By . Cindy Tran For Daily Mail Australia . While there are many threats to the endangered bilbies, a new technique to measure stress levels by testing their droppings could save them from being extinct, new research has found. The study published in the European Journal of Wildlife found levels of the stress hormone cortisol in captive bilbies breeding programs were relatively low. Bilbies are nearing extinction through habitat loss, predation by feral animals and unpredictable climatic events but scientists found the marsupials were 'breeding well' and had healthy level of stress hormones during the study. The popular Australian icon at Easter is currently listed as endangered in Queensland, with less than 500 of the animals estimated to remain in the wild. The large rabbit like ears Bilbies are nearing extinction from habitat loss, predation by feral animals and unpredictable climatic events . Queensland's Griffith University Professor Jean-Marc Hero told Daily Mail Australia that the results showed captive bilbies had low stress hormone levels. 'The results tell us that they're happy in a captive environment, with unlimited food and water. They are more relaxed and breeding well - doing what we need them to do so we can get them back into the wild. 'But signs of some stress can also be a good thing - it tells us that they're ready for the real world, and help defend themselves, as well as escape from predators in the wild. 'They're a little bit higher in semi-wild captive populations and they're even higher in areas where the bilbies have been re-released in the wild. Professor Hero said the testing process of the droppings is quite simple. 'The technique can be used for any animals, especially those that are difficult to catch,' he said. 'Once we get the poo samples, we then need to dry them out, grind them up, then extract the hormones from the powder before we examine them. Previous researchers had to catch bilbies to test their stress levels, which Professor Hero said had obvious drawbacks, according to ABC. 'The testing process is much easier than catching the animal, as bilbies would show signs of high stress levels, which is expected when you catch an animal,' he said. Bilbies are currently listed as endangered in Queensland, with fewer than 500 of the animals estimated to remain in the wild . Al Mucci, from Dreamworld's bilby breeding program, told ABC it was important that captive bilbies were prepared for life in the bush. 'We want to make sure that we give them a little bit of stress, because out in the wild they are going to be finding their own food and foraging and doing all the things bilbies have to do out in the wild,' he said. 'At the moment we are in breeding mode, so we are building up the captive population because hopefully next year we will be releasing some back into the wild.' Dreamworld's breeding bilbies will be released in a 29 square kilometre 'non-predator exclusive fence' specially designed to keep out feral cats in Currawinya National Park of western Queensland. 'They can breed like rabbits so to speak, so breeding them isn't the issue - the biggest threat to bilbies out in the wild is feral animals, he told ABC. 'It's a crying shame we've allowed this animal to reach such critical numbers.' Dreamworld's breeding bilbies will be released in a 'non-predator exclusive fence' specially designed to keep out feral cats in western Queensland . Professor Hero said wild bilbies had been pushed into extreme desert conditions. 'It certainly looks very grim with the condition of the environment at the moment after two years of good rains and cat populations are very high,' he said. The study has successfully validated a non-invasive tool for monitoring physiological stress in bilbies and will continue to evaluate the success of predator free enclosures and support the survival of the species. 'We can use this powerful tool to measure the condition of animals when we release them back into the wild and will continue to monitor their wild populations,' Professor Hero said. 'Save the Bilby Fund and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy have been a major help to this research and we really want to find more results but we need funds to get there.'
A new technique to measure stress levels by testing Bilby droppings could save them from being extinct, new research has found .
Scientists have found the marsupials were 'breeding well' and had healthy level of stress hormones during the study .
The popular Australian icon at Easter is currently listed as endangered in Queensland .
By . Cindy Tran For Daily Mail Australia . While there are many threats to the endangered bilbies, a new technique to measure stress levels by testing their droppings could save them from being extinct, new research has found. The study published in the European Journal of Wildlife found levels of the stress hormone cortisol in captive bilbies breeding programs were relatively low. Bilbies are nearing extinction through habitat loss, predation by feral animals and unpredictable climatic events but scientists found the marsupials were 'breeding well' and had healthy level of stress hormones during the study. The popular Australian icon at Easter is currently listed as endangered in Queensland, with less than 500 of the animals estimated to remain in the wild. The large rabbit like ears Bilbies are nearing extinction from habitat loss, predation by feral animals and unpredictable climatic events . Queensland's Griffith University Professor Jean-Marc Hero told Daily Mail Australia that the results showed captive bilbies had low stress hormone levels. 'The results tell us that they're happy in a captive environment, with unlimited food and water. They are more relaxed and breeding well - doing what we need them to do so we can get them back into the wild. 'But signs of some stress can also be a good thing - it tells us that they're ready for the real world, and help defend themselves, as well as escape from predators in the wild. 'They're a little bit higher in semi-wild captive populations and they're even higher in areas where the bilbies have been re-released in the wild. Professor Hero said the testing process of the droppings is quite simple. 'The technique can be used for any animals, especially those that are difficult to catch,' he said. 'Once we get the poo samples, we then need to dry them out, grind them up, then extract the hormones from the powder before we examine them. Previous researchers had to catch bilbies to test their stress levels, which Professor Hero said had obvious drawbacks, according to ABC. 'The testing process is much easier than catching the animal, as bilbies would show signs of high stress levels, which is expected when you catch an animal,' he said. Bilbies are currently listed as endangered in Queensland, with fewer than 500 of the animals estimated to remain in the wild . Al Mucci, from Dreamworld's bilby breeding program, told ABC it was important that captive bilbies were prepared for life in the bush. 'We want to make sure that we give them a little bit of stress, because out in the wild they are going to be finding their own food and foraging and doing all the things bilbies have to do out in the wild,' he said. 'At the moment we are in breeding mode, so we are building up the captive population because hopefully next year we will be releasing some back into the wild.' Dreamworld's breeding bilbies will be released in a 29 square kilometre 'non-predator exclusive fence' specially designed to keep out feral cats in Currawinya National Park of western Queensland. 'They can breed like rabbits so to speak, so breeding them isn't the issue - the biggest threat to bilbies out in the wild is feral animals, he told ABC. 'It's a crying shame we've allowed this animal to reach such critical numbers.' Dreamworld's breeding bilbies will be released in a 'non-predator exclusive fence' specially designed to keep out feral cats in western Queensland . Professor Hero said wild bilbies had been pushed into extreme desert conditions. 'It certainly looks very grim with the condition of the environment at the moment after two years of good rains and cat populations are very high,' he said. The study has successfully validated a non-invasive tool for monitoring physiological stress in bilbies and will continue to evaluate the success of predator free enclosures and support the survival of the species. 'We can use this powerful tool to measure the condition of animals when we release them back into the wild and will continue to monitor their wild populations,' Professor Hero said. 'Save the Bilby Fund and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy have been a major help to this research and we really want to find more results but we need funds to get there.'
a new technique to measure stress levels by testing their droppings could save them from being extinct, new research has found. The study found the marsupials were 'breeding well' and had healthy level of stress hormones during the study. The popular Australian icon at Easter is currently listed as endangered in Queensland,