Under the cover of night, Genevieve Heggarty leaps from a ute near a fenced section of Mallee Cliffs National Park in south-west New South Wales.
With the Milky Way faintly visible above, she makes her way through the Mallee scrub by torchlight, carefully avoiding burrows and checking traps for the vulnerable greater bilby.
Ms. Heggarty, an intern with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), was about to hold the sleek grey creature in her hands for the first time.
“They have this quirky zigzagging run, darting one way and then suddenly shifting direction,” she explained.
Finally capturing one of the elusive animals, in the name of science, was a dream realized for the aspiring conservationist.
Holding the 400-gram animal—its soft grey fur, bright eyes, and large, cannoli-shaped ears—was an unforgettable moment.
“They’re so soft, silky, and tiny,” Ms. Heggarty said with a smile.
Fighting Extinction
A decade ago, Australia’s bilby population had plummeted to fewer than 10,000, according to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Fires, land clearing, and predators like feral cats had severely impacted their numbers.
While current data from 2025 is unavailable, bilby populations within protected breeding zones have been steadily rising.
AWC operates six predator-free bilby breeding sites across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, and New South Wales, secured by feral-proof fences.
At Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, near the NSW and South Australian border, bilby numbers grew from 414 in 2010 to 1,834 this year.
AWC’s fifth annual bilby census estimates the total bilby population at approximately 3,300.
A New Record
Ms. Heggarty was part of a six-person team that carried out the survey over two weeks, working through the night.
They scoured a 480-hectare breeding area within a larger 9,500-hectare feral-free zone.
This year, the team captured 23 greater bilbies at Mallee Cliffs National Park, up slightly from 19 the previous year.
It marks the fifth consecutive year of a healthy bilby population at Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, now estimated to exceed 1,000.
The work was grueling—long, sleepless nights and showers tinged red from the dusty landscape.
“You really become part of the country out here, and that makes the experience incredibly special,” Ms. Heggarty said.
At South Australia’s Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary, bilby numbers doubled in the past year, rising from 95 to a record 210.
Driven by Conservation
Ms. Heggarty said she gladly traded modern comforts to contribute to preserving Australia’s unique wildlife.
Her deep connection to the natural world was nurtured by her upbringing in the wilds of the Blue Mountains.
“Growing up there really sparked my connection to the land and my desire to protect our unique species,” she said.
“Helping conserve these animals and restore the landscape is what keeps me going.”
