Project Potoroo: The Search for a Species We Couldn’t See

It started with a simple question. Could the long-nosed potoroo still be living on Bribie Island? They are small, quiet, and active at night, the kind of animal that can be there without you ever knowing.

But if they are here, they matter. Potoroos play an important role in keeping forests healthy by turning over soil and helping underground fungi spread. Understanding whether they are part of Bribie Island’s ecosystem is not just curiosity. It is about understanding how the whole system is functioning. And so, the search began.

Over the course of a year, six sites across Bribie Island National Park were carefully surveyed. Cameras were set and scent lure stations were placed. Alongside this, Jarrah, Nature Nose’s trained conservation detection dog, moved through the bush with his nose to the ground, searching for one specific clue: potoroo scat. Jarrah’s role was to detect what cameras cannot, scent left behind even when the animal itself is not seen. It is a method increasingly used in ecological research, especially for species that are difficult to observe directly.

Then came the waiting. Day after day and night after night, the cameras watched. Jarrah searched where conditions allowed. By the end of the project, that quiet effort had grown into something substantial, 2,800 camera trap nights, nearly 60,000 images captured, and 30 native species recorded. Every image and every search added another piece to the puzzle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exECJW6U99A

After months in the field and thousands of images reviewed, the result was clear. We did not detect the long-nosed potoroo. Jarrah did not locate any confirmed potoroo scat, and no camera detections were recorded. While that might sound like a simple answer, it is not. In ecological work, not finding something does not mean it is not there. It may be rare, highly localised, or simply very good at staying hidden. What we can say is that the search was thorough, the methods were strong, and this is now the clearest picture we have had for these areas.

Even without the potoroo, the island revealed a lot. Cameras captured a wide range of native wildlife alongside consistent activity from invasive species like foxes and feral pigs. Environmental conditions shifted patterns. Some areas showed signs of disturbance while others showed resilience. Piece by piece, a broader story emerged about the health, pressures, and complexity of Bribie Island’s ecosystems.

This project gives us something incredibly important, a starting point. Before this, there was uncertainty. Now there is data. It means future surveys have something to build on. It means decisions can be better informed. And it means we are no longer guessing, we are learning.

Read the full report that takes you deeper into the field: Project Potoroo 2024-2025 Community Report