Golden Bandicoot (mainland)
EPBC Status: Vulnerable
SPRAT Species Profile: Isoodon auratus auratus — Golden Bandicoot (mainland)
Found in: Western Australia and Northern Territory
Threatened Species Strategy Scorecards:
Golden Bandicoot Year 3 scorecard 2018 (PDF - 457.04 KB)
Golden Bandicoot Year 3 scorecard 2018 (DOCX - 356.22 KB)
Year 3 Scorecard Summary (2018)
The Golden Bandicoot was previously widespread across the mainland, but now has a highly fragmented distribution near coastal areas and islands of north and north-west Australia, following declines due to predation by feral cats and foxes and altered fire regimes.
Recovery efforts have focused on maintaining Golden Bandicoots in protected areas through predator control and appropriate fire management. Many of these management actions have been undertaken by traditional owners, with Indigenous rangers helping with control of feral animals, managing fire and undertaking biological surveys. The Australian Government has provided support for feral cat control and fire management in the north-west Kimberley through the Threatened Species Recovery Fund.
Translocations of Golden Bandicoots to predator-free sites, including islands, have also been successful. From 2010, individuals from Barrow Island have been reintroduced to large predator-free enclosure at Matuwa in mainland WA. Breeding inside the fence has been successful, and releases outside of the enclosure are now underway.
Further information
- Threatened species strategy
- 20 birds by 2020
- 20 mammals by 2020
- 30 plants by 2020
- Three year review of progress on priority bird and mammal species
Please note that this scorecard is due for review in Year 5 of the Threatened Species Strategy (2020). If you would like to contribute information on this species please provide your contact details to ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@awe.gov.au
Photo credit: R. Knowles, Australian Wildlife Conservancy