For the first time tracking devices are set to be placed on the tails of eastern quoll joeys on the New South Wales South Coast.
Rewilding Australia has been reintroducing the species to the Booderee National Park in a bid to reverse their extinction on mainland Australia.
This week the first two joeys of the season were spotted on a wildlife camera in the park, and transmitters will soon be used to monitor their progress.
"We haven't done this in previous years, but this year we're planning on putting tail transmitters onto our eastern quoll juveniles," Rewilding Australia director Rob Brewster said.
"They're a little VHS tracking unit that we'll tape onto the tail.
"We'll be able to follow those quolls and see whether they make it through to that all-important stage of being able to breed next May."
A good sign
The species was wiped out in the area 50 years ago due to pests and disease.
In the past three years, however, more than 50 quolls bred in captivity in Tasmania were transported to Booderee and set free.
But many of those adult quolls died after being hit by cars or succumbing to predators such as foxes and snakes.
Mr Brewster said the recent sightings of new joeys was a "significant" sign for the future of quolls on the mainland.
"We're hoping there are more than the two joeys," he said.
"There could be up to 10 or more juveniles running around in the location … we'll be tracking these quolls over the next couple of days.
"If they can get through these first perilous months, if they can learn to hunt, if they can learn to scavenge, they [may] be able to avoid this low density of predators and some of the threats in the park.
"It's a really good indication that not all is lost for the eastern quoll on the mainland — maybe we can bring it back."
Take care on the roads
With the summer holidays approaching and visitor numbers in the park likely to surge, Mr Brewster urged motorists to be cautious on roads in the area.
"Especially between dusk and dawn, assume you're going to see a quoll on those roads and take care," he said.
"Obviously it's a national park — please don't bring domestic dogs.
"If you see a quoll, definitely report it to the rangers in the park because we really want to know where those quolls are."
