SYDNEY, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has announced the establishment of its latest feral predator-free forest, as part of a larger project to "rewild" large parts of the state's bushland.

The one of seven areas sectioned off for rewilding is a 2,000-hectare area in a forest called "Nungatta" about 400 kilometers southwest of the state's capital, Sydney.

The project, announced to the public on Monday, will see each of the areas cleared of and fenced off from invasive species, in particular feral cats and foxes that kill billions of native animals and are one of the leading causes of some animals' extinction.

"Then when the site is feral predator free, we'll reintroduce native mammals that were once abundant in this habitat, such as the long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong, smoky mouse, and eastern quoll," said NSW Environment Minister James Griffin.

The project with 80 million Australian dollars (55.5 million U.S. dollars) in investment will see a total of 65,000 hectares of national park in the state undergo the same treatment, which is expected to aid the conservation of more than 50 native species.

In three of a total seven already operational protected forests, re-introduced native animals have been shown to be thriving. Enditem

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