Red-tailed Phascogale photographed at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary. © Aliesha Dodson

The Red-tailed Phascogale, a species so small, quick and wary that it typically gives scientists the slip, has been captured in record numbers at a wildlife sanctuary in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region. The surge in captures indicates that the population is bouncing back, two years after a drought-driven decline.

Ecologists captured 48 phascogales during a survey of the species at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary on Badimia Country. That was more than double the 28 individuals captured in 2024, and the highest number recorded since the species was reintroduced nine years ago inside the sanctuary’s 7,800-hectare feral predator-free fenced area.

Aliesha Dodson, AWC Field Ecologist, attributed the increase in captures to better weather conditions following severe drought in 2023 and 2024.

“It was incredibly dry at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Aliesha. “We went through one of the worst heat waves with only 171mm of rain, the lowest rain levels on record for the Wheatbelt.”

“The phascogales as well as other boom and bust species on the sanctuary felt the impact of the drier period, and populations decreased as their food resources became scarce.”

Fortunately, their numbers appeared to have rebounded as environmental conditions improved, particularly in the last year when the Wheatbelt received 401mm of rain after June 2024, and 319mm in 2025.

“Red‑tailed Phascogales are incredibly quick and naturally wary, so we don’t usually see or capture them in such high numbers during surveys,” added Aliesha. “To record this many individuals is a really encouraging sign for the species.”

Refined survey timings were also identified as contributing to this year’s increase in Red-tailed Phascogale captures, along with the feral predator-free fenced area that enables species vulnerable to feral cat predation to rebuild their populations in a safe environment.

“The predator free area is doing exactly what it was designed to do, giving Australian species the breathing room they need to recover,” said Aliesha. “Seeing the Red-tailed Phascogale respond tells us the whole system is tracking in the right direction and shows how important these protected areas are in supporting native wildlife.”

Mt Gibson is one of three AWC owned and managed sanctuaries protecting the small and elusive Red-tailed Phascogale, and the only one on the west coast. The others are Mallee Cliffs National Park in south west NSW, where AWC works in partnership with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, where the species was reintroduced last year.

For more information on AWC’s work with the Red-tailed Phascogale, click here.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a pragmatic, on-ground global conservation leader, conserving landscapes and providing hope for Australian wildlife. Informed by science, we deliver measurable conservation impact at scale to secure the future of our most endangered species and their habitats, including restoring degraded landscapes where necessary.

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