Banded hare-wallaby  (Lagostrophus fasciatus)

The disappearance of the banded hare-wallaby on the Australian mainland is thought to be the combined result of clearing of vegetation for agriculture, competition for food with introduced sheep and rabbits, and predation by introduced predators such as cats (6) (7). Although these factors have caused a dramatic decline in numbers of the banded hare-wallaby, causing their extinction on the mainland, those that remain on the uninhabited islands of Dorre and Bernier thankfully remain relatively secure (6).

Unfortunately, attempts made to reintroduce this species to Dirk Hartog Island in the 1970s and to Peron Peninsula at Shark Bay in 2001, failed. Cat predation played an important part in these failures, as well as intensive browsing by sheep and goats, and a period of drought over the summer of 1979/80 on Dirk Hartog, resulting in the loss of 30 to 40 percent of the Acacia shrub cover. Captive populations are currently held at the Peron Captive Breeding Facility and the Dryandra Captive Breeding Facility, though the latter has experienced problems with aerial predation by the wedge-tailed eagle (8). At last, in 2003 and 2004, banded hare-wallabies from Peron Captive Breeding Facility and the Shark Bay Islands were successfully reintroduced to Faure Island, after the removal of goats from the island (8) (9). This population is now thriving and represents a remarkable victory for conservation. Banded hare-wallabies have been so successful in adapting to their new environment that they bred in the first year after release, providing fresh hope for the long-term survival of this relic species of ‘short faced kangaroo’ (9).