First live quoll found in WA's largest national park in 50 years - via CFZ Australia

BY Shannon Verhagen |

September 15, 2016
It’s the first sighting from traditional owners since the 1960s and the first European record of the species in the area.

FOR THE FIRST time in over 50 years, a northern quoll has been captured in Karlamilyi – Western Australia’s largest and most remote national park.

The historic find comes after a joint survey effort between Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) Punmu and Parnngurr ranger teams and Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) scientists earlier this month.

Located in the Pilbara, in the heart of Martu country, the park was once home to quolls – called wiminyji by the traditional owners – however they had not been seen since traditional life was disrupted around 50 years ago.

“They recall seeing wiminyji throughout the Karlamilyi region when they were living a traditional life in the area, which was as recent as the early 1960s,” said Gareth Catt, fire management officer for KJ.

 

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Australia's cane toad invasion gets sausage 'solution'

METRO REPORTER - 26th April, 2010

Scientists in Australia are tackling an invasion of poisonous cane toads with a sausage designed to protect vulnerable predators from the creatures.

They've added a nausea-inducing drug to cane toad meat and created sausages from it to use as bait to help train animals not to eat the toads.

Sydney University's Jonathan Webb, leader of the research team that came up with the sausage solution, explained that the tainted meat was inspired by the same association humans make, after they've had food poisoning, between a particular food's taste or smell and the feeling of being ill.

Cane toads, which have large toxin glands in their shoulders, have been blamed for a decline in Australia's quoll population.

According to experts, the quoll - a bushy-tailed marsupial around the size of a cat - sees the toads as large frogs and can't otherwise be prevented from eating them.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/823380-australias-cane-toad-invasion-gets-sausage-solution

Toads dropped from sky to help save quoll

RIGHT: The quoll is under threat from cane toads
Photo: susan flashman - Fotolia

Scientists in Australia have embarked on a unique attempt to save the quoll, an endangered bushy tailed marsupial, by dropping toads from the sky.

By Nick Allen
Published: 2:48AM BST 14 Apr 2010

The cat-sized quoll is close to extinction after being poisoned by eating cane toads. Consuming just one cane toad is enough to kill a quoll.

Researchers from the University of Sydney are now trying to stop them eating the toads in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Their experiment will use a plane to drop toad sausages which are enough to make the quolls a bit sick but are not fatal.

It is hoped the quolls will then associate cane toads with sickness and avoid eating them.

The theory has already been tested in a laboratory with dozens of quolls fed doses of toad that were not enough to kill.

They were later released into the wild with radio collars on and survived five times longer than non-conditioned quolls.

Dr Jonathan Webb, who worked on the study, said the idea was inspired by the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood.

He said: "In that story Grandma sews raw onions into the wolf's stomach, so when the wolf wakes up he feels sick and refuses to eat another Grandma again.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/7588211/Toads-dropped-from-sky-to-help-save-quoll.html