The brush-tailed bettong, a marsupial resembling a miniature kangaroo, is making a remarkable recovery after being on the brink of extinction. The introduction of predators such as cats and wild foxes with the European colonization in the 18th century decimated their populations throughout Australia, leading them to inhabit only 1% of their original habitat.
Like other marsupials, the brush-tailed bettong raises its young in a pouch, but it has an unusual survival instinct: if threatened, it can eject its offspring and flee in the opposite direction to distract the predator. While this behavior may seem cruel, it has been key to the species’ persistence in a hostile environment.
Between 1999 and 2010, the brush-tailed bettong population decreased by 90%, likely due to a combination of predation, habitat destruction, and the spread of blood parasites.
The brush-tailed bettong is back on the brink of extinction. Photo: Bioguia.
Marna Banggara: a project for ecological restoration
To reverse this crisis, the Marna Banggara initiative was launched in 2019 on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. This project aims to recover native species that disappeared with European colonization, in collaboration with the Narungga indigenous community.
The first step was the installation of a 25 km fence to create a protected area of 150,000 hectares, reducing the impact of predators and allowing the reintroduction of bettongs, called “yalgiri” in the Narungga language. Between 2021 and 2023, almost 200 individuals from different populations were released to increase the genetic diversity of the species.
Small gardeners of the ecosystem
The brush-tailed bettong plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. Its diet consists of underground fungi, seeds, and insects, making it an effective “natural gardener”. By digging for food, it removes between two and six tons of soil per year, favoring water filtration, plant germination, and ecosystem regeneration.
The results of the program have exceeded expectations. In a recent monitoring, almost 40% of the captured bettongs were descendants of the introduced ones, and 22 out of 26 females carried offspring, indicating that the species is successfully reproducing in its new home.
Brush-tailed bettong. Photo: Wikipedia.
Towards a more sustainable future
The success of the brush-tailed bettong reintroduction is just the beginning. The Marna Banggara team hopes to restore more extinct species in the region, such as the southern brown bandicoot and the western quoll.
In addition to the ecological impact, these types of projects can also boost the local economy through tourism and sustainable agriculture. “Conservation doesn’t have to be exclusive,” says Derek Sandow, project manager. “Protecting biodiversity can bring both environmental and economic benefits.”
Some peculiarities of the brush-tailed bettong
The brush-tailed bettong is a marsupial native to Australia that is characterized by its prehensile tail and its resemblance to a miniature kangaroo. This bipedal animal has a pouch where it carries its young and is known for being a great digger, but also for:
- Conservation status: It is critically endangered, as it decreased by 90% between 1999 and 2010. Currently, it is limited to a few islands and isolated areas in southwestern Australia.
- Survival strategy: When feeling threatened, it ejects its offspring from the pouch and bounces in another direction to escape predators.
- Reintroduction: It was successfully reintroduced in the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. This reintroduction is part of a project that aims to restore the ecological diversity of the region.
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