Bandicoots and Bilbies: Peramelidae

Three species of bandicoot are extinct: the pig-footed bandicoot, the desert bandicoot, and the lesser bilby. All the extinct species lived in the dry inland area of Australia. The western barred bandicoot is considered Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction. Four other species are considered Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction. Captive breeding projects have been started to save the greater bilby and the western barred bandicoot. These projects have had some success, but it is unlikely that populations of bandicoots in the wild will increase without control of their predators (animals that hunt them for food).