A Bargara resident has solved the mystery of holes appearing in her backyard, catching a bandicoot red-handed last night.
Since moving to the property at the end of May, resident Kim Brown noticed a few holes in the backyard, which significantly increased over the last week or two.
Kim said she was not sure where the holes were coming from, taking to Facebook to find out if this was common in the area.
“After consulting the Bargara Facebookers page, the common consensus was that the holes were coming from a bandicoot,” she said
“My next door neighbour has also seen the holes in her lawn and she believed it was bandicoots too.”
Kim said her daughter encouraged her to leave a camera on overnight, hoping to see if they could find the cause of the holes.
“My daughter wanted me to leave a camera on overnight to see if we could see what it was so it was about 9 pm and I thought I would set up her tablet to record,” she said.
“I turned the patio light on so that my lawn was lit up and I also had read that they do not like floodlit areas so I thought we probably would not see anything because the light would scare them off.
“Not long after I walked into my bedroom to set up the tablet to record and lo and behold there was the bandicoot having a great old time digging up my lawn.
“It was not worried about me standing at the window and even when I knocked on the window, it still carried on.
“It was a real surprise to see it as I thought the light would scare everything off.
“My friend across the street has also seen holes in her yard so they certainly get around once darkness hits!”
Bandicoots in Queensland
According to the Department of Environment and Science (DES), Bandicoots are common within Queensland and are a protected species.
Holes are commonly caused by bandicoots, which eat underground food thanks to their sensitive nose which readily sniffs out insects, worms, roots and even fungi.
Once they locate the food item, they scoop out a conical hole with the rake-like claws on their front feet.
The long, pointed face probes to the bottom of the hole and any food is quickly pinched out between fine, needle-like teeth.
DES said having bandicoots as ‘neighbours’ meant a number of things.
“They are living proof that residential areas can help meet the habitat needs of small native mammals,” the DES website said.
“If bandicoots are seen regularly (including young ones) then it also indicates that the local population is not threatened by predation…
“From the other side of the fence, bandicoots will make holes in lawns and gardens.
“This is a problem if property owners value their lawns and gardens intact above the lawn grub removal services provided by bandicoots.”
You can find out more about bandicoots on the DES website here.
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