Australia’s threatened Easter Bilby has been busy in the last 12 months welcoming juveniles, persisting in the challenges of drought, and in some areas, growing to new population records.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) Annual Bilby Census returns in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year, providing updates on six populations of the Greater Bilby at its sanctuaries in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia and NSW. Each population is protected by a large, feral predator-proof fence, which keeps out threats such as cats and foxes that prey on Australia’s native species.

Overall, the Bilbies had another successful year in staving off extinction, with all six populations totaling at an estimated 3,330 individuals. This remains consistent with population estimates over the previous two years, suggesting that notwithstanding annual climatic conditions, populations are stablising.

Excitingly, the Bilbies at Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary in South Australia have doubled their population in the last year, from 95 individuals to a new record high of 210 individuals. Meanwhile, at Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary in far western NSW, the Bilby population is in its fifth consecutive year of booming, with a population estimate of well over 1,000 individuals.

In the Pilliga State Conservation Area, where AWC works in partnership with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), ecologists encountered a sizeable 2.2 kg male Bilby, the biggest individual found at the conservation site so far. While at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary in Central Australia, small juveniles with excellent excavation skills were discovered digging burrows twice their size.

“The Greater Bilby is an icon of the bush, but it’s now so rare that very few Australians have ever seen one in the wild. It’s cousin the Yallara (or Lesser Bilby) is already extinct,” said Dr John Kanowski, AWC Chief Science Officer. “By providing a network of fenced areas, secure from the threat of foxes and cats, our team is helping restore this beautiful animal at sites across Australia.”

“It’s not just about preventing the extinction of an Australian icon. By rebuilding populations of small, digging mammals we’re also bringing back ecosystem processes which contribute to a healthy landscape. A single Bilby can turn over twenty tonnes of soil in a year just by digging for food and burrowing.”

The Greater Bilby has been identified by the Australian Government as one of 100 ‘Priority Species’ needing targeted conservation attention.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a global leader in conservation, providing hope to Australia’s wildlife with a science-informed, land management partnership model that delivers high impact results. AWC is a national leader in landscape scale conservation land management, reintroductions of threatened species and the establishment of feral predator-free areas.

INDEPENDENT NEWS IS IMPORTANT.

Enjoy reading Eco Voice? Please help us by purchasing a GIFT Voucher or send one to a friend and encourage people to purchase trees or seeds via The Native Shop – www.nativeshop.com.au