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Adelaide Zoo has welcomed the record arrival of nine joey Fat-tailed Dunnarts (a native marsupial) and has highlighted that it’s important for organisations such as Zoos SA to have populations of dunnarts ex situ so when the wild population is in danger, whether as a result of predation by feral species or habitat loss, the species can be prevented from being lost.

The successful breeding of the Fat-tailed Dunnarts is key to their and other dunnarts’ survival, some of which, like the Kangaroo Island Dunnart, is classified as critically endangered having been severely impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires which burnt 96% of their habitat.

No bigger than a grain of rice when first born, Keeper Eli (pronounced E-lie) said this is the largest litter of native Fat-tailed Dunnarts to be born at the zoo.

“When Fat-tailed Dunnart joeys are born they are smaller than a grain of rice and they have no bones. They move into their mothers pouch and attach to a teat.

“Within 90 to 120 days they will be fully grown. It’s a very short turnaround from being smaller than a grain of rice to being a fully grown dunnart.

“Right now they have just started opening their eyes and moving around. They have also started getting very curious and adventurous.”

A key challenge in the conservation of Fat-tailed Dunnarts is their short life span, with the native marsupials only living to two years old.

“Short-lived species can be pushed to extinction very quickly,” added Keeper Eli.

Eli enthused “This birth is really exciting because having a successful dunnart breeding program means we can use what we’ve learnt in future if an emergency intervention is needed for other dunnart species, like the Kangaroo Island Dunnart.”

Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world and Zoos SA is working hard to ensure our native animals survive and thrive for generations to come. Each time you visit Adelaide Zoo or Monarto Safari Park, you are supporting vital conservation work.

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