Bunyip backyard for bandicoot

By Danielle Galvin
THE future of the Southern Brown bandicoot population in Australia is under threat, but the shy marsupials are popping up in and around Bunyip, Longwarry and Kooweerup.
The Bunyip Landcare group hosted an information night last week for residents interested in protecting the Southern Brown bandicoot population in East Gippsland.
Fourteen-year-old Tom McLean calls one of the regular bandicoots in his backyard Bandi. He’s fond of the unique animals.
“They’re almost like dogs. Bandi lets me hand feed him bread.”
Tom lives in Bunyip on a farm and says there are four bandicoots who frequent his backyard.
“Generally, they don’t interact, they like to be alone,” he said.
More than 100 residents, who came to the information session, discussed their concerns about cats and foxes killing off bandicoots, and shared stories of the native animals.
One resident called for cats to be poisoned to protect the threatened species.
“There are a lot of competing issues. We would have the RSPCA all over us if we started poisoning cats,” said Bram Mason from the Department of Sustainability.
Guest speakers included David Nicholls from Westernport Biosphere and Terry Coates from the Botanical Gardens in Cranbourne.
Rob Jones from Cardinia Shire spoke about the trouble ahead for the bandicoots.
“Local extinction is in front of you. They are likely to become extinct if we don’t do anything,” he said.
Terry Coates from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne has been breeding bandicoots in captivity.
“The bandicoots sweep under tables at the gardens and are used to getting fed. I found one with his head in a Red Rooster box one day,” he said.
“They are harmless, nice little dudes.”
Mr Coates from the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens says that the bandicoots were once common in Beaumaris and other inner city suburbs.
“We should understand how lucky we are. Bunyip may be the last town in Australia to enjoy this species of bandicoot,” he said.