{"id":9225,"date":"2025-03-03T06:12:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T06:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/mahogany-glider-corridors-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T20:16:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T20:16:48","slug":"northern-bettongs-new-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/northern-bettongs-new-project\/","title":{"rendered":"New Northern Bettong project"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/thorsburne_slider4.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]HELP FOR THREATENED SPECIES[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]NEW NORTHERN BETTONG PROJECT[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1740983295346{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]MARCH 2025[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1740983438284{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Northern bettongs will be relocated to save a tiny population near Mount Carbine from extinction \u2013 in the first rescue mission between two wild populations of this species.<\/p>\n

Less than 30 northern bettongs are left at Mt Spurgeon, near the small town of Mount Carbine, west of Port Douglas. The species is listed as endangered, with only two wild populations and one re-introduced population remaining, all of them in North Queensland.<\/p>\n

A “genetic rescue”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Terrain NRM\u2019s Dr Andrew Dennis said the translocation project aims to be a \u201cgenetic rescue\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need diversity in the gene pool. The Mt Spurgeon population is so small now that they are genetically inbred,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat has led to an inbreeding depression, with females producing fewer babies than in healthy populations and to the population not being able to cope with other pressures like feral animals and lantana weed taking over large parts of the habitat. They can\u2019t breed fast enough to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM has secured $420,000 from the Australian Government through its Natural Heritage Trust program to partner with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Gulf Savannah NRM on the translocation project, which is guided by the Northern Bettong Recovery Team.<\/p>\n

It follows the successful reintroduction of northern bettongs to the Paluma region, where they have been breeding up over the last year in Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary, a fenced predator-free tract of land. Forty-nine northern bettongs were moved from Lamb Range near Mareeba to the sanctuary in the AWC-led partnership project, funded by AWC with the support of the Queensland Government and Traditional Owners.<\/p>\n

Relocation to an existing community<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis time about seven northern bettongs will be relocated, and it\u2019ll be to an existing population,\u2019\u2019 Dr Dennis said. \u201cWe want to improve the genetic make-up by 30 per cent, to take reproduction up to normal rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Genetic rescues\u2019 are gaining momentum in threatened species conservation across Australia. The first was for mountain pygmy possums in Victoria in 2010. They\u2019ve since helped the eastern-barred bandicoot, helmeted honeyeaters and rock wallabies.<\/p>\n

Weed and pest control work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Dennis said the northern bettong project would include weed and pest control work at Mt Spurgeon National Park in the lead-up, to prepare the habitat for the bettong population to re-expand. This will be followed by population monitoring for at least two years after the bettongs are translocated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be surveying the area and controlling feral animals, including pigs and cats, over a few hundred hectares of land,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll also be removing lantana, which is suppressing food sources for bettongs. This work will build on years of survey and monitoring work by AWC and Western Yalanji Traditional owners, with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Gulf Savannah NRM.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1740983506295{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"TheA team effort<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be a team effort again \u2013 we will be working closely with the Northern Bettong Recovery Team including Western Yalanji, researchers from James Cook University who\u2019ve provided the genetic data, and our project partners Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Gulf Savannah NRM and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Dennis, who is also the Northern Bettong Recovery Team Chair, said the northern bettong population had dramatically declined over the past 20 to 30 years, with an estimated 1100 remaining on Lamb Range, at Mt Spurgeon and the Mt Zero sanctuary area.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir habitat is very restricted \u2013 they are now only living in a narrow, fragmented strip of eucalypt forest along the western edge of the Wet Tropics,\u2019\u2019 he said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve been identified as one of 20 Australian mammals at the greatest risk of extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n

This project is funded by the Australian Government under the Natural Heritage Trust program, and is delivered by Terrain NRM as a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.<\/p>\n

FUN FACTS ABOUT NORTHERN BETTONGS<\/strong><\/p>\n

They mainly feed on truffles, which grow underground, connected to the roots of trees.<\/p>\n

They help the forest by spreading the spores of truffles around with their droppings, making them a keystone species, responsible for the dispersal of a huge number of ectomycorrhizal fungi species. These fungi have an essential role in forest health, forming a symbiotic relationship with the roots of eucalyptus and allocasuarina trees.<\/p>\n

They make spit balls, called oorts, out of undigested grass, and these help researchers to track their movements.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/biodiversity\/northern-bettong\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1743711406472{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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