They could probably swim as most Australian wildlife can swim very well. However, swimming pools are disastrous for bandicoots if they have no overhanging rope or plank as an emergency exit ramp.
As per Dougbeckers.com, lots of native wildlife drown each year in backyard swimming pools, not because they cannot swim, it is because they cannot get out and swim until they are exhausted and then drown. They cannot grip the edge of the pool sufficiently to pull themselves out.
As wildlife carers we must try to persuade people to provide exit ramps to their pools, keep pets indoors after dusk and drive carefully at night. A hard call to make.
If a bandicoot needs to be trapped, the best sized trap is 20cm x 20cm x 56cm and works best with a platform to trigger the front closure.
Check out these 5 interesting facts about southern brown bandicoots shared by Haydensanimalfacts.com.