The researchers identified the creatures as quolls, small marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. Nevertheless, they were eager to determine the age of these quolls. While numerous quolls had been reintroduced into the sanctuary, it remained uncertain whether they had successfully reproduced. Should the animals captured in the footage prove to be offspring, they would mark a significant milestone as the first quolls born within the sanctuary’s confines.
But how does one distinguish between individual wild quolls? The answer lay in their distinctive spot patterns.
“We compared the unique patterns of spots against a database comprising all 45 quolls released at Mt Gibson in the past 12 months,” explained AWC field ecologist Erin Barritt in a press statement.
Upon scrutinizing the spot patterns, the team joyfully verified that the creatures indeed were baby quolls.
“Ecologists were thrilled,” a spokesperson from AWC informed. “[The quolls] mark the first births [on the] sanctuary in approximately a century.”
Despite once facing local extinction, the resurgence of western quolls is evident. Researchers express immense excitement as these beloved animals gradually reclaim their habitat.
“This is a momentous occasion for the team,” expressed Barritt.