Many of the world’s threatened species are considered ecosystem engineers due to the functional role they provide in landscapes, and the decline or loss of these species may have repercussions for ecological processes. Consequently, a natural assumption is that reintroductions of keystone species may assist in restoring ecosystem processes. Digging animals (bioturbators) are increasingly recognised as important contributors to nutrient cycling, soil health and vegetation composition, as they substantially disrupt and modify the ground’s surface by creating foraging pits and burrows or by movement through soil. We reviewed the conservation status of the world’s digging mammals and determined that nearly a quarter (22%) of the >3930 non-flying land-dwelling mammals can be considered bioturbators. Of this critical ecological group, 16% of species are threatened. Oceania – especially Australia – is the continent with the highest proportion of threatened (27%) and Extinct (11%) bioturbator mammals. Many of Australia’s threatened digging mammals, have been the focus of reintroduction programs, with at least 208 translocations of 24 species recorded, though few translocations have assessed the subsequent ecosystem impacts (or lack thereof). We synthesise how translocations of Australian digging mammals, especially bandicoots and bettongs, can influence ecosystem processes – including reducing fuel loads, soil nutrient availability, fungal and plant dispersal and recruitment, and potentially soil-carbon storage – and make recommendations for ecosystem monitoring when translocating digging mammals. We also explore how upscaling translocations of bioturbators could lead to ecosystem change.