Endangered Rodent Species Successfully Reintroduced to Victorian Park
Pooklia are small nocturnal rodents that had disappeared from Victoria for nearly 50 years until Melbourne Zoo stepped in to give them a fighting chance.
Thanks to a successful breeding program, an endangered rodent has been reintroduced to Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne after almost half a century.
The Pookila, also known as the New Holland Mouse, belongs to the Muridae family and is native to Australia. There are approximately 3,000 individuals in Eastern Victoria out of an estimated 8,000 nationwide.
For years, Melbourne Zoo and wildlife conservation park Moonlit Sanctuary collaborated to save the Pookila from extinction. Phoebe Burns, a native rodent biologist, expressed that this achievement was the result of dedicated conservation efforts over the years.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see the Pookila returning to the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne after almost 50 years,” she added.
Reasons for Extinction
Pookila are small rodents with grey-brown fur and a white or cream-colored belly. They are mainly nocturnal herbivores that feed on seeds, fruits, and vegetation. They inhabit various landscapes such as woodlands, grasslands, and heathlands in southern Australia.
Initially documented in the wild in 1843, Pookila disappeared until their rediscovery in Ku-ring-gai National Park near Sydney in 1967. They were first observed in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula in 1970. However, they are now classified as a vulnerable species and have disappeared from more than half of their known habitats.
Factors such as predation by red foxes and cats, along with drought, land clearing, bushfires, and the parasitic fungus Cinnamon fungus which infects their food sources, have led to their decline. Their population peaks a couple of years after bushfires or sand mining.
In October 2021, a single Pookila was spotted on Flinders Island, in North-Eastern Tasmania, marking the first detection on the island in 17 years.
Breeding Program
The breeding program was carried out in various locations to ensure genetic diversity. The Pooklia underwent a soft-release into fenced-off habitats at Cranbourne Gardens to acclimate to their new environment. The plan is to release them into the rest of the park in the coming months.
“The soft-release process allows the Pookila to adapt to their new surroundings, build burrows, and explore Cranbourne gardens while receiving protection and food,” Ms. Burns explained.
She added, “Once they are ready, we will allow them to fend for themselves while closely monitoring their progress.”
The diverse flora of Cranbourne will provide a conducive environment for the rodents to thrive, and predator-proof fencing will safeguard them from cats and foxes, as stated by Ricardo Simao from the gardens.
