Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Mt Gibson Sanctuary is the site of a mammal restoration project involving translocations of nine critical weight range mammals into a feral predator-free fenced area. A major component of justifying and planning for these conservation translocations was determining whether the habitat of the destination environment was suitable. However, Australian mammals have contracted from most of their historical ranges and therefore the habitat assessments were based on the species’ refugial range. An annual survey using remote cameras has been used to monitor changes in site occupancy and activity in the reintroduced species at Mt Gibson since 2018. The data from this camera array has allowed us to determine which habitat types were actually used by the reintroduced species. Habitat use by four of the five species effectively monitored via the camera array did not follow predicted habitat suitability. These results suggest that habitat suitability assessments based on a species’ refugial range may have limited utility for decisions on whether a reintroduction to a particular area should proceed. Rather, information on historical ranges, prior to European settlement, and direct observations of habitat use by translocated populations, where available, may have more value for informing planned reintroductions. The suitability of a conservation translocation could be better gauged with a comprehensive assessment of the risks that may threaten initial and long-term survival at the destination environment.