Bringing back Bilbies

Why we need to act

The Greater Bilby is an iconic Australian species that is in decline across wild populations across Australia. Once found throughout the semi-arid regions of Australia, its range has contracted to 20% of this original distribution following European settlement. Today, predation by foxes and feral cats remains one of the greatest threats to the Bilby,

No wild populations remain in South Australia; however, bilbies have been reintroduced to predator free areas at Arid Recovery and on Thistle Island, where they have successfully established.

It is critical that we better understand the feasibility of establishing Bilby populations in areas with low predation pressure, such as the GRNP Safer Haven. Additionally, Bilbies fill a key niche in the ecosystem. Their strong claws allow them to dig multiple burrows and forage for underground invertebrates, fungi, seeds, tubers and bulbs. This activity leads to improvements in overall ecosystem health.

Threats to the species

In South Australia, the extinction of the Greater Bilby was rapid, with the species disappearing shortly after European settlement due to the severe impacts of introduced predators. The main threats to the Greater Bilby are predation by foxes and feral cats.

Other threats include:

• habitat loss and degradation,

• changes in land use and tenure,

• fragmentation of habitat and populations, and

• competition with rabbits.

Solution and approach

The key to this project will be managing the main threats to the Greater Bilby across the safer haven, such as predation by foxes and feral cats. The first phase of the project involves reducing predator numbers across the safer haven. Once predator numbers have been reduced, we will move to the translocation phase. This will include securing Greater Bilbies from source populations, preparing the animals for release into the southern GRNP, and conducting extensive post-release monitoring and research to ensure the site is suitable for additional releases in the future.

Key activities will involve:

• continued broad-scale cat and fox threat management across the GRNP safer haven,

• reintroduction of the Greater Bilby into the Park,

• radiotracking to determine survival,

• trapping for health checks, and

• research and monitoring of success criteria.

Project partners and additional funding information

Creating Three Safer Havens 

A master project in collaboration with the Department for Environment and Water (DEW). 

The aim of the project is to continue to develop and create three unfenced safer havens for the reintroduction of eleven (11) threatened and culturally significant species across three (3) national parks whilst maintaining habitats, increasing climate resilience and ensuring populations are nationally recognised in semi-arid South Australia.

Photo credits: Tali Moyle, DEW