In 2024, Wildlife Unlimited partner, Biodiversity Legacy, received start-up funding from the Rendere Environmental Trust and the Victorian Government via its Nature Fund grant program. This project will conduct population monitoring and genetic assessments of wild STQs in the region; information that will inform the development of a captive management document and translocation strategy. These are two possible options to repopulate Gippsland with quolls. These techniques have been undertaken for the southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, a species that has experienced a similar range contraction to that of the Spot-tailed Quoll.

Wildlife Unlimited will deliver the project under the leadership of ecologists Willow Bourke and Rachael Bartlett, commencing with the deployment of 4G-enabled remote cameras. The project benefits from WUL’s technical expertise in remote camera deployment for a range of wildlife, threatened species translocations and familiarity with the challenging terrain of east Gippsland.

A cornerstone of the project is its collaborative approach, creating cross-sector, multi-agency and First Nations partnerships to enable an effective project and foster ongoing relationships for future conservation efforts. Key partners include Odonata, private landowners in the upper Snowy Region, the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and Parks Victoria.