A finishing school for western ringtail possums is not about airs and graces — it's about helping orphaned possums get used to life in the wild.

Key points: The world's first finishing school for western ringtail possums has been set up in WA

The world's first finishing school for western ringtail possums has been set up in WA Researchers test and track the possums to help improve their survival in the wild

Researchers test and track the possums to help improve their survival in the wild Numbers of the critically endangered species have declined 80 per cent in the past 15 years

As many as 200 critically endangered possums end up in the homes of West Australian wildlife carers each year due to loss of habitat or injury.

But environmental group Fostering and Assistance for Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA) said little was known about their survival once the animals returned to the wild.

Suzanne Strapp said 20 possums had moved into the finishing school. ( ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch )

"In the past when we have raised animals for wild release, they have been released in kind of an ad-hoc manner — choosing an area that looks pretty good and letting the animal go," said FAWNA president Suzanne Strapp.

"[We] never know whether it lived more than a night."

Twenty possums have moved into a new possum finishing school, north of Busselton, ahead of their release back into the bush.

Ms Strapp said the animals were closely monitored in surroundings similar to release sites.

"All the aviaries are exactly the same, with branches on chains … so that the animals can build up their strength, " she said.

"They've all got their own little house which will go into the bush with them.

"We don't want them to go wandering around and be eaten by an owl on the first night."

Local schools are helping to collect native feed for the possums.

Each possum is given a house to take with it when it's released into the wild. ( ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch )

Maximising chance of survival

To help western ringtails better survive once they are released, researchers from the University of WA are testing the possums at the finishing school.

PhD student Sara Corsetti said the research would determine whether or not there's a link between personality traits and survival.

"We think bold possums will move more and probably they will get in trouble more and so they will die more, [and] the shy will survive more because they disperse less," Ms Corsetti said.

"[Then] we could do something to improve the survival of those that don't survive."

The possums will be tracked with radio collars once released.

UWA researchers are looking at whether personality traits impact possum survival in the wild. ( ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch )

Focus on protection

The western ringtail possum is native to WA's South West region, with populations between Mandurah and Albany.

But Brian Chambers, the threatened species manager at South West Catchments Council, said some of those populations were at risk of extinction.

"Anything we can do to increase their numbers is going to help reduce the risk of them going extinct," he said.

The species was listed as critically endangered in 2017, meaning there were less than 8,000 left in the wild.

As many as 200 orphaned or injured western ringtails come into care each year. ( ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch )

Since then wildlife officers have been carrying out population surveys and looking at possum bridges to stop the animals being run over on main roads.

Some of the recent surveys have shown a rise in possum numbers.

Mr Chambers said millions were being spent on protecting the creatures.

"The ringtail is a bit unique in the attention it gets," he said.

"The combination of critically endangered species living around suburban homes of thousands of people really generates an awful lot of focus on the species."

Wider benefits for threatened animals

The research at the possum finishing school has attracted the attention of international researchers.

Spanish animal ecologist Alba Arteata is volunteering on the project and said it could have global benefits for other endangered animals.

Millions are being spent protecting the possums. ( ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch )

"I think it could be an inspiring example for all the species in the future that could be in the same situation as the western ringtail possum," Ms Arteata said.

She was drawn to the project because of WA's high rate of mammal extinction.

The research will be carried out over the next three years.