Australia has brought the critically endangered smoky mouse back to a forest area in New South Wales where it had not been seen since the 1990s.
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it → bring → 1990s
Nearly 50 individuals were released into the Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area in South East Forest National Park.
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individuals → release → Park
The reintroduction marks the first return of a threatened species to the protected area, which was established to keep feral cats and foxes out.
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which → mark → cats
According to the NSW Government, the release took place as part of a wider effort to restore the area’s ecosystem and bring back locally extinct mammals.
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release → accord → mammals
The project aims to reintroduce up to nine species that once lived in the region, helping restore the forest’s native mammal community.
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that → aim → community
Nearly 50 smoky mice return to South East Forest National Park
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mice → return → Park
The smoky mouse is the first threatened species to be reintroduced into the Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area.
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mouse → reintroduce → Area
Almost 50 individuals have been released, with up to 120 planned for release each year.
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120 → release → release
The area lies within South East Forest National Park in New South Wales and has not recorded the species since the 1990s.
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area → lie → 1990s
The reintroduction is part of a broader project to restore the region’s native mammal community.
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reintroduction → restore → community
The long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong, eastern quoll and New Holland mouse are among the other species identified for return.
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potoroo → identify → return
The project aims to bring back the pre-European community of mammals and restore ecosystem health.
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project → aim → health
It is also intended to make the national park an important place for biodiversity restoration and future visitors.
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park → intend → restoration
What threatens the survival of Australia’s smoky mouse
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threatens → threaten → mouse
The smoky mouse is a small native rodent listed as critically endangered in New South Wales.
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mouse → list → Wales
It is about two to three times the size of the introduced house mouse.
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It → introduce → mouse
The species was first recorded in New South Wales in 1993 near Mount Poole, in Nungatta State Forest.
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species → record → Forest
Smoky mice survive in Kosciuszko National Park, while a small number are still recorded in the Nullica area of South East Forest National Park.
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number → survive → Park
The species is also present at a small number of sites in western and eastern Victoria, although it has not been seen in southern Victoria for a long time.
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it → see → time
Its numbers have declined significantly because of predation by feral cats and foxes, habitat loss, inappropriate fire regimes and the introduced root rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.
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numbers → decline → cats
The role of predator-free areas in restoring native wildlife
The Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area was established by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service as part of a network of 10 areas designed to exclude feral cats and foxes.
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Area → restore → cats
Once all the sites are established, almost 65,000 hectares of national park estate will be free of feral predators.
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hectares → establish → predators
The network forms an essential part of the state’s threatened species strategy and its commitment to zero extinctions in NSW national parks.
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network → form → parks
Removing these predators is intended to support the survival of threatened native mammals.
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Removing → remove → mammals
The smoky mice released at Nungatta come from a captive breeding programme that began in 2016 with support from the NSW Government’s Saving our Species programme.
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that → release → programme
Their return marks the first stage of the wider restoration effort planned for the area.
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return → mark → area
More threatened mammals were planned for reintroduction into the forest
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mammals → plan → forest
The smoky mouse reintroduction is a collaboration between the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the NSW Government’s Saving our Species programme, the National Threatened Species Institute and the University of Canberra.
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reintroduction → save → Canberra
David Kelly, Manager Threatened Species at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, described Nungatta as the first feral cat and fox-free area in the tall forests of South East Forest National Park.
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Kelly → describe → Park
He said the return of the smoky mouse was the first step in a major ecosystem restoration project.
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return → say → project
The NSW Government also planned to reintroduce the eastern quoll, long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong and other species as part of the wider ecosystem restoration project.
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Government → plan → project
Kelly said these animals play critical roles in the ecosystem and expressed hope that the completed reintroductions would make the national park an even better place to visit.
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park → say → hope
The Aporia
