Image: The Eastern Barred Bandicoot – one of Australia’s rarest marsupials – now has a fighting chance thanks to French Island’s predator-free future.
Photo credit: FAME.
French Island’s land managers are taking bold steps to protect native wildlife through the French Island Priority Place – Creating a Wildlife Safe Haven project.
This collaborative effort aims to completely eradicate feral cats from Victoria’s largest island—an ambitious but critical milestone in creating one of Australia’s few predator-free wildlife sanctuaries.
Already free of foxes, French Island is a national priority in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032.
Removing feral cats will significantly improve survival prospects for species such as the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Long-nosed Potoroo, Lewin’s Rail and Swamp Skink, all vulnerable to predation.
The project builds on more than a decade of community-led work and is progressing through broadscale reduction, targeted removal, and long-term monitoring to prevent reestablishment. This landmark effort is creating a safer future for threatened species on French Island.
This project, funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust and Saving Native Species programs, is delivered by Melbourne Water, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.
Image: The Eastern Barred Bandicoot – one of Australia’s rarest marsupials – now has a fighting chance thanks to French Island’s predator-free future.
Photo credit: FAME.
