Easter Bilbies

*


Easter Bilbies

In writing a note to Tom

about chocolate Grasshoppers

(ask Tom)

I wondered if you know 

what a Bilby is...

A while back

a children's book
author called Rose Marie Dusting

had the bright idea

of supporting Bilby conservation

by promoting the sale of Easter Bilbies

A Bilby is a desert dwelling marsupial

a little like a bandicoot

He is about 29-55cm long

lives in a burrow

and never needs to drink water

gaining all his moisture from his food

The name Bilby

is borrowed from
the Yuwaalaraay aboriginal language

of Northern New South Wales,

and means long nosed rat

 The fecundity of the introduced rabbit

made them a major environmental pest

in Australia

The move to popularize the native Bilby

and promote his conservation 

by selling Easter Bilbies

didn't really catch on...

Bilbies are cute
but Bunnies are better...



*