Four Gilbert's potoroos have been moved to an island off Albany on Western Australia's southern coast in a move to protect the critically endangered marsupial after a massive fire destroyed most of their habitat.
Seven Gilbert's potoroos were rescued and held in captivity after the lightning-sparked blaze at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in November that swept through 1230 hectares.
Michaelmas Island was then identified as a suitable translocation site as it has no native or introduced predators, while truffles - which make up 90 per cent of its diet - are present.
The other three rescued potoroos were able to be returned to Two Peoples Bay, where the species was found in 1994.
Before the discovery, Gilbert's potoroos were thought to be extinct, with the last recorded specimens collected in the 1870s.
© AAP 2020