UNLIKE rumours of panthers and other big cats roaming around the Grampians National Park, Parks Victoria rangers have a second confirmed sighting of the almost-as-elusive spotted-tail quoll.
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It’s the second sighting in less than six months of the species, which is also known as a tiger quoll, which had been thought to be extinct in the area for more than 140 years.
The latest quoll was caught on remote cameras set up to monitor the brush-tailed rock wallaby population.
Parks Victoria ranger in charge Dave Roberts said they couldn’t confirm if it was the same quoll that was captured on camera in October last year.
“The image was captured from the same camera where the first quoll was pictured, so we know this quoll was travelling through the same part of the park where a quoll has been previously detected,” Mr Roberts said.
Spotted-tail quolls are endangered in Victoria, with the south-east Australian population listed as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list.
Monitoring program co-ordinator Ryan Duffy said the origin of the animal was still unknown, but signs were good for the success of the pest animal programs.
“We have been undertaking extensive fox control and other conservation works across this landscape for decades and we know those efforts are paying off,” he said.
“The Grampians ark fox control program helps the survival of threatened mammal species like the rock-tailed wallaby. The quoll has appeared in the area of the Grampians that has the least foxes, near the rock-tailed wallaby colony.
“In a time of fire recovery, it’s great to have these symbols of survival and resilience.”
Mr Roberts said the monitoring program had also shown the recent fire in the northern section of the park had not harmed the reintroduced brush-tailed rock wallaby population, with all animals accounted for.