Reintroductions are increasingly being used to restore species and ecosystems. However, chances of successful establishment are often low. Key to improving success is careful consideration of threats, threat mitigation, monitoring, and subsequent improvement to management. We demonstrate this planning, implementation, and review process using the reintroduction of an endangered mesopredator, the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus, in the first attempt to reestablish it in the wild on mainland Australia. In March 2018, 20 captive-bred quolls (10 male, 10 female) were released into Booderee National Park and monitored via telemetry, camera, and cage trapping. There were many unknowns and, despite thorough consideration of threats, there were surprising outcomes. Within 3 months, 80% of animals had died; half due to predation, an expected threat. Other threats were unexpected yet, due to good monitoring and responsive management, were quickly detected and effective mitigation implemented. These learnings have been incorporated into revised translocation procedures. One year later, four founder quolls remained and had successfully bred. We highlight lessons applicable to other reintroductions. These are, the importance of: (1) conducting a thorough review of threats and implementing appropriate mitigation; (2) targeted monitoring and responsive management; (3) effective communication, education, and engagement with the local community and stakeholders; and (4) ensuring learnings are disseminated and incorporated into future translocation plans. Threat assessment is an important step in identifying potential reasons for failure. However, actual threats can be realized only via experimentation and monitoring. Applying this knowledge to future reintroduction attempts can increase their chance of success. Implications for Practice• Reintroductions often fail; yet, we demonstrate how quick, reactive, malleable, fact-based management techniques, guided by robust real-time monitoring, can effectively enhance the likelihood of success, and support founding populations undergoing reintroduction to new habitat. • Using the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus as our case study, we outline a template for planning, implementation, and review that includes a pre-release threat assessment and post-release threat evaluation. • We advise reintroductions programs to conduct a thorough review of threats, implement appropriate mitigation, have targeted monitoring and responsive management, ensure good engagement, disseminate findings, and incorporate them into future planning.

As with many islands, Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean has suffered severe biodiversity loss. Its terrestrial lizard fauna comprised five native species, of which four were endemic. These were abundant until at least the late 1970s, but four species declined rapidly thereafter and were last reported in the wild between 2009 and 2013. In response to the decline, a captive breeding programme was established in August 2009. This attempt came too late for the Christmas Island forest skink Emoia nativitatis, whose last known individual died in captivity in 2014, and for the non-endemic coastal skink Emoia atrocostata. However, two captive populations are now established for Lister's gecko Lepidodactylus listeri and the blue-tailed skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae. The conservation future for these two species is challenging: reintroduction will not be possible until the main threats are identified and controlled.

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