Australia's saddest number: The '0' left by the extinct butterfly bandicoot

Australia's unique marsupial fauna faces a severe extinction crisis, with the continent recording the highest rate of mammal extinction globally. Since European colonization began in 1788, an estimated 40 land mammal species and 6 subspecies have vanished, accounting for 35% of all mammal extinctions in modern times.

Among the most affected groups are bandicoots and bilbies, marsupials that have suffered significant declines and extinctions. The butterfly bandicoot (Perameles papillon), a species endemic to the Nullarbor Plain, was named for the wing-like markings on its hindquarters. This small marsupial, which was last sighted in 1928, is believed to have gone extinct by the late 1930s.

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Most countries are fortunate enough to possess at least one harmless animal with which they can live in peace and in friendly relations; Australia is blessed with an unusual number of them, but is distinguished by the fact that almost all of them are on the verge of extinction.

While the exact causes of its decline are not fully understood, introduced predators like feral cats and red foxes are suspected culprits. Habitat destruction due to grazing by livestock and European rabbits may have also contributed. The butterfly bandicoot's unique escape behavior, involving a sudden leap and disappearance from view, may have helped it survive longer than other small mammals.

In a remarkable discovery in 2023, nearly a century after its presumed extinction, two photographs of a live butterfly bandicoot were found among museum specimens. These images, taken by naturalist Frederic Wood Jones, provide a more accurate visual record of the animal. Jones, who had previously documented the species, noted its docile nature when domesticated but aggressive behavior towards its own kind. He also described its unique evasive tactics, which made it difficult to spot despite its distinctive fur patterns.

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The eight sent from Ooldea were all dead on arrival in Adelaide, and had lost most of their fur. They had fought and killed each other during the railway journey. But among their bodies, four uninjured young were found in the pouch.