An elusive carnivore that had been extinct across NSW for over a century is flourishing once more. In 2025, 94 captive-bred red-tailed phascogales were released into an 8,000-hectare, predator-proof sanctuary in the Mallee region.
The property’s manager, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, set up nest boxes around the property to house them. It also set up bait stations and motion-activated cameras to try to monitor their progress.
The species is notoriously hard to spot, but over four months, the presence of at least 22 individuals was confirmed at the Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary in the southwest of the state.
An ecologist monitoring their progress, Dr Rachel Ladd, said seeing so many was unexpected.
“We were stoked when we came across the first photo of a Red-tailed Phascogale, then the images just kept coming,” she said.
These detections confirm the species is surviving and adapting to the habitat, giving ecologists hope they could soon be breeding.
“This is a critical first step toward a self-sustaining population,” she said.
A red-tailed phascogale captured on motion sensor camera at the NSW sanctuary. Source: AWC
Why did the red-tailed phascogales vanish?
At around 60 grams, red-tailed phascogales weigh no more than your average chicken egg, but for thousands of years, they were formidable predators, devouring insects and spiders, as well as small birds and mammals.
They proved no match for European settlers, who bulldozed their woodlands and introduced feral cats and foxes.
Although once widespread across the mainland, wild populations are now restricted to Western Australia’s Wheatbelt and protected sanctuaries.
Working with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, multiple populations have been established at predator-proof facilities around the state.
Ensuring these groups can become self-sustaining is critical in preventing the extinction of the species.
A close-up of a red-tailed phascogale at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Source: Getty
(AFP via Getty Images)
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