New Holland mouse breeding program

 The Pookila, or New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) has been in decline since its discovery in 1970. Remaining populations are highly fragmented and face drought, feral predators, competition, loss of genetic diversity and the effects of the 2019-20 bushfires.

The Victorian Pookila Conservation Breeding and Reintroduction Program was established in 2022 using founders from remaining wild populations. With careful matchmaking, the pookilas born for release are more genetically healthy and diverse than those in the wild.

As a result of the breeding program, ten female pookilas have been released to Wilsons Promontory National Park to introduce genetic diversity to the existing wild population. The resulting wild-born pups have been identified and will be monitored long-term. 28 pookilas have also been released to Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, introducing this species to the region for the first time since 1976.

Since 2022, Moonlit Sanctuary and Melbourne Zoo have successfully bred 102 pookila pups across 15 breeding pairs between the two facilities.

With WCF funding, Moonlit Sanctuary opened the Small Mammal Conservation Breeding Centre which will play a vital role in sustaining populations for threatened mammals including pookilas. The facility can hold over 100 animals and can be adapted to house a wide range of species.

The release of pookilas will go a long way in conserving this species. Their presence is also benefitting their environment: as a burrowing species, they aid the ecosystem in soil turnover, increased water irrigation and seed and fungal dispersal.