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Story perspectives

Bettongs released in NSW desert as cats culled.

6/16/2026

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Story summary
  • Wild Deserts ecologists released burrowing bettongs into a 100-km² zone in Sturt National Park, NSW.
  • Bettongs can shift up to three tonnes of soil per year, serving as ecosystem engineers.
  • Feral cats that kill over 1.5 billion animals annually are kept at low density in exclosures through shooting and trapping.
  • Researchers will track bettongs, use genetic swabs to detect cat-related deaths, and have released 400 bilbies and other natives showing breeding.