Australia releases 50 critically endangered smoky mice into forest after decades of absence

Australia has brought the critically endangered smoky mouse back to a forest area in New South Wales where it had not been seen since the 1990s. Nearly 50 individuals were released into the Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area in South East Forest National Park. The reintroduction marks the first return of a threatened species to the protected area, which was established to keep feral cats and foxes out.According to the NSW Government, the release took place as part of a wider effort to restore the area’s ecosystem and bring back locally extinct mammals. The project aims to reintroduce up to nine species that once lived in the region, helping restore the forest’s native mammal community.Nearly 50 smoky mice return to South East Forest National ParkThe smoky mouse is the first threatened species to be reintroduced into the Nungatta Feral Predator-Free Area. Almost 50 individuals have been released, with up to 120 planned for release each year. The area lies within South East Forest National Park in New South Wales and has not recorded the species since the 1990s.The reintroduction is part of a broader project to restore the region’s native mammal community. The long-footed potoroo, eas...