Long-footed potoroos rise from the ashes

DELWP Hume natural environment programs officer Elizabeth Wemyss said the sightings were encouraging signs that long-footed potoroos were survivors and recovering well after the fires.

“It’s fantastic to see that the species are still in the landscape after the bushfires and it shows how resilient they are,” she said.

The cameras were fixed in locations for 21 days at sites near Dandongadale, Abbeyard, Mount Howitt and Harrietville to help determine the species’ ability to survive the bushfires.

To entice the endangered marsupial into the scope of the cameras, staff constructed bait stations filled with a mixture of peanut butter, golden syrup, oats and truffle oil.

“The cameras use heat-sensing technology that triggers an infra-red ‘flash’ when movement is detected around the bait station — capturing images of the rarely seen species,” Ms Wemyss said.

The cameras also detected other shy native species including the long-nosed bandicoot, multiple species of antechinus (small mouse-like marsupials) and 26 bird species.

“The data will now be used to help us better understand the impacts of fire on long-footed potoroos so we can take important steps to ensure their survival into the future,” Ms Wemyss said.

Long-footed potoroos are an endangered species found only in parts of north-east Victoria, far east Gippsland and south-eastern NSW.

The decline in their population can be attributed to introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats, bushfires and climate change.

The long-footed potoroo project is part of the Victorian Government’s $51.5 million Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program, which supports on-ground action to help species impacted by the 2019-20 summer bushfires.

The project is being delivered by DELWP, Forest Fire Management Victoria, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Taungurung Land and Waters Council and Parks Victoria.