Translocation Of Mala (Lagorchestes Hirsutus) From The Tanami Desert, Northern Territory To Trimouille Island, Western Australia

Abstract

In June 1998, 30 mala (Lagorchestes hirsutus undescribed central Australian subspecies) were translocated from a semi-captive colony in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory to Trimouille Island, part of the Montebello Islands Conservation Park, off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia. Mala are ‘Extinct in the Wild’ according to IUCN (1994, 2000) Red List Categories and Criteria. The translocation was made possible by the eradication of black rats (Rattus rattus) and confirmation of the absence of feral cats (Felis catus), which were recorded on the island in the 1970s. Post-release monitoring up to October 2001 showed that mala were breeding and expanding the area occupied.