Dasyurus viverrinus (Eastern Quoll)

IUCN Status: Endangered

Before people thought about convergent evolution, these animals were being called native cats. They are around the same size as a house cat (or slightly smaller) and occupy the same niche, hunting small prey such as lizards, insects, spiders and other small mammals. They will also eat carrion of larger animals.
Most often I’ve encountered these beautiful creatures running down bitumen roads in the early evening of warm summer nights. They are purposeful, often ignoring human presence, and even lights. I’ve hypothesised they are finding moths and other insects on the road, attracted by car headlights or the residual warmth. Either way, this proximity to vehicles, lack of caution, and drivers who clearly target them, have led to me seeing, or hearing about far too many sad finds and angry nights.
However this night I was lucky enough to have this individual come near our camp site, and show little concern for my flashes. It’s inspirational, fleeting moments like this, which make the churn and slog worthwhile. They stick vivid in my head, while the malaise fades, leaving a timeline of timeline of inspiration in my memory.