Guardian dogs at work protecting Eastern Barred Bandicoots.

Twenty Critically Endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoots are now roaming free at a conservation reserve in Dunkeld, under the watchful eyes of two specially trained Guardian dogs. Eastern Barred Bandicoots were once widespread across southwest Victoria, however extensive habitat destruction and introduced predators saw the wild bandicoot population plummet to extinction on mainland Australia.
The Guardian Dog Project aims to reintroduce populations of the gentle and shy native marsupial back into the wild on mainland Victoria. This collaborative research trial could be a huge win for the conservation of Eastern Barred Bandcoots and could not be done without our partners University of Tasmania, Dunkeld Pastoral Company, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Parks Victoria and of course, the doggos!
Zoos Victoria would like to thank and acknowledge our funding partners the Australian Research Council's Linkage grants scheme, the Australian Government National Landcare Program, the Victorian Government, The Dyson Bequest, John Cochrane, The Standish Family Fund, part of the Australian Communities Foundation and The Scobie & Claire Mackinnon Trust for their support of the Zoos Victoria Guardian Dog Program.

[@veesvoyages]

Super cute doggos!!😍😍😍

[@maggierussell35]

Thank you Zoos Vic for all your amazing work!! You guys are the absolute best 🤗

[@KnuckleheadParker]

😍😍😍

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Thank you for everything you do. When I was a child my grandparents had a farm in Gippsland, you would often see footprints in the dirt and grandpa would tell us they belonged to bandicoots. So terrible that they are now in so much trouble. Wishing this project all the best.

[@psithurism241]

gl