Gang finds unusually spiky creatures in nest
Researchers in Australia have achieved a major success in efforts to save the western quoll, a species that was on the brink of extinction. At the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, ecologists recently discovered a litter of newborn quolls, signaling that the species is thriving in the area.
Once widespread across Australia, western quolls had almost vanished after European settlement, now only found in small clusters in the southwestern corner of the country.
These marsupial carnivores, roughly the size of a cat, play a vital role in controlling populations of smaller animals.
Ecologists have been working to reintroduce them to Mt Gibson, and the birth of the baby quolls shows that the species has successfully adapted to its new environment.
One quoll, named Aang, has even become a regular visitor to camera traps, showcasing the animals’ positive adjustment. This discovery brings hope that the western quoll could once again thrive across Australia.
