By fitting video collars to feral cats, Arid Recovery researchers discovered that cats detect small mammals from much greater distances than reptiles and insects. That seemingly simple difference may help explain why Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent.

After heavy summer rains transformed the desert, our 28th annual pitfall trapping survey captured more than 700 animals across the reserve. From a surge in frogs, to fewer small mammals where predators are present, the results point to a system that is ever changing — with even hints of a new shift in the small mammal community.

After a brutal January heatwave pushed temperatures to nearly 50°C, relief arrived in the form of heavy summer rains, transforming the Arid Recovery Reserve almost overnight. Frogs emerged from underground, shield shrimp hatched in temporary pools, and the red desert turned green with new growth.

Three years ago, Arid Recovery took a carefully planned step to help secure the future of one of Australia’s most threatened desert predators, the kowari, by establishing an insurance population within the reserve. Today, the signs are encouraging; the population is growing, breeding is occurring, and kowaris are dispersing beyond their original release area.

Burrowing bettongs are on the move at Arid Recovery. After growing populations inside the predator-free Main Exclosure, our team has relocated 141 bettongs to other parts of the Reserve where quolls now help keep numbers in check. The move is part of a long-term experiment exploring how native predators restore balance to arid ecosystems.