Monitoring a small female quoll | Kakadu National Park
Researchers in the East Alligator region of Kakadu National Park are training northern quolls to be ‘cane toad-smart’ by feeding them baby cane toads. These don’t have enough poison to kill them – instead they are laced with a mild nausea-inducing chemical, making them sick and teaching them not to eat the toads.
The quolls are now being recaptured to monitor their survival rates in the wild and I went out to join them in the field.
Early morning starts were rewarded with the chance not only to experience sunrise from the sandstone outliers but also to get a close view of a few of the mammals that live there. My children kept a tally of the numerous rock rats caught and we all hoped desperately to see a quoll.
We were in luck! A trap on the top of a rocky ledge held a small female quoll. It’s great to be working with Kakadu, helping to ensure their survival in the wild.
Angela, Seasonal ranger, Kakadu National Park
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