ATTACHMENT B

Description of proposed action

Objectives and Purpose of Proposed action

  1. Re-establish a population of southern brown bandicoot within BNP by translocation from Forestry Corporation of New South Wales (NSW) estate into suitable habitat within BNP.
  2. Establish a monitoring program to evaluate the proposed translocation and long-term occupancy and abundance within BNP. A concurrent monitoring program run by Forestry Corporation of NSW will monitor the impact on the source population.

The principal justification for this translocation is that it re-establishes a population of southern brown bandicoots in an area where they were known to have historically occurred by taking individuals from a large and secure population, thereby reducing the risk of species extinction.

THE EQUIPMENT AND METHODS USED;

The project intends to translocate 15 southern brown bandicoots per year to BNP over a three year period for a total of 45 animals

The first stage of the translocation program is intended to occur over three months. It is proposed that 15 southern brown bandicoots within Nadgee, East Boyd and Timbillica State Forests will be removed in year one. Most likely from sites which have recorded the highest incidenceThe trapping operation at each site may take a maximum of four days using 50 wire bait suspension cradle-type cage traps (20 cm × 20 cm × 50 cm) belonging to BNP. Traps will be disinfected prior to transport to each site, meeting contemporary hygiene standards and reducing the risk of animal infection or soil borne pathogens including Phytophthora being spread. In order to minimise trapping and handling stress on these animals, the following steps will be taken:

  • Traps will be covered to ensure animals do not get wet if inclement weather occurs during the trapping period.
  • Bait in the trap will be edible and provide some sustenance for animals after capture.
  • Traps will be cleared by a team of experienced small mammal trappers at first light to minimise the amount of time that animals spend in the traps.

Animals will be manually restrained in a bag and anaesthetised using isoflurane delivered by a portable gas anaesthetic machine in situ. This is a safe and humane form of restraint, which allows animals to be examined quickly by an experienced wildlife veterinarian, X from the Taronga Conservation Society. This technique has previously been used on both long-nosed potoroos and southern brown bandicoots without any ill effect (Dexter unpublished data). Animals will receive the following checks:

  • General health; molar wear, presence of lesions on external genitalia, abdominal palpation, presence of skin lesions, respiratory function;
  • Pharyngeal swab;
  • Faecal samples; faecal egg counts and presence of Phytophoraspores;
  • Blood samples; Presence of Toxoplasmosis gondii antibodies, differential white blood cell counts

We propose removing 15 individuals from ten sites over approximately one month. We have selected a relatively high number of individuals to be removed compared to the earlier long-nosed potoroo translocation because bandicoot’s high rate of increase allows for a much higher harvest rate. Hone et al (2010) estimated that up to 66% of the population could be removed annually in perpetuity without driving the population extinct. Each animal will receive a pit tag and will have a small 5 mm sample of ear tissue taken and transmitter fitted. The bagged animals will be sedated with Valium and placed in custom made cardboard pet transportation boxes and driven the approximately four hour drive to BNP.This was an effective method with the recent translocation of the long nosed potoroo from state forests in Eden to BNP. We were able to undertake age, reproductive and health checks before translocating the animals back to BNP. This was achieved in one day to minimise the stress on the animals.

We will attempt to take a balanced sex ratio. Xwill examine each individual caught to assess its suitability for translocation to BNP. This will include not only the animals health and age but reproductive status The breeding season for the well studied population of southern brown bandicoots at Cranbourne, in Victoria, is from July to December but there is considerable variance in breeding season in southern Australia (Lobert and Lee 1990). We will aim to remove animals outside this period. If bandicoots eject pouch young they will be reinserted and the pouch covered with paper tape (Ikin 2013). Experience with long-nosed bandicoots has shown that animals with hairless pouch young are much more likely to retain their young than females with well haired young. Therefore, only females with hairless young will be selected for translocation.

Tissue samples will be collected from all animals translocated and all individuals born at BNP that are trapped. These samples will be used to monitor any loss of genetic diversity over time.

References

Hone J., Duncan R.,P, and Forsyth D., M,(2010). Estimates of maximum annual population growth rates (rm) of mammals and their application in wildlife management.Journal of Applied Ecology47, 507–514

Ikin K. (2013). ACT Management Plan for the Eastern Bettong Bettongiagaimardi

Lobert, B. And Lee, A. K. (1990).Reproduction and life history of Isoodonobesulus in a Victorian heathland.In: J.H. Seebeck, P.R. Brown R.L. Wallis, and C.M. Kemper, eds. Bandicoots and Bilbies. Page(s) 311-318. Sydney: Surrey Beatty and Sons.

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