Native mammals return to New South Wales desert after century-long absence
Ecologists have reintroduced six species to Sturt National Park through the Wild Deserts project to restore the desert ecosystem.
Ecologists Rebecca West and Reece Pedler have seen the return of native mammals to a remote station in north-western New South Wales that had been absent from the region for more than 100 years, according to a Times of India report citing ABC Landline.
The Wild Deserts project, which began in 2016, involves a partnership between the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Ecological Horizons. The initiative aims to reverse damage caused by introduced predators and grazing animals.
The team established two fenced areas covering approximately 4,000 hectares to protect animals from rabbits, cats, and foxes. Since 2020, the project has reintroduced species including greater bilbies, crest-tailed mulgaras, Shark Bay bandicoots, golden bandicoots, western quolls, and burrowing bettongs.
Researchers have recorded survival and breeding among populations of bilbies, bettongs, golden bandicoots, and western quolls released into a 100-square-kilometre Wild Training Zone outside the protected enclosures.
The NSW Government and UNSW announced in June 2026 that they have extended their partnership for another 10 years. The next phase will focus on monitoring animal populations, improving predator management, and expanding reintroductions across larger landscapes.