Perth Zoo breeds threatened bilby

The threatened bilby has had its numbers boosted with Perth Zoo recording its first successful breeding of the species.

Speaking on National Bilby Day, Environment Minister Bill Marmion said Perth Zoo staff had confirmed the zoo's two adult female bilbies were carrying a total of three pouch young.

"One is due to emerge from its mother's pouch in the next few weeks and the other two in November," Mr Marmion said.

"They are tiny at this stage. The two youngest ones, who were born three weeks ago, are just 5mm long."

The gestation period for the bilby is 14 days, one of the shortest of all mammals.  Young bilbies are carried in the pouch for about 75 days and become independent about two weeks after leaving the pouch.

The Minister said Perth Zoo's breeding program was part of regional recovery efforts to safeguard the bilby from extinction from major threats including foxes and cats; competition from rabbits; and habitat loss.

"The aim of the Australasian species management program is to support recovery efforts by establishing a captive insurance population of bilbies," he said.

"This will provide animals for release into protected areas and former range areas and to guard against future catastrophic declines in the wild."

Before European settlement, bilbies ranged over most of mainland Australia.  Today they are only found in a small area in south-west Queensland and in isolated colonies across parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia in the Pilbara and West Kimberley.

In addition, the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has reintroduced bilbies at Perup Nature Reserve near Manjimup; Lorna Glen near Wiluna in the Goldfields; Dryandra Nature Reserve near Narrogin; and Francois Peron National Park at Shark Bay.

There is no current estimate of bilby numbers in the wild as they are extremely difficult to monitor.  The biggest member of the bandicoot family, the bilby is nocturnal and has excellent hearing thanks to its large ears.