The Distribution of the Southern Brown Bandicoot 'isoodon Obesulus' in South Central Victoria

The Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus has declined dramatically in both range and abundance since European Settlement. The species' distribution is largely determined by the availability of the dense, heathy vegetation that formed on the sandy coastal plains of south-eastern Australia. One of the five major areas of habitat in Victoria occurred in the Port Phillip-Western Port-West Gippsland region of Victoria. This 'south central' region is one of the most populated and developed regions in Australia, and habitat suitable for Southern Brown Bandicoots has become rare, highly fragmented and influenced by a range of potentially threatening processes. We looked at the historic and current distribution of Southern Brown Bandicoots in the south central region to identify options for conservation management of the species. We found evidence that populations in the Greater Melbourne area, including the Mornington Peninsula, had declined substantially in recent decades. The species is now uncommon in administratively secure conservation reserves in the region apart from the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, where recent management initiatives appear to have been effective in controlling some known threats. Surprisingly, an extensive population also persists on predominantly agricultural and utility land north of Western Port Bay, around the former 'Great' (Koo-wee-rup) Swamp where they live close to humans, livestock and domestic pets. This population faces a number of immediate threats, yet may be crucial to the long term viability of the species in the south central region. Effective management of the Koo-wee-rup population will require innovative measures to mitigate threats across a range of land uses and tenures.