Woylie numbers booming in sanctuary

• Woylie numbers in Perup Sanctuary have tripled
• Research continues to investigate declines in upper Warren region, which supports the largest woylie population in WA

One of the State's most critically endangered mammals is showing remarkable signs of recovery in a special sanctuary near Manjimup. 

Environment Minister Bill Marmion said woylies were responding well to recovery efforts in Perup Sanctuary in the State's South-West, with numbers tripling since the animals were released into the sanctuary 18 months ago.

"The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) released 41 woylies into the 420ha enclosure in December 2010," Mr Marmion said.

"A survey in April 2012 saw 111 woylies trapped in the sanctuary, but it is thought that it contains at least 120.

"In what is an extremely rare occurrence, a female woylie was found with twin pouch young. This is only the fourth record of twin woylie pouch young found in the upper Warren region since the 1970s from more than 9,000 records of captured female woylies.

"In addition, ongoing surveys of the sanctuary have recorded more than 30 species of frogs, reptiles and native mammals, including a female numbat carrying two pouch young, which confirms for the first time there is at least one breeding pair of numbats in the sanctuary."

The Minister said DEC was on track to meet its goal for the sanctuary to support at least 400 woylies within the next five to 10 years to insure against rapid woylie declines in the wild.

"There is a lot of hard work going on to determine the reasons for the current decline so we can prevent woylies from becoming extinct," he said.

"DEC is working to control feral cat and fox populations across key areas of the State through its Western Shield wildlife recovery program, which involves extensive baiting to reduce predators and improve the survival rates of re-introduced native animals."

Collaborators in the research program include DEC, Murdoch University, Perth Zoo, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Warren Catchments Council, the Federal Government's Caring for our Country program and The University of Western Australia.

        Fact File

• Woylies were once widespread across southern Australia, but were only found in 3 small areas in South-West WA by the 1970s
• Fox control helped woylie numbers peak at more than 250,000 a decade ago
• Numbers have declined by about 90% in the last decade
• Three photographs attached - courtesy of DEC

Minister's office  - 6552 6800

Photo courtesy: DEC