More dibblers released to boost wild population on Dirk Hartog Island National Park

The population of a rare marsupial has spiked on Dirk Hartog Island National Park in the Gascoyne with the release of 36 dibblers.

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions scientists successfully released 17 male and 19 female dibblers in January as part of the ‘Return to 1616’ ecological restoration project.

The dibblers were born at Perth Zoo and were the third group of the species — 93 in total — to be released into the feral-cat-free habitat under this project.

Nine of the recently released dibblers are in enclosures temporarily as part of a soft trial to encourage the animals to remain close to release sites and improve the chances of long-term monitoring.

Under the project, scientists have also translocated rufous hare-wallabies, banded hare-wallabies, Shark Bay bandicoots, Shark Bay mice and greater stick-nest rats.

WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby commended everyone involved in this venture to help native species thrive for generations to come. “As dibblers are an endangered species, every individual animal released back into safe habitat makes a big difference to the future of the species,” he said.