Returning the Northern Quoll to North Queensland

Project Details:

Quolls are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, and the northern quoll is the smallest of the four Australian quoll species.

Northern quolls are predominantly nocturnal and prefer to live in woodlands, especially near rocky outcrops. They shelter in hollow logs, trees, and rock crevices during the day, eating insects, birds, smaller mammals and amphibians. Unfortunately, they have an appetite for the poisonous cane toad, an invasive species causing havoc in Australian ecosystems.

With the support of the Colossal Species Reintroduction Fund, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is bringing a genetically diverse population of 30 northern quolls to Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary in north Queensland.

In Partnership With

AWC is one of Australia's leading conservation organizations. It owns, manages, or influences more land for conservation than any other non-government organization in the country, and its track record with reintroductions is deep. Since 1994, AWC has returned 24 mammal species to 12 sites and founded 53 populations of 23 species across 11 locations.

Why the Northern Quoll Matters

Quolls are agile, nocturnal hunters that fill an important niche as native predators. Their decline traces largely to one fateful decision. In 1935, cane toads were introduced to Australia as a form of pest control, which has proven disastrous for Australia’s unique ecosystems. The toads spread across the continent, and because quolls try to eat them, the toads’ powerful toxin proved deadly, driving quoll declines of more than 90% in some areas.

The species also connects to Colossal’s broader genomic work. Quolls belong to the thylacine’s former ecosystem, and Colossal is already studying cane toad resistance in northern quolls with the University of Melbourne.

Progress So Far

With the help of the Colossal Species Reintroduction Fund, AWC is translocating individuals from all four distinct populations of northern quoll in Australia to Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary. These individuals were selected for both genetic diversity and resistance to cane toad poison.

Photo Credit: Brad Leue

Of the 30 quolls being translocated, at least 20 will be fitted with telemetry collars for post-release monitoring. Eventually, the site is expected to support about 300 individuals with the potential to expand in the near future.

How the Species Reintroduction Fund is Helping

With the Colossal Foundation’s support, AWC will carry out the first year of reintroduction:

Establishing Founders – Translocating up to 30 quolls into a 950-hectare, feral-predator-free safe haven, drawn from four distinct wild populations and chosen for genetic diversity and cane-toad tolerance.

Post-Release Monitoring – Fitting at least 20 founders with telemetry collars to track survival and set long-term monitoring protocols.

Room to Grow – Working toward a site that could hold around 300 quolls at carrying capacity, with room to expand to roughly 900 across the broader sanctuary.