However, park workers and visitors need not book an eye appointment just yet, as the striking illusion is caused by two rare quoll species.
A one-year-old male spotted-tailed quoll has taken up residence on the park’s main trail, joining an elderly spotted-tailed quoll and two eastern quolls.
Despite the spotted-tailed quoll being a primarily nocturnal species, Kyabram Fauna Park keeper Jessica Lyne said the dasyurid (pronounced daz-ee-you-rid) was waking up early and going to bed late.
“The best time to see the new quoll is early in the morning or late in the afternoon,” she said.
“He’s a pretty curious little guy who is full of energy and has been busy investigating his new surroundings.”
Just as the region’s gym rats are intent on bulking up, so too is the young quoll.
The spotted-tailed quoll is Australia’s largest carnivorous marsupial, and Miss Lyne said the park’s new addition would soon be growing up fast.
“Our new boy is quite small, weighing in at about 2kg, but his appetite is fantastic, so we are expecting him to grow quite large,” she said.
The spotted-tailed quoll has white spots that speckle through its red-brown fur from the back down the length of its tail, distinguishing it from other Australian mammal species.
On average, a fully grown adult male spotted-tailed quoll weighs 3.5kg.
The species is native to south-eastern Australia and is found across the Great Dividing Range from Victoria to the Queensland border.
They are mainly solitary animals and will make their dens in rock shelters, small caves, hollow logs and tree hollows.
Unfortunately, competition with introduced predators, such as cats and foxes, habitat destruction, trapping and poisoning have caused the species’ population to plummet to an estimated 14,000 individuals.
Kyabram Fauna Park is located at 75 Lake Rd, Kyabram and is open daily from 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Day.
For more information, visit www.zoo.org.au/kyabram/
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