The numbat is Western Australia’s fauna emblem.

The main threat to numbats is predation by feral foxes and cats, making captive breeding programs, such as the one at Perth Zoo, vital for the species’ survival.

At Perth Zoo, captive-bred numbats are prepared for release into the wild through predator awareness training. At 11 months of age, zoo keepers will walk a live bird of prey around the numbat’s enclosure to test the marsupial’s response.

Numbats are one of only two Australian marsupials that are active solely during the day, when termites – their sole food source – are most active. However, this makes them vulnerable to birds of prey so they must live in areas that can provide plenty of shelter.

The main threat to numbats is predation by feral foxes and cats, making captive breeding programs, such as the one at Perth Zoo, vital for the species’ survival.

At Perth Zoo, captive bred numbats are prepared for release into the wild through predator awareness training. At 11 months of age, zoo keepers will walk a live bird of prey around the numbat’s enclosure to test the marsupial’s response.

In July last year, the numbat was named as one of 20 priority species by Gregory Andrews, the federal government’s Threatened Species Commissioner.