SWEET squeaks of success are sounding at two conservation breeding facilities in Victoria, with the first litters of endangered native Pookila pups (pronounced: poo-KEE-lah) born at Melbourne Zoo and Moonlit Sanctuary.
The Pookila, traditionally found in the Western Port region, is considered extinct in seven of 12 known Victorian locations, with remaining populations increasingly under threat from drought, loss of genetic diversity, and predation by feral cats and foxes. The five remaining Victorian sites believed to contain fewer than 3000 Pookila are in Gippsland, including Wilson’s Promontory National Park. It was previously known as the New Holland Mouse.
The breeding births are a major milestone for the Victorian Pookila Conservation Breeding and Reintroduction Program, which began in March last year with Pookila collected from the dwindling wild populations.
Zoos Victoria chief executive, Dr Jenny Gray, said the new program created genetically diverse pairs for breeding and aims to bolster existing populations and reintroduce the endangered species to locally extinct areas.
Dr Gray said Zoos Victoria was committed to improving the long-term future for the Pookila. “These births at Melbourne Zoo and Moonlit Sanctuary are a wonderful first step in the species’ recovery in Victoria,” she said.
“We are also researching population health and developing plans to reintroduce the Pookila back to safe areas within its former range.”
At Melbourne Zoo, 14 Pookila pups have been born to three breeding pairs with more on the way, while Moonlit Sanctuary’s Small Mammal Conservation Breeding Centre, which also houses three breeding pairs, has successfully produced six pups.
Moonlit Sanctuary in located at Pearcedale on the Baxter-Tooradin Road. Moonlit Sanctuary’s director and owner, Michael Johnson, said the initial success was a strong indicator for future conservation initiatives for the species.
“This is especially so given the Pookila’s close association with the Westernport region, and we hope to see them in the wild near here again soon. This breeding success shows the value of our new small mammal breeding centre,” he said.
In the wild, the Victorian breeding season for Pookila is late spring through to early autumn.
Native to south-eastern Australia, the small, burrowing rodent inhabits open heathland and coastal areas, mostly feeding on native plant seeds, leaves and fungi. The species plays an important biodiversity role by dispersing seeds and fungal spores.
Pookila can be distinguished from the house mouse by their bicoloured tail, large eyes, soft thick fur, and a lack of ‘mousey’ odour.
The name Pookila is derived from a Ngarigo word for ‘mouse’ – bugila – and was adopted by the federal government in 1995 as an Indigenous name for the species formerly known as the New Holland Mouse.
The Pookila Conservation Breeding and Reintroduction Program is a collaboration between the Victorian Department of Energy, Environments and Climate Action, Gippsland Water, Moonlit Sanctuary, Parks Victoria, the Australasian Zoo and Aquarium Association, Zoos Victoria and members of the national Pookila recovery team.
