Victoria’s lowland Leadbeater’s possums moved to purpose-built forest refuge
Original report:
Conservationists evacuated the last lowland Leadbeater’s possums from Yellingbo after severe population losses. The Guardian’s November 2026 report describes their move to a restored, fenced refuge, while warning that the new habitat alone cannot secure the threatened population.
Zoos Victoria ecologists removed the remaining lowland Leadbeater’s possums from Yellingbo conservation area after their population fell to 13, the Guardian reported in November 2026. The animals were temporarily housed at Healesville Sanctuary. Ecologists suspected predators were responsible for the disappearance of nearly half the remaining population between October and June.
In late October, nine possums—six lowland, two highland and one hybrid—were released at Haining Farm, with further arrivals planned for 2027. Parks Victoria and partners had planted 900,000 trees, shrubs and grasses on the former farmland. A 3.6km fence was designed to exclude foxes and feral cats, while feeding platforms, nest boxes and branch pathways supported the animals in the young forest.
The refuge addresses only part of the conservation challenge: its young trees lack the old hollows possums need, and food availability remains uncertain. Zoos Victoria ecologist Dan Harley estimated that at least 220 hectares of suitable habitat would be needed to support the lowland population, making wider habitat protection central to recovery efforts.
Source
the Guardian — 9 November 2026
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