i ll T .t B A C ,in the B C K , Endongeredinommols, o remotedesert locotion, the speche of ferol predofors, on environmentollyconscious _ ^ oiFexlroctioncompony, Aboriginol peopld who once huntedlhe momrnolsond copd for the lond thot sustoinedthein,l ' ond poyingfourists providing volunt-ee,lobour. All theqeelements hove come togefher in lhe Deportmenlof Ccinservotionond Lond Monogement'sDeserl Dreoming ploiect - one oJ the mostombilious reseorch proiectsever seenin Austrolio. by PerChristensen ond CorolynThomson. ast September, endangered burrowing bettongs and golden bandicootswere returned to the Cibson Desertforthefirsttime in decades.They were airlifted by CALM from a healthy population on Barrow Island Nature Reserve,off WesternAustralia's north- west coast, It was fitting that at the time the mammals returned to the mainland, providing hope that one day the desert ecosystemcan be restored close to its original state, the desert was in full bloom. In the wakeofthe bestrainfall in the area for years, the normally drab mulga and spinifexof the GibsonDesert Nature Reservehad turned to a richer hue of green.Wildfl owerswereblooming Before European settlement, I At the time of the release,the desert wasin full bloom- providingplenty of and herbs and grasseswere sprouting burrowingbettongs were one of the most I I foodfor the reintroducedmammals. from the red earth. common and widespreadspecies rn Photo- BarbaraMadden Ironically, the rain that rejuvenated Australia.They are now extinct on the Preuiouspages the parcheddeserts, following a three- Australianmainland. Golden bandicoots I I The campsiteat EagleBore Research year drought, causedan agonisingdelay onceoccurred over half ofAustralia,but I Stationin the CibsonDesert. in the reintroduction experiment.The are now found only on three Western Photo- RaySmith (top) golden releasewas originally meantto go ahead Australian islandsand in a few remote Insets Endangered bandicoot. Photo- RaySmith in May this year. However,for first partsof the Kimberley.Fortunately, both the ( bottom ) Bwro!'\ing bettong. time since meteorologicalrecords speciesstill thrive on BarrowIsland. The Photo- MarieLochman commenced in the 1950s, there was aim of Desert Dreaming is to find out widespreadfl oodingin the GibsonDesert. why such widespreadextinctions Alreadyin the firstfewweeks,animals CALM officerscould not evenreach the occurred.Introduced predators such as weregainingweightand two ofthe larger releasesite as the roads were covered foxesand feralcats, competition for food joeyshad left their mother's pouchesto with temporary lakes. So they had to by rabbitsandthe cessationoftraditional fend for themselves.On the negative organise the entire releaseoperation, Aboriginalburning patterns are all factors side,six burrowing bettongsare known vehicles,planes, equipment, suppliesand that could have contributed to the to have been taken by feral cats and so on, all over again. disappearanceof manydesert mammals. another died of unknown causes. To investigatethese hypotheses, Manyofthe burrowingbettongshave CONSERVATIONTRAGEDY CALM researchersbaited a 4O-square- settledinto oldwarrensin theareawhere The Desert Dreaming project offers kilometre area around the releasesite they were releasedand are travelling up the chanc€ to rectify a conservation for foxes and cats and conducted to two kilometresatnight intoburntand tragedy of enormous dimensions and prescribedburningto preparethe habitat regeneratedcountry to feed.Others have solve a decades-oldmystery (see for the animals. The bandicoots and Ieft the warrens to search for greener 'Vanishing Desert Dwellers', bettongswere initially releasedinto pastures.A set of bettong tracks were LANDSCOPE,Winter 1987). Previous fenced compounds and given food to seen six kilometres away in the first studies have shown that more than a supplement their natural diet. The week after the release.The bandicoots third of central Australia's original animalssettled down and began foraging are selecting preferred habitat, some mammal specieshave vanished. As well for themselvesalmost immediately, having left the releasearea to settle ln asthe burrowing bettongand the golden paying little attention to the food densespinifex in at least two spotstwo bandicoot,the Gibson Desertwas onc€ supplements.Within a fewdays the fences kilometres away. We are not aware of hometothe desertbandicoot, pig-footed werelifted sothatanimals could disperse any lossesamong the bandicootsso far. bandicoot,lesser bilby, spectacledhare- naturally. Many important questions have wallaby, rufous hare-wallaby, central Twelveanimals of eachspecies were alreadybeen answered. Animals brought hare-wallaby,red-tailed phascogale, the fitted with radiocollars and were tracked from an offshore island to the remote woylie, brushtail possum and numbat. constantly for the first six weeksafter inland deserts are able to fend lor This accountsfor more than 90 per cent their release.Radio-tracking will provide themselvesand locate food and shelter of medium-sizedmammals weighing valuableinformation about their ability with no apparent problems. The between 35 grams and 5.5 kilograms. to adapt and breed in their new burrowing bettongs are re-excavating Tragically, all these creatures have environment, the preferred habitat of old warrens and the bandicoots are disappearedfrom the area during the eachspecies, and will establishhow the settling in nearthe releasesite. Animals past 20-60 years. animalsuse burnt and unburnt habitat. are all gaining weight. Many of the 36 ,uro""ornt I The releasearea and a largebuffer Island oilfield in harmony with the the environmentalimpact of extracting I zonewere heavily baited for foxesand indigenous wildlife. WAPET petroleumproducts from the island.Asa feral cats. I environmentalstaff have played quarantineprogram Photo- EvanCollis also an result, a was activepart in the project.In addition to establishedand disturbed areaswill Themammals were fitted with yadio I Desert Dreaming, WAPET co-operates eventually be rehabilitated as close as I collarsand trackedconstantly for the I first few weeksafter their release. closelywith CALMby providing facilities possibleto their original state. Every Photo- RatSmith andfinancial support for other important twoyears,the NationalParksand Nature researchand management programs that ConservationAuthority (NPNCA) bandicootsare now carrying young. the Departmentis carrying out on the inspectsWAPET's operations and Predatorcontrol hasbeen successful island. discussesflora and fauna management in reducing the number of foxes, but WAPETsee themselves as'protectors' programswith the company. feral cat numbers remain fairly high. It of the islandand its indigenousspecies. Involving the privatesector through remainsto be seenhow both specieswill Becauseofits nativefauna, Barrow Island WAPET has many more benefits than fare in the next few weeks,and whether wasmade a naturereserve in 1910.When their financialcontributionto theproject. or not they cope with predation from it was realised that the island would DuringDesert Dreaming and otherjoint feral cats.Many species coped with feral become an important oilfield, the conservationinitiatives, such as recent cats before the advent of the fox. company commissionedwell-known work to eradicate feral rats from the Meanwhilerenewed effort is being put naturalist Harry Butler to investigate island, CALM and WAPEThave built a into more successful methods of cat conrrol. Establishing mainland populations ofthese specieswill give them a greater chanceof long-term survival.However, even if the animals fail to establish, scientists will obtain valuable information about why they became endangeredin the first place,and this may ultimately leadto the repopulation of all our desertnature reserves. MORETHAN MONEY Desert Dreaming is sponsored by West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd (WAPET)which operates the Barrow I Researchersfrom the WA Department I of Conservationand LandManagement I yadio{rackingthe releasedmammals in the GibsonDesert. Photo- EvanCollis ^rotct ru 37 project co-operative relationshiP. The One hypothesis is that the totakepartin the andhelp CALM collaborationwith WAPET has worked disappearanceof so many mammal officersrelease the animals. well and the Depadment sees it as a speciesresulted from Aboriginalpeople When the bettongs and bandicoots modelfor future ventureswiththe private leaving the land and ceasing their wereflown into the desertonSeptember ',ere sector. traditional burning practices.As 11, four Aboriginalelders there The Federal Government, through Aboriginal people moved to European waiting. It was an historic moment. It theAustralianNational Parks and Wildlife settlements and the deserts became wasthe first time in severaldecades that Despite Service (ANPWS),has also Provided depopulated,a'natural' fire regimetook the eldershad seenthe animals. funding for fox-baitingwork around the over- oneof infrequentbutveryextenslve the fact that extensiveboodie warrens releasesite. hot summerwildfires, usually started by still existin the desert,the eldersdid not lightning. This change is thought by seem to recognisethe boodie. But the DESERTDREAMING some scientiststo havehad a profound bandicootwas a different story. One old Since they began working in the effecton the mammals,depriving them man, MrWilly Hill, saidhe remembered desertregions, researchershave always of diversityof shelterand feedingareas, hunting bandicootswhen he was been intrigued by the important link and leadingto rapid