Martin Fingland and his captive-bred
spotted-tailed quoll.
Photo © WPSQ

The quoll discovery day in Numinbah Valley Hall on Sunday 26 July was organised and presented by Wildlife Queensland with the assistance of SEQ Catchments and local Numnbah Landcare volunteers.

The popular event attracted nearly 80 people from across the Gold Coast Hinterland and beyond, all eager to meet a live spotted-tailed quoll and find out more about these endangered native carnivores.

Landowners and wildlife enthusiasts, including local families, from Springbrook, Boonah, Mt Tamborine, and across the border from Uki were entertained and informed by expert speakers, a display specimen named Spot the Quoll, and a live captive-bred quoll.
'This is the first live quoll that many people had ever seen despite the Border Ranges' designation as a quoll-hotspot,' said Ewa Meyer from Wildlife Queensland, organiser of the Quoll Discovery Day.

'We are happy that so many local people came along – and thanks go to the Numinbah Valley Landcare volunteers who prepared lunch for so many people,' Mrs Meyer said.

'Lots of people have approached us today about helping to improve quoll habitat on their own properties or to suggest sites for field surveys into quoll populations.'

Rosemary Fleay-Thomson, daughter of famous local naturalist David Fleay who was a founder of Wildlife Queensland, and her husband Jack also enjoyed the day.

Dr Scott Burnett of Wildlife Queensland gave two presentations emphasising the role that people can play in adding to scientific knowledge about the species by reporting their sightings to Wildlife Queensland’s Quoll Seekers Network program.

He also gave advice on improving quoll habitat and managing bait programs so as not to endanger quolls.

'It's particularly important not to use strychnine,' said Dr Burnett. 'Using 1080 bait is only safe for quolls as long as you bury it at bait stations.'

The Quoll Discovery Day was the final event in the statewide Protecting Quolls in Queensland Landscapes program (funded by the Australian government’s Caring for Our Country) that had been spreading the word in quoll-habitat areas about the carnivorous marsupial and encouraging poultry owners to protect their birds from attacks by 'quoll-proofing' their poultry pens.

Slugger the quoll was brought along by Martin Fingland of Geckoes Wildlife Presentations who bred the spotted-tailed quoll in captivity.
Local landowners had been invited to the event by the Gold Coast City Council, one of the project partners.

More information about

Quoll Seekers Network

Spotted-tailed quoll species profile

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.