The bilby is an Australian marsupial with a unique appearance, distinguished by its long, rabbit-like ears and a pointed snout. This nocturnal creature has soft, silky, blue-gray fur and a long tail with a prominent white crest near the tip. As a burrowing animal, the bilby uses its strong forelimbs and claws to construct tunnels up to two meters deep that serve as shelter from heat and predators. Bilbies have long been considered a symbol of conservation efforts in Australia due to their disappearance from much of their historic range.
The Short Answer: Are Bilbies Extinct?
The answer to whether bilbies are extinct depends on which of the two species you are referring to, as there is a distinction. The Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is not extinct, but its population is listed as Vulnerable under national environmental law due to decline in numbers and range. While the Greater Bilby survives in isolated pockets of the Australian interior, the situation is far more dire for its smaller relative.
The Lesser Bilby (Macrotis leucura) is extinct, with the last confirmed specimen collected in 1931. Scientists believe the Lesser Bilby vanished sometime between the 1930s and 1960s, having been pushed past the point of recovery. Therefore, while one species has been lost entirely, the other is the subject of ongoing conservation action to prevent the same fate.
The Decline: Why Did Bilbies Nearly Vanish?
The collapse of the bilby population over the last two centuries is traced to the arrival of non-native predators following European settlement. Introduced feral cats and red foxes became the threat, as bilbies had not evolved defenses against hunters. Foxes and cats are estimated to have contributed to the extinction of numerous Australian mammal species, including the Lesser Bilby, and they continue to suppress the Greater Bilby’s remaining wild numbers.
Habitat degradation and loss compounded the pressure on the species across the continent. Grazing by introduced livestock, such as cattle and sheep, and the European rabbit led to competition for food sources like seeds, bulbs, and native grasses. These grazing animals also damaged the soil structure, making it less suitable for bilbies to construct their burrows. Alterations to traditional Indigenous fire regimes also played a role, causing larger, more intense fires that destroyed vast areas of habitat and food resources.
Where Bilbies Live Today
The Greater Bilby once inhabited over 70% of the Australian mainland, but its current distribution is less than 20% of that original range. Today, the wild populations are fragmented and confined to the arid and semi-arid regions of northern and western Australia. These strongholds include the Tanami, Gibson, and Great Sandy Deserts in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and the Mitchell Grasslands of southwest Queensland.
Many surviving bilbies now reside in predator-free safe havens, which are fenced reserves or offshore islands where introduced carnivores have been eradicated. These enclosures provide a sanctuary for breeding and reintroduction programs, allowing bilbies to thrive without predation. Examples of these safe havens include areas within Currawinya National Park in Queensland and reintroduction sites in New South Wales like Sturt National Park. Approximately 70% of the bilby’s extant distribution is found on lands managed by Indigenous groups, emphasizing the role of traditional ecological knowledge in the species’ persistence.
Protecting the Future
Ensuring the survival of the Greater Bilby depends on an approach centered on active human intervention and habitat protection. Captive breeding programs are a component of this strategy, with facilities across Australia providing genetically diverse founder populations. These bilbies are often “head-started” in controlled environments before being released into fenced reserves.
Reintroduction efforts focus on establishing new populations within predator-free exclosures, which can range from a few hundred to thousands of hectares. The success of these translocations has demonstrated that bilbies achieve rapid population growth when the threat from cats and foxes is eliminated. In addition to fencing, conservationists employ control measures, such as baiting and trapping, in less secure areas to manage feral predators. Partnerships with Indigenous land managers are also important, as their traditional knowledge of landscape management and fire practices aids bilby recovery.