Sometimes we get nice things \u2014 and marsupials get a miraculous, genetically engineered resurrection.<\/p>\n
Bandicoots, a group of tiny nocturnal creatures once declared extinct in Australia, are back from the brink and making strides toward life in the wild. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, conservationists released 100 eastern barred bandicoots onto Phillip Island, near Melbourne.<\/p>\n
These bandicoots were bred to be better equipped for survival through a world-first genetic rescue program, led by Odonata Foundation, Cesar Australia, and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, conservationists released 100 eastern barred bandicoots onto Phillip Island, near Melbourne, Australia Getty Images<\/p>\n
The recent release and breathless hope are a long time coming. <\/p>\n
Conservationists have been carefully breeding the bandicoots since 2004, growing the depleted population to a community of over 2,000. <\/p>\n
Their efforts have been supported by Amazon\u2019s Right Now Climate Fund, which invested $1.79 million to help restore populations of endangered species, including the largest-ever reintroduction of eastern barred bandicoots in the wild in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty years ago, these bandicoots were gone from mainland Australia. What makes their recovery incredible is the science behind it \u2013 a genetic rescue program which is science-backed, scalable, and transformative for conservation,\u201d said Michael Miller, spokesperson for Amazon\u2019s Right Now Climate Fund. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe same methodology could help save endangered animals all over the world,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Bandicoots are a veritable boon for the environment. Experts say that each year, a single bandicoot turns over roughly three tons of soil, supporting seed dispersal, water retention, and nutrient cycling, all while building flood and drought resistance in the land upon which they toil. <\/p>\n
Once flourishing across southeastern Australia, bandicoot populations have been decimated over the past two centuries by habitat loss, drought, and the introduction of predators such as red foxes and cats.<\/p>\n
Chief Operating Officer of the Odanata Foundation, Matt Singleton, releases the first eastern barred bandicoot at Conservation Hill Reserve. Getty Images<\/p>\n
By the late 1980s, only a scant 60 bandicoots remained in Australia. Discovered in abandoned cars and dumps, these survivors were taken into captivity for breeding while the species was declared extinct in the wild in 1991.<\/p>\n
Due to inbreeding, prior attempts to release descendants of these survivors into the wild have failed. Researchers explain that with a narrow mating pool, a genetic defect known as \u2018undershot jaw\u2019 emerged in the new population, making digging, grasping, and chewing food more challenging. <\/p>\n
To address this failure, the Odonata Foundation began breeding eastern barred bandicoot populations from mainland Australia with those from Tasmania. <\/p>\n
Breeding these distinct populations, isolated from one another for over 10,000 years, resulted in a more diverse and robust gene pool and more balanced sex ratios. <\/p>\n
Scientists specifically bred females with larger males to increase offspring size. <\/p>\n
By the late 1980s, only a scant 60 bandicoots remained in Australia. James D Morgan \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most powerful part of this story is genetic rescue,\u201d said Dr. Andrew Weeks, Director of Cesar Australia and Science Advisor to Odonata. <\/p>\n
\u201cThrough a world-first gene mixing approach, we\u2019ve built a fit, feisty bandicoot population with far greater genetic health and a much better chance of survival than their inbred predecessors\u201d.<\/p>\n
Beyond breeding, this new generation of bandicoots has been relocated to five different sites in Australia. This approach, known as the \u2018500-in-5 Species Recovery Model\u2019, ensures that animals are dispersed enough to remove the risk of being completely eliminated by a natural disaster. <\/p>\n
Over the next three years, bandicoots will be closely monitored through ongoing genetic testing to assess population stabilization.<\/p>\n
Beyond breeding, this new generation of bandicoots has been relocated to five different sites in Australia. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThe model itself is a first-of-its-kind in conservation, and we couldn\u2019t have done it without funding from Amazon\u2019s Right Now Climate Fund,\u201d explains Matt Singleton, Chief Operating Officer at the Odonata Foundation. <\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike traditional captive breeding programs, our approach produces resilient, fit, and adaptable populations that are genuinely primed for release beyond safe havens into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the blessed bandicoots, Amazon\u2019s Right Now Climate Fund is helping to protect and restore nine critically endangered Australian species, including eastern quolls, southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies, bush stone-curlews, and eastern bettongs.<\/p>\n
The investment is part of Amazon\u2019s broader efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss<\/a>. Climate Pledge is the company\u2019s commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.<\/p>\n