If you thought kangaroo boxing matches were the pinnacle of Australian wildlife drama, think again. In a rare and remarkable moment, two of Australia’s most elusive marsupials—the greater bilby—were caught on camera engaging in a fierce early-morning showdown.
And no, you’re not dreaming. This isn’t a scene from a David Attenborough documentary, but a real-life glimpse into the secret world of one of our most endangered native animals.
The extraordinary images were snapped at the Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northern Territory, a sprawling 261,501-hectare haven managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).
This sanctuary is a fortress for threatened species, protected from the ever-present threat of invasive predators like cats and foxes. For the bilby, it’s a rare safe space to just be a bilby—territorial disputes and all.
Dr Alexandra Ross, an ecologist with a passion for bilby behaviour, was positively buzzing about the sighting. ‘I find it exciting to have two in one shot, and then to have them fighting is super cool… they’re showing a behaviour that would be normal, but we don’t see it because they’re so rare,’ she said.
And she’s right—seeing two bilbies together is a treat in itself, but catching them in the act of a territorial tussle? That’s the wildlife equivalent of winning the lottery.
Why are bilbies so rarely seen together? Unlike kangaroos, which often gather in mobs, bilbies are solitary creatures.
They may share overlapping ranges and even warrens, but they don’t live in large groups. They’re also fiercely territorial, especially the males, which is likely what sparked this particular dust-up.
But here’s the real kicker: the greater bilby once roamed across a staggering 80 per cent of Australia. Their range stretched from the heart of Central Australia all the way to Adelaide and Perth.
Today, their presence has shrunk by the same percentage—80 per cent—leaving them clinging to survival in isolated pockets of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
‘They’re super rare, but they’re not supposed to be. They’re supposed to be a common species,’ Dr Ross lamented.
It’s a sobering reminder of how much Australia’s landscape has changed since European settlement.
The introduction of cats and foxes has been catastrophic for native marsupials, who simply didn’t evolve with these predators and have little natural defence against them. In the wild, a bilby that doesn’t learn to avoid these threats quickly becomes a meal.
That’s why sanctuaries like Newhaven are so vital. By fencing out invasive predators, conservationists can give native species a fighting chance.
And the results are nothing short of spectacular. ‘Once you’ve got the cats and foxes out, you can bring back the native species that used to be in the area, and then they do spectacularly well.
They’re meant to be here, so as soon as you give them a chance, they do great,’ Dr Ross explained.
Inside these predator-free zones, bilbies can finally relax a little. There’s even evidence that their behaviour changes—they become less wary, more social, and, as these photos show, more likely to engage in natural behaviours like territorial disputes.
It’s a glimpse of what Australia’s outback might have looked and sounded like before the arrival of Europeans and their menagerie of introduced species.
But let’s not sugar-coat it: the fight to save the bilby is far from over. Their story is a microcosm of Australia’s broader battle with invasive species, habitat loss, and the ongoing challenge of conservation in a changing world.
Every rare sighting, every successful breeding, and every territorial spat is a small victory in a much larger war.
So, next time you hear about a ‘super cool’ wildlife moment like this, remember what it represents: hope, resilience, and the tireless work of conservationists determined to give our unique creatures a future.
Have you ever spotted a bilby in the wild, or visited a sanctuary like Newhaven? What’s your favourite Australian animal encounter? Share your stories and thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you! And if you’re passionate about protecting Australia’s weird and wonderful wildlife, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for more inspiring stories from the bush.
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