(P1) The numbat is a special Australian animal called a marsupial (like a kangaroo), but sadly, it's in danger of disappearing forever (endangered). There are fewer than 1,000 numbats left living free in nature. That means they are even harder to find than giant pandas! Numbats used to live all over southern Australia, but now they only survive in two small areas in Western Australia.
What Makes Numbats Special?
(P2) Numbats are really unique. Most Australian marsupials are active at night, but numbats are awake only during the day (this is called diurnal). They have reddish-grey fur with black and white stripes, a bushy tail, and pointy ears. They move with quick, jerky motions. This strange movement helps to confuse birds like hawks that might try to hunt them.
(P3) These small animals only weigh about half a kilogram when they are fully grown. They have a very specific diet – they only eat termites! One numbat needs to eat about 20,000 termites every single day. Mother numbats that have babies need to eat even more to get enough energy for themselves and their young.
How Numbats Survive
(P4) Numbats have clever ways to survive. Their striped fur helps them hide (camouflage) from enemies, especially when they are moving. They also have special fur that helps them soak up and keep heat from the sun better than any other mammal.
(P5) To save energy on cold nights, numbats can go into a state like a short sleep called 'torpor'. Their body temperature drops way down to about 19°C. This helps them use less energy when it's cold and harder to find active termites.
(P6) Mother numbats have babies (called joeys) once a year, usually up to four at a time. The joeys grow in a simple pouch. When they are bigger, the mother digs a small tunnel (a burrow) for them and lines it with leaves. She protects them for about six months. She even uses her tough bottom to block the burrow entrance so predators like snakes and goannas can't get in!
Fighting to Save Numbats
(P7) The main reason numbats became endangered is because of predators that were brought to Australia – especially foxes and feral cats. These animals hunt and kill numbats. In Western Australia, people trying to save numbats use a poison called 1080. This poison comes from plants that grow naturally in Western Australia. Because of this, many native animals there, including numbats, have gotten used to it over a long time and it doesn't harm them as much. But foxes and cats haven't lived there as long, so the poison works well to control them.
(P8) A scientist named Dr. Tony Friend figured out in the 1980s that foxes were a big problem for numbats. He helped start a program called Western Shield to reduce fox numbers using 1080 poison. At first, when there were fewer foxes, the number of numbats started to go up. But then, cats became a bigger problem, and numbat numbers dropped again. So, in 2012, a new program started to control feral cats, and now numbat numbers are slowly increasing again in some areas.
(P9) In eastern Australia, the native animals are *not* used to the 1080 poison, so it can't be used safely there. Instead, groups like the Australian Wildlife Conservancy build large fences that keep predators out. Inside these safe, fenced areas, numbats have been released and are doing well in places in South Australia and New South Wales.
Everyday People Helping Out
(P10) Saving animals isn't just for scientists. Regular people can make a big difference too! For example, Rob McLean, a truck driver, and John Lawson, who looks after a place called Dryandra Village, helped start the Numbat Task Force. They fought against plans to build a rubbish tip near Dryandra. They knew the tip would attract more cats, which would be dangerous for the numbats living nearby.
(P11) Because they cared so much and worked hard to protect numbats, Rob and John won an important award in 2018. Rob said, "We don't want our grandchildren growing up in a world without numbats."
(P12) Thanks to everyone working together – scientists, wildlife groups, and people like Rob and John – there is hope that these amazing striped animals will be around for future generations to see.