Rare Animal Scurries Past Hidden Camera — And Scientists Are Amazed

Early this year, scientists at Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary in South Australia began noticing something thrilling. The team had been looking for a specific animal, one with a narrow face and a distinctive striped back. For years, these unique mammals had been harder and harder to spot.

But suddenly, there they were — endangered numbats, scurrying past the scientists’ camera traps.

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY
According to Project Numbat, these fuzzy animals, also known as banded anteaters, are known for their long tongues, which they use to eat termites. Numbats typically live in woodland areas that have lots of fallen logs for shelter. They help their environment by controlling termite populations.

Once common in Southern Australia, numbat populations slowly declined due to habitat loss and introduced predators. For over 100 years, there weren’t any numbats in Australia’s Murray Darling Basin. Then, in 1993, animal scientists began releasing numbats back into the area, hopeful that they would reproduce and thrive. A few years later, more numbats were released into Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary. Scientists continued these missions for years, releasing numbats into fenced areas called safe havens.