Conservation Biology

Recovery of the Endangered marsupial Dibbler through captive breeding and translocation

By Dorian Moro

The Dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, is a small (40-100g) carnivorous marsupial that is found only in Western Australia. Populations occur in the Fitzgerald River National Park along the south coast of Western Australia, and on Boullanger and Whitlock Islands north of Perth. The total current population is estimated to be fewer than 1000 individuals. It is currently listed under State and Commonwealth legislation as 'Endangered'.

A total of 26 Dibblers bred in captivity were transported by boat to Escape Island in 1998, and released. Individuals were monitored over the first three weeks by radiotracking, and afterwards by trapping every two-to-four months.

To date, there has been an increase in Dibblers on Escape Island (from 24 captures in February 2000 to 72 in October 2000), though the number changes across the year depending upon births and deaths. Some of the original Dibblers released on the island persist and continue to breed, and second generation young born in 2000 have recruited into the population, bred and weaned their own offspring.

The Dibbler Interim Recovery Plan is now the focus of a strong collaboration between the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth Zoo, The University of Western Australia, and more recently, Edith Cowan University. It is this collaborative effort that has made the Dibbler research a success, because there are many areas of research and management to protect the Dibbler that could not be handled by a single organisation.