Extract from ABC News
Posted
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The three female bilbies will be named through an upcoming competition. (Supplied: City of Ipswich)
A south-east Queensland nature centre is seeing
triple, with three bilby babies emerging from their mother's pouch just
in time for Easter.
The three-month-old, unnamed joeys will stay
at the Ipswich Nature Centre with their mum, Tanami, and dad, Frankie,
for at least nine months before continuing on as part of the Greater
Bilby breeding program in Australia.Ipswich City Council, which owns and runs the nature centre, will put it to the community to name the babies in an upcoming competition.
Save The Bilby Fund CEO Kevin Bradley said it was quite common for bilbies to have twins, but triplets were a nice surprise for the organisation, especially because they were all female.
"This is absolutely wonderful for our breeding program," he said.
"Bilbies are an endangered species, particularly in Queensland, with only one small population left around Birdsville."They were almost thought to be extinct, until they were rediscovered in the 1980s."
Mr Bradley said it was difficult to know how many are left in Queensland, but at the lowest end of their cycle it was estimated the number could be as few as 400.
"These three babies have come to us at a perfect time, right before Easter when we encourage the community to purchase chocolate bilbies instead of bunnies, and support the breeding program through the Save the Bilby Fund."
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