Smoky mouse reintroduced to South East Forest National Park feral cat and fox-free area

The critically-endangered smoky mouse was recently reintroduced into South East Forest National Park, making a return to an area where it has not been seen since the 1990s.

The smoky mouse is the first threatened species to be reintroduced into the Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area constructed in the national park. Almost 50 individuals have been released into the area with up to 120 to be released into the area each year.

The smoky mouse is the first of up to nine locally extinct species to be reintroduced to Nungatta including the long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong, eastern quoll and New Holland mouse.

The project is turning back time for this critical area of forest, bringing back the pre-European assemblage of mammals and restoring ecosystem health. It is set to be a shining example of biodiversity restoration which, in years to come, will be a special place for visitors to the South East Forest National Park.

The smoky mouse reintroduction is a collaboration between the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the NSW Government’s Saving our Species (SoS) program, the National Threatened Species Institute and University of Canberra.

Listed as critically endangered in NSW, the smoky mouse is a small native rodent about 2-3 times the size of the introduced house mouse. It was first recorded in NSW in 1993 near Mt Poole, in Nungatta State Forest.

There is a population of smoky mice in Kosciusko National Park and a small number are still recorded in the Nullica area of South East Forest National Park. They are also present in a small number of sites in western and eastern Victoria, but have not been seen in southern Victoria in a long time.

The smoky mouse’s numbers have significantly declined due to predation by feral cats and foxes, habitat loss, inappropriate fire regimes and infestation of understorey shrubs with the introduced root rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.

The Nungatta feral cat and fox-free area was established by NPWS as part of a network of 10 feral cat and fox-free areas. Once all sites are established, almost 65,000 hectares of national park estate will be free of feral predators. This is an essential part of its threatened species strategy and commitment to zero extinctions in NSW national parks.

The reintroduced smoky mice are part of a captive breeding program started in 2016, supported by the SoS program.

More information regarding feral predator-free areas is available here: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/conservation-programs/feral-predator-free-project.

Quote attributed to David Kelly, Manager Threatened Species NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service:

“Nungatta is a special place, the first feral cat and fox-free area in the tall forests of South East Forest National Park.

“The return of the smoky mouse is the first step in a major ecosystem restoration project that will see locally extinct species reintroduced, and existing local populations bounce back from decline.

“Over the next few years, the NSW Government will reintroduce the eastern quoll, long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong and more, all of which play critical roles in the ecosystem.

“This project is about saving endangered species and thereby restoring ecosystem health.

“In the future, once all these reintroductions are complete, I look forward to South East Forest National Park being an even better place to visit than it is already.”