Threatened Species Strategy 2015-2020: 20 mammals by 2020

Safe havens are areas where key threats to plants and animals can be removed, not just managed. They provide long-term protection, giving at-risk species the space needed to recover and increase their populations. They allow species to thrive by excluding their key threats. Existing havens are already successfully protecting species like the bridled nail-tail wallaby, southern corroboree frog and mala while providing valuable scientific data on longer term means of recovery. The projects listed below are creating safe havens for one or more of our 2020 priority mammals.

• Creating one of Australia's largest fenced feral cat and fox free areas—NT
• Expanding Mulligan's Flat Woodland Sanctuary—ACT
• Going feral free at Astrebla Downs National Park—QLD
• Bringing back the eastern barred bandicoot—VIC
• Captive breeding the brush-tailed rock-wallaby—NSW

We need to focus our efforts if we are to bring our threatened animals and plants back from the brink. The Australian Government’s Threatened Species Strategy identifies improving habitat as one of its priorities for action. The projects listed below are improving habitat for one or more of our 2020 priority mammals

• Restoring desert water places—NT
• Helping threatened species hotspots—QLD

The Australian Government’s Threatened Species Strategy identifies tackling feral cats as its top priority for action. By addressing their impacts, the projects listed below benefit a range of native animals, including our 20 priority mammal species.

• Applying best practice feral cat and fox baiting—WA
• Trialling a new feral cat bait in the Kimberley—WA
• Developing a grooming trap for feral cats—SA
• Deploying dogs to detect feral cats and foxes—NSW
• Trialling a national Feral CatScan app—SA
• Protecting biodiversity on Groote Eylandt—NT
• Protecting the central rock-rat in the West MacDonnell Ranges—NT

The Federal Government has strengthened its commitment to threatened species with $743,000 in funding for 11 new projects to protect plants and animals in danger of extinction. These projects fall outside the Commonwealth’s own national park estate and are in addition to the $2 million announced in 2014 for at-risk flora and fauna within the Parks Australia network. The latest funding, mobilised by Threatened Species Commissioner, helps others tackle similar challenges, such as feral animals, weeds and uncontrolled fires, to native flora and fauna on different land tenures. These 11 projects include three that benefit some of our 20 priority mammals.

• Eastern barred bandicoot - Trialling the use of guardian dogs to ward off predators (VIC)
• Mahogany glider - Connecting the dots (QLD)
• Western quolls - Reintroducing the species to the Flinders Ranges (SA)

These projects safeguard existing populations of threatened species through strategies such as the seed banking of plants and the captive management, training, reintroduction or translocation of birds and animals. They also tackle threats to their survival in the wild, such as altered fire regimes, feral animals and weeds. Some of our 20 priority mammals are among the many species that will benefit from the projects listed below.

• Booderee potoroos and bandicoots
• Christmas Island feral cat eradication
• Kakadu national park threatened species projects
  • Project 1 - Targeting Threats from Fire, Weeds and Feral Animals
  • Project 2 - Creating a Wildlife Refuge on Gardangarl (Field Island)
  • Project 3 - Expansion of the 'Toad Smart' Quolls Project