Greater bilby  (Macrotis lagotis)

Bilby numbers have been decimated by human activities; they have been hunted extensively for their skins and accidentally killed in rabbit traps or by poisoned baits (4). Predation by introduced foxes and feral cats poses one of the major causes of mortality today. Populations are also under pressure from long periods of drought, which tends to concentrate animals such as bilbies, rabbits, feral predators and livestock on smaller areas of land that may be unable to sustain them (4). The severely fragmented populations of bilbies are particularly vulnerable to these extreme events.

Bilbies are protected within Australia and have been found to breed well in captivity (4). Successful reintroductions of captive-bred individuals have occurred at sites in Western (5) and South Australia (6), from which bilbies had previously been lost. These are being carefully monitored at present and appear to be doing well. The Save the Bilby Fund is working to reintroduce bilbies to Currawinya National Park in Southwest Queensland (8). The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has established a captive breeding colony in Charleville, and these bilbies will be used in the reintroduction programme (8). The future is looking slightly more promising for this unusual but appealing marsupial.