Joel and Andrea Little’s love story blossomed amidst a shared passion for saving the eastern quoll, a native carnivorous species that had faced extinction on mainland Australia since 1963. Their journey began over two decades ago at the Little River Earth Sanctuary near Geelong in Victoria, where they dedicated themselves to caring for these unique animals.
“A lot of the time it was just Andrea and I working together, and we really bonded over this species,”
Joel reminisced.
“We fell in love together working with these animals.”
For Andrea, who hails from East Germany, the experience was surreal.
“Coming from East Germany where we couldn’t travel much, it was always a dream,”
she recalled. Before meeting Joel, she had been volunteering at a wildlife park in Adelaide Hills and jumped at the chance to join him in their conservation efforts.
The Littles developed a private program focusing on reintroducing eastern quolls into the wild while creating safe habitats free from threats like cats and foxes. They meticulously bred quolls in cages before releasing them into protected areas where they could live a natural life without compromising their survival instincts.
The process involved ensuring that joeys spent adequate time with their mothers learning essential hunting skills before venturing out independently. The marsupials’ distinctive white spotted appearance at birth captivated the couple as they witnessed these tiny creatures grow into skilled hunters of insects, grubs, rabbits, rats, and birds.
Their dedication led them to join the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program (TQCP), a nationwide initiative aimed at rewilding eastern quolls both on mainland Australia and Tasmania. In 2018, quolls were successfully released into Booderee National Park on the NSW South Coast after previous attempts faced challenges from predators.
Today, Joel and Andrea’s wildlife sanctuary near Bathurst is home to four eastern quolls earmarked for breeding as part of conservation efforts. These marsupials will undergo rigorous training within secure environments before being ready for release back into the wild.
“We can ensure all joeys survive until they are ready to hunt alongside their mothers,”
explained Joel.
“This approach bridges the gap often seen in conservation programs between captive breeding and successful reintegration into natural habitats.”
Their ultimate goal is to see thriving populations of eastern quolls roaming freely around Bathurst—a dream that now seems within reach thanks to their unwavering commitment.
As they continue their work with these charming creatures, Joel reflected on their broader impact beyond just saving one species: “It is just so exciting that we are part of something knowing that the animals we breed will potentially be breeding in the wild next year.”
Their sanctuary also houses other endangered species like parma wallabies, bandicoots, and bettongs—showcasing their holistic approach towards biodiversity preservation.
Through resilience, passion, and mutual dedication to wildlife conservation, Joel and Andrea have not only nurtured a lasting love but also created a legacy centered around protecting some of Australia’s most vulnerable creatures—the enchanting eastern quolls.
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