THE RELEASE OF REHABILITATED NATIVE MARSUPIALS AND OCCUPANCY OF ARTIFICAL HOMES ON THE SUNSHINE COAST

Australian native fauna within the South East region of Queensland is constantly under pressure from vegetation removal and human infrastructure expansion. With this expansion comes an increased demand on wildlife rescue services to cope with native fauna that are displaced, injured or orphaned. In a study on eastern pygmy possums Bladon [1] found that land clearing reduced a stable population occupying an area from 83% usage rate to 5%. This increasing demand poses the question of where to relocate animals either displaced or raised in captivity. To release rehabilitated fauna kept in some situations for months in captivity at their place of origin is not always an option. Lack of information on specific origins, extensive vegetation clearing and predation by domestic animals can limit desired outcomes.