Return To Eden
- Country
- Australia
- Year
- 2001
- Director
- Celia Tait
- Producer
- Brian Beaton
- Finance
- Film Finance Corporation Australia
ABC Television
Discovery Canada
Granada
National Geographic
Screenwest
- Budget
- AUD 498,848
- Length
- 55 minutes
Synopsis
Follows the progress of the most ambitious counter-attack on ferals ever mounted in Australia and the return of native animals, on the brink of extinction, to the remote wilds of the Peron Peninsular. Retired nurse June Butcher, voluntarily breeds the now-rare bilby at her animal sanctuary, Kanyana. With the help of cameras that 'see in the dark' we witness the remarkable life cycle of this marsupial. As the day of their release draws closer, will the peninsular provide the promised safe haven for the bilbies to safely Return to Eden?
Impact
It is a record of rare and endangered species and footage is held in international data banks for future posterity ie. if they become extinct (which is possible ) there will be a moving visual record of what they were like. Unique footage of Bilbys mating underground has enabled improved captive breeding and therefore improved the Bilby's chances of survival. The film has been used by people involved in wildlife rehabilitation to create awareness of Australia's rare and endangered species at a national level in schools and also at an international level at conferences.
A study guide for Return To Eden is available at www.theeducationshop.com.au