In Episode 6 of the Wildlife Ahead Podcast, James and Elysee are in South West Western Australia learning about how the world’s rarest marsupial became ‘un-extinct’.
Once plentiful in South-West Western Australia, the Gilbert’s potoroo was thought to be extinct for over a hundred years. Since their rediscovery by Western science in 1954, it has now gained the title of the world’s rarest marsupial, with only just over a hundred individuals.
James and Elysee head to Two Peoples Bay to speak to Leigh Whisson, a conservation biologist, who was there on the day of its rediscovery. He explains how the potoroo was able to be found, and protected because of the protection of another endangered species, the Noisy scrubbird.
To understand the early days, Dr Jackie Courtenay describes first working with the potoroos and trying to bolster their population.
The episode then follows Dr Tony Friend to a predator-free insurance population to survey Gilbert’s potoroo numbers. As they go through traps and find potoroos and collect data, Tony talks about translocation and threats.
Finally, Leigh and Jackie talk about the Gilbert’s potoroo Action Group and the importance of field volunteering, fundraising, and awareness raising to make sure the Gilbert’s potoroo recovers from its societal extinction.
Tune in to learn more about this rare marsupial’s journey from extinction.
Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
