Bilbies back from extinction
Bilbies have been reintroduced to the Mallee Cliffs National Park for the first time in 100 years.
Through the Saving our Species program, 30 bilbies were released in the Mallee Cliffs National Park in south west NSW. The program aims to boost the world population of bilbies by more than 10%.
A 9570-hectare predator-free fenced enclosure was built for the bilbies and nine other native mammals that are listed as extinct in NSW. The enclosure will protect them from feral predators such as cats and foxes.
Feral cats are one of the biggest threats to native animals, killing about 3.1 million mammals in Australia every year.
Minister for Environment Matt Kean said we have an opportunity to bring back bilbies to NSW national parks.
“This release is the first of many at Mallee Cliffs National Park that sees us turning around the extinction rates for our native animals,” Mr Kean said.
Find out more about the bilby in NSW and the Saving our Species program