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The mainland subspecies of Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, is now considered extinct in the wild. They are listed as Endangered federally.
Bandicoots were once widespread across grasslands and grassy woodlands of western Victoria and South Australia. By 1991, however, the subspecies was at the brink of extinction, primarily due to habitat loss (for agriculture and development) and predation by introduced foxes and cats.
A captive breeding program was established using Eastern Barred Bandicoots from the last known population at Hamilton. Since then, a coordinated Recovery Program has focused on captive breeding, habitat management and predator control. There are currently three small reintroduced populations of Eastern Barred Bandicoots.
Zoos Victoria coordinates the captive breeding program and so plays a key role in the recovery of this species through:
A 3.7 ha soft-release enclosure (i.e. a large protected, predator-proof enclosure containing natural habitat) at Werribee Open Range Zoo enables Zoo visitors to connect with Eastern Barred Bandicoots and their basalt plains environment.
Despite their ability to reproduce rapidly, Eastern Barred Bandicoot populations declined rapidly due habitat loss and predation by feral animals. The Recovery Program aims to minimise the probability of the extinction by establishing a self-sustaining reintroduced population.
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A new born Eastern Barred Bandicoot is almost the same size as a $2 coin or a 5c piece. By collecting some loose change you can help them through the development of a captive breeding and re-introduction program
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