The greater bilby Macrotis lagotis sagitta once inhabited over 70% of the Australian mainland but is now largely confined to the deserts of central Australia. Until the 1900s, the bilby was common across its range. Altered fire regimes and grazing competition from rabbits and livestock, along with predation by foxes and feral cats are thought to be responsible for the species decline. Today, wild populations are limited to the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory, west to Broome and south to Warburton, Western Australia. A small number of satellite populations also occur in the south-west corner of Queensland (Strahan, 1995). Bilbies became extinct in South Australian by the 1930’s.

The greater bilby M .l. sagitta is considered vulnerable, and as such is managed nationwide through an ASMP studbook (managed through Monarto Zoo), the National Bilby Recovery Team and the SA Bilby Recovery Team. Zoos SA held its first greater bilby prior to 1907, at Adelaide Zoo. The RZSSA has been a member of the SA Greater Bilby Recovery Team since its inception in 1994, and in this time have bred 126 individuals for the program.

The primary objective of the SA Recovery Team is to reintroduce bilbies back to the wild, in South Australia. Greater bilbies bred by Zoos SA have become important members of the studbook population, either remaining in captivity for breeding, or being released into one of the five South Australian release sites - Thistle Island, Roxby Downs Arid Recovery Project, Yookamurra Sanctuary , Venus Bay Conservation Park, and Banrock Station. To date, more than 75 Zoos SA greater bilbies have been released into these 5 sites; the combined total number of bilbies estimated at these sites is now more than 100.

Haigh’s Chocolates sponsor the greater bilbies at Adelaide Zoo, and contribute a portion of the proceeds made from their ‘Easter bilby’ sales to bilby conservation. Each year at Easter, Adelaide Zoo and Haigh’s Chocolates combine to promote the plight of this endangered marsupial through keeper talks, held at the bilby exhibit within the Nocturnal House. Monarto Zoo also host keeper talks at the greater bilby exhibit within the Visitor Centre at Easter, where the animals are on display year-round.