Discovery of spotted-tail quoll thought extinct in SA sparks hopes of 'small population' in south-east

A mammal expert suspects a population of an endangered marsupial, long believed extinct in South Australia, may have survived in the state's south-east after an unlikely capture by a local farmer. Key points: A spotted-tail quoll caught at Beachport has been released back into the wild Once widespread across eastern Australia, the quolls were persecuted throughout the 19th century Conservation efforts for another quoll species were underway across the border in Victoria Beachport trout farmer Pao Ling Tsai set a trap to catch the predator that had been killing his chooks, he expected he would catch a feral cat or fox. Theories abound on animal's origin Biodiversity Council member and Charles Darwin University Professor John Woinarski said the discovery offered "a bit of hope" that a small population had survived unreported. Future 'looking up' for quolls Professor Woinarski said while the spotted-tail quoll had once been widespread across the mainland, including in SA, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, a range of factors, including a "disastrous liking for poultry" had reduced their populations. "There's a chance for us to really get people talking about and thinking about these really important functional species in our environment," he said.