The Easter Bilby

Happy Easter!

Cadbury chocolate Easter Bilby
(source: Woolworths)

While in Australia, you come across some peculiar animals that exist nowhere else in the world. There is a whole species of marsupials (mammals with a pouch), that are indigenous to the country. One of the lesser known ones is the Greater Bilby, a small rabbit/mouse-like mammal that lives predominantly in central Australia. These poor buggers are on the verge of extinction. The main reasons for the decline in bilby population are habitat loss, competition from feral rabbits and deaths to non-native predators such as cats and foxes, particularily when bilbies range further from their homes during bushfire events.

The Greater Bilby - Macrotis lagotis (photo: Queensland
Department of Environment and Heritage)

Popularized through the story Billy The Aussie Easter Bilby that was written by an Australian woman when she was 9 years old, the Easter Bilby became an icon and sparked several bilby campaigns. For example, in an attempt to raise public awareness to their endangered state chocolate easter bilbies were sold instead of regular easter bunnies (see image). Unfortunately, they are hardly sold anymore. However, there are breeding programs in place and maybe one day the bilby will make a glorious return to the stage of Australian wildlife. In that sense, happy bilby easter everybody!

Catch y'all later!

Jan