Excellent response to bandicoot phone-in

8/3/93

More than 350 people responded to the weekend phone-in held to gather information on bandicoot populations in the Perth metropolitan area. 

Environment Minister Kevin Minson said there had been an excellent response to the two day phone-in - which would be used to plot a map of the endangered bandicoot's remaining habitat in and around Perth. 

"The majority of bandicoot sightings came from Perth's northern and southern suburbs, the Hills and areas around Mandurah," Mr Minson said. 

"Southern brown bandicoots, or quendas, were once widespread but are now restricted to the forest and coastal strip from Yanchep to Cape Le Grand, near Esperance." 

Mr Minson said CALM would now assess the information received during the phone-in.

"Already CALM has determined that the reported bandicoot sightings fell into three categories - those living on people's properties, those regularly seen running across roads, and those found dead by the roadside or occasionally seen on the roadway," he said.

"Many of the callers who had bandicoots living on their blocks said the animals were regular visitors, some even came into homes looking for food." 

Mr Minson said the use of the phone-in to produce a 'bandicoot distribution map' would be very useful in helping protect the species in future years.

"We can use the map to identify areas of habitat which should be protected from urban development - which, along with feral cats and foxes, has had the biggest impact on bandicoot numbers," he said.

Media contact: Casey Cahill 222 9595