2015 JULY - Report
Spots Newsletter #2
DOCUMENTARY ... RELEASED After two and a half years of very the FINE CUT as well as discussing how hard work, Alberto has released the collectively we can now focus our documentary Quolls Fast and Furious for attention on working together more w o r l d w i d e d i s t r i b u t i o n t h r o u g h urgently to help save the race gracilis of OffTheFence UK.
Spotted-Tailed Quolls from extinction.
Filming finished several months ago and the past few months has seen Alberto intensely working on editing the film, developing the script, finding a suitable narrator, adding the sound, music scoring and working on all required technical broadcast elements. A great success during this time was landing Charles Woolley, one of the most well known Australian journalists to narrate the documentary and Rob Hurry and Wayne Hurry donating their time and talent for the musical score of the production. The Australian Quoll Conservancy
Charles Wooley Image Source: Nine Network/60 Minutes
(AQC) is planning on officially launching the documentary locally and inviting those people that have participated in the evolution of the documentary to view
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Newsletter Snapshot • Documentary Update • Grants and Sponsors • Sightings • Minister meets AQC • AQC Victorian Arm • Projects • Sightings & Surveys • Western Quoll 2nd Release • AQC AGM
GRANTS & SPONSORS The AQC is delighted to announce that
running club that have made a donation
we have received our first grant as a
to the AQC to assist with our running
group from Cairns Regional Council
costs and Alan Kennedy who made a
(CRC) under its sustainability grants
substantial individual donation.
programme. The grant was awarded to
Without these generous and kind
the AQC from CRC to enable the AQC to donations, the work which we do would purchase motion sensor cameras in
be almost impossible. So we want to
order to conduct a survey of the
thank all those people, groups and
potential population and distribution of
companies that have sponsored or
spotted-tailed quolls (STQ) within the
donated to the AQC.
CRC boundaries. We want to thank you for giving your We are presently acquiring the cameras
money to an animal that has no voice
and as soon as we do, we will
and that needs urgent attention if it is to
commence a 6 month camera mapping
survive into the future. Your help is giving
survey. There will be opportunities for
this animal a chance. So thank you from
members and the community to
the bottom of the quolls hearts!!!!
participate in these surveys which largely involve bushwalking. The AQC is also pleased to announce that we are now receiving donations from the public to assist in our operating costs largely associated with camera survey work. We are thankful for all donations, no matter how large or small. We would like to particularly acknowledge Dynamic Running, a local
Pic: Luke Jackson from the AQC with from Lorraine Dynamic Running after pa brief presentation to thank them for their donation.
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AQC MEETS NEW QLD ENVIRONMENT MINISTER
collaborate to collectively work to save this Earlier in the year the AQC was fortunate to
critically endangered animal from extinction.
have a personal meeting with the QLD Minister for
We look forward to this collaboration and
the Environment, Dr Steven Miles – thanks to the
hopefully a long term working relationship across
help of our Local Member Rob Pyne who arranged
government and the private conservation sector to
the meeting.
deliver conservation outcomes to increase the
The meeting enable the AQC to advance our
population and distribution of these animals.
concerns about the STQ subspecies living in the far north. The AQC wanted to draw attention to the Minister that presently no work was being done by any government authority to monitor or protect this critically endangered species. The Minister wasn’t aware of the issue or its seriousness and hence invited the AQC to be part of the QLD governments “Back On Track” programme focusing on protecting endangered species. This involves the AQC participating in the development of a Conservation Management Plan for the spotted-tailed quolls (gracilis), which is listed as a high priority species for attention by the QLD govt. We h a v e m e t w i t h o f fi c e r s f ro m t h e Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) in Cairns and the Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) to discuss how we can collaborate to formulate the plan and also to deliver the plan. We were buoyed by the positive conversation and commitment by these groups to
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AQC ANNOUNCES ...
Quolls as potential dens. Once we had our sites selected we started surveying for prey species density, this included setting up spotlight transects and deploying motion sensor cameras to gather information on arboreal and terrestrial mammals. We
Again, some great news in the AQC
searched for large forest owls such as the Powerful Owl (Ninox
being approached by Brad Blake
strenua) as they are good indicators for STQ prey species such
from Victoria who is a passionate
AQC BRANCH
as possums and gliders.
wildlife biologist with extensive
We also searched for signs of pest animal species with the
experience in researching a
help of “Bidgi”- the cat/fox detection dog and spotlighting
range of quoll species as well
nights. We found that the Wombat State Forest has great forest
as a strong back ground in
structure with abundant potential den sites and prey species
knowledge of the Victoria’s
for STQ’s to exist, with very few pest animals. Feral cats and
quolls. Here’s a bit of a blog
foxes can be found on the forest fringes in low densities but
about Brad.
are rarely detected deep in the forest. Feral pig populations are
G’day AQC Members,
growing and could become a threat to the biodiversity of the
My name is Brad Blake, and I
Wombat State Forest and subsequently STQ future or present
am a passionate
distribution.
conservationist based in
We are now deploying
VICTORIA
Victoria, and have been
10 motion sensor
working with threatened
cameras and over
species over the last 6 years.
100 hair funnels in
I am extremely excited to
the hope of finding
have been given the
STQ’s. The last
opportunity to be the first AQC Victorian representative, and I look forward to working with the AQC and other organisations to halt the decline of Quoll species Australia wide. Spotted Tailed Quoll
confirmed
populations right across
record is from
Victoria, excluding far East
1992;
Gippsland are extremely
however
fragmented and declining at a
there have
rapid rate. We currently have a
been a few
research permit to investigate
unconfirmed
STQ’s distribution in Central
sightings within the
Victoria, and we will be
last 10 years, the most recent being 7 years ago. It would be a
surveying six forests over the
significant win to find Quolls inhabiting the Wombat State
next few years. The first area
Forest; however it is great to know that there is 70,000ha of
we are surveying is the
suitable habitat for a possible wild release in the future. A couple species of interest arose from our prey surveys,
Wombat State Forest, and at 70,000ha it is a biodiversity
these included the Eastern Pygmy Possum (Cercartestus
hotspot. Our initial task
nanus), which had not been sighted in the Wombat State
comprised of dividing the
Forest in 15 years, and also the Greater Glider (Petauroides
Forest into 400ha sites, and
volans), a favourite prey species for the STQ and a significant
then environmental
species in Victoria. We will continue to keep you all up to date with our
measurements were collected. In order to find suitable habitat,
progress in Victoria!! Brad Brad will provide us with regular updates about his
we looked for areas with good forest structure, hollow fallen
projects and the AQC in turn will support him in any way that
logs, hollow bearing trees,
we can. Congratulations Brad and welcome aboard.
wombat holes and anything else that could be used by
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AQC PROJECTS
Now that the AQC has received some funding and donations, we are better resourced to
S T C E J O R P & S G N I T H SIG S Y E V R U S
carry out our survey
on the
work. As mentioned previously, the AQC will be conducting
cameras.
a survey within the CRC area to establish the current population and distribution of spotted tailed quolls in this
Unusually, the rangers picked up quolls in the same areas
area. This will involve a programme of using sensor
as we deployed our cameras a few weeks later. This shows
cameras in the study area, including the following
how difficult it can be to obtain good data on these elusive
locations:
animals.
Wooroonooran National Park, Woopen Ck/Russell
On the northern quoll front, we have received four
River, Mt Bartle Frere, Mulgrave River, Mt Bellenden Kerr,
sightings of these quolls from across the northern coastal
Dinden National Park
half of QLD with two sightings coming in from Bowen, one
(Lambs Head), Lake
from Townsville and one from suburban Cairns.
Morris, Barron Gorge National Park. The Cairns quoll was found in a house at Bayview SIGHTINGS and
Heights an area where the AQC has recorded these animals
SURVEYS
several times in the past. This may mean that there is a
Over the past 6 months
localised population of northern quoll surviving in this
we have received several
suburb, as is believed to be the case in the Red Lynch
quoll sightings both locally
Valley.
and farther afield. We have received one spotted-tailed quoll sighting from the Bartle Frere area and several potential others from the Cardwell, Milla Milla and Tully areas. The QLD Parks rangers (Chris Roach) in the Misty Mountains have also picked up several shots over the past few months of an STQ on their cameras they use for pig monitoring. As a result of this, the AQC swung into action to assist the rangers in deploying cameras to ascertain data on the distribution of animals in this area. We were privileged to have Glen Kvassay join us, one of the original
Northern Quoll in a house at Bayview Heights. Courtesy of Rohan Pratt
founders of the
AQC visited the Jenolan Caves area in Central NSW in
Far North QLD
June after hearing of a successful fox baiting programme in
Quoll Seekers
the area and a successful reintroduction of Brush-Tailed
network.
Rock Wallabies to that part of the world. Coupled with this,
Unfortunately
there had been an increase in sightings of Spotted-Tailed
we didn’t pick
Quolls at Jenolan Caves. With the aid of a single sensor
up any quolls
camera which was placed in a drain under a road, CONT.
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CONT. AQC PROJECTS SIGHTINGS & SURVEYS CONT. several images of a Spotted Tailed Quoll were captured. STQ scats were found throughout the main open walkaways in the caves and other wildlife was abundant in the area, including brush-tailed rock wallabies, lyrebirds, platypus, swamp and red necked
Meanwhile, rain or shine, Alberto has been dedicating several days a week in the pursuit of anything quolls covering
AQC AGM
parts of the Misty Mountains following AQC initial visit, also at the Kirrama Range and a 3rd Mt Lewis visit, where finally several sightings occurred. Scott Burnett of the University Sunshine Coast, visited FNQ Quolls deploying over 20 cameras in Mt Edith & Kauri Road. AQC is eager to see Scott’s results by the end of July as previously the two attempts by AQC failed to reveal any presence of newer quolls or other existing populations.
The AQC has been an incorporated body for over 9 months now. The AQC is calling all members and invites interested people wanting to become members, to attend our upcoming inaugural Annual General Meeting. The meeting will be scheduled for late August/Early September at a venue to be confirmed. A short presentation will be given by co-founder Luke Jackson on quolls in the far north, followed by the administrative duties. I encourage everyone to come along.
wallabies and bandicoots. Unfortunately a black feral cat was also seen in the area, to which we reported this to National Parks who will endeavour to trap and remove the animal. The weather was also absolutely FREEZING. It was 7 degrees max in the day and minus 6 at night.
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WESTERN QUOLL on the come back A second release of western quolls has now occurred in south Australia, again with great success as shown in the article below by FAME.
approval given for the official translocation project to begin. On 6 May 2015 a second group of 37 adult quolls was brought in to swell the numbers of the new colony to over 100 animals, and the formal return of the Western Quoll to South Australia was celebrated. TO read more about this great project, see the following Link http:// fame.org.au/projects/western-quoll
Despite the ever-present threat of the feral cat, together we've established a growing population of Western Quoll in the Flinders Ranges for the first time in over 130 years. In the first ever return of the Western Quoll to part of its original range across 70% of the Australian mainland, 41 animals were translocated from Western Australia to South Australia in 2014 and established in the Flinders Ranges on a trial basis. The majority of these quolls survived, more than 60 young quolls were born, and most of those babies were safely raised by their brave mothers and have established their own territories. Based on these great results the trial release was deemed a success and
First Quoll Babies of 2015 | FAME The tiny pouch young of a Western Quoll. Photo courtesy Cassandra Holt.
Katherine Moseby with ‘Steve’, one of the original male western quolls released into the Flinders Ranges.
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OUR RANGERS ARE THE BEST !
Pictured: Chris Roach Innisfail QPWS The AQC would like to extend our deepest thanks to the
be much harder. Rangers across the region from Innisfail, to
local rangers in our region that support our important work.
Mossman, Atherton and Cairns representing parks including
We have developed very close working relationships with
Daintree, Mt Windsor, Mt Lewis, Dinden, Davies Creek,
several rangers.
Girringun and Wooroonooran National Parks, have all helped us
Their energy, interest, passion and support for our cause is
on numerous occasions. So the AQC would like to extend our
remarkable. We often call them and ask them for things and at
thanks to these rangers, you're a great bunch of people, thanks
the drop of a hat, they help us.
for your support and we look forward to continue working with
This support is critical to our operations. The work on the
you!!!!!!
ground doing the surveys and receiving assistance from the rangers in terms of sightings is one of the key parts of our conservancy.
NEWSLETTER
The rangers are always willing and happily help. They are great people who have a genuine interest in the future of this
sponsored by WildCAM Australia速
animal. We know that without their support, what we do would
www.wildcamaustralia.com
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