Bilby breeding

Bilby Babies

Breeding Success Stories at Kanyana Wildlife

The bilby is a type of bandicoot, scientific name: Macrotis lagotis.  The bilby has many common names, including: Greater Bilby, Dalgyte, and Rabbit-Eared Bandicoot. 

With its soft grey fur, white underbelly, black and white tail, long pointy pink nose, and large ears, the bilby is a very distinctive looking animal.  It is a nocturnal marsupial, with a backward-facing pouch. 

The bilby is an omnivore, and its natural diet includes seeds, fruits, bulbs, fungi, worms, insects, and other small animals.  The bilby is very proficient at digging, and lives in deep underground burrows.

Hopping Towards Conservation

Bilby Breeding Efforts at Kanyana Wildlife

At Kanyana Wildlife, bilby breeding is a cornerstone of their dedicated conservation efforts. The facility provides a controlled, enriching environment that mimics the bilby’s natural habitat, crucial for the successful reproduction of this endangered species.

Through meticulous care and specialised breeding programs, Kanyana Wildlife aims to bolster the bilby population, address genetic diversity, and contribute to broader conservation goals. Their approach includes monitoring reproductive health, managing genetic lineage, and ensuring that both the bilbies and their offspring thrive in a supportive and well-maintained environment.

The success of these programs not only aids in preserving the bilby but also enhances public awareness and appreciation for this unique Australian marsupial.

Why is there a Bilby Breeding Program?

The bilby once inhabited approximately 70% of the Australian mainland. However, destruction of suitable habitat through land clearing, and competition and predation by introduced animal species such as rabbits, foxes and feral cats, has greatly reduced the wild bilby population.

Bilbies are now restricted to a much smaller area - including in the remote arid regions of northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and south-western Queensland. Classified as a Threatened Species, the Bilby is the subject of an Australia-wide Recovery Plan. The aim of the Recovery Plan is to increase the numbers of bilbies by captive breeding and reintroduce them into suitable areas within their former range.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Breeding Program conducted?

Bilbies are currently being bred in several captive breeding facilities around Australia. One of these facilities is located at the Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. The Kanyana Bilby Breeding Program is conducted under the guidance of the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and receives funding under DPaW’s Western Shield Program although the day to day running of the Kanyana Bilby Breeding Program is entirely volunteer run.

Many volunteers are involved in caring for the Kanyana bilbies. In any animal captive breeding program, it is important to maintain the greatest possible genetic diversity within the population. The bilbies in the Kanyana breeding program are paired according to recommendations made by the Bilby Studbook Keeper with the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA).

The Studbook Keeper maintains the genetic records of all the bilbies in the captive breeding program and provides advice to all the bilby breeding facilities around Australia, and following advice from the Studbook Keeper, animals are regularly transferred between different captive breeding centres.

What is the history of the Kanyana Bilby Breeding Program?

The Kanyana bilby breeding program began in 1996 with the arrival of the first breeding pair, Bet-Bet and Basil. Since then, more than 150 bilbies have passed through Kanyana. The program has successfully produced over 100 baby bilbies, which have been distributed to other breeding facilities, zoos, and release sites across Australia.

Many of the bilbies have been released into a predator-proof compound in the Dryandra Woodland as part of DPaW’s “Return to Dryandra” project. The bilbies at Dryandra are thriving and reproducing in a natural bushland setting within two 10-hectare enclosures. Once their numbers have increased sufficiently, some of the bilbies are released to suitable sites in the wild. Thanks to these efforts, bilbies are once again living in the wild in the south-west of Western Australia, after being absent from this area for more than eighty years.

How large is the Kanyana Bilby colony?

Kanyana usually has between ten to fifteen bilbies at any one time - ranging in age from juveniles (only a few months old) to mature adults of breeding age and one or two older animals retired from the breeding program. Most Kanyana’s bilbies are captive bred, either at Kanyana or other breeding facilities. Wild bilbies are rarely captured, but when they are, they introduce valuable new genes into the captive breeding population.

Who funds the program?

Kanyana depends entirely on donations to sustain its program and is grateful for the invaluable support of WWF, Zanthorrea Nursery, Domus Nursery, Department of Parks and Wildlife, and Marty and Connie Winch-Buist of WA Sandalwood Nuts of York.

Can I visit the Bilbies?

Yes, Kanyana holds regular Nocturnal Tours. Most people will never be lucky enough to see a bilby in the wild, a Kanyana Nocturnal Tour provides a unique and unforgettable opportunity to see these fascinating animals at night while they are active!

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