Last year saw the joyful re-establishment of bilbies, Pilliga mice and the bridled nailtail wallaby within the Pilliga forest, and now the area is welcoming their newest generation of brush-tailed bettongs since being reintroduced. 

Late last year, 55 pioneering bettongs were translocated from Western Australia to the Pilliga State Conservation Area, in a fenced site protected from cat and foxes, that has allowed other reintroduced nocturnal species to thrive. 

Since then, the population has grown by one, after ecologists discovered the first baby brush-tailed bettong in the Pilliga during their first survey, naming her Bella. 

Head of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Atticus Fleming AM said the reintroduction is a historic step for both the endangered species and for the Pilliga forests, after they disappeared from north-western NSW almost 100 years ago. 

“The brush-tailed bettong tells a story familiar to many of Australia’s mammals. Foxes and feral cats have driven a catastrophic decline. Once found across much of mainland Australia, it has now disappeared from 99% of its former range,” Mr Fleming said. 

“The arrival of Bella is a sign that the new bettong population is on track to reclaim its former home in the Pilliga. It is another huge step in turning back the tide of extinctions in NSW - great news for bettongs and for the Pilliga forest,” he said. 

Alongside Bella, who is the first fully weaned bettong, two large pouch young were not far off leaving the pouch at the time of the survey. 

Of the 55 bettongs who were introduced, 32 were identified during the survey. 

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) Senior Wildlife Ecologist Dr Vicki Stokes said that the weather patterns of 2022 made for hesitation of how the species could adapt to their new home. 

“We were slightly concerned about the population after two severe weather events in October and November which resulted in extensive flooding. Thankfully the predator-free fence remained secure, and survival of the reintroduced bettongs remains high,” Dr Stokes said. 

Protecting and ensuring the presence of native animals is crucial for forest health, working to shift soil and assist with seed and spore dispersal and water and nutrient cycling. 

The bettongs are relatively omnivorous, eating truffles, tubers, herbage, fruits and seeds, and invertebrates. 

In the last four years, ten extinct mammals have been returned to national parks around NSW, including the bilby, Shark Bay bandicoot and the numbat.