Translocation of threatened marsupial, the dibbler, to Escape Island

19/10/98

The recovery of the threatened native marsupial, the dibbler, has taken a massive step forward with the translocation of 26 captive-bred dibblers to Escape Island, off the coast of Jurien Bay.

Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the historic translocation was the first dibbler translocation introduction under the State's wildlife recovery program Western Shield and the first since the dibbler, once thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in 1967.

"The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) has made significant in-roads into bringing native animals back from the brink of extinction by controlling the threat of foxes and cats," Mrs Edwardes said.

"Through the Western Shield program and a captive dibbler breeding program, run jointly with Perth Zoo and the Marsupial Co-operative Research Centre, CALM has made positive steps in bringing the dibbler back into abundance."

The Minister said four pairs of dibblers, from Boullanger and Whitlock Islands, were transported to Perth Zoo in 1997 to begin the captive-breeding program.

"Since the breeding program began, 10 females have given birth to 67 young and 48 new young were born this year in special air-conditioned breeding enclosures under the watchful eye of Perth Zoo staff.

"The success of the breeding program paved the way for a sufficient number of dibblers - nine males and 17 females - to be translocated to Escape Island to begin a new colony in the wild.

The Minister said Escape Island was chosen for the translocation because of its similar habitat to Boullanger and Whitlock islands and the absence of introduced predators.

"The 10.5ha Escape Island, like Boullanger and Whitlock, is found off the coast in Jurien Bay," she said.

"Its difficult access discourages people from using the island for leisure and recreation, therefore reducing the chance of fire and the introduction of weeds or pests.

"No threatened vertebrate animal or plant species have been recorded on Escape Island and there is also no record of exotic animals such as feral house mice, rabbits, cats or foxes that might pose a threat to young dibblers.

"These factors, along with the island's secure tenure, will ensure the introduced dibblers have the best chances possible of survival."

Mrs Edwardes said CALM zoologists would monitor the translocated dibblers through radio tracking devices and trapping sessions in the near future.

The dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, belongs to a family of small to medium-sized carnivorous marsupials, the dasyurids. Dibblers weigh between 40 to 100 grams and can be identified by their speckled fur and thick and hairy tail, a small pointed face, and a distinctive white ring around each black eye.

The females have a small pouch with eight nipples. Dibblers are agile climbers, and are a very fast moving animal - one has been known to travel more than 600m in less than half an hour. They feed on insects and often eat berries of bushes such as the ruby salt bush.

Media contacts: Ministerial Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777

CALM - Peter Manson 9334 0421