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Protecting our Southern Brown Bandicoots

At Cranbourne Gardens we are lucky to be the custodians of a large population of Southern brown bandicoots. With a few small actions, we can improve their chances of surviving and thriving in South-East Melbourne.

Fifty years ago, many residents of South-East Melbourne would often have seen the long, pointy nose, humped back and stumpy tail of the Southern Brown Bandicoot, snuffling around searching for bugs and fungi to eat.  As Melbourne has grown, our now nationally endangered bandicoots are getting harder to find.

Thanks to removal of habitat, introduced predators like foxes and cats, and big, busy roads isolating populations, our bandicoots are in trouble. If we don’t take some serious action quickly, there’s a very real chance we might lose them forever.

Retaining wildlife within residential areas helps residents to connect with and value their environment, and keeps plants healthy and ecosystems functioning. While the bandicoots are dependent on low, dense plants for habitat, they return the favour. Just one southern brown bandicoot can turn over 3.9 tonnes of soil in a year, helping spread beneficial fungi, increasing nutrient turnover, and improving water penetration into the soil.