Our target - $20,000.

Long-term Goal: Reintroduce Eastern Quolls to mainland Australia

Medium-term Goal: Build mainland population of captive/semi-wild populations to 500 individuals.

The Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is one of Australia's most unique and interesting mammal species. Spotted with white on jet-black or fawn coats and fluffy tails, these light-footed medium-sized predators carry out an important ecological role as a pest-controller within the Australian ecosystem.

Eastern Quolls once ranged from eastern New South Wales, Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and Tasmania. However Eastern Quolls disappeared from mainland Australia between 1900-1965. Their mainland extinction followed the introduction of foxes, cats, habitat destruction and bounties - Eastern Quolls supressed the original introduced rabbit population, and so a bounty was placed on their heads.

Mt Rothwell Landcare Volunteers with support from The Norman Wettenhall Foundation are aiming to raise $20,000 to build new breeding enclosures for Eastern Quoll programs at Mt Rothwell, Little River, Victoria. Mt Rothwell has been successfully breeding limited numbers of Eastern Quolls for over a decade. Mt Rothwell is a 453ha property that is protected by a feral predator-proof fence, providing Eastern Quolls the perfect, safe habitat they require to survive. Mt Rothwell works with the Eastern Quoll Recovery Team to build the mainland Australia captive population of Eastern Quolls to 500 individuals. Once reached, the long-term vision is to reintroduce genetically diverse Eastern Quolls back onto mainland Australia will become a reality.

How you can help
Mt Rothwell needs to upgrade and enhance the current breeding facilities. The construction of new enclosures for Eastern Quolls will increase the carrying and breeding capacity, whilst maintaining genetic diversity within the captive population. This upgrade will help us to work towards our vision of re-establishing Eastern Quolls on the Australian mainland.

Donations:

• $10, $20, $50 -
  Official thank you certificate from Mt Rothwell, as well as a dedication in the newsletter
• $100 -
  Official thank you certificate from Mt Rothwell and donors name painted on enclosure bank
• $1,000 -
  Naming rights, certificate/adoption of baby quolls from this year's litter, as well as a free Night Tour at Mt Rothwell for the donor and family
• $5,000 + (first two donations only)
  Naming rights of enclosure bank, free Night Tour + behind the scenes feeding session and photos.