Stirling Men’s Shed coordinator Guy Bongiorno, DBCA regional ecologist Geoff Barrett and Stirling mayor Mark Irwin with the new ‘bungalows’ for the city’s cute quendas (below).

THE hardy blokes at the Stirling Men’s Shed have built homes for one of WA’s cutest critters – the quenda.

Made from wooden pallets and chicken wire, the 11 ‘bungalows’ installed in Cottonwood Bushland Reserve in Dianella give quendas a place to shelter from predators.

Recently, 21 quendas were released into the Dianella area to help boost the population of the local, native species.

The bungalows were a collaboration between the City of Stirling, the Men’s Shed and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

“The Quenda Bungalows are one of the many conservation efforts the city undertakes and by installing these, we hope to aid their survival from predators, which can include foxes, dogs and cats,” Stirling mayor Mark Irwin says. “Using two wildlife cameras, we will monitor the bungalows to observe their use and – hopefully – their success. 

“The city has a Quenda Recovery Program which works in conjunction with our feral animal control programs, so we hope to see an increase in quenda presence and activity.  “To help provide their best chance of survival, the community is encouraged to keep their dogs on a leash and contain cats indoors where possible, near quenda habitat areas, and to avoid feeding quendas, as this can lead to obesity and related diseases and health issues.”

Cottonwood Bushland Reserve has been restored in recent years and is an ideal site for the reintroduction of quendas, a species of bandicoot endemic to the Perth area.

Quendas are a priority four species in WA and are protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. 

Plants and animals that are conservation-dependent require an ongoing active management to ensure their preservation. 

Quendas can also be found in Dianella Regional Open Space, Star Swamp Reserve in North Beach and Trigg Bushland.