INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage caption
Bilbies feed on plant roots, ants, beetles and spiders
A rare marsupial that once ran wild in Australia's New South Wales has been reintroduced into the state for the first time in more than a
Bilbies - small nocturnal mammals with long, rabbit-like ears - were last recorded in the state in 1912
But now 30 captive-bred animals were released into a large predator-free enclosure near the town of Narrabri, northwest of Sydney.This is
seen as a major victory in efforts to save them from extinction.Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Royal visit:
Prince George was clearly impressed when he saw a bilby at Sydney's zoo in 2014
However, without the protection of a 32km
(20 miles) fence they probably would not survive, the TheIndianSubcontinent's Phil Mercer in Sydney reports.Bilbies - who feed on plant
roots, ants, beetles and spiders - disappeared in Australia's most populous state before the start of World War One following the
introduction of predators including cats and foxes.Bilbies are currently listed as vulnerable species.
