Today on World Endangered Species Day, Taronga Zoo Sydney are sharing the quoll-ity news that a young, male Spotted-tailed Quoll has been successfully released back into the wild of Blue Mountains National Park after a nine-week recovery at Taronga Wildlife Hospital.

Rescue and Rehabilitation

In mid-March, a father and daughter discovered the injured quoll on the Great Western Highway, near Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains. A WIRES carer transported the unconscious animal to Blaxland Vets, where it was initially accessed and found to have a fractured skull. The unresponsive patient was promptly transported via WIRES to Taronga Wildlife Hospital in Sydney.

Upon arrival, the emaciated quoll received intensive care from Taronga’s expert wildlife veterinary team. It was further diagnosed with a fractured skull and misaligned jaw, consistent with trauma. Initially, the team hand-fed the usually feisty species, gradually transitioning its diet from soft food to a regular carnivorous diet as the quoll’s mandible healed and it gained strength.

After nine weeks of intensive care, Taronga’s Senior Veterinarian, Dr. Kimberly Vinette Herrin, assessed the quoll's readiness for release. Dr. Vinette-Herrin remarked, “the quoll came into our care unresponsive, extremely emaciated, and with a serious head injury. We didn’t think it was going to survive overnight, but we were determined that intensive care and treatment would get it back to where it belonged.”

Species Spotlight

The Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is Australia's largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the mainland. Once widespread across eastern Australia, Spotted-tailed Quolls have become increasingly rare due to habitat loss, predation by invasive species, and vehicle strikes. They are now listed as a vulnerable species in New South Wales and endangered at the national level under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Conservation Efforts

Taronga Wildlife Hospital receives over 125 native animals each month for critical, specialist care. To future-proof Australia’s wildlife, and to enhance its capacity and impact, Taronga are building a state-of-art wildlife specialist teaching hospital at Taronga Zoo Sydney.

World Endangered Species Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness and to protect threatened and endangered species.

Taronga is a not-for-profit, conservation organisation and is raising $40million to complete the Wildlife Hospital and expand the critical rehabilitation work for endangered and threatened native species. All funds raised will directly support the development, construction, and ongoing operation of this facility, ensuring continued care for native wildlife. Members of public can contribute to this vital cause by donating at https://give.taronga.org.au/wlh