Aussie bilbies ready to give youngsters Easter cheer, symbolise hope

Move over bunnies, Australia’s bilbies are bracing to create a stir among youngsters this Easter. Bunnies have long been associated with Easter, but down under, the bilbies have sparked much attention.

Listed as “vulnerable” or a diminishing native species of Australia, bilbies have been under threat from feral animals and habitat loss. Records show that pointy-nosed marsupial species has reached less than 10,000 in the wild.

Interestingly, the possibility of bilbies dethroning bunnies was spurred when an official campaign was launched by the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia in the early 1990s. The group touched base with environmentalist-author Kay Kessing, who penned a story entitled “Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby" that evolved into a picture book for children.

Support for the endangered animals that have been pushed to extinction in South Australia have come from various sectors, including Haigh’s Chocolates. The chocolate company made the first chocolate Easter Bilby over 20 years ago.

Since then, Aussie firm has set out to donate a portion of proceeds from its fundraising activity to helping save the endangered species. Every purchase lends a hand to the preservation efforts for the little Australian animal.

A recovery plan

The Queensland government’s Department of Environment and Heritage Protection ranked the bilby as critical priority under its Back on Track species prioritization framework. The government website noted that the greater bilby has been the subject of intense conservation efforts. Steps have therefore been made to create greater public awareness on the animal’s plight.

To ensure the survival of the marsupial, a National Recovery Plan was drawn. The focal points of the plan include monitoring of existing bilby populations, management of the bilby’s remaining habitat and re-establishing them in the areas where they were once thriving.

Royal interest

Among the celebrities who have taken notice of the bilby is Prince George, who got to visit Australia three years ago with his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Prince George’s attention was caught by a bilby in Taronga Zoo so the cute creature was named after him.

Easter brings new hope. For Aussies wishing to join the fight to bring back animals from the brink of extinction, lending support to activities aimed at ensuring the survival of creatures like the bilby count for something. The animal itself is a symbol of hope, enough for organisations like the WWF Australia to hail it as the "ambassador" for a vulnerable species and also the wildlife symbol of Easter.