World-wide deterioration in natural communities has led to an increased use of fauna translocations to improve species conservation status and assist in restoring ecological processes. However, few translocation programs have had the financial resources to undertake a large-scale operation involving several species and destination locations and with an appropriate level of management in place. As part of the additional conservation actions to mitigate the impact of the Chevron Australia Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) Project on Barrow Island Nature Reserve, translocations that would benefit threatened species conservation status, and restore ecological system function were identified and undertaken by DBCA. The initial translocation included a total of 825 individuals of four targeted mammal species (421 golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus barrowensis), 111 spectacled hare-wallabies (Lagorchestes conspicillatus conspicillatus), 105 Barrow Island boodies (Bettongia lesueur ssp.) 104 brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus)) and two species of small passerine birds (37 black and white fairy-wrens (Malurus leucopterus edouardi) and 47 spinifexbirds (Eremiornis carteri)). Animals were translocated to two mainland and three island release sites. Using medium- and longer-term translocation outcome criteria for assessments, all but one of the translocations have been successful. These translocations have fulfilled the conservation goal to establish additional self-sustaining populations of three species of threatened mammal and one species of threatened bird.

Translocation has been used as a conservation tool in Tasmania, Australia to assist in the recovery of the threatened ptunarra brown butterfly (Oreixenica ptunarra) by attempting to establish new populations within its historical range. O. ptunarra is endemic to Tasmania, where its numbers have declined in recent years, with localised extinctions of populations occurring at some sites. Translocations were trialled to counteract these local extinctions by establishing new, viable, self-sustaining populations within the species’ historical range. Gravid female butterflies and eggs were translocated to four experimental sites over a four-year period, with a new population being successfully established at one site. The successful translocation site was associated with a high flower richness, suggesting that nectar is an essential attribute for future translocation sites.

Reintroductions to re-establish populations within a species’ former range have become an increasingly important tool for the conservation of threatened species. Advancing our understanding of a reintroductions success or failure is necessary to improve future outcomes and it is therefore necessary to design reintroductions with consideration of key research questions.

The endangered mallee emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) is a tiny passerine endemic to the spinifex dominated habitat in southeastern Australia. The species was considered extinct in South Australia following a series of catastrophic wildfires in 2014 that swept through the last known areas of occurrence. In a now highly fragmented landscape, natural recolonization of these sites is not possible. Re-establishing an additional insurance population against potential wildfires in remaining populations has been a key conservation objective since this time.


As part of a multi-agency group, we investigated the potential of reintroductions as a conservation tool for mallee emu-wren and have identified the most appropriate methods. In 2018, we conducted two reintroductions, with releases designed to test key hypotheses. Key results include the pros and cons of releasing birds in either autumn or late winter, the influence of familiarity of release groups and trials of different marking techniques.

Reintroductions of the closely related southern emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) have been conducted previously with small founding populations and short translocation distances however, this is the first attempt at a reintroduction of this species. These findings can be implemented in reintroductions of other small threatened passerines.

Over the past three years a collaboration between Kenbi Traditional Owners and Rangers and University of Melbourne researchers has trialled the use of a novel conservation tool, targeted gene flow, for the endangered northern quoll. Northern quolls experience dramatic declines following the invasion of the poisonous cane toads, as the majority of quolls will attack cane toads and die. There are, however, a small number of quolls that are “toad-smart” – they possess a heritable trait that means they don’t attack toads. Targeted gene flow aims to promote these adaptive traits by introducing toad-smart individuals into northern quoll populations threatened by cane toads. In 2017, we released 54 toad-smart and toad-naïve northern quolls onto a toad-infested island to test targeted gene flow in a wild setting. The aim of the experiment was to monitor selection of toad-smart genes over time by taking genetic samples across multiple generations. Unfortunately over the next two years the population declined dramatically, making it difficult to infer selection. This talk will discuss the entire span of the project: from the theory and project design, to the factors that potentially contributed to the population collapse, as well as the inferences we were able to make. Although the population declined due to a likely combination to stochastic events (fire, cyclone, etc), the genetic results suggest toad-smart genes were promoting survival of quolls alongside toads. I will reflect on the difficultly in testing novel conservation tools with endangered species and suggest future ways forward for targeted gene flow.

Conservation translocations can help restore and or re-establish populations of threatened species. However, they can be expensive and risky to implement. Personality traits of individual animals may be a factor in determining translocation success. Traits such as bold/shy, reactivity/tameness, exploration/avoidance, aggressiveness and sociability have been linked to an individual’s response to predators, interactions with conspecifics and their ability to forage and find shelter. An understanding of how personality relates to survival and fitness is particularly relevant for the selection of animals for translocations. We explore whether personalities of captive-bred eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) can be quantified, and whether individual personality traits are associated with post-release survival and fitness. In May 2019, 40 quolls were released into an unfenced, predator managed environment at Booderee National Park, south-eastern Australia. Quolls were monitored intensively via radio tracking, cage and camera traps. Nine weeks later, 13 animals remained alive, 20 dead, and a further 7 unknown. Using pre and post release behavioural observations, we explore whether certain personalities of quolls are better suited to translocation in terms of survival, body weight, and breeding success. The selection of individuals with such traits could lead to increased survival of founders, and contribute to establishing a secure wild mainland population of eastern quolls.

Managing threatened plant species often requires making conservation decisions under limited information. A common decision that managers face is whether to manage a plant species where it is (in situ) or remove the remaining individuals for ex situ management. We created a decision tree to help managers compare ex situ versus in situ conservation management actions in terms of the expected utility, benefit, and cost-effectiveness of potential actions. Using this decision tree, we show thresholds at which each management action outperforms the others and describe these thresholds in management-relevant terms. These thresholds are driven by the relationship between the likelihood that the plant species becomes extinct with no action versus the likelihood that a viable ex situ population can be established and used for reintroduction. We illustrate the approach with a case study of an Australian species threatened by urban development (Croton mamillatus, Bahr’s scrub cotton), and show that for this species, the optimal course of action may be to create an ex situ population, which can be used for reintroduction if the population decreases in the wild. Our decision tree provides managers with a customisable tool to that enables transparent consideration of the best course of conservation action for these commonly data-limited decisions.

Two genetically-distinct management units of Leadbeater’s possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) are recognized, a highland population occupying a 70 x 90km region and an outlying lowland population. The latter is the last remnant of more widespread lowland populations that were eliminated through clearing for agriculture in the early 1900s. The last extant lowland population has undergone substantial declines and now contains fewer than 40 individuals. Recent genetic analyses reveal evidence of inbreeding depression. The limited extent of high quality habitat restricts our ability to recover this population. Severe ongoing habitat degradation is also occurring within occupied lowland habitat. A recovery model was developed based on two key initiatives: i. habitat restoration to increase the area of available habitat, and ii. captive-breeding to provide a source of animals to repopulate the restored habitat. Difficulties have been encountered with both steps. We present a revised recovery model implemented based on a series of translocations among highland and lowland sites, between extant populations, and to new unoccupied habitat. Habitat modelling coupled with camera trapping have been undertaken to evaluate potential translocation areas in north-eastern Victoria. The failure to find suitable habitat has prompted the search area to be expanded to include the Otways and Gippsland, sites beyond the species’ known range. The translocation strategy requires some acceptance of risk, albeit that is far outweighed by the risk of doing nothing which would result in extinction. A key learning from this recovery programme is that several recovery models should be applied concurrently rather than sequentially.