or breach of the fauna management plan to the project environmental manager immediately.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearing checks should confirm that no animals or active signs remain at risk and that retained habitat controls are still working. Monitoring should focus on occupied habitat, translocation sites and any area where clearing reduced shelter or connectivity.

  • Inspect the cleared area and its boundary during daylight for animals, nests, shallow scrapes, fresh diggings, tracks and other signs missed during clearing.
  • Complete a night spotlight check where the pre-clearance survey or clearing observations indicated possible occupation.
  • Check that exclusion fencing, retained habitat markers, gates and fauna escape routes remain in place and have not trapped animals.
  • Remove temporary fencing and equipment only after the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist confirms that no animal remains within the work area.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Repeat the selected detection methods at retained habitat, restoration areas and release or relocation areas at intervals set by the fauna management plan and approval conditions.
  • Compare post-work detections with the pre-clearance baseline, including effort, habitat searched and seasonal conditions.
  • Investigate reduced detections, new predator activity, rabbit damage, loss of ground cover, fire impacts or signs of disease.
  • Provide the regulator, land manager and project environmental manager with the final fauna report, including maps, effort, records, incidents, handling outcomes and photographs.
  • Submit confirmed records and significant survey results to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls and offsets

  • Maintain retained habitat, predator controls, weed controls, erosion controls and access restrictions for the period required by approvals and the fauna management plan.
  • Repair damaged exclusion fencing and reinstate shelter features if monitoring shows that construction has reduced cover or movement between retained areas.
  • Where residual impacts cannot be avoided or mitigated, implement approved offsets or conservation measures that support western barred bandicoot recovery, translocation sites or predator-free habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate open habitat with ground cover, shelter and suitable foraging substrate while avoiding conditions that increase access by cats, foxes, rabbits or stock. The target is a functioning patch that can support nocturnal foraging and nesting, not simply a vegetated surface.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate native open scrub, saltbush, bluebush, grassland and low shrub communities matched to the original site and nearby reference habitat.
  • Use local provenance seed or tubestock where available and retain a mosaic of open ground, low cover and denser shrub patches.
  • Stabilise disturbed dunes and sandy areas without creating continuous dense canopy or groundcover that differs from the species' preferred open habitat.
  • Reinstate logs, leaf litter, low shrubs and other suitable nest and shelter materials where they were present before clearing.
  • Protect restored areas from stock, rabbits, unauthorised vehicle access and domestic animals.

Rehabilitation actions: Predators, fire and disease

  • Implement approved fox and feral cat control around occupied, translocated and restored habitat, with safeguards for non-target animals.
  • Control rabbits where they modify vegetation, compete for food or create erosion and warren damage.
  • Use hygiene and quarantine procedures for animals, equipment, soil and plant material moved between populations or conservation sites.
  • Apply a site-specific fire plan that protects remaining shelter and avoids large, simultaneous losses of ground cover.
  • Monitor for disease signs and seek wildlife health advice before moving animals or material between populations.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

  • Monitor plant establishment, native ground cover, nest and shelter availability, weed cover, rabbit activity and predator activity against pre-clearing or reference-site conditions.
  • Use repeat searches for tracks, nests and diggings, spotlighting, cameras and other approved methods to test whether western barred bandicoots use the restored area.
  • Treat increasing use of restored habitat, persistent native ground cover, available shelter and no evidence of predator-driven decline as indicators of progress.
  • Set measurable completion criteria in the rehabilitation plan, including monitoring duration, survey effort, acceptable weed and erosion levels, and actions required if criteria are not met.
  • Submit rehabilitation monitoring results and confirmed species records to the land manager, regulator and relevant state or territory wildlife database.

Sources