See the bandicoots of Churchill Island

At dusk on Churchill Island, something small and striped starts nosing its way out of the long grass.

The Eastern barred bandicoot is about the size of a guinea pig, with a long, pointed snout, soft fur and distinctive stripes across its rump.

By night, it gets to work, digging hundreds of little conical holes through the soil as it hunts for worms, insects and other invertebrates.

In doing so, it turns over and aerates the soil, helping water and nutrients move through it.

You'd be forgiven for thinking they're just a bit of local wildlife. They're a lot more than that.

By the late 1980s, only one small population of Eastern barred bandicoots was left. Habitat loss and introduced predators, foxes above all, had wiped them out across the grasslands of Western Victoria, where they were once common.

"In a last-ditch effort to prevent their imminent extinction, as many of the bandicoots as possible were brought into captivity before the population disappeared. No one knew if it would work," said Duncan Sutherland, Senior Scientist at Phillip Island Nature Parks and Chair of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Program.

"This emergency extraction ultimately saved the mainland bandicoots from extinction," explained Duncan, "and through captive breeding, new populations were established behind predator exclusion fences."

It became clear that fox-free habitat was the key to their potential recovery, and this is where Churchill Island played a pivotal role.

"I remember the anticipation and trepidation of releasing the first Eastern barred bandicoots to Churchill Island on a chilly evening in August 2015, but also the elation of following their progress as they immediately started breeding and successfully adopting their new home," said Duncan.

"The new bandicoots found homes and even mates straight away, one even adopting the beautiful gardens around the homestead on night one, despite visitors walking by unaware only a metre or so away, where she successfully raised two young."

Churchill Island set the foundation for future releases to Phillip Island and French Island, demonstrating these creatures' remarkable benefits for soil health, both in bushland and farmland, and by connecting the community with this iconic native species.

Since then, bandicoots have not just established but flourished on these fox-free islands and have become a part of the islands' identity and a symbol of hope.
Recoveries like this are rare.

Most species that get this close to the edge don't come back, which is what makes a quiet evening on a Bass Coast island worth paying attention to.

On October 31 and November 1, the Bandicoot Discovery Tour will take small groups out onto Churchill Island as the light fades.

The walk is guided and uses spotlights to catch sight of these wild animals going about their evening.

Guides will explain how the recovery happened and, as you watch the animals, what they are doing, with foraging, digging and sometimes seeing bandicoots with young a highlight.

Families are welcome, and so is anyone who has ever wondered what a species coming back from the brink actually looks like up close.

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