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Bandicoot stuck in drain

Thursday, May 3, 2012

This adult male Long-nosed bandicoot had to be rescued by WIRES in northern Sydney this week where he had been found by a gardener stuck in a drain.

The very kind gardener had tried for some time to rescue him. Eventually after removing the grate on the drain he was found by our rescue ambulance officer, with his head poking out from a PVC drainpipe.

He had an injured front paw, which is needed for digging and damaged skin where he was in contact with the drain. He is now in care with one of our dedicated volunteers and is now digging with both paws again and will be released very soon.

Long-nosed bandicoots are one of three species of bandicoot found in NSW.

Bandicoots are nocturnal and feed on earthworms, insect larvae, beetles, ants, spiders, and roots and fungi to supplement their diet. Fully grown they are the size of a rabbit. They can be very useful in gardens due to their appetite for grubs and garden pests. They are perhaps best known for the snout-shaped, conical holes they leave after foraging, a small price to pay for assistance controlling garden pests.

Very few native animals prey on bandicoots. However, introduced animals such as feral and domestic cats, dogs and foxes pose a significant threat to the future of bandicoots. In some areas of Sydney the long-nosed bandicoot is listed as endangered.

They were once common in the backyards of some Sydney suburbs, however numbers have been declining, as they are for many native mammals. Long-nosed bandicoots have a grey-brown coat and a cream underbelly. They build their nests in shallow holes in the ground, lined with leaf litter, where they sleep during the day. They like areas with thick, low, native undergrowth that gives some protection from predators.

Become a regular donor to WIRES, just $20 per month can help us save more lives like this bandicoot.