Park Ridge’s quest for quolls continues …

31 March 2021

Park Ridge locals are now ‘quollified’ and seeking quolls!

Generously hosted and supported by Park Ridge Connect, our Quoll Seekers Network’s well-turned-out Quoll Discovery Day on 26 March in Logan introduced mammal-watchers and market-goers alike to Queensland’s endearing but, sadly, endangered spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus).

Fifty-six keen attendees found out all about these canny quolls – the largest meat-eating marsupials on Australia’s mainland – and their history in the Logan region, all while enjoying refreshments and the opportunity to support quoll research by purchasing quoll-themed goodies from Wildlife Queensland’s stall at the markets.

Quoll Seekers Network had high hopes of getting a real live ‘spotty’ to visit and help engage Logan’s public in the search for these incredible dasyurids, but licensing requirements meant that was not to be. Perhaps there was a lesson there because seeing a live quoll in Queensland is indeed a rarity and is becoming rarer year after year, even for researchers …

Wildlife Queensland’s Project Officer Paul Revie – who presented at the event along with Quoll Seekers Network Project Manager Matt Cecil and Quoll Society of Australia’s Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh – has been conducting research on the remaining populations of these rapacious critters in Queensland’s stone country around Girraween NP for QuollSA.

“Jess and I have had some success trapping GPS-collaring females out there, and we’re closely monitoring the population, but to prevent ongoing genetic decline in this species, we really need to find another stronghold elsewhere in South East Queensland,” says Paul.

 

Wildlife Queensland’s Project Manager Matt Cecil explains, “Logan’s conservation parks and the pockets of forest around Park Ridge and Greenbank are of special interest to Quoll Seekers Network. We’ve worked with detection dogs in Logan in the past, with the support of the local council, seeking evidence of spotted-tailed quolls around Flinders Peak. We hope to secure funding to do more quoll detection in future and follow-up on earlier confirmed sightings in the region that were, unfortunately, obtained from road-killed individuals.”

 

“Our hope is that local landholders are infrequently seeing quolls or finding evidence of scavenging, scats, or denning behaviour but just aren’t aware what these marsupials are, as quolls have fallen from local consciousness,’ adds Matt. ‘Sometimes, disturbances around chook pens are put down to foxes or dingoes, so raising awareness at events like this helps remind Logan’s residents to keep an eye out for spotted-tailed quolls, which desperately need our help to avoid extinction in Queensland.”

Special thanks to Janelle and Doreen for running the stall, and a huge thank you to Paul Jackson and Park Ridge Connect for sponsoring the event and helping Wildlife Queensland spread the word about quolls.

‘It’s encouraging to see community groups and organisations getting on board with local conservation efforts. Logan is proving a real nature-lovers paradise, with great turnouts throughout the local government area at events aimed at bolstering threatened species, so we’re looking forward to more collaborations with Park Ridge Connect in future,’ adds Paul Revie.

To report spotted-tailed quoll sightings, email quoll@wildlife.org.au. Also, become a member of Quoll Seekers Network or sign up to our free news eBulletin to be kept abreast of future quoll discovery days and events in Queensland.

Get involved

  • Join us: QSN welcomes wildlife enthusiasts who want to join the network. Membership is free. Email us if you would like to join and we will just ask you to fill out a membership form for our records. You’ll get merchandise discounts, as well as prior notification of workshops and volunteer opportunities.
  • Report your sightings: If you have seen a quoll, we’d like to know. Email us with a description of the sighting, the postcode of the sighting and your contact details.
  • Share your pictures: Like us on Facebook and post your best quoll photos to our wall to give us permission to share.
  • Support us:
    • If you don’t have too much time on your hands, you can support the work of Quoll Seekers Network through our adopt-a-quoll

QSN in action

QSN collects data on quoll populations, threats, and conservation initiatives to better understand how to support their continued existence in Queensland.

Network members contribute in many ways:

  • helping out at Quoll Discovery Days
  • writing articles for our publications
  • fundraising
  • office support
  • assisting with our education program.

Above all, members help to raise the profile of quolls in the broader community.

Learn more about quolls

To learn more about quolls, check out our webinar or our guide for landholders (below), which provides practical ideas that contribute to saving this elusive species.

Saving the Spotted-Tailed Quoll: A Landholder’s Guide is available to view as a flipbook below. To request a printed copy, please contact Wildlife Queensland at communications@wildlife.org.au or phone (07) 3844 0129.

To view the guide: 

  • Press the PLAY button below. Pages will automatically turn. Press the PAUSE button to stop on a page.
    OR
  • Use the RIGHTand LEFT arrows to view pages.

To download the guide: 

  • Click on the DOWNLOAD button below to download as a PDF.

 


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