Numbat Downlisted from Endangered to Near Threatened After 40-Year Recovery

The IUCN Red List's 2026-1 update, released July 9, 2026, downlisted Australia's numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) from 'Endangered' to 'Near Threatened' — one of 20 species worldwide to see a positive status change in the update. The termite-eating marsupial collapsed to roughly 300 individuals by the late 1970s after introduced cats and foxes decimated its range. Following a 1994 Recovery Plan, the Western Australian government and Australian Wildlife Conservancy scaled up predator baiting and predator-proof fencing, while captive breeding at Perth Zoo and translocations established at least five new self-sustaining populations. The numbat population now stands at an estimated 2,000–3,000 animals. Conservationists caution the species still occupies only about 0.04% of its historic range and remains highly vulnerable to any lapse in predator control. The same Red List update confirmed five Australian marsupials — the little bettong and four mulgara species — as newly Extinct, and uplisted the desert rain frog to Vulnerable due to diamond mining pressure.