A gift of gold: locally-extinct bandicoot returns to Australia’s Red Centre 

After an extended absence from Australia’s arid interior, the Golden Bandicoot has returned to Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, on Ngalia-Warlpiri and Luritja Country in the Red Centre.
In a historic event, the Ngarinyin People, the Traditional Custodians of Wilinggin Country in the Kimberley, WA, including AWC’s Charnley River - Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary, have gifted a founding population of the vulnerable bandicoots to Newhaven’s mammal restoration project.
The 40 Golden Bandicoots reintroduced to Newhaven were sourced from AWC’s Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary, in a collective project with Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation (WAC) Rangers. The bandicoots, carefully transported in pet packs, were escorted approximately 1,000 kilometres from the Kimberley to Central Australia by two WAC Darran.gu Wulagura (Strong Women) Rangers, Zaharny Charles and Nerelle Umbagai, as well as AWC ecologists, Dr Karen Young and Samantha Mulvena.