Project Eden is set to make the Shark Bay World Heritage Area one of the wildlife wonders of the world.
The Shark Bay World Heritage Region is a mecca for visitors interested in discovering the unique and diverse wildlife. Ten species of mammals, 98 species of reptiles and over 100 species of land based, wading and migratory birds live along the shore and in the coastal desert of the Bay.
While several endangered mammals survive on Shark Bay’s offshore islands, a large number of species have disappeared from arid parts of mainland Australia. This is largely because of predation by introduced foxes and cats and competition from introduced grazing animals like rabbits, goats and sheep.
The Department of Parks and Wildlife aims to bring back endangered wildlife to the Peron Peninsula with Project Eden.
As well as widespread baiting to remove virtually all feral cats, foxes, goats and rabbits from a 1050 square kilometre area of the Shark bay World Heritage Area, a 3.4 kilometre fence has been built to keep feral animals out.
By the end of 1996, foxes had all but been eradicated and around 95 per cent of feral cats had been removed. Animal species such as the woylie, mallefowl, red-tailed phascogale, rufous hare-wallaby, banded hare-wallaby, western barred bandicoot, chuditch and bilby may soon be introduced.