Conservation scientists are forging ahead with their releases of threatened species in Sturt National Park, building on successful breeding of species. Scientists are also aiming to train threatened species to recognise and survive with feral predators after focusing on feral cat control using cutting edge technology.
Western quolls, bilbies and golden bandicoots are being released into a massive Wild Training Zone of more than 100km2 in Sturt National Park in NSW. It’s part of the ‘beyond the fence’ initiative in Sturt National Park under the Wild Deserts Partnership Project.
The project in Sturt National Park is a collaboration between Wild Deserts and the , with Wild Deserts including ʹڲƱ’s Centre for Ecosystem Science and , and .
These nationally threatened species – including the western quoll Dasyurus geoffroii, greater bilby Macrotis lagotis and golden bandicoot Isoodon auratus became extinct in the wild in NSW about a hundred years ago, mainly because of ecosystem changes caused by rabbits and predation by feral cats and foxes.
On April 14 and 15, the team released another 15 western quolls and 20 bilbies from conservation breeding programs, and 11 golden bandicoots bred on the site. These add to the total of 51 western quolls, 196 bilbies and 89 golden bandicoots released into the Wild Training Zone in 2024 and 2025. Bilbies and quolls are breeding successfully in the area and the team, partnering with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, has successfully suppressed cat numbers to their lowest threshold yet.
The team’s latest release of animals builds on successful releases of western quolls and bilbies last year. The addition of golden bandicoots reflects the success of the species which has bred to such high numbers that they were beginning to impact on the sustainability of one of the two safe havens.
With philanthropic support, the Wild Deserts’ team created the 100km2 semi-bounded area, called the Wild Training Zone. This is bounded by the Dingo Fence in Queensland and South Australia, bordering NSW and the feral proof fencing erected by the Wild Deserts team. In this area, there is intensive control of feral cats and introduced foxes to such an extent that on other sides of the Wild Training Zone – to the east in Sturt National Park and over the borders of South Australia and Queensland – feral cats can be 10-20 times more numerous.
This Wild Training Zone gives western quolls the area they need for their territories, which average about 400 hectares. Western quolls are the top predator in the system and reflect the focus of the project to not only reintroduce locally extinct species, but restore the desert ecosystem, including its food web.
I would not have believed that we would be where we are today, with the number of reintroduced species that have successfully bred and are restoring the ecosystem. It is dramatic.
“We are really on a roll now with our ‘beyond the fence’ initiative, capitalising on our extraordinary good conditions last year and our efforts so far in suppressing cat populations,” said Dr Rebecca West, Principal Wild Deserts ecologist.
Feral free safe havens are a great tool to return locally extinct mammals to areas where they have become extinct. The Wild Training Zone is an area where the team hopes to train these reintroduced mammals for the wild, teaching them skills to survive in environments where cats and foxes are present. This requires management of feral predators to low levels, where they can act as a selection pressure.
Dr Reece Pedler, Wild Deserts Project Coordinator, is also optimistic about the initiative.
“We were really quite worried about the number of cats we were getting in a wave from South Australia last year,” he said.
“But we focused on cat control in South Australia as well as intensively managing cats in the Wild Training Zone. You really need a whole lot of different control methods, including shooting, Felixer grooming traps and baiting to keep on top of the problem and give our native animals a chance.”
Area Manager for Broken Hill, Jaymie Norris, is particularly pleased with the transformation of the area and the buzz coming from the initiative through the Wild Deserts Partnership Project. “It’s great to see we are at the cutting edge of this work in Sturt National Park. Our collaboration is really kicking goals in terms of conservation of these reintroduced species.”
For Claire Ford, Manager, Population Development and Welfare for Taronga Conservation Society Australia, the results are heartwarming.
“It is just so good to see the animals that we have bred in Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s Sanctuary released back into their former range in Sturt National Park,” she said. “It is amazing to see the hundreds of bilbies that have resulted from the original 40 bilbies released which were carefully selected from Taronga and other sites to ensure a genetically healthy population.”
Professor Richard Kingsford, Leader of the Wild Desert Partnership Project, is equally upbeat about the progress the project has made in terms of conservation.
“I would not have believed that we would be where we are today, with the number of reintroduced species that have successfully bred and are restoring the ecosystem. It is dramatic. And it is on the back of a tremendous partnership among us all and the amazing dedication of our staff and their expertise,” he said.
The Wild Deserts project is part of a major NSW government initiative to protect threatened native mammals through the Feral Predator Free Partnership Program. It is a partnership between the Wild Deserts Partnership and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service with the Wild Deserts Partnership including ʹڲƱ Sydney and Ecological Horizons, collaborating with Taronga Conservation Society Australia. Funding is provided by the NSW government under its Feral Predator Free Partnership, with matching funding from ʹڲƱ Sydney, philanthropic sources and other projects. Taronga Conservation Society Australia funded zoo-based breeding of quolls using philanthropic sources.
