Rare Desert Species Stages Remarkable Comeback Against the Odds

Australia’s ampurta, once on the brink of extinction, is making a rare and dramatic recovery, expanding its range across vast desert regions despite harsh conditions.

“It’s just an incredibly rare story as far as Australian mammals are concerned,” said Dympna Cullen.

The small marsupial has expanded its range to 238,441 km², growing by 48,000 km² between 2015 and 2021, an area the size of Denmark, following earlier gains that saw a 70-fold increase in potential habitat. Its recovery has been driven by reduced predator pressure following declines in rabbit populations, allowing ecosystems to rebalance, with the species’ conservation status improving from endangered in 1994 to least concern in 2024, offering a rare example of large-scale recovery without intensive intervention.