Critically endangered bettongs thrive in South Australia reserve after local extinction

New monitoring has revealed the population of brush-tailed bettongs continues to grow in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes national park – a promising sign for Marna Banggara, an ambitious project to restore lost native wildlife to southern Yorke Peninsula, where up to 95% of native animals are locally extinct. Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube and hit the bell to see new videos ► Bettongs were chosen because they dig through the earth at night foraging for fungi, which helps improve the quality of the soil. 'It’s fantastic to see so many new animals in the population,' says Derek Sandow, a Northern and Yorke Landscape Board ecologist. 'It shows that the bettongs we released in 2021 and 2022 are comfortable in the landscape, they’re finding food, they’re finding shelter and they’re finding mates' Follow the Australia news live blog for the latest updates ► The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► Website ► Facebook ► Instagram ► Twitter ► TikTok ► @guardianaustralia LinkedIn ► Subscribe to the Guardian's other YouTube channels: The Guardian ► Guardian News ► Guardian Football ► Guardian Sport ► Guardian Live ► #Australia #Animals #Bettongs #Wildlife #News