Sometimes we get something great. Marsupials are miraculously revived through genetic manipulation.
Bandicoots, a group of small nocturnal creatures once declared extinct in Australia, are back from the brink and moving towards a life in the wild.
On Tuesday, conservationists released 100 giant bandicoots on Phillip Island near Melbourne.
These bandicoots were bred to be better equipped for survival through a world-first genetic rescue program led by the Odonata Foundation, Caesar Australia and the Eastern Bird Bandicoot Recovery Team.
Recent releases and breathtaking hope are long overdue.
Conservationists have carefully bred bandicoots since 2004, increasing their decimated population to a community of more than 2,000 individuals.
Their efforts are supported by Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, which has invested $1.79 million to support population recovery of endangered species, including the largest-ever reintroduction of the eastern giant bandicoot into the Australian wild.
“Thirty years ago, these bandicoots disappeared from mainland Australia. What makes their recovery so incredible is the science behind it: a science-backed, scalable, conservation-transforming genetic rescue program,” Amazon Right Now Climate Fund spokesperson Michael Miller said.
“The same methodology could help save endangered animals around the world,” he added.
Bandicoots are a real boon to the environment. Experts say each bandicoot turns around three tons of soil each year, supporting seed dispersal, water retention and nutrient cycling, while building flood and drought resistance in the lands they struggle with.
Bandicoots, which once ranged across southeastern Australia, have declined dramatically over the past two centuries due to habitat loss, drought and the introduction of predators such as red foxes and cats.
By the late 1980s, only 60 bandicoots remained in Australia. These surviving specimens were found in abandoned cars and garbage dumps and captured for breeding, but they were declared extinct in the wild in 1991.
Previous attempts to release the offspring of these survivors into the wild have failed due to inbreeding. The researchers explain that because of the narrow breeding pool, a genetic defect known as “undershot jaw” appeared in new populations, making it more difficult for them to dig, grab, and chew food.
To address this failure, the Odonata Foundation began breeding mainland Australian and Tasmanian bandicoot populations.
Breeding these disparate populations, which have been isolated from each other for over 10,000 years, has resulted in a more diverse and robust gene pool and a more balanced sex ratio.
Scientists have bred particularly large males and females to increase the size of their offspring.
“The most powerful part of this story is the gene rescue,” said Dr Andrew Weekes, Director of Cesar Australia and Scientific Advisor to Odonata.
“Through a world-first genetic mixing approach, we have built a healthy and vigorous bandicoot population with far superior genetic health and a much higher chance of survival than their inbred predecessors.”
Beyond breeding, this new generation of bandicoots has migrated to five different locations in Australia. This approach, known as the “500/500 recovery model,” ensures that animals are sufficiently dispersed to eliminate the risk of complete extinction due to natural disasters.
Over the next three years, bandicoots will be closely monitored through ongoing genetic testing to assess population stabilization.
“The model itself is a first of its kind in the conservation space, and we could not have done it without funding from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund,” explains Matt Singleton, Chief Operating Officer of the Odonata Foundation.
“Unlike traditional captive breeding programs, our approach produces resilient, healthy and adaptable populations that are truly ready to be released in the future beyond safe havens.”
In addition to the Blessed Bandicoot, Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund is supporting the conservation and restoration of nine threatened Australian species, including the eastern quoll, southern bush wallaby, bush-eared peon, and eastern beton.
This investment is part of Amazon’s broader efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. The Climate Pledge is the company’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Despite waving the flag of improvement, Amazon rejected all shareholder proposals on climate change last year.
Among the rejected proposals were one that would require additional reporting on carbon emissions across the Amazon, another targeting the climate impact of data centers, and one that would require more disclosure on packaging materials, particularly plastics.
Amazon said its existing disclosures are sufficient and that it is working to reduce its environmental impact.
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