Yuppie bandicoots of inner western Sydney – in

hiding or urban renewal?

Tanya Leary1, Alan Kwok1, Ben Khan2 and Paul Ibbetson2
Parks and Wildlife Division, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water
1
PO Box 95 Parramatta, NSW 2124. [email protected]
2
PO Box 461 Rose Bay, NSW 2029

Long-nosed bandicoots Perameles nasuta were thought to have disappeared from inner western
Sydney by the mid to late 1960s. This paper documents recent (2002-present) records of long-nosed
bandicoots in the urban areas of inner western Sydney, including carcases (n=7), animals live-trapped
or observed by us (n=7), and reports from the public (n=35). We also surveyed for bandicoot
diggings in 88 urban parks and found 12 which contained possible diggings. Most of these records
are concentrated in the suburbs of Dulwich Hill, Marrickville, Lewisham, and Petersham in an area of
less than 1.9 km by 1.1 km (approximately 95 ha) in the local government area (LGA) of Marrickville,
ABSTRACT

but when other scattered records are included, come from an 8.5 km x 6 km area in the LGAs of
Ashfield, Canada Bay, Canterbury, and Leichhardt. A pilot radio-tracking study of two adult females
found that they foraged almost exclusively in urban backyards and nested by day under old buildings.
One female provided enough data for home range analysis, and had a home range of 2.7 ha (MCP)
or 1.47 ha (KL95%); the core home range (KL50%) was only 0.16 ha. There were no signs that either
individual avoided activity during peak hour traffic, although they often did not come out to forage
for a whole night, or only foraged for a few hours within a night. We suggest that this might be a form
of predator avoidance behaviour since feral and domestic cats were common in the area, and/or that
they are able to obtain sufficient food in the short times they are active. We also speculate on the
origins of these animals.

Key words: long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta, urban, radio-tracking, home range, diggings

Introduction
The long-nosed bandicoot Perameles nasuta is probably Head population has been estimated to be around 100
the most common and widespread bandicoot in eastern animals (NSW Scientific Committee 1997, Banks 2004).
Australia, and it is one of the few bandicoot species that To the south of the harbour, long-nosed bandicoots are
have not fared too badly since European settlement known from Royal and Heathcote National Parks and
(Ashby et al. 1990, Dickman and Stodart 2008). The long- Holsworthy Army Base (National Parks and Wildlife
nosed bandicoot was abundant throughout the Sydney Service 2000). These areas still maintain extensive tracts
region until the 1960s (Marlow 1962). A previous resident of native vegetation. Inner western Sydney on the other
of the inner west reports that bandicoots were common in hand, has virtually no remnant vegetation with the
backyards of the suburb of Dulwich Hill until around 1958 exception of a few pockets along the Cooks River and the
and along the Cooks River towards Rockdale until around rail corridors, and most of these are either weed infested
1964, but from that time on they became increasingly or mangroves.
rare. By the 1970s they were thought to have disappeared
from all of inner western Sydney. Long-nosed bandicoot To the west of Sydney, long-nosed bandicoots are known
populations still occur in the leafy suburbs north of the from Blue Mountains National Park, but appear to have
harbour where pockets of remnant bushland remain, all but disappeared from the Cumberland Plain. During
and are still relatively common in suburbs that abut the four years of intensive fauna survey in western Sydney
larger national parks to the north of Sydney (see Figure NPWS reserves, only one long-nosed bandicoot was
1). North of Sydney Harbour, long-nosed bandicoots still detected from spotlighting and one by trapping, both
occur in Ku-ring-gai Chase, Garrigal, Sydney Harbour in Agnes Banks Nature Reserve (T. Leary unpublished
(North Head), and Lane Cove National Parks, Manly data). Diggings however, were observed in two other
Dam, and Pittwater LGA (National Parks and Wildlife reserves – Windsor Downs and Mulgoa Nature Reserves
Service 2000, NPWS Wildlife Atlas records). The long- (T. Leary unpublished data). The survey effort in western
nosed bandicoot population at North Head was the Sydney reserves included approximately 18,000 trap
second endangered population listed under the NSW nights, 12,000 hair-tube nights and over 60 hours of
Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW Scientific spotlighting, so failure to detect them was not from lack
Committee 1997). Specifically, the determination was of survey effort (T. Leary unpublished data). The nearest
made on the basis that it is a disjunct population and known population in western Sydney is at Yarramundi
one of the few surviving populations within the Sydney at the base of the Blue Mountains, around 3 km from
Region (NSW Scientific Committee 1997). The North Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.

Pp415 - 425 in The Natural History of Sydney, edited by Daniel Lunney, Pat Hutchings and Dieter Hochuli.
Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, NSW, Australia. 2010
 Leary et al.

Figure 1. NPWS Wildlife Atlas records of long-nosed bandicoots around Sydney since 1988. Dark shaded areas
represent protected areas. Pale grey lines represent major roads. Dark fine lines are major rivers and the lines with cross
hair represents the rail line. Dots show Atlas records and squares show all records (diggings, public reports, sightings
and radio-tracking) in the inner west.

416 The natural histor y of Sydney

 Yuppie bandicoots of inner western Sydney

We were therefore very surprised when, in October 2002, a Pilot radio-tracking study
report from a local resident resulted in the capture of an adult
When we became aware of a small population of
male long-nosed bandicoot in an urban backyard in Dulwich
between four and seven animals on a church property
Hill, just off one of Sydney’s major roads (New Canterbury
in Lewisham, we fitted two adult females (weighing
Road). Despite removal of this individual from the backyard,
990 g and 750 g) with tail-mounted radio-transmitters
fresh diggings appeared the next morning, suggesting that
(Sirtrack two-stage transmitters, New Zealand), to
there was at least one other animal. We returned this
gain insight into their activity and habitat use and to
bandicoot to the backyard and began investigations to try to
try to determine whether or not the rail corridor was
determine the origins of these animals.
an important foraging area. The transmitters weighed
In 2003 we trapped and hair-tubed along the rail corridor approximately 9.5 g, which represented <1% and 1.3%
at Dulwich Hill but caught only black rats Rattus rattus and of the body weight of females 1 and 2 respectively
house mice Mus musculus. We also issued a press release and were attached using paper hypo-allergenic sports
asking the public to inform us if they had any strange tape. Animals were tracked on foot during August
diggings in their backyards. On inspection, most of the and September 2007 using a Yagi three element
initial reports from the public were found to be rat burrows antenna and either a TR-2 receiver (Telonics, Mesa,
(although a few we tentatively identified as possible Arizona, USA) or an Australis 26k scanning receiver
diggings). We found no further traces of bandicoots until (Titley Electronics, Ballina, NSW). One animal was
November 2006 when we received the first long-nosed tracked for four nights (over a nine day period) before
bandicoot carcass killed by a car in Dulwich Hill. A series she dropped her transmitter, and the second female
of dead animals turned up over the next 12 months in was tracked for four consecutive nights, and then
inner western Sydney. This paper presents the data we intermittently for a further three nights and to her
have to-date and describes the methods that we have day-time nest a further eight times over the following
used to try to determine whether or not there really is a three weeks. We obtained between five and nine fixes
population of bandicoots in the inner west. on these nights, and fixes were no less than one hour
apart. Day-time nests were located on a total of five
Methods and 15 days for animals 1 and 2 respectively. This
gave a total of 13 and 45 fixes (including the trap
Carcases, public reports, and urban park location) for females 1 and 2 respectively. Locations
survey for diggings were triangulated from known points. We calculated
We collated all records (carcasses, trapped animals, the home range area for the single animal for which we
public sightings, and results of a digging survey) of long- had enough data (female 2) using both the fixed kernel
nosed bandicoot in the inner west made between 2002 method (KL) and minimum convex polygon (MCP)
and the present. This includes information forwarded using Arc View 3.3 software (Environmental Systems
from the public in response to two media releases Research Institute, Redlands, California, USA) and the
(November 2002 and September 2007). Many of the Animal Movement SA Version 2 extension of ArcView
reports from the public were of diggings, and these (Hooge and Eichenlaub 1997). The 95%KL estimate
were difficult to confirm as the diggings were often no was defined as the home range and the 50%KL was
longer present when we inspected, and many that were defined as the core usage area.
still present turned out to be rat burrows. Descriptions
of sightings made by residents of live animals were Results
impossible to verify without photographs or carcasses,
and many photos / carcasses that were available were Bodies, public reports and urban park survey
of black rats. Nonetheless we have included possible for diggings
sightings when we could not exclude them as rats.
Figure 3 shows the locations of the live and dead
In September 2007 we searched every local park and bandicoots, and reports from the public. Seven live
recreational area from the Cooks River to West Concord animals have been confirmed from trapping (n =
(Figure 2). The north-western boundary was chosen 2 adult + 1 sub-adult females; 2 adult males) with
because we had an unconfirmed report of a small a further two individuals of unknown sex observed
population of long-nosed bandicoots at the repatriation (all in the suburbs of Dulwich Hill and Lewisham).
hospital on Major’s / Yaralla Bay in the 1990s (J. Sanders, Seven dead adult/sub-adult bandicoots have been
DECCW, pers. comm. 2007). We reasoned that if confirmed from the suburbs of Dulwich Hill (1 male +
bandicoots had dispersed from that area, the parks, the 2 decomposed of unknown sex), Lewisham (1 male + 1
water canal and the railway corridor would make a likely female), Marrickville (1 male) and Five Dock (1 male).
dispersal route. The southern boundary was chosen to Two additional reports of dead bandicoots (Petersham -
incorporate another potential source area for animals - the 1, Five Dock - 1) may represent double reporting of the
Cooks River, which according to a local resident was once carcases we collected from these suburbs. The cause of
known to support bandicoots. We visited 88 urban parks death of the carcasses we examine were: vehicle impact
and if they had shrub cover or other potential refuge areas (4), mauling by domestic dog in an urban backyard
(such as easy access to old buildings) they were searched (1), and probably fox predation (although dogs or cats
on foot (a total of 50 parks) for signs of digging. cannot be ruled out) (2). The reports from the public

The natural histor y of Sydney 417

 Leary et al.

Figure 2. Area searched for bandicoot diggings showing urban parks searched. The boundary of the search area is shown
by a wide grey line. Diagonal hatching shows parks that were inspected on foot where no diggings were found. Stippled
areas show those parks inspected from the vehicle and deemed not to have suitable habitat. Solid black shapes show
parks in which “possible diggings” were found and are identified by name where known. Dashed grey lines show local
government area boundaries. Solid black lines show major roads, grey solid lines show drainage and lines with cross
hairs represent the rail line. The inset shows the search area in relation to the Sydney Central Business District (CBD).

418 The natural histor y of Sydney

 Yuppie bandicoots of inner western Sydney

Figure 3. Location of carcases, live animals, and reports from the public. Solid circles indicate animals trapped or radio
tracked (animals radio-tracked are shown by a single dot in the vicinity of the church property for simplicity). Crosses
indicate bandicoot carcases (solid crosses are confirmed records and open crosses are unconfirmed records). Squares
indicate locations of diggings. Solid squares show parks where “possible” diggings were recorded by us, and open squares
indicate reports of diggings from the public. The question marks indicate unconfirmed sightings reported by the general
public. Dashed grey lines show local government area boundaries. Solid black lines show major roads, solid grey lines
show drainage lines and lines with cross hairs are the rail line.

The natural histor y of Sydney 419

 Leary et al.

that appear likely to be bandicoot diggings or sightings Nights 3 to 5

have come mostly from the suburbs of Dulwich Hill On night 3 she foraged in the garden beds and lawns
(8), Marrickville (5), Petersham (10), Lewisham (3), of the church property until 4:00am, at which time she
Five Dock (3), and Annandale (2). There are also was observed to cross the road and enter the garden of
single reports from the suburbs of Leichhardt, Enmore, a Federation-aged house, under which she nested for the
Tempe, Lilyfield and Balmain, but as the diggings were day. No radio-tracking was conducted for the next two
no longer present when we inspected, we were unable nights.
to confirm that these were not made by rats.
Night 6 to 9
Table 1 shows the number of parks searched in each
local government area. We observed pied currawongs On the sixth night we were unable to find her at her last
Strepera graculina making “conical diggings” in loose known location. After 4 hours of systematically searching
mulch similar to bandicoot diggings. These “bandicoot- the streets her signal was picked up in the yard of another
like” diggings were made if the pied currawong was Federation terrace approximately 420 m from her original
successful in retrieving larvae with a single peck. location, and on the other side of the railway line. We
Consequently we cannot say with certainty that the inspected under the house the following day, and she
diggings we have observed are definitely bandicoot appeared to be nesting in a crawl space that we could
diggings, so we have labelled these as “possible” not access. While we were under the house the signal
diggings. “Possible” diggings were recorded in 12 parks direction changed, indicating that she may have moved
in five LGAs (Figure 2). next door or into another inaccessible crawl space. Three
days later the signal was still coming from that location,
Collectively the reports from the public and the parks and we believe she dropped her transmitter in a space we
where “possible diggings” were recorded during survey could not reach. The transmitter was pulsing at 60 ppm
cover an area of 3,209 ha (calculated as a minimum rather than the 80 ppm that it should be pulsing at in
convex polygon) approximately 8.5 km by 6 km, in motionless mode. We initially thought that this may have
five LGAs. However, most of the records confirmed been an interference signal from an unidentified source;
by live animals and carcasses (excluding the carcass at however the signal was no longer detected in March 2008
Five Dock) lie in a smaller core area of around 95 ha, (when the battery would almost certainly have been flat).
(approximately 1.9 km by 1.1 km) lying within a single
LGA - Marrickville. In total, female 1 used three different nest sites under
three buildings.
Radio tracking
At the church property where the animals were trapped Female 2
for radio-tracking, we discovered that at least two We tracked female 2 intermittently over a month, during
residents of the retirement village were leaving out food which time she spent the majority of her time foraging in
for the bandicoots. How this impacts the radio-tracking the church property (Figure 4). On several occasions she
study is uncertain. was active as early as 18:00, which was only half an hour
after sunset. However, on some nights she either did not
Female 1 come out to forage or only foraged for an hour or two.
Nights 1 and 2 This was often followed by a full night of foraging. She
For the first two nights, female 1 remained in her nest, made three small excursions foraging in the backyards
which was underneath an old hospital building on the of different houses and a local park in adjacent streets
church property. The nesting area was underneath a (Figure 4).
concrete staircase which she accessed through a crack Most days she nested under the same old hospital building
approximately the size of half a brick. Underneath the in the church property as female 1, but in a different
staircase was open to a space that could be entered by section. She also nested under at least three other old
us, except for the lowest step, which only had a small buildings of either Federation or 1930s age in adjacent
opening (roughly 30cm in length). The lowest step was streets. Her home range was estimated to be 2.7 ha and
essentially a hollow concrete rectangle and contained 1.47 ha using the MCP and 95%KL method respectively.
her nest, which was a shallow depression lined with The core usage area 50%KL was considerably smaller at
shreds of vegetation. 0.16 ha (Figure 4).

Table 1. Urban parks searched in each local government area for diggings.
Parks have no Parks checked but Parks with Total number of
Local Government Area
suitable habitat no diggings “possible diggings” parks checked
Ashfield 7 2 4* 13
Canada Bay 24 20 2 46
Canterbury 5 8 2 15
Leichhardt 0 1 2* 3
Marrickville 3 9 3 15
(Note: * One park lies in two local government areas).

420 The natural histor y of Sydney

 Yuppie bandicoots of inner western Sydney

Figure 4. Radio-tracking fixes and home range of female 2. Solid circles show radio-tracking fixes of animals whilst active
and triangles show nest sites. The diagonal hatched area shows home range area as a MCP. The light grey shaded area
shows the KL95% and the dark grey area shows the KL50% (core use area).

The natural histor y of Sydney 421

 Leary et al.

We retrieved her shed transmitter from the main nest. were feeding meat to the bandicoots. Supplementary
This was the most frequently used nest and was in a feeding often results in contraction of home ranges
crawl space, which she accessed via a small hole in the (Boutin 1990), although supplementary feeding of the
brick-work. The nesting area was in a relatively open southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus resulted in
sub-floor space, roughly 5 m wide by 10 m in length, an expansion of home range (Broughton and Dickman
filled with old building material and loose soil. The 1991). Clearly, more animals need to be radio-
nest itself was underneath a piece of circular spongy- tracked to determine whether the home range area
plastic-mesh, covered by loose dirt. One end of the and habitat use is representative of other long-nosed
mesh was embedded into the soil, while the other bandicoots within the inner west.
served as an entrance. A kidney-shaped scrape was Since writing the first draft of this paper, the NSW
dug underneath the mesh roughly 20 cm at its deepest Scientific Committee made the final determination
and 25-30 cm at its longest and widest. In total she listing the long-nosed bandicoot Perameles nasuta
used four different nest sites during the 15 days that Geoffroy, 1804, in inner western Sydney as an
she was tracked to her nest. endangered population (NSW Scientific Committee
2008). Under this determination, the population was
Discussion defined as occurring within the Local Government Areas
Our radio-tacking study suggests that, like yuppies, of Marrickville and Canada Bay, “with the likelihood
these bandicoots seem to like old buildings in need of that it also includes Canterbury, Ashfield and Leichhardt
renovation. They appear to be foraging primarily in LGAs”. The primary reasons for this listing include the
backyard gardens and urban parks, and we found no disjunct distribution of the animals in the inner west,
evidence from radio-tracking that these bandicoots the inferred number of mature individuals being low,
are using areas such as the rail corridor for shelter or and significant threats to the bandicoots resulting from
dispersal. We had initially hypothesised that the rail existence in a highly urbanised environment (vehicle
corridor would be important for nesting as they are the collisions, and predation by cats, dogs, and foxes).
only places that had dense vegetative cover, which is The origin of the inner west bandicoots and
preferentially used by bandicoots at North Head, even
if comprised of introduced plant species (Chambers threats to the population
and Dickman 2002). Our preliminary radio-tracking In total, we have confirmed seven dead animals and
data suggest that such cover may not be as important seven live animals. There is a number of possible
as we first thought, provided there are buildings that explanations for the presence of these animals in
have external access (cracks and holes) to the sub- the inner west. Firstly, they could represent animals
floor space. It also seems that they can find adequate dispersing from “good habitat” elsewhere into a “sink”
food in urban backyards (possibly supplemented by where some animals may temporarily establish a territory
food from local residents) and are not reliant on (and perhaps even reproduce) before being killed (by
remnant vegetation for foraging. This is supported cars, dogs, cats, foxes or rat poison). If this is true, it
by the fact that all of the animals that we examined would suggest that the inner west long-nosed bandicoot
were heavy and appeared healthy (including those population is not a self-sustaining population in the long-
carcasses that we autopsied). The extensive use made term and/ or that there is a larger population not too far
of garden beds and grassed backyards by the animals away. However, we have been unable to determine the
radio-tracked is in keeping with microhabitat use at location of any source population. The nearest known
North Head where they preferentially and extensively populations are separated by the Georges River and
used open grassed areas for foraging at night (Scott Botany Bay to the south (Holsworthy Army Base – 19
1995, Scott et al. 1999). km, and Royal National Park - 20 km); or separated by
Since the majority of the confirmed records are within the Parramatta River or Sydney Harbour to the north
700 m of the rail corridor, its role in dispersal should (Lane Cove National Park- 11km, and both North Head,
not be discounted despite lack of evidence from radio- Sydney Harbour National Park and Garrigal National
tracking and our trapping efforts. The rail corridor Parks- 15 km); or are a long way west through extensive
forms a relatively continuous strip of dense vegetation urban environments (Yarramundi – 53 km).
(albeit largely of weeds) which may provide a less Yaralla / Major’s Bay, initially suggested as a possible
hostile environment for dispersal, and the discovery source, did not reveal any signs of bandicoots during
of two dead bandicoots and signs of diggings (this our searches. We did record “possible” diggings in
study; AMBS 2007) suggest that at least some use is two small parks on the Cooks River, but the area
made of it. of diggings was not extensive, so it is unlikely that
The home range estimate for the single female for this is the location of a source population. Since
which we had enough data was similar (at least using our search we have received unconfirmed reports of
the 95%KL method) to that found for long-nosed diggings in Lilyfield and Balmain. We recommend
bandicoots at North Head (1.7 ± 0.2 ha) (Scott that our search area be expanded to incorporate
1995, Scott et al. 1999). The core-use area was these areas, particularly Callan Park. The search area
much smaller (0.16 ha), which may have been partly should also be expanded to include further east along
because at least two residents in the retirement village the Cooks River, and further south along Wolli and

422 The natural histor y of Sydney

 Yuppie bandicoots of inner western Sydney

Bardwell Creeks. Cursory searches of parts of Wolli the 45 females could produce 197 young each six
Creek by the first author had yielded no signs of months, although juvenile mortality probably always
bandicoots and recent survey work there (Department exceeds 75% (Puddephatt and Miller 1996, Scott et
of Environment and Climate Change 2008) found no al. 1999, Banks 2004). Juvenile bandicoots disperse
signs of bandicoots. widely from their mother’s home range (Cockburn
The second explanation for the presence of these 1990) and long-range movements of re-introduced
animals is that they are indeed part of a self-supporting bandicoots have been recorded. For example, 85%
population that is either newly established or a remnant of golden bandicoots Isoodon auratus dispersed up to
population that has persisted from the 1950s in low 4 km within the first week of release (Christensen
numbers and has recently become more abundant and Burrows 1994) and western barred bandicoots
(hence deaths of animals and diggings in backyards Perameles bougainville moved up to 4 km within one
are more noticeable). It is clear from radio-tracking year of release (Richards 2006). It is therefore feasible
that bandicoots can find both shelter and adequate that long-nosed bandicoot progeny from a single pair
food in this area, and that most people were unaware of animals could have dispersed over the 8.5 km x
when bandicoots were nesting under their homes, so 6 km area of our records. One of the females that
it is possible that bandicoots could have remained we radio-tracked had previously bred, but we do
undetected for many years. It is also possible that a not known whether she bred where she was caught
remnant bandicoot population could have persisted at or elsewhere. The younger female although of adult
some of the industrial sites in the inner west (such as size, had not yet bred and could have feasibly been
the flour mills and old warehouses) that have recently her daughter. Residents of the church property report
been re-developed as high density housing, and may seeing an adult (which they presumed to be a female)
have been pushed out as a consequence of these with three offspring as early as Easter 2006.
re-developments. For instance, the trapping of the first Levels of mortality of animals in the inner west seem to be
bandicoot in a backyard was not far from, or long after, high (seven dead animals in a 12 month period). Unless
the re-development of a flour mill complex in Dulwich there is a more secure source population, the prognosis
Hill which lies adjacent to the rail corridor. for the inner west population is probably bleak. The
If long-nosed bandicoots have managed to persist in endangered long-nosed bandicoot population at North
the inner west, it raises the question of why they have Head sustains mortality from collision with vehicles
not been able to persist in outer western Sydney? This of around 5.25 animals per six months (Banks 2004),
may relate to the differences in the scale and time frame although true adult mortality was considered double
of urban development in the two areas and the type that since some animals may have crawled away from
of houses constructed. In the inner west, suburbs are roads to die, and were consequently undetected. Long-
characterised by a mix of different aged housing. Whole nosed bandicoots at North Head have been found to be
suburbs or large areas were not necessarily all developed extremely sensitive to even small increases in mortality
at once, so vacant blocks may have been interspersed (e.g. 1, 4 and 6 additional deaths per annum increased the
with houses for periods of time. In contrast, much of the probabilities of the populations’ extinction within 20 years
outer west has been characterised by the development from 10% to 15%, 24%, and 32% respectively) (Banks
of entire new suburbs in a relatively short space of time. 2004). Mortality rates of 25% were enough to drive a
The prevalence of cement slabs and the lack of cracks population of 150 eastern barred bandicoot Perameles
or missing bricks which offer access to sub-floor spaces gunnii to rapid extinction at Hamilton (Minta et al. 1990,
in the outer west may have meant that as suitable Clark et al. 1995).
shelter (dense remnant vegetation) was lost there were There is no evidence that the inner west bandicoots are
no alternative sub-floor shelter opportunities available avoiding the busiest traffic periods to reduce the risk
for bandicoots, unlike the inner western suburbs where of vehicle collision – both reports from residents and
sandstone footings and aging brickwork offer many our radio-tracking data show that the bandicoots are
opportunities for under-house access. often active at or shortly after dusk in an extremely busy
Another possible source for the inner west bandicoot traffic area less than one block from Parramatta Road.
population is that these animals have been released by Our radio-tracking data did show that on some nights
a mischievous person, or inadvertently escaped from a the animals remained in the nest or only foraged for a
wildlife carer. We have checked with all the major wildlife few hours. This may be a predator avoidance strategy as
rescue and rehabilitation organisations in this area, and the inner west and the church property where we radio-
none report any escapes of bandicoots or in fact carers tracked in particular have high numbers of cats, some
looking after bandicoots. We think that this is the least of which are feral. Maintaining these bandicoots may
likely explanation since fourteen animals seems too many depend upon encouraging responsible pet ownership,
animals for a person to illegally obtain or inadvertently particularly keeping cats and dogs in at night, and
release, although it is theoretically possible that all of perhaps instigating traffic calming measures and signage
these bandicoots are offspring from a single pair. to reduce the likelihood of death by vehicle impact.
Banks (2004) found that increases in traffic flow and
Long-nosed bandicoots are extremely fecund. For adult mortality would have a far greater impact on
example, at North Head around 85% of females bandicoot persistence at North Head than would small
breed each year and it has been estimated that changes in habitat area.

The natural histor y of Sydney 423

 Leary et al.

Further research automated digital infra-red surveillance cameras may

provide some insight into the use of areas such as the
Apart from what is reported here, we know nothing else
rail corridor by bandicoots, having been successfully
about the animals living in the inner west. NSW Scientific
used to detect bandicoots in south-eastern Australia
Committee (2008) highlights the need for further research
with scent attractants such as truffle oil (David Paull,
to determine the distribution of the population, and we
UNSW@ADFA, pers. comm.). Use of these cameras
have outlined above, additional areas that we recommend
may also aid verification of diggings in backyards and
be searched for signs of bandicoots.
help to clarify the distribution of the population.
At present we have no idea whether there is a focal
Lastly, we recommend that tissue samples (e.g. ear
area for this population on publicly owned land, nor
punches) be taken from any further animals located, to
whether the vegetated rail corridor and water canals
enable genetic studies to be undertaken. Such studies may
are of importance for foraging or dispersal. A more
help clarify how closely related the inner west population
detailed understanding of the use of these areas is
is to other more distant populations (e.g. the North Head
needed to determine whether measures other than
endangered population) and also whether the animals are
those outlined above (e. g. traffic calming devices and
descended from a single pair.
responsible pet ownership) might be needed to ensure
the conservation of the population. Given that the We will continue to try to answer some of the questions
majority of records are on private property and the raised here, and are seeking further information (including
population appears to be at low density, obtaining historical information) from the public about bandicoots
an estimate of population size, distribution and more in inner western Sydney. Any information should be
general habitat use is problematic. However, use of forwarded to the first author.

Acknowledgements
This research was carried out under NPWS Scientific from Marrickville Council for passing on additional
license No: S10317 and DECC Animal Ethics sightings and digging reports to us, and Richard Wells
Committee research authority No: 070514/01. We for providing historical information on bandicoots
would like to thank Kaiya Donovan for checking out in the inner west. The comments of two anonymous
one of the digging reports from the public, and Bruce reviewers helped improve this paper and are gratefully
Ashley of Friends of Greenway and Ros Gibbons acknowledged.

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