A Prickly Discovery in the Australian Bush Brings New Hope to a Vulnerable Predator
For the ecologists working tirelessly in the remote stretches of Western Australia, a recent glimpse inside a wildlife sanctuary yielded something equal parts adorable and monumental: a nest filled with spiky, newborn creatures whose very presence signals a historic comeback.
The tiny, bristling arrivals are western quoll joeys—also known by their Indigenous Noongar name, chuditch. Found at the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, these cat-sized carnivorous marsupials represent a major milestone for Australian conservationists fighting to save one of the continent’s most threatened native predators.
A Species Driven to the Edge
Before European settlement, the western quoll was a common sight across nearly 70% of the Australian mainland. Distinguished by their dark, white-spotted fur and brushy black tails, these agile nocturnal hunters occupied a vital niche in the ecological hierarchy, keeping populations of insects, small reptiles, and birds in check.
However, decades of habitat destruction, land clearing, and the rapid introduction of invasive predators—namely feral cats and red foxes—devastated the species.
[ THE JOURNEY BACK FROM THE BRINK ]
Historical Era-Roamed across 70% of the Australian mainland.
Decline-Habitat loss and invasive predators shrank territory to a small corner of WA.
Translocation-Ecologists carefully reintroduce adult quolls into protected sanctuaries.
Success-First pouch young discovered, proving the species is thriving and breeding.
Eventually, the quoll was completely wiped out across vast swathes of its original range. Today, wild populations survive only in small, fragmented pockets in the southwestern corner of Western Australia.
Reclaiming Ancient Country
To reverse this downward spiral, conservationists with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) initiated a bold reintroduction program at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, situated on the traditional lands of the Badimia and Widi people. The sanctuary had not seen a wild quoll population in generations.
Over recent months, field researchers carefully translocated a pioneer group of adult quolls into the predator-proof sanctuary, hoping the animals would adapt, hunt, and eventually establish a self-sustaining population.
The recent discovery of joeys—safe in their mothers’ pouches and nests—is the ultimate proof that the experiment is working.
“Through regular monitoring, we can see the quolls are doing well at the sanctuary, and encountering the first pouch young is a positive sign that they have adjusted to the new environment,” explained Georgina Anderson, Senior Field Ecologist with the AWC.
Meet Aang: The Sanctuary’s Most Famous Resident
While the emergence of the new generation is the biggest win for the team, individual quolls have already captured the hearts of field researchers. Among them is a particularly bold male named Aang, who has earned a reputation as the sanctuary’s resident character.
“One quoll that we’ve named Aang is a regular at camera traps we set up at the release sites,” Anderson shared. “He is one of our largest and most striking quolls with a personality to match—often making rounds of multiple sites to collect the chicken we use as lures and disrupting our bait canisters.”
Aang’s antics, alongside the discovery of the spiky newborns, offer rare and welcome good news in the world of wildlife conservation. As these young quolls mature and establish their own territories within the sanctuary, researchers hope Mt Gibson will serve as a springboard to eventually return the species to the wider Australian landscape.