Efforts to save the greater bilby in Australia ^{CEFR B1}

The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Before European settlement bilbies lived across about 80 percent of Australia, but today their population is estimated at around 9,000 mature animals. The species is often used in public awareness campaigns; it resembles a mouse but is closer to the size of a rabbit and is recognised for its large ears.

Several factors reduced bilby numbers. European rabbits, introduced in 1859, became invasive and damaged local ecosystems. Cats, foxes and habitat loss from land clearing and grazing by cattle and sheep also reduced suitable areas. Conservation groups respond with captive breeding, predator-free fenced areas and reintroductions. The Charleville Bilby Experience in rural Queensland has a nocturnal house for daytime viewing, and the Save the Bilby Fund supports breeding programs and safe havens.

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy manages six fenced sites and in 2022 established a population at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary outside Alice Springs. Ecohealth surveys indicated adaptation and the first juvenile was photographed on a camera trap in November. Other projects, such as Wild Deserts in Sturt National Park, aim to reintroduce locally extinct mammals, while the government Recovery Plan includes work with Indigenous rangers. Community groups mark a national bilby day in September and organisations share updates online.