By Brendan Rees
Move over Big Banana and Big Pineapple! A Big Bandicoot has landed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.More than 500 people were wowed by the towering furry marsupial which officially opened to the public on Wednesday 2 October.
The Southern Brown Bandicoot sculpture, created by artists Darryl Cordell, Vanessa Ellis and Trina Gaskell, aims to raise awareness for the nationally endangered species.
To rally behind the population of bandicoots, Cranbourne Gardens hosted a Big Bandicoot Backyard which included crafts and science activities for children and families.
The school holiday fun included making bandicoot bungalows, as well as taking a selfie with the giant bandicoot.
A bandicoot mascot also roamed the gardens waving to the crowds, while families learned from horticulturists about how to make bandicoot friendly habitats for their own backyards. Tips included not putting out rat bait and keeping cats inside.
Charlotte Fletcher, southern eastern bandicoot outreach officer at Cranbourne Gardens, said Southern Brown Bandicoots are known as “adaptable little fighters.”
Cranbourne Gardens is a 365 hectare haven for the Southern Brown Bandicoot, providing an excellent habitat of native Australian plants, however the fast growth of housing and roads, the loss of habitat, and the introduction of foxes and cats has led to major population decline across the region.
“Their digging is vital in incorporating nutrients and water into the soil. A single Southern Brown Bandicoot can turn over 3.9 tonnes of soil in a single year,” Ms Fletcher said.
The Big Bandicoot Backyard runs until Saturday 5 October from 10am – 2pm at the Ian Potter Lakeside Precinct.
