Loss and degradation of its habitat and predation by foxes and feral cats are the causes of the quokka's decline
Its distribution also appears to be affected by climatic factors. And as southwest WA dries due to climate change, there will be more habitat loss at the quokka's expense.
A wily survivor it may be, but the quokka is no match for landclearing or foxes and feral cats.
A wily survivor it may be, but the quokka is no match for landclearing or foxes and feral cats. Without human intervention, it faces an uncertain future. It would be a travesty if one of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans were to be lost on our watch.
about burnt sites Of the 43 burnt sites known to be occupied by quokkas prior to the fire, only 10 of these (23%) were
occupied post fire and seven of these were immediately adjacent to the fire edge, adjoining unburnt
vegetation. It is estimated that these 43 sites supported more than 500 quokkas and the survey
found that only approximately 39 quokkas remain. However some quokkas may have survived the
fire by fleeing to unburnt areas. One site in unburnt forest near the fire edge supports 36 quokkas
per hectare which is an extremely high density, not previously recorded
In the Australian Bushwalk at the Zoo there is one member of our Quokka group that may stand out from the others, our young joey that still has some growing to do!
The young female is just over a year old and was recently introduced to five other Rottnest Island quokkas.
Perth Zoo Senior Keeper Steve Catwell said: “Very quickly she settled right in with them and now she feeds together with them in the mornings and afternoons, she really seems to be a part of the crew.”
“Female joeys are usually weaned from them mums after nine months, so while mum remains behind the scenes as part of our co-ordinated breeding program, this little one is following the lead of our other girls.”
If you are looking out for our Quokka joey these winter school holidays, she will be easy to spot as she is much smaller than the others.
Before our young Quokka could be moved into the bushwalk, she was given a thorough health check at our vet department.
Perth Zoo Veterinarian, Peter Ricci said: “Quokkas are really great to treat because they are generally more placid than some of the other animals.”
“They are generally a cute little patient!”
With a clean bill of health, the young joey was also microchipped so that her vets and keepers can identify her as needed once she grows to full size.
You can visit our Quokkas at the top end of our Australian Bushwalk, but there are a few other Zoo babies to spot along the way.
“The winter school holidays is the perfect time to visit to see lots of marsupial joeys,” Steve said.
“We also have koala, kangaroo and wallaby babies that will be popping out of the pouch this season.”
Check out the video of our Quokka joey to find out keeper Steve’s favourite thing about these unique mammals.